If you're interested in economics, essay competitions can help you explore topics beyond what is typically covered in high school classes. These competitions encourage you to examine issues such as public policy, finance, international trade, economic history, and development while strengthening your research, analytical thinking, and academic writing skills. They also provide an opportunity to engage with current economic challenges through independent inquiry and evidence-b

Summer economics programs can be a strong way to explore how money, markets, business decisions, and public policy shape the world around you. If you are in middle school, these programs can help you build analytical thinking, communication, research, and problem-solving skills before you reach more advanced high school coursework. Many also give you early exposure to college-style academics, whether through university-led classes, structured projects, or mentorship from facu

Writing is part of almost every subject, whether you are explaining an idea, building an argument, or presenting research. If you want to get better at it early, essay writing contests for high school students are worth considering. They give you a clear prompt, a deadline, and a standard to work towards. Essay writing contests for high school students help you build skills like structuring arguments, editing your work, and writing with clarity. You might respond to a theme,

Research is a useful skill to build early, especially if you plan to study subjects that rely on data and analysis. If you are in high school and interested in fields like economics, psychology, or political science, social science research programs are worth considering. These programs help you build skills like data analysis, survey design, and structured writing. You might work with datasets and case studies, or explore topics related to public policy and behavior. They ar

If you’re interested in law, a pre-law summer program can help you explore the field before college while developing skills that are valuable across many academic and professional paths. These opportunities introduce you to areas such as constitutional law, criminal justice, public policy, legal research, and advocacy while helping you strengthen critical thinking, analytical writing, and communication skills. They also provide insight into how legal systems operate and how l

Writing competitions are a strong option for middle school students because they expose participants to advanced academic expectations while still being accessible and engaging. Through these contests, students develop practical skills like structured thinking, persuasive writing, and time management, all of which are essential for success in higher grades. They also offer early glimpses into practical applications of writing, sometimes including feedback from judges, publica

If you are a college student interested in public service or government work, getting early exposure to how systems actually function can make a difference. Civil service internships for undergraduates give you a way to step into that environment while you are still studying and see how decisions, policies, and public programs are handled in practice. Civil service internships involve working on real tasks within government offices or related institutions. You might assist

Williams-Sonoma has the earliest deadline at December 5. OakDOT closes January 9 and Asian Health Services closes March 2. Port of Oakland closes March 11 and UC Office of the President closes March 31. Kaiser Permanente, Fehr & Peers, PG&E, and Simpson Gumpertz & Heger recommend early applications with rolling or unspecified deadlines. Students should begin preparing materials in the fall and prioritize December and January deadline programs well before the spring semester.

Internships can be one of the most effective ways to gain professional experience while still in college. They allow you to explore potential career paths, apply classroom knowledge in professional settings, and develop skills that employers value across industries. Depending on the opportunity, you may gain exposure to fields such as public policy, healthcare, research, finance, environmental science, technology, communications, and nonprofit work. Utah offers a wide range o

If you plan to study history, politics, or international relations in college, exploring history outside your classroom early can be very useful. A university history program is one of the strongest options you can consider while you are still in high school. University history programs allow you to see how the subject is studied at a higher level and help you understand how historians approach major events and historical debates. You may examine primary sources, analyze

If you’re interested in economics, participating in an in-person program can help you explore how individuals, businesses, and governments make decisions in a world of limited resources. These opportunities introduce you to topics such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, public policy, finance, and data analysis while helping you develop quantitative, analytical, and critical thinking skills. They also provide the chance to learn in a collaborative environment alongside instru

If economics caught your attention in school, the next step is not just reading more, but seeing how it works in practice. Economics programs give you that space! As a participant, you spend more time on fewer topics, ask more questions, and sometimes work through ideas that do not have a single clear answer. You might look at how policies affect real communities or how data is used to support decisions. That kind of experience helps you understand what studying economics act

If you’re interested in economics, participating in a structured program can help you explore how markets, governments, businesses, and individuals make decisions. These opportunities introduce you to topics such as international trade, public policy, finance, entrepreneurship, and economic research while helping you develop analytical, quantitative, and critical thinking skills. They also provide a deeper understanding of how economic concepts shape societies and influence g

If you’re interested in understanding why crimes occur, how justice systems operate, and how societies respond to criminal behavior, a criminology program can be a valuable way to explore the field. These opportunities introduce you to topics such as criminal psychology, forensic science, law, policing, criminal justice, and public policy while helping you develop critical thinking, research, and analytical skills. They also provide insight into the academic pathways and care

If you’re interested in business analytics, summer programs can help you explore how organizations use data, technology, and strategy to make decisions. These opportunities introduce you to areas like finance, economics, entrepreneurship, data science, and operations while helping you build skills in analysis, communication, and problem-solving. They also provide exposure to professional and academic environments where quantitative thinking is applied to real-world business c

If you’re interested in global politics, diplomacy, public policy, or international affairs, participating in a structured program can help you explore these subjects beyond what most high school classes offer. International relations is a broad field that combines politics, economics, history, law, culture, and national security, and many of its specialized areas are difficult to study in depth without external opportunities. Through competitive programs, you can engage with

Explore public policy internships for undergraduates to gain experience in government and policy research.