10 Summer Programs for Middle School Students in Michigan
- Stephen Turban
- Jun 13
- 7 min read
Enrolling into a summer program is an excellent way for middle school students to test your existing skills and sharpen them further. If you’re interested and still on the fence about your decision, you’d benefit from knowing that not only do these programs develop your research abilities, they also reshape your engagement with real-world issues with the help of practical training and collaborative work. Importantly, the best summer programs also factor in the presence of expert mentors to further enhance the overall experience.
While a number of prestigious middle school summer programs are available on offer, a large chunk of these limit the eligibility criteria to only include residents enrolled into local schools or within prescribed geographical limits. As a result, the process of applying to programs often proves to be tedious.
If you’re a middle school student from Michigan, look no further than the following list of 10 summer programs you should consider applying to!
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates:March 3 Onwards (Spring Cohort), June 2 Onwards (Summer Cohort I), July 14 Onwards (Summer Cohort II)
Application Deadline: Varies according to the cohort, more details here.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Fee: $2,400 (Financial Aid available)
Location: Virtual
An initiative by Lumiere Education, the Junior Explorer Program is an 8-week multidisciplinary program for students in grades 6 to 8. If selected for the program, you shall gain further exposure in fields like data science, environmental studies, psychology, physics, engineering, and more!
The program also assigns a separate mentor for each student, all of whom are known to have Ivy League credentials. In the final weeks of the program, you will be expected to narrow down on a specific subject and curate an individual project, with the help of your mentor’s inputs and guidance. Students from previous cohorts boast of publications in reputed journals and a higher acceptance rate into Ivy League universities!
Acceptance Rate: Moderately selective
Dates: June 9 - June 20 (Cohort I); July 14- July 25 (Cohort II)
Application Deadline: Varies according to the cohort, more details here.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Fee: $1,990 (Need-based financial aid is available)
Location: Virtual
Spread across a period of 2 weeks and involving a total of 25 hours of virtual sessions, the AI Trailblazers program is an emerging STEM course for middle school students in the United States. The summer program focuses on training selected students in the foundations of artificial intelligence, with a focus on subjects like coding, data analysis and AI Ethics.
If selected, you will work closely with mentors with credible qualifications and engage in practical training involving data sets & AI applications. The course also results in a measurable project outcome in the form of customized projects. Past projects by selected students have aimed at using artificial intelligence and machine learning models innovatively to group music genres and to customize educational information!
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates:June 16 - June 27 (Session I); July 7 - July 18 (Session II)
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 8-11
Fee: $3080, not including $65 registration fee and other course-specific costs. (Financial Aid available)
Location: Virtual
With about 70 summer courses in its catalogue, the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes lets middle school students choose from an array of options. These courses deal in subjects from the humanities, science, business, social science, mathematics, and more! Selected students are known to find themselves in small cohorts, thereby ensuring a better teacher-to-student ratio. Furthermore, the virtual program also aids you in making valuable connections with educators and peers alike!!
Acceptance Rate: Selective; selection criteria available here.
Dates: July 7 - August 1
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-12
Fee: Free
Location: Columbia University, NY
Hosted by the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, the State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP) primarily aims to increase the presence of students from historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged groups in the field of medicine and related STEM fields.
The courses which delve into fields closer to anatomy, cognitive science, physics, psychology, statistics, et al. are known to be rigorous and competitive. Importantly, the program also serves as a solid preparatory course for young students. If you happen to be selected for the program, you will also benefit from it by being eligible to apply for the BRAINYAC program and the YES in THE HEIGHTS program.
However, entry into the course is subject to a competitive application review process. More details can be accessed here.
Acceptance Rate: Not selective, but limited spots available to students from each nationality.
Dates: July 13 - August 3
Application Deadline: TBD; applications are currently open.
Eligibility: Students aged 13 - 18 years.
Fee: $8800 (not including $500 enrollment fee)
Location: Yale University, CT
The International Summer School at Yale University is a lively summer program that caters to middle school and high school students globally. If selected, you will be expected to choose one academic option and one elective option for a 3-week residential program.
You can choose any one academic option from subjects like business & entrepreneurship, creative writing, debate, English language, and study skills. Elective options include film, outdoor leadership, photography, tennis, and theatre. The program is designed to engage students in cultural trips, workshops, and other activities!
Since the program accepts international students, you can also connect with other talented students from different parts of the world!
6. dynaMIT
Acceptance Rate: Selective, although exact data is not available.
Dates: August 11 - August 15 (for students in grades 6-7)August 18 - August 22 (for students in grades 8-9)
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-9
Fee: Free
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
The fully-funded STEM program hosted by MIT, dynaMIT is an accessible option for middle school students looking to enroll in a summer program. If selected, you will be trained in the basics of mathematics, space science, physics, and related fields, while being encouraged to develop practical skills.
Selected students also find the opportunity to work in a learning environment with talented peers and mentors from MIT! The program outcome involves separate projects curated by the participants. Moreover, you shall also get the chance to present your project to an audience of friends and family on the final day of the program!
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates:June 23- June 27July 7 - July 11
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-8
Fee:
$950 for commuters, including lunches (excluding registration fee of $75)
$2100 for residents (excluding registration fee of $75)
Note: Students registering after March 1 will have to pay a registration fee of $95.
Location: Michigan State University
MST @ MSU is a summer STEM program that caters to students in grades 7 and 8. Held at Michigan State University, the week-long program focuses on mathematics, science, and technology and their application areas. The varying class options allow you to explore several STEM disciplines, ranging from number theory and astrophysics to artificial intelligence & web-based game design.
Requisites in the form of grade cut-offs, teacher recommendations and essays form part of the program’s application review process, thereby making it a comparatively selective course. If selected, the program will be residential or commuter-based, depending on your preference.
Acceptance Rate: Not selective, but limited spots are available to students from each nationality.
Dates: Varies as per the program length and age group; more details here.
Application Deadline: January 15 (Priority Deadline)
Eligibility: Students in grades 3-12
Fee: Varies as per program length and age group, more details here. (Financial aid available)
Location: Interlochen Centre For The Arts, Michigan
The Interlochen Arts Camp is one of the oldest summer art camps for middle school and high school students. Through different cohorts categorised according to program length and age group, the camp caters to young creative minds through a variety of specialised programs in music, dance, film & new media, creative writing, visual arts, and theatre.
If selected, you will find yourself amidst expert mentors and talented peers and get the opportunity to learn, create, and perform your work in an encouraging and learning environment. The camp is also visited by renowned guest artists each year.
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates:July 14 - August 1
Application Deadline: TBD
Eligibility: Students aged 12-14
Fee: $2499, subject to change at regular intervals. More details here.
Location: Virtual
Data Science: The AI Journey is a three-week program hosted by Berkeley Coding Academy, which also caters to middle school students. Learning outcomes of the online program include improved skills in data analysis, data visualisations, optimisation of machine learning models, and more!
If selected, you will also be tasked with making a peer-reviewed project using your own datasets, thereby aiding your portfolio. Selected students also get the chance to present their projects at the end of the program. Interested students must be trained in coding in Python at the introductory level, as detailed here.
Acceptance Rate: Not publicly available
Dates: Varies as per cohort, more details here.
Application Deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8 who are Michigan residents
Fee: Free
Location: Varies as per session and cohort, more details here.
The Thinkabit Lab Summer camp, hosted by Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab, is a week-long summer STEM camp for middle school students. The program helps students in upscaling their skills in mathematics, science, and engineering through hands-on activities. In particular, foundational concepts about particular subjects like the invention of technologies, computers, and robotic crafts form part of the curriculum
.
If selected, you will have the chance to interact with professional engineers and to expand your knowledge of engineering tools and their real-life applications.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
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.
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