10 Best Math Summer Camps for Gifted Students
- Stephen Turban
- Mar 4
- 6 min read
Gifted students interested in math can consider participating in a math camp this summer. Math camps are a good way to expand your knowledge and develop technical skills in the subject. You engage with an advanced curriculum that prepares you for future academics and a career in the field.
Such camps also provide an opportunity to meet and interact with seasoned faculty and professionals. Moreover, you can network with peers who have similar interests. If a summer math camp sounds like a good option, here are a few for you to consider.
10 Best Math Summer Camps for Gifted Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Highly selective
Program dates: 8 weeks; varies by cohort
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program is a mentored research program for middle schoolers. This mentorship is provided by PhD mentors from prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are experts in their fields, including math. With their guidance, you conduct original research. As a result, you learn to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study, which enables you to build crucial skills. You also develop field-specific and scientific communication skills through feedback and writing coaching sessions. You can publish your research in academic journals by opting for the Junior Research and Publication Program.
Location: Online
Cost / Stipend: Fully funded
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Selective
Program dates:Summer: July 6 – 24Fall: August 26 – December 9
Application deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Low income students in grades 6 or 7 who live in and attend school in the United States and have a family income under $90,000
SMSSP is a challenging program designed for ambitious middle schoolers. Held in the summer and fall, you can opt for a track in a subject of your choice. Students interested in math can consider Discovering Geometry: From Flatland to the Fourth Dimension or Real-Life Applications to Mathematics. The geometry track introduces you to shapes, patterns, and dimensions. The math applications track connects math to real-life scenarios in cryptography and finance. In the summer, you attend live interactive classes, and in the fall, you participate in weekly discussions and debates on your chosen topic. The program also provides support for applying to other prestigious programs.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates:Spring cohort: 25 hours over 10 weeks on weekendsSummer cohort: 25 hours over 2 weeks on weekdays
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program is a multidisciplinary program that blends math with technology. Gifted students can develop a basic understanding of AI and machine learning. The program teaches diverse technology topics like Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. Once this foundation is established, you test your learning by applying it to a real-world issue. This project must solve a challenge in the math field using technology. In the past, students have built a machine-learning model to classify music genres and a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost: $399 per week; limited scholarships available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Selective
Application deadline: April 18
Eligibility: Students in grades 3 to 9
Rice STEAM Academies is a hands-on summer program for middle schoolers to explore STEAM subjects, including math. You learn creative problem solving and innovation through practical activities. Spark Academy, aimed at middle schoolers, offers interactive experiences that focus on energy, sustainability, and emerging technologies. During the program, you complete projects, conduct experiments, and work in teams to enhance your knowledge. As a result, you understand the real-world applications of STEAM subjects.
Location: Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, or Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA
Cost: $6,717 commuter or $7,549 residential
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: 16 to 18 students
Program dates:Summer A: June 28 – July 17Summer B: July 19 – August 7
Application deadline:Summer A: May 11Summer B: June 8
Eligibility: Students in grades 7 to 11 who meet CTY level quantitative score requirements
Game Theory is an important branch of mathematics. It explores the application of strategic reasoning to competitive behavior, especially in business and economics. This program by Johns Hopkins CTY introduces you to Game Theory, which you will use to analyze real-world economic cases. Through games, you learn to model actual scenarios faced by economists and business owners. The schedule involves class discussions, activities, research, and mathematical analysis. You also gain an understanding of economics concepts such as auctions and bidding behavior, fair division and profit sharing, monopolies and oligopolies, and bankruptcy.
Location: Gilman School, Baltimore, MD
Cost: $1,045 commuter, includes lunches; $2,100 residential
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: 16 to 18 students
Program dates: June 22 – 26 or July 6 – 10
Application deadline: May 8
Eligibility: Students in grades 7 or 8 who meet ACT, SAT, or CogAT score requirements
Michigan State University’s summer program allows gifted middle schoolers to explore their interests in math, science, and technology. You will complete an advanced STEM curriculum in three classes during the week. In addition to theoretical learning, you consider the practical application of math, science, and technology. You can expect to partake in scientific modeling, collaborative lab work, data analysis, and discussion-based reflection. As you conduct interdisciplinary research, you investigate problems in various fields and discover the role of these subjects in solving them.
Location: Online
Cost: $1,275 to $1,575, based on application timing
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates:Session 1: June 8 – 26 | Session 2: June 29 – July 17 | Session 3: July 20 – August 7
Application deadline: May 26, final deadline
Eligibility: Gifted middle and high school students ages 12 to 18
The AwesomeMath Summer Program is held online for gifted middle and high schoolers. This is an opportunity for you to expand your math knowledge and technical skills. You can enroll in as many courses as you wish. The schedule involves live, instructor-led classes and daily homework. You also complete periodic assessments. You learn to apply advanced concepts to specific problems and prepare for math contests.
Location: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Cost: $150 to $200; limited scholarships available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Various sessions during the summer
Application deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Students entering grades 6 to 8
Oregon State University offers a range of summer camps for middle schoolers. These camps cover various STEM topics, including math. Although they do not have a dedicated math camp, the Engineering Camp track is a multidisciplinary course that explores engineering concepts through science, technology, engineering, and math. These camps involve hands-on activities for you to develop technical skills and know-how. You build projects, collaborate with peers, and explore potential career pathways.
9. Penn GEMS
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: To be announced; limited financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Selective
Program dates: June 22 – 26
Application deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Rising 7th to 9th graders who live and attend school within 60 miles of Penn’s campus
Penn GEMS is an engineering, math, and science camp for middle schoolers looking for practical exposure. Through experiential learning, you delve into various topics in these fields. Some topics taught during the program include bioengineering, robotics, AI, materials science, and more. The camp is led by Penn students and faculty who act as mentors and provide insights into their academic and career paths. Through hands-on activities and group work, you build collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Cost: $3,025 tuition and $2,405 residential fee
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Small classes
Program dates: July 19 – August 7
Application deadline: One week before the start date
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
Northwestern CTD offers several programs for ambitious and gifted students. If you are interested in math, you can opt for the Big League Analytics track. It teaches you how statistics are used to manage sports teams. For first-hand experience, you create your own team by measuring a player's performance over time and debate the merits of "scouts vs. stats". Thus, you learn the practical application of complex math concepts. You also interact with math faculty and professionals while building field-specific skills.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. 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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