13 Boston Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 9 minutes ago
- 9 min read
If you’re a high school student in Massachusetts planning to make the most of your summer, joining a program in Boston can be a great way to do it. These programs let you explore subjects that interest you, gain hands-on experience, and learn from instructors who can guide your academic and career goals. You’ll also meet students who share similar interests and get an early sense of what college learning feels like.
Why should I do a summer program in Boston, MA?
Boston has a wealth of opportunities for high school students through its universities, research labs, and cultural institutions. You can find programs in areas like science, technology, the arts, and the humanities. Joining one of these programs can also add weight to your college applications. It shows initiative and helps you build experience that will stand out on your resume and essays.
To help you find one that fits your goals, we’ve put together a list of 13 summer programs in Boston for high school students!
13 Boston Summer Programs for High School Students
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston
Cost: Varies according to program. Financial aid available
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions throughout the year
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle/high school
The Academic Insights Program allows high school students to take undergraduate-level classes at universities around the world. The program pairs you with academics from universities like Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard in classes of 4-10 students. You'll attend university-style lectures and 1:1 weekly sessions with your tutor. The program includes practical experiences such as dissections in medicine, robotic arm building in engineering, or moot courts for law. You can choose from over 20 subjects, including architecture, artificial intelligence, business management, computer science, economics, medicine, philosophy, and more. By the program’s end, you will complete a personal project and receive written feedback and a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Harvard Medical School, 210 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA
Cost: $2,800
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple sessions from June to August. Check dates here
Application Deadline: Applications open on January 1 (deadline to be announced)
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 years or older
The Harvard Medical School MEDscienceLAB is a one-week, full-day program designed for high school students interested in biotechnology, molecular biology, and medicine. You’ll gain hands-on experience in both lab and clinical settings, performing experiments such as DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and ELISA while learning how lab diagnostics guide real medical decisions. Using high-tech simulation labs, you and your team will analyze patient data and practice diagnosing and treating a life-like programmable mannequin. The program also includes discussions with professionals in research, public health, and healthcare to help you explore biomedical career paths.
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies by program type. Financial aid is available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June)
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: MGH Main Campus, in the Charlestown Navy Yard, at Assembly Row in Somerville, or another lab location within Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville
Cost: No cost. A stipend will be provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Admissions are competitive
Dates: June 30 - August 8
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Applicant must be a rising high school senior, recent high school graduate / rising college freshman, current undergraduate student, or recent college graduate living or studying in Massachusetts at the time of the program. Check more details here.
The Youth Neurology Education and Research Program is a paid summer internship for high school and undergraduate students interested in neurology, with a focus on supporting underrepresented groups in the field. You’ll begin with a short boot camp that teaches essential lab and professional skills before joining a research team under an MGH Neurology faculty mentor. During the internship, you’ll take part in hands-on research, contribute to experimental design, data collection, and analysis, and attend weekly seminars led by neurologists and neuroscientists. You’ll also present your research at the end of the program and receive guidance on preparing it for publication or science fairs.
Location: Northeastern University’s Colleges of Engineering, Science, and Health Sciences, Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 22 - July 30
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Massachusetts residents (within commuter distance) who have completed their junior year of high school (i.e., rising seniors)
Northeastern University’s Young Scholar Program (YSP) is a free six-week summer research program for rising high school seniors in Massachusetts. You’ll work with faculty and graduate students across Northeastern’s Colleges of Science, Engineering, and Health Sciences, conducting research in fields such as robotics, biotechnology, materials science, and cancer therapy. Alongside lab work, you’ll attend seminars that introduce key engineering disciplines like mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering. The program also offers college and career counseling to help you explore STEM pathways and includes field trips to research labs, companies, and government facilities.
Location: Bentley University, Boston, MA
Cost: $5,500 (need-based financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 80 students
Dates: June 24 - July 11
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines. January 18 for the Early Decision deadline, March 22 for the Regular Decision deadline, and the waitlist will remain open until May 5
Eligibility: Students aged 14-17 (exceptional 13-year-olds)
The Wolfram High School Summer Research Program is a two-and-a-half-week research experience for high school students interested in computational thinking, programming, and AI. You’ll work on an independent project under the guidance of a mentor, using the Wolfram Language to solve real computational problems. The program includes workshops, lectures, and coding challenges that build your programming and analytical skills. By the end, you’ll produce a computational essay and interactive research paper, which can be submitted to STEM competitions or conferences.
Location: Fisher College/ Commonwealth School, Boston, MA.
Cost: $5,250
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 18 students
Dates: Session 1: June 22 - July 10 | Session 2: July 13 - July 31
Application Deadline: Early Application: December 31 | Regular Application: February 28
Eligibility: High school students
The Concord Review In-Person Summer Camp is a two-week intensive program focused on historical research and academic writing. You’ll start with a preliminary research topic and work closely with instructors to refine your focus, develop arguments, and outline a long-form essay. The program trains you in formulating research questions, analyzing primary and secondary sources, and applying advanced writing strategies used in scholarly history papers. Individual sessions provide detailed feedback, while independent study time at the Boston Public Library allows you to deepen your research. By the end, you’ll have a strong foundation to complete and potentially publish a polished historical essay.
Location: Online and Countway Library, Boston, MA
Cost: $50
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Part 1: July 21 - August 1 and Part 2: August 4 - August 15
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: High school student (rising freshman - senior)
Harvard’s Data Science in Action Program is a four-week summer experience that introduces you to programming, statistics, and machine learning through hands-on projects. You’ll start with virtual lessons in Python and data analysis, building the foundation to understand key AI and ML concepts. The in-person portion focuses on applying these skills to real-world challenges, like programming algorithms for image recognition and developing a self-driving toy car powered by your own neural network model. Working in teams, you’ll receive mentorship from teaching assistants and interact with machine learning experts from academia and industry. The program concludes with a demo where you showcase your trained model and self-driving car in action.
Location: Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston, MA
Cost: Paid; exact amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 7-11 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are 16 years old at the start of the program, living in and/or attending school in Massachusetts, and able to commute to the Longwood Medical Area in Boston; college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors can also apply
CURE – Summer Only Program at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center is a full-time, paid research internship for high school students interested in cancer biology and biomedical science. Over 7 to 11 weeks, you’ll work with a research mentor on active cancer research projects, gaining hands-on experience in experimental design, lab techniques, and data analysis. The program includes seminars, journal clubs, ethics discussions, and professional development workshops. You’ll also prepare a research abstract and deliver a final presentation. Alongside research, you’ll take part in networking events, career panels, and community-building activities with scientists and fellow interns.
Location: New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
Cost: Pays a stipend (amount not specified)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: One week of training followed by six weeks of work in the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling; applications typically open in March
Eligibility: High school students aged 14 or older, with priority given to residents of Boston and Cambridge
Teen Internships at the New England Aquarium offer paid, hands-on opportunities for high school students to learn about marine conservation while building professional skills. Over seven weeks (including one week of training), you’ll take on roles such as Visitor Services Assistant or Aquarium Guide, helping guests explore exhibits and understand ocean conservation topics. The program includes courses in marine and climate science, public speaking, and ocean advocacy, along with professional development sessions. Optional workshops and behind-the-scenes tours let you see how the Aquarium operates and connect with staff.
Location: Boston Architectural College (BAC), Newbury Street, Boston, MA
Cost: Base Price, credit bearing (6 college credits): $4,000; Base Price, not for credit: $3,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Dates: June 30 - August 8
Application Deadline: June 9
Eligibility: High school students
Boston Architectural College Urban Design and Planning Studio is a pre-college program for high school students interested in careers in urban planning and design. The program combines hands-on learning with guidance from leading professionals in the Boston area. You will participate in the Urban Design and Planning Studio, a pre-professional fellowship that introduces urban planning concepts and prepares students for professional practice. Alongside this, you will also join the Summer Academy Design Program, which provides practical experience in architecture, interior design, and landscape design. Together, the programs give students both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, fostering creativity and preparing them for future studies in design and urban planning.
Location: Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA
Cost: $2,132 (tuition) + $1,560 (housing)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 23 - July 3
Application Deadline: Priority deadline: February 1 | Rolling admission till May 1
Eligibility: High school students between the ages of 15-18
Vocal/Choral Intensive (VCI) at Berklee College of Music is a two-week summer program for high school students passionate about classical singing or musical theater. Taught by Boston Conservatory faculty, the program focuses on developing foundational vocal skills, musicianship, movement, and acting. You will receive individual voice lessons, participate in vocal coaching, and engage in ensemble and solo performances. The curriculum also includes sight-singing, ear training, music theory, and a repertoire seminar to help you select pieces that showcase your abilities. “Stageworks” activities further develop the skills needed for singing actors.
Location: Multiple locations in Boston
Cost: No cost / A stipend is provided (Minimum of $15/hour)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 6-7 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling admission
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in a Boston Public School
The Boston PIC Tech Apprenticeship is a six- to seven-week paid summer program for Boston Public Schools high school students interested in technology and computer science careers. You will be placed with local companies, where you gain hands-on experience working on real-world tech projects, such as web development, software testing, IT helpdesk support, database management, and social media or video production. The program also emphasizes professional development, teaching workplace culture, collaboration, and project management skills. Many apprentices combine this experience with coding clubs, robotics teams, or early college courses to deepen their technical knowledge. By the end of the program, you will have gained practical insights into tech careers, strengthened your technical skills, and built a network of professional connections in the Boston area.
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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