11 Summer Programs for High School Students in Pennsylvania
Finding a great summer opportunity can be difficult. There are a lot of options to choose from in Pennsylvania so we’ve compiled some great opportunities to help you decide!
The opportunities range from paid to free (some even provide a stipend). There is something here for everyone.
Not seeing something you like? You can also look at the opportunities we’ve curated in psychology research, medical research, biology research, and virtual research. You can also check out our research program – Lumiere – which had 2100 students apply this past year!
Application deadline: April 5, 2023
Eligibility: Students from grades 9 – 11, with a minimum 3.3 unweighted GPA,
Program dates: 2-week and 3-week programs available running between June and August
Location: The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania
Fee: $7,299 - $9,099
Financial aid: Several partial and full scholarships are available
The WGYP offers a number of different programs for high school students to explore business, leadership and prepare themselves for college. The 7 on-campus programs cover topics like product design, entrepreneurship, data science, and more. Leadership in the Business World is known to be highly selective while the Management & Technology Summer Institute offers college credit, both are well known programs. These are immersive experiences where you will learn from Wharton faculty and engage in a hands-on, interactive curriculum. WGYP features online courses too, as well as an Investment Competition that is free of cost.
2. Horizon
Location: Virtual
Application Date: May 21, 2024 for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024 for the fall cohort
Program Dates:
Summer seminar - June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024
Fall seminar - October 23, 2024 - February 19, 2025
Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields, under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student, as well as detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects and on college applications. Apply here!
Application deadline: January 31 2023, after which applications are accepted on a rolling basis until May 1
Eligibility: Students with a minimum 3.3 GPA
Program dates: July 9, 2023 – July 29, 2023
Location: University of Pennsylvania
Fee: $5,500 for the ASL and Deaf Culture Academy, $9,700 for the rest
UPenn’s summer academies are three-week intensive programs that do a deep dive into a specific subject. Covering science subjects like physics, chemistry, coding, and social subjects like justice and media, this program uses a combination of theory and application to train students in a field of study. If you go to a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school, you can apply for the Penn Summer Scholarship which gives you a chance to attend the academy free of cost!
Application deadline: March 15, 2023
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors from underrepresented/underserved communities
Program dates: July 1, 2023 – July 28, 2023
Location: Carnegie Mellon University
Fee: Free
You can spend four weeks working under Carnegie Mellon University faculty and leading researchers through this residential program in computer science. Offering a comprehensive look at the subject, you will study algorithmic components, problem solving techniques, basic data structures and even attend a math course. Additionally, you will also network with industry leaders and work on a group project for the final presentation, while preparing for college life. The Pre-College AI Scholars and Summer Academy for Math and Science programs are other free programs you can consider, with the latter being one of the more prestigious programs in the country!
Application deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors from underrepresented/underserved communities
Program dates: June 25, 2023 – July 8, 2023 for the residential program, July 10, 2023 – July 21, 2023 for the virtual program
Location: Lehigh University
Fee: Free
The SEI takes a lab-based, research-centric approach to STEM subjects, giving students significant practical experience. Topics are taken from a number of different disciplines, like 3D printing, robotics, nanoscience, bioengineering, environmental remediation and more. The curriculum includes lectures, team projects, and virtual field trips. Do keep in mind that students need to be nominated by their district to the Lehigh University School Study Council for this program.
Application deadline: February 8, 2023
Eligibility: Current juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years of age
Program dates: Starting from June 26, 2023, students must complete 4 weeks or 160 hours of work.
Location: MWRI or Magee-Womens Hospital
Stipend: Hourly minimum wage
Ideal for those interested in biomedical research, this medical internship focuses on reproductive biology, women’s health, and infant health. During the four-week commuter program, you will work on an individual research project under the mentorship of MWRI staff and present it by the end of the program. It uses a hybrid format where students are allowed to do part of the internship from home. Less than 8% of applicants have been previously accepted to the program, making it highly selective!
Application deadline: March 31, 2023
Eligibility: Students entering 12th grade who have a strong interest in business
Program dates: June 18 2023 – June 30, 2023
Location: Penn State University Park
Fee: Only a $50 registration fee is required, all the other costs are covered
Financial assistance: Aid is available for those who cannot afford the registration fee
Listed on Forbes as an innovative business program, BOSS is a two-week program hosted by Smeal School of Business at Penn State. The program teaches students the fundamentals of business while also preparing them for college life. You will live on the college campus and attend sessions on everything from accounting to business writing, proper etiquette and professional dress code. In the end, you will even have the opportunity to present a business you developed through the program!
Another great program in the same field is Drexel University’s Camp Business, which has a comprehensive curriculum on the basics of business.
Application deadline: February 17, 2023
Eligibility: Students in 10th and 11th grade
Program dates: June 12, 2023 – June 23, 2023
Location: Penn State Harrisburg
Fee: Free
Penn State Harrisburg offers this free, two-week STEM program for high schoolers to get a taste of hands-on work in the field. You will visit labs and other facilities, take part in experiments, attend discipline-specific workshops and learn how to give scientific oral presentations. The curriculum covers a number of topics from subjects like mathematics, chemistry, electrical engineering, biology and more.
Application deadline: Applications accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
Eligibility: Students who have completed sophomore/junior year in June of the same year
Program dates: Four one-week sessions available during the month of July
Location: Lycoming College or Pennsylvania College of Technology
Fee: Participants will be sponsored by a local business/organization and only need to pay a $295 registration fee
Financial assistance: Available for the registration fee
The Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, a non-profit organization, hosts this week-long residential program where you will get to run a business! In teams of 16, accompanied by an adult mentor, you will take charge of an underperforming manufacturing company and compete with other teams to get the highest return on equity. Handling all departments from marketing and finance to HR, this residential program offers great practical experience.
Application deadline: January 31, 2023
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who are residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and have a record of high academic achievement and an interest in mathematics and the sciences
Program dates: July 2, 2023 – August 5, 2023
Location: Carnegie Mellon University
Fee: Free, students only need to cover transportation costs
A highly competitive program to get into, the PGSS provides advanced academic study and research opportunities to gifted high school students. You will study five core courses (usually topics in mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, and biology), four elective courses, and one lab course. The curriculum also includes a team project that results in a formal scientific paper that could be published in the PGSS journal! Over the five weeks, you will also attend guest lectures, make important connections and learn using the sophisticated technology at Carnegie Mellon University.
Application deadline: Rolling applications
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Program dates: Session 1 from June 26, 2023 - June 30, 2023, Session 2 from July 10, 2023 - July 14, 2023, Session 3 from July 31, 2023 - August 4, 2023, Session 4 from July 24, 2023 – July 28, 2023
Location: Fallingwater, Pennsylvania
Fee: $1,200
Financial assistance: Limited full and partial need-based scholarships available
Fallingwater Institute's high school residencies offer students the opportunity to live and study art and architecture on Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater property. The immersive, studio-based experience will give you the opportunity to work on drawing and design, explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s ideas and look into the intersection of design and nature. Apart from two studio sessions, the other two focus on portfolio prep and biophilic design respectively.
Here’s one more program as a bonus for those of you who read till the very last entry:
Application deadline: May 19, 2023
Eligibility: Open to students from grades 2 to 12, specifics change with each course
Program dates: Session 1 from June 25, 2023 – July 14, 2023, Session 2 from July 16, 2023 – August 4, 2023
Location: Franklin and Marshall College and Ursinus College
Fee: In between $2,999 and $6,199, depending on the course
Financial assistance: Limited financial aid is available
The CTY is a non-profit that provides educational programs to train students in more advanced and challenging subjects in-depth. The courses offered at the two Pennsylvania campuses cover a range of subjects including astrophysics, cryptology, robotics, engineering, writing, philosophy and more. The program develops students’ skills and talents through assignments, lab work, creative projects and by allowing them to share a classroom with similarly exceptional peers.
If you're looking for a real-world internship that can help boost your resume while applying to college, we recommend Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective program equipping students with virtual internship experiences at startups and nonprofits around the world!
The startups range across a variety of industries, and each student can select which field they would most love to deep dive into. This is also a great opportunity for students to explore areas they think they might be interested in, and better understand professional career opportunities in those areas. The startups are based all across the world, with the majority being in the United States, Asia and then Europe and the UK.
The fields include technology, machine learning and AI, finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, media and journalism and more.
You can explore all the options here on their application form. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship - the Ladder Coach serves as a second mentor and a sounding board, guiding you through the internship and helping you navigate the startup environment.
Cost: $1490 (Financial Aid Available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: April 16 and May 14
Program dates: 8 weeks, June to August
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates and gap year students!
Additionally, you can also work on independent research in AI, through Veritas AI's Fellowship Program!
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI a suitable environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship.
These programs are designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni and you can expect a great, fulfilling educational experience. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship.
The AI Fellowship program will have students pursue their own independent AI research project. Students work on their own individual research projects over a period of 12-15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. In the past, students have worked on research papers in the field of AI & medicine, AI & finance, AI & environmental science, AI & education, and more! You can find examples of previous projects here.
Location: Virtual
Cost:
$1,790 for the 10-week AI Scholars program
$4,900 for the 12-15 week AI Fellowship
$4,700 for both
Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Applications for fall cohort have closed September 3, 2023.
Program dates: Various according to the cohort
Program selectivity: Moderately selective
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit past experience with AI concepts or Python.
Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions pertaining to the students background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest.
One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are passionate about research, you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students that I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 2100 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image source: Wharton's Global Youth Program logo