15 Competitive Architecture Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 3 hours ago
- 13 min read
High school programs are a strong option for students to explore subjects that interest them and prepare for college. Typically combining undergraduate-level coursework, research experience, and professional skills, these programs are a great way to get a preview of college academics. This early exposure to architecture can give you an edge in the college admissions process. Many programs provide industry exposure and networking opportunities, allowing you to work with industry professionals and hear about their experience in the field. You may also visit companies, which can help you figure out if this career path is right for you.
Why should I participate in a competitive architecture program in high school?
While participation in high school programs can demonstrate your academic motivation, not all programs are created equal. Architecture programs with rigorous academics, low acceptance rates, fully funded or paid participation, and research or professional experiences make a difference in the college admissions process. Many programs include internships, portfolio development support, and guidance from professors and admissions officers on applications. Few high schools offer architecture coursework, but applying for architecture majors often requires a high level of skill and a portfolio. As a result, architecture programs are a great opportunity to prepare for an undergraduate architecture degree.
In this blog, we’ve compiled a list of 15 competitive architecture programs for high school students that offer the strongest training and credentials to prepare for your future.
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students, with the opportunity to focus on architecture. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students and pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. You’ll work with your mentor to strengthen your research skills and knowledge of architecture, then develop an architecture research topic of your choice. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Multiple architecture firms in Boston, MA, and the Greater Boston area
Stipend: Paid; amount TBA
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; ~3% acceptance rate for a cohort of 15 students
Dates: July 6 – August 14
Application deadline: Opens February 20; deadline TBA
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 attending a Boston Public School
Boston Society for Architecture’s Internship Program is a highly competitive opportunity that provides industry architecture experience for 15 high school students each year. You’ll be placed at a prestigious architecture firm in Boston to contribute to the firm’s projects tailored to your skills and architectural interests. Your work might include creating design charrettes, contributing to data analysis for quality assurance, or supporting sustainable energy integrations into building design. You’ll collaborate with employees across the firm, including architects, designers, engineers, and corporate leadership, and supplement your assignments with professional meetings, project site visits, and personalized mentorship. You’ll also attend weekly events hosted by the BSA, including neighborhood tours, lectures, and more. With host firms’ portfolios including NYC’s National September 11 Memorial Museum, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and buildings at universities such as Harvard and MIT, you’ll have both impressive networking opportunities and the opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking design projects. You’ll deliver a presentation on your work to the BSA, host firms, and your peers at the end of the internship.
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts; rolling admissions.
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school, may vary by program
The Academic Insights Program lets high school students experience university life firsthand. You will live on campus and study in small groups of 7-10, and learn from tutors from eminent top universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
Participants can explore a wide range of subjects, spanning over 20 options, including Architecture, AI, Business Management, Computer Science, Economics, Medicine, Philosophy, and more. The courses are experiential and focus on hands-on learning. You may find yourself conducting dissections in medicine, designing a robotic arm in engineering, participating in a moot court for law, or building creative writing portfolios and business case studies. By the end of the program, you’ll complete a personal project, receive written feedback, and receive a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,100
Acceptance rate/Cohort size: Very selective; 3-4% acceptance rate
Dates: Spring: February 10-May 21 (Introductory Bootcamp on January 31) | Summer: TBA
Application Deadline: Spring: October 27; exact date varies yearly | Summer: TBA
Eligibility: 10th and 11th-grade students | Spring interns must be NYC residents and attending school in NYC; summer interns may reside and attend school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut
The Met’s High School Internship Program is a highly competitive opportunity for high schoolers to work directly within a specialized museum department while learning about art museum operations. You’ll be assigned an area based on your interests and skills; students looking for an architecture-focused internship should consider the Design Department, the Met Cloisters, the American Wing, and Egyptian Art. Your work may include contributing to curatorial projects on medieval architecture, collections research, co-developing educational programs, or supporting a period room installation based on historical North American architecture. You’ll also network with Met staff and professional artists, learn about the Met’s collections, lead museum tours, attend artist demonstrations and social events, and (if you intern in the Spring) collaboratively plan the annual Teens Take the Met event.
Location: Harold Washington College, Chicago, IL
Stipend: Stipend provided
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; 16–20 students admitted
Dates: June 22 – May 8
Application deadline: March 31
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10–12 attending school in Chicago or the Greater Chicago area
Chicago Architecture Center’s Teen Fellows Program is a funded, competitive architecture program for high schoolers in the Chicago area, providing 15 months of architectural training, coursework, and internship opportunities. You’ll take college-level architecture classes at Harold Washington College and Chicago Architecture Center throughout the summer and school year. You’ll be trained in architectural design skills, including using AutoCAD and Revit software, building physical models, and completing technical projects. You’ll also network with and attend lectures from professional architects, tour architecture and design companies, and visit architecturally-significant sites in the city. If you perform well in your courses, you’ll be offered a paid internship for the following summer, where you’ll work directly with professional architects at a Chicago-area firm. You’ll finish the program with industry work experience, an architecture portfolio for college applications, and transferable college credits.
Location: Sasaki Foundation and multiple architecture/design firms in Boston, MA
Stipend: $16.25/hour
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; ~20 students admitted per year
Dates: Six weeks, early July – mid-August
Application deadline: TBA; opens in spring and typically closes after one month
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12 who are residents of Boston and the Metro North area
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation’s SEED internship provides a paid opportunity for high schoolers in the Metro North region to gain hands-on skills, industry exposure, and academic training in diverse architectural fields. You’ll study architecture, interior design, urban planning, and landscape architecture in design charrettes with professionals from Sasaki, learning skills such as hand sketching, conceptual design, and architectural computer design software. You’ll additionally network with industry professionals across architectural sub-fields and learn about careers in the field. You’ll finish the internship with a final group project where you’ll develop a real-world design proposal for a local nonprofit organization. Former projects include designing an urban farm for the environmental justice organization Groundwork Somerville, including indoor and outdoor spaces, a marketplace, and harvesting spaces. If you’re selected for the advanced track, you’ll design a creative kiosk proposal for an arts-focused nonprofit to submit to the 10 World Trade Youth Design Competition; the winning proposal will be funded and built!
Location: Multiple host sites in New York, NY
Stipend: $17/hour
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; evaluated by program and partner companies; limited interns per site
Dates: July 6 – August 14
Application deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Current high school students attending an NYC public school
NYC School Construction Authority’s High School Summer Internship Program connects talented high schoolers with paid internships in architecture, engineering, construction management, and more. You’ll be assigned to an industry program partner and spend four days each week working under the guidance of company professionals, developing specialized architecture and design skills, and contributing to the firm’s projects. Placements include prestigious firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Langan, and NYC’s Architecture & Engineering Department. Outside of your work, you’ll participate in educational programming led by the SCA, including personalized mentorship, career guidance, and OSHA certification training. Many interns have been invited to continue working with their host firm in the following summer or later join as a professional employee, making the program a pathway to long-term industry partnerships.
Location: Hybrid; Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA, and Perkins&Will, Boston, MA
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; 7 students admitted
Dates: 10 weeks
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 attending school in the Boston area; must be from an underrepresented group in architecture or design
The Equity in Design Mentorship Program is a competitive and fully-funded architecture training opportunity hosted through a collaboration between Harvard Graduate School of Design and the international architecture and design firm Perkins&Will. You’ll be paired with a Perkins&Will professional mentor and a current Harvard GSD student to receive training in architecture through online sessions with GSD faculty and events at GSD and Perkins&Will’s Boston office. You’ll gain experience with designing physical models, using design software, conducting architectural research, and working on large-scale projects like developing an architectural design for an underused space in your neighborhood. You’ll access intensive professional and academic development opportunities, including networking with internationally-recognized architects, preparing mock applications for architecture jobs and internships, exploring career opportunities in the field, and studying college-level design curricula. You’ll earn a certificate upon successful completion of the program, be included in press releases and presentations on the program, and be eligible for prizes based on the quality of your work.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost / Stipend: Free; residential option requires ~$2,450 for housing
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; <5% acceptance rate
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application deadline: February 5
Eligibility: Rising seniors aged 16+, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | Must be nominated by their high school, with up to 2 nominees per school | Civil Engineering applicants should have experience in programming, CAD, or art/design
SSRP is a highly competitive and fully funded program for high school students interested in pursuing advanced research projects. Students looking for an architecture program can focus on Civil Engineering, providing a technical approach to the field. You’ll be matched with a mentor with aligned research interests to complete an independent project. Current civil engineering and architecture opportunities include designing smart infrastructure, programming computational systems for improving construction site safety and efficiency, and using CAD software for design projects. Outside of your work, you’ll attend a series of lectures on advanced STEM topics, academic workshops, and networking events with professional researchers. You’ll finish the program by writing an academic paper on your research and delivering a presentation to the cohort of students and mentors.
Location: University of Michigan Detroit Center, Detroit, MI
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; 25 students
Dates: 10 sessions throughout the year
Application deadline: TBA; nomination-based
Eligibility: High school juniors in the Detroit Public School Community District | Must be nominated by school principal | Minimum GPA of 2.5
The Michigan Architecture Prep program offers a fully-funded college-level introduction to architecture to high schoolers from Detroit, featuring coursework, networking, personalized mentorship, and college preparation. You’ll take an architecture course taught by Taubman faculty, learning skills across design thinking, mathematics, and visual art, for which you’ll earn transferable credits. You’ll attend a series of educational and hands-on workshops covering topics including visual and spatial language, design research methodologies, critical representation techniques, and more. To prepare for your next steps, you’ll receive guidance from a personal architecture graduate student mentor, personalized college and career counseling from Taubman faculty and admissions officers, interview and presentation preparation, and portfolio design support. You’ll also network with practicing architects and tour Detroit architecture firms. Nearly 44% of ArcPrep participants are accepted to UMich’s Taubman College undergraduate program, one of the top 10 architecture schools in the country.
Location: Rice University, Houston, TX
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; 15 students
Dates: June 7 – 18
Application deadline: April 5
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors, age 16+ | Must attend school in the Greater Houston area
Hosted by Rice’s prestigious School of Architecture, the Architecture Summer Immersion Program is a fully-funded opportunity for high schoolers from the Greater Houston area to strengthen their design skills and college preparation. You’ll learn through workshops and projects, learning 2D and 3D architecture and design skills from freehand drawing to developing physical models. You’ll be mentored by current architecture graduate students, network with professional architects and designers, and study under Rice faculty, gaining diverse perspectives on academics and careers in architecture. You’ll receive rigorous guidance on college preparation, including discussions with Rice faculty on architecture program admissions and personalized feedback on your application materials and portfolio.
Location: MICA, Baltimore, MD
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; 15 students admitted
Dates: 3-year program; begins late January of sophomore year
Application deadline: November 20
Eligibility: 10th graders from Baltimore, MD; requires a portfolio of 4 pieces
MICA’s Art & Design College Accelerator Program is a selective and fully-funded three-year program, providing rigorous training in architecture and design disciplines. You’ll attend studio workshops each Saturday throughout the school year, developing skills in drawing, digital illustration, graphic design, and more. You’ll develop a series of design projects, working towards the program goal of developing an official design portfolio. You’ll also attend the artistic and professional development-focused Workshop course, featuring class critiques, writing and design workshops, field trips to architecture sites, and discussions with professional artists and designers. Before your senior year, you’ll participate in the summer PreCollege Art and Design Residency Program, providing advanced studio classes and workshops with transferable college credit.
Location: Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA
Cost / Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; 15 students
Dates: 3 weeks during the summer
Application deadline: TBA; typically late April
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th grade students who are permanent residents of the Boston/Cambridge area
Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Design Discovery Youth is a selective architecture program for Boston- and Cambridge-area high schoolers. Combining professional development, design projects, and advanced training, the program offers a similar experience to the Design Discovery program for current architects and advanced architecture students. Under the training of Harvard GSD graduate students, you’ll develop and apply skills in drawing, modeling, and representation to architectural and urban design. You’ll participate in class discussions, group design challenges, and one-on-one mentorship, culminating in large-scale architecture design projects. You’ll attend a series of guest lectures and events with GSD faculty, architects, and designers, learning about their professional experiences and building connections in the field. You’ll explore academic pathways and careers across architecture, urban planning, and industrial design. You’ll finish the program with a student evaluation from GSD and a draft portfolio that you can use for future college or internship applications.
Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Domestic: $5,193 | International: $8,233 | Housing/Meals: + $5,300; financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Very selective; exact numbers not specified
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application deadline:
Priority (Commuter) / Final (Financial aid/Residential): February 17
Final (Commuter): April 1
Eligibility: Rising 12th graders and exceptional rising 11th graders aged 16+ | Minimum 3.0 GPA | Students aged 18+ must attend as commuter only
UC Berkeley’s embARC Summer Design Academy is an advanced architecture program for high schoolers offering design projects, college-level coursework, and professional development. You’ll attend daily Architecture and Urban Design Studio classes taught by faculty from UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design and guest lecturers, learning architectural theory and environmental design methods. Additionally, you’ll be trained in technical skills like digital representation, drafting, and 3D design software. You’ll apply your skills to hands-on projects in the Materials Exploration Workshop, following the full-cycle design process, like drafting and modeling, to design a tiny house. You’ll also learn about the role of public policy in environmental design and urban planning, and how architects can advance sustainable futures. You’ll prepare for your next steps through college and career exploration and portfolio development guidance. You’ll finish the program by creating a community improvement design for a local organization through the embARC Community Build project.
Location: University of Houston, Houston, TX
Cost: $1,500; financial aid available
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Selective; ~50 students accepted
Dates: June 15 – July 17
Application deadline: Rolling admissions starting January 1
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th graders and graduating seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA
The Summer Discovery Program in Architecture is a month-long summer architecture program focused on hands-on projects and academic coursework. You’ll study with faculty from the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston, learning about topics such as architectural history and studio design. You’ll supplement your studies with field trips to architecturally significant buildings and sites in Houston and other Texas cities, both modern and historic. You’ll spend the majority of your day focusing on practical design work, developing building models for structures like galleries, studio houses, and bookstores. You’ll complete two large-scale projects over the course of the program and be coached in developing a college application architecture portfolio. You’ll also network with top architects, learning about life as a professional architect and career paths within the field.
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 Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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