2026 Fall Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Jan 8
- 33 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Updated: 28th August, 2026
TL;DR
This roundup covers 45+ programs running this fall across STEM, medicine and health, and humanities, arts and civic work. Costs range from free and paid placements paying up to $2,500 to university courses reaching $16,000 in tuition. Formats vary widely too, from Saturday-only sessions to full academic-year placements, so most are built to fit around a normal school timetable. Many entries restrict eligibility by city, state, or partner school, so it's worth checking residency rules before applying. Several options are fully remote, including the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, which pairs you with a PhD mentor.
Here’s a secret most resources online don’t tell you - fall is just as great a time to apply to a program than summer, if not better.
Fall doesn't get the same attention as summer for programs and internships, but it's often a much better window for ambitious high school students. Fall programs usually run shorter, competition is lighter since fewer students apply, and a fall program can double as practice before you take on something bigger the following summer. In the blog are the best programs running this fall, organized by subject so you can jump to what fits your interests.
Fall programs vs summer programs - which are better?
Factor | Fall Programs | Summer Programs |
Duration | Most run a single 10–16 week fall term; longer than a typical summer program | Compressed into a short full-time block |
Time Commitment | Part-time, fits around classes | Full-time, students' full attention |
Application Deadlines | Set in spring/early summer, well before the fall start; Project TRUE in early March, Dolphin Research Center on June 1 | Deadlines generally align closer to the summer start date |
Main Trade-Off | Competes with homework, tests, and existing coursework; some programs adapt format around this (e.g. Columbia's Science Honors Program runs Saturday classes rather than weekday sessions) | Full immersion, but no year-round flexibility |
How to choose the right fall program
Start with format and location. These factors will give you the relevant programs, and then you can look at prestige and subject preference.
Check the residency requirement first: Many fall programs restrict eligibility by city, district, or state. BioBus is limited to three upper Manhattan neighborhoods, the MERIT Health Leadership Academy is for Baltimore City students, and the Los Alamos internship accepts only New Mexico seniors. This single filter will usually cut your options down to a manageable number.
Match the weekly commitment to what you can honestly sustain: The range on this list runs from a two-hour weekly shift at Cedars-Sinai to a 16-week, 40-hour placement at the Dolphin Research Center. Overcommitting and withdrawing partway through is worse for you than choosing something smaller and finishing it.
Decide whether you want output or exposure: Some programs end with a paper, poster, or presentation you can point to. Others focus on observation and career exploration. Both are legitimate, but they serve different goals, and the program page usually makes clear which one you are getting. If you want to aim at the highest end of the range, it is worth comparing against the most selective research opportunities available to high schoolers.
Do fall programs help with your college applications?
Yes, though the effect comes from what you produce in the program. A program with a concrete output, such as a project or research paper, helps considerably more than one with just attendance.
A finished project gives admissions readers something specific to assess: Strong grades and test scores are common at selective schools. A completed paper, a symposium presentation, or a published dataset is not, and it demonstrates initiative that no transcript line can.
A mentor becomes a valuable recommender: Someone who supervised your work for a semester can describe how you think and where you struggled in concrete terms. This carries more weight than a reference from a teacher who knows you from class alone.
Publication appears to add a measurable edge: In Lumiere's analysis of 492 scholars from the Research Scholar Program, students who published their research were nearly 9% more likely to be admitted to a top 20 university than those who did not submit their paper anywhere.
The framing matters as much as the credential: Across the same cohort, 97% of respondents used their research in their applications, and the strongest outcomes came from students who tied it into a wider narrative rather than listing it as an activity.
How to balance a fall program with your school workload
Programs that work alongside school mean additional work during the semester, so check the schedule format before you check anything else. A few things you should know about fall programs before you apply!
Weekend formats protect your school week: Columbia's Science Honors Program, the Academic Year Weekend Program, Project TRUE's fall session, and Alley Pond's field biology internships all run on Saturdays or weekends. None of them conflict with your timetable, which makes them the safest option if your course load is already heavy.
Low-hour weekly commitments are easier to sustain: A four-hour weekly shift at the Carnegie Science Center or six Saturday sessions across November to April costs you far less peak-week pressure than a program demanding 20 hours a week for 12 weeks. At the heavier end, the AMNH Science Research Mentoring Program asks for 260 hours and expects to be your primary activity for the year.
Watch for the programs that quietly ask for a full workweek: A few fall placements are effectively jobs. The Textron Aviation internship runs 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, and the US Senate Page Program requires relocating to Washington for a full term with early morning classes. These are excellent, but they are not additions to a normal school year.
Plan around your own calendar, not the program's: Map the program's end date against your exams and application deadlines before you apply. A program finishing in mid-December sits directly on top of both.
How we selected these programs
We assessed every program here against three criteria.
Verifiable eligibility and dates: Each entry links to the official program page, and details come from that source. Where a program does not publish a figure, such as cohort size or acceptance rate, this list says so or marks the assessment as estimated rather than inventing a number. Independent reporting was used where it exists, as with Chalkbeat's coverage of the roughly 60-student AMNH cohort.
A defined output or role: Preference went to programs where you produce something or hold real responsibility, like the manuscript and poster required by the SUPREMES program or the peer-reviewed journal route offered through ASDRP, over programs offering attendance alone.
Cost transparency: We list full pricing, stipends, and financial aid where the program publishes them, including application fees.
Section | Top programs | Cost | Best for |
Fall STEM programs | Lumiere Research Scholar Program, Columbia Science Honors Program, MIT Beaver Works, Veritas AI | Free – $8,400 | Students who want academic-year STEM research, mentorship, or advanced coursework alongside a normal school schedule |
Fall medical and health programs | Harris Neuroscience Internship (Stanford), Northwestern Medicine Scholars, Jackson Lab Academic Year Fellowships, Cedars-Sinai Teen Volunteer | Free – $1,980 | Students seeking clinical exposure, mentorship, or lab research despite the age and liability limits on hospitals |
Fall humanities, arts, and civic programs | U.S. Senate Page Program, NYC Office of the Mayor Internship, CLARIFY, Columbia Academic Year Weekend Program, NYU Pre-College | Free – $16,016 | Students interested in journalism, government, policy, or the arts who want real-world civic or creative experience |
Fall STEM Programs
These run the gamut from national labs to museum-based research to online math and computer science, all fitting around a normal school schedule rather than replacing your summer. These are offered in states like New York, Texas, California, and Kansas, and cover some great remote options.
Location: BioBase Harlem at Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $17/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); small cohort, restricted to three upper Manhattan neighborhoods
Dates: September (first year) – June (next year); one day/week commitment
Application deadline: TBA
Eligibility: 9th–11th graders who identify as women, non-binary, or gender non-conforming and live or attend school in Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood
BioBus offers internships to NYC high school students interested in research. You will work in Columbia University's Biobase lab, contributing to team-based or independent biology projects and learning how to work with advanced lab tools. Throughout the fall, you will run experiments, analyze data, and learn how to present findings, plus lead science activities for local youth as part of the role.
Who it's best for: Students in upper Manhattan who want a paid, long-running lab placement rather than a short course, and who benefit from a program built around women and gender-expansive students in science.
Location: Remote, from anywhere in the world
Cost/Stipend: Individual Research Program $2,600, Premium Research and Publication Program $4,800, Research Fellowship $8,400
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No published rate; admission is based on academic review with a 3.3 or higher unweighted GPA rather than a fixed cutoff (estimate)
Dates: Multiple cohorts year round, spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application deadline: Rolling; cohorts open in January, May, September, and November
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school student with an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher; no prior subject knowledge required
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs high school students one on one with a PhD mentor for an independent research project, with options ranging from a 12 week paper to a full year of extended work. You can choose from subjects including psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, and international relations, and finish with a completed research paper of your own.
Who it's best for: A student who wants a genuinely individual, mentored research paper rather than a group program, and doesn't need prior subject expertise going in.
Location: Textron Aviation facilities, primarily Wichita, KS
Cost/Stipend: Free for all accepted participants; stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size unspecified
Dates: Part-time during the Fall Semester, 8am–5pm, Monday–Friday
Application deadline: Varies; applications typically open in July
Eligibility: High school students aged 16–19, U.S. citizens
Textron Aviation serves government, military, and commercial aviation needs, specializing in engineering and manufacturing. The company offers high school internships beyond engineering and manufacturing, including finance, sales, marketing, IT, flight operations, and human resources, letting students explore aviation careers through meaningful business tasks.
Who it's best for: Students in or near Wichita interested in aviation, including those drawn to the business side rather than engineering.
Location: Various international locations
Cost/Stipend: Varies; some internships unpaid or self-funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by placement (estimated); each host project sets its own intake
Dates: Varies by program; typically 1 week to several months starting from August
Application deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: High school and university students with a background in earth sciences or related fields
VMSG offers high school students a chance to explore geology and volcanology through international research internships. You'll gain skills in field data collection, geophysical surveying, laboratory techniques, and environmental monitoring, working on projects like active volcano monitoring and magmatic process analysis alongside geophysicists and petrologists.
Who it's best for: Students with a specific earth sciences or volcanology interest who can travel internationally and are comfortable with variable, sometimes self-funded placements.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; roughly 300 to 400 students enrolled across all grades, with third-party estimates putting acceptance between 10% and 20% (Columbia does not publish official figures)
Dates: September 20 – December 13
Application deadline: April 15
Eligibility: 10th, 11th, or 12th graders within a 75-mile radius of NYC; admission based on a competitive science/math exam and teacher recommendation
Columbia's Science Honors Program lets you study advanced STEM topics on campus during the academic year. You attend Saturday classes taught by Columbia professors and researchers, choosing two in-depth courses each semester in areas such as neuroscience, astrophysics, computer science, or chemistry, with access to university facilities for independent study.
Who it's best for: Academically strong NYC-area students who want genuine university-level science instruction across a full year and can commit to Saturday mornings from September to May.
Location: In-person labs in Oakland, CA; New York, NY (Chelsea); Detroit, MI; and Los Angeles, CA (Inglewood)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); capped by physical lab capacity in each city
Dates: Ongoing academic-year program, typically October through June, after school
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students grades 9–12, especially from underrepresented backgrounds in tech; in-person labs require living or attending school in the lab's city
Google Code Next is a free computer science education program that provides sustained, hands-on CS learning during the school year. You attend after-school sessions in Google-run learning labs, where you work on practical projects such as building websites, coding apps, programming robots, or experimenting with emerging technologies like AI and AR, guided by Google engineers and mentors.
Who it's best for: Students from backgrounds underrepresented in tech who live near a Code Next lab and want sustained, project-based CS learning rather than a one-off workshop.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); limited seats per track
Dates: Mid-October through early December
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in 10th or 11th grade; open to eligible students of any gender identity, designed to encourage and support female students in STEM
The MIT Beaver Works Fall Programs offer hands-on engineering and computer science courses designed for high schoolers interested in building and coding. You enroll in a focused track such as programming autonomous vehicles, learning Python, designing and flying model aircraft, or exploring AI concepts, meeting virtually on weekends for interactive sessions, taught by engineers and grad students affiliated with MIT Beaver Works.
Who it's best for: Sophomores and juniors who want structured engineering or CS instruction from MIT-affiliated staff without leaving home, especially female students building confidence in STEM.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); global applicant pool with a skills-based intake
Dates: Begins in late September and runs through February
Application deadline: Typically in July
Eligibility: Students ages 13-17 worldwide who are enthusiastic about STEM and innovation; proficient in English, 5-10 hours/week online commitment
The Junior Academy, run by the New York Academy of Sciences, is an online program where you collaborate with students worldwide to solve real-world STEM challenges. You join a global platform in the fall and begin with a short skills bootcamp focused on research, design thinking, and data analysis, then choose an innovation challenge and work in a small international team with guidance from STEM professionals.
Who it's best for: Students anywhere in the world who want to work in an international team on an open-ended innovation challenge and can commit 5 to 10 hours a week online.
Location: DNA Learning Center, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $500 stipend for those completing 55 hours and presenting at the Research Symposium
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; roughly 36 students per cohort
Dates: Vary, lab training generally in August, continuing in Fall and through the school year
Application deadline: May 27 (tentative)
Eligibility: NYC high school students grades 9–12, at least 13, reside in NYC
The DNA Learning Center's Urban Barcode Research Program (UBRP), supported by the Pinkerton Foundation, provides NYC high school students with a guided research experience in urban biodiversity. In this program, you use DNA barcoding to identify and study species found throughout the city, with past projects on microbes, ants, tree frogs, and fungi, concluding with a spring symposium.
Who it's best for: NYC students who want to run an original biodiversity study using real molecular biology techniques and present it at a symposium.
Location: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Cost/Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); restricted to New Mexico seniors meeting GPA and screening requirements
Dates: Part-time (10-20 hrs/week) during the school year between September and November
Application deadline: September 30
Eligibility: New Mexico high school seniors, 16+, GPA 2.75+, pass a pre-employment drug test
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) offers paid internships for New Mexico high school seniors that allow you to work on STEM projects related to national security with support from experienced mentors. Internships are available in fields such as engineering technology, bioscience, physics, chemistry, intelligence, and space research.
Who it's best for: New Mexico seniors who want paid national-lab experience and can meet the security and eligibility requirements that come with it.
Location: Fremont, CA
Cost/Stipend: $1,070; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); priority and final deadline tiers suggest competitive intake
Dates: September 1 – January 15
Application deadline: Priority: July 15; Final: August 15
Eligibility: High school students in 9th-12th grade from the Bay Area
ASDRP is a Bay Area program where you develop and carry out your own research project with a mentor's guidance rather than working through a predetermined lab assignment. You pick an original question in biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, or engineering, then spend the fall term running experiments, reviewing scientific literature, and writing up results in standard academic format. The program closes with a research expo presentation, and strong projects can go on to the ASDRP journal or outside conferences.
Who it's best for: Bay Area students who want to design their own research question rather than join a preset project, and who want a publishable output.
Location: Both virtual and in-person opportunities
Cost/Stipend: Typically $2,000–$3,000; scholarships available for some programs
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective (estimated); GPA-gated at 3.0
Dates: September 22 – November 14 (tentative)
Application deadline: September 10 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school students 15+, grades 9–12, minimum GPA of 3.0
UC San Diego's Research Scholars Marine Science track offers a course sequence that introduces you to ocean science and gradually leads into more independent research. As you advance through the levels, you study core topics in marine biology, complete hands-on projects with guidance from Scripps Institution of Oceanography graduate students and staff.
Who it's best for: Students drawn specifically to ocean science who want a structured course sequence that builds toward independent work over time.
Location: VirtualCost/Stipend: Varies by course; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment with eligibility testing (estimated); CTY requires qualifying test scores rather than running a cohort cap
Dates: Year-round including the fall semester
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students in grades 2–12
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth offers online courses that let students study advanced STEM topics beyond the typical classroom curriculum. You can select courses in areas such as computer science, engineering, space exploration, or forensic science, with self-paced or scheduled formats and peer interaction through discussion boards and live meetings.
Who it's best for: Students who want advanced coursework well beyond their school's offerings and prefer flexible, self-paced or scheduled online study.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies by program type and course length; financial aid and scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective (estimated); gated by CTD's Emerald Tier eligibility criteria
Dates: Year-round including the fall semester
Application deadline: Late September/early October
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 meeting Emerald Tier eligibility criteria
The Northwestern Center for Talent Development (CTD) offers online programs designed to expand your understanding of STEM and related interdisciplinary subjects. You can choose from enrichment courses, honors classes, or Advanced Placement (AP) options depending on your interests and readiness, including leadership projects and community service initiatives.
Who it's best for: Academically advanced students who want honors or AP-level online coursework, particularly those who qualify for CTD's Emerald Tier.
Location: Virtual or in person
Cost/Stipend: $500 remote; $525 in-person
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; places filled first-come, first-served
Dates: Year-round; fall, winter, and spring quarters
Application deadline: Rolling; first-come, first-served
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12
The Stanford University Math Circle is an online fall program where you study advanced math through weekly problem-solving sessions. Rather than focusing on memorization, you work with peers to approach challenging problems and practice flexible ways of thinking, led by mathematicians and experienced instructors covering logic and proofs.
Who it's best for: Students who enjoy hard problems for their own sake and want collaborative proof-based work rather than competition drilling or curriculum review.
16. CrowdMath
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; no admissions process, open to all participants worldwide
Dates: Year-round
Application deadline: November 30
Eligibility: High school and college students worldwide
CrowdMath is a collaborative online research initiative co-hosted by MIT PRIMES and the Art of Problem Solving. This year-round program invites students globally to engage in advanced mathematical research in concepts such as number theory and linear algebra, collaborating with others on open-ended problems and potentially co-authoring published papers.
Who it's best for: Mathematically advanced, self-directed students who want to contribute to genuinely unsolved problems and are comfortable with an unstructured, open collaboration.
Location: Hybrid, Zoom sessions plus 3 in-person sessions/semester in Manhattan, downtown LA, or downtown Miami
Cost/Stipend: Free; $1,000 completion stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); city-restricted cohorts across three metro areas
Dates: Once/week for 9 months; cohort days Mon-Thu, 4:30-7pm
Application deadline: August 3 for Fall cohort
Eligibility: Rising juniors/seniors at public or charter schools in NYC, LA County, or Miami-Dade/Broward County; must reside in these areas
America on Tech's Tech Flex Leaders (TFL) program is a 9-month immersive learning experience designed to help you develop coding and UX design skills, no prior coding experience required. In the first semester, you'll dive into web development, mastering HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap, showcasing work at a Demo Day, then choosing a second-semester track like digital marketing, data science, or UX design.
Who it's best for: Students in NYC, LA, or South Florida with no coding background who want a full nine-month runway into web development and UX.
Location: Manhattan, NYC
Cost/Stipend: $2,500 stipend upon completion of research and program requirements
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 60 students accepted per year
Dates: Summer component in August (4 weeks) + Fall research (260 hrs, Sept-May) + AMNH Colloquium in June
Application deadline: Typically March
Eligibility: 10th or 11th grade or equivalent, passing classes for 3+ semesters, attended an AMNH partner school or prior AMNH program
The Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) at the AMNH gives you hands-on research experience in a real scientific setting. The program starts with a 4-week summer institute focused on data science, where you'll learn about AI and machine learning in research, then spend the academic year working in AMNH labs on projects in astrophysics, anthropology, and genetics, closing with a presentation at the AMNH June Colloquium.
Who it's best for: NYC sophomores and juniors who want a paid, year-long research placement with a working scientist and college credit attached.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep dive here!
19. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program, $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship, $6,900 for both; need-based aid available for AI Scholars
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No published rate; the AI Fellowship requires completing AI Scholars or showing prior AI or Python experience (estimate)
Dates: Multiple 12 to 15 week cohorts year round, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application deadline: Rolling; cohorts open in January, May, September, and November
Eligibility: Ambitious high schoolers anywhere in the world; AI Fellowship applicants need prior AI Scholars completion or existing AI or Python experience
Founded and run by Harvard graduate students, Veritas AI offers two tracks for students interested in artificial intelligence. The AI Scholars boot camp introduces the fundamentals of AI, machine learning, and data science through real world projects, while the more advanced AI Fellowship pairs you one on one with a mentor from a top university to develop an individual project, with in-house support toward publishing in a high school research journal.
Who it's best for: A student who wants a structured entry point into AI, and can move up to fellowship level one on one mentorship once they have the foundation.
Fall Medical and Health Programs
Getting real clinical or biomedical exposure in high school is hard, mostly because of age and liability rules around hospitals. These programs are built specifically to work around that.
Location: New York University (NYU), New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); small seminar-style cohort
Dates: Fall sessions run September to December
Application deadline: TBA; applications open late August
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
NYU's Medical Ethics Internship is a two-week opportunity to explore bioethics through the lens of law, health care, and public policy. You will learn about healthcare-related ethical issues and medical dilemmas, like reproductive rights, end-of-life decisions, and the use of AI in medicine, through faculty-led seminars and guest talks, closing with a final paper on a bioethics issue of your choice.
Who it's best for: Students drawn to the philosophical and policy side of medicine rather than the clinical side, who want to write a substantial final paper.
Location: Dolphin Research Center, Grassy Key, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Medium selectivity; exact cohort size not published
Dates: September–December (Fall Term)
Application deadline: June 1
Eligibility: Open to high school students and above; applicants must be physically fit and comfortable working outdoors; English proficiency required
The Dolphin Research Center offers a fall term internship that immerses you in marine veterinary care and animal health operations. You'll be assigned to the Medical Department, where you'll assist with daily care routines, support veterinary procedures, and learn about diagnostic techniques in a marine mammal setting, across 16–18 weeks of training plus an independent study project.
Who it's best for: Students committed to marine mammal veterinary work who can relocate to the Florida Keys for a full 40-hour week over four months.
Location: Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; exact cohort size not published
Dates: September–May
Application deadline: April 4
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school students during the program year; recommendation from a Math or Science teacher required
The Harris Neuroscience Internship provides a unique academic-year experience, combining clinical exposure, research, and professional mentorship at Stanford Medicine. You'll participate in monthly Neuroscience Journal Club meetings led by expert faculty, critically analyzing scientific literature and current developments in the field, completing a self-directed scholarly project and gaining access to Stanford's weekly Grand Rounds.
Who it's best for: Academically strong students with a specific neuroscience interest who want a full academic year of Stanford faculty mentorship and a scholarly project.
Location: Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, IN
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Medium selectivity; exact cohort size not published
Dates: 15 weeks (one semester; fall placements available)
Application deadline: Rolling; submit at least 60 days before desired start date
Eligibility: Open to high school students; placement priority for regional partner school students
The FutureREADY Program is designed to help you explore healthcare careers through a semester-long internship paired with rotational observations. You'll spend six weeks visiting different departments, observing both clinical and non-clinical roles, before selecting your top areas of interest for the remainder of the term, with mentoring from Parkview Education Services.
Who it's best for: Students in northeast Indiana who are still deciding which healthcare career fits and want to rotate through departments before specializing.
Location: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; exact cohort size not published
Dates: Year-round; program begins in the fall semester
Application deadline: Priority: February 8; Final: February 15
Eligibility: High school students from underrepresented backgrounds in Baltimore City with an interest in health careers
The MERIT Health Leadership Academy is a selective, year-round program designed to support underrepresented high school students pursuing careers in medicine and healthcare. You'll engage in longitudinal mentorship, academic enrichment, and hands-on clinical exposure with Johns Hopkins faculty and healthcare professionals, including Saturday classes and a summer internship component.
Who it's best for: Baltimore City students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine who want multi-year support rather than a single-season program.
Location: Online, hosted by Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: $1,980 program fee; $35 application fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; exact cohort size not published
Dates: September 10 – November 12 (Wednesday evenings, 5:30–7:00 PM PT)
Application deadline: June 2
Eligibility: High school students and pre-med undergraduates; no prior medical experience required
This 10-week live online course offers an interactive introduction to practical clinical skills taught by Stanford School of Medicine faculty. Through real-time Zoom sessions, you'll learn to take patient histories, create differential diagnoses, and practice procedures such as taking vital signs, performing suturing, and conducting organ dissections, with weekly case presentations and physician mentorship.
Who it's best for: Students who want genuine hands-on clinical technique instruction from Stanford faculty and can attend live weekly evening sessions.
Location: Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; exact cohort size not published
Dates: Academic-year program with fall sessions; begins in March; four-week hands-on component during the school year
Application deadline: Typically February
Eligibility: High school students from Westinghouse College Prep with strong academic standing and interest in medicine or biomedical sciences
The NM Scholars Program is a selective academic-year initiative that pairs high school students with Northwestern Medicine physicians and Feinberg School of Medicine researchers for immersive exposure to healthcare and biomedical science. Over four weeks, you'll participate in hands-on activities, shadow clinical professionals, and engage in interactive sessions with research investigators.
Who it's best for: Westinghouse College Prep students who want sustained access to Northwestern physicians and biomedical researchers across a full academic year.
Location: Northwestern Memorial Hospital and affiliated NM sites (Chicago, Lake Forest, Huntley, DeKalb, Palos Heights, IL)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Medium selectivity; exact cohort size not published
Dates: Academic-year program; sessions begin November 15 and run monthly on Saturdays (9am–12pm)
Application deadline: September 29 (11:59pm CT)
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors (limited senior spots in suburban chapters) with GPA 3.0+; must commit to monthly meetings
The Discovery Program introduces you to a wide range of healthcare careers through structured, year-long Saturday sessions during the academic year. You'll participate in hospital tours, interactive workshops, and networking sessions with Northwestern Medicine professionals, with a community service component through partner projects.
Who it's best for: Chicago-area sophomores and juniors who want broad exposure to healthcare careers on a manageable monthly Saturday commitment.
Location: Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Medium selectivity; exact cohort size not published
Dates: Mid-September–late April; biweekly Tuesday evening sessions
Application deadline: Typically late summer
Eligibility: Chicago high school students; priority for underrepresented or inner-city youth with interest in medicine and science
PRISM (Promoting Inner-City Youth in Science and Medicine) is an academic-year initiative pairing Chicago high school students with MD-PhD mentors to explore careers in medicine and science. You will attend biweekly sessions combining patient interview simulations, hands-on lab activities such as dissections, and small-group research projects, with field trips to Northwestern labs and hospitals.
Who it's best for: Chicago students, particularly from inner-city schools, who want MD-PhD mentorship and hands-on lab work rather than shadowing alone.
Location: Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Medium selectivity; exact cohort size not published
Dates: January–March; 10-week Friday afternoon sessions
Application deadline: November 13; 2026 applications open in the Fall
Eligibility: 10th–11th grade high school students; all backgrounds encouraged to apply
HPREP at Weill Cornell Medicine is a ten-week academic-year program introducing high school sophomores and juniors to medical careers through mentorship and hands-on activities. You'll attend weekly sessions featuring talks from physicians, small-group mentoring with medical students, and practical workshops on research papers, personal statements, and college admissions, plus anatomy lab experiences.
Who it's best for: Sophomores and juniors who want medical career exposure paired with practical help on personal statements and college applications.
Location: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Medium selectivity; cohort size varies by session
Dates: October 6 – December 15 (10 weeks; 2-hour shifts each week)
Application deadline: Typically late summer; dates announced annually
Eligibility: High school students ages 14–18 with an interest in healthcare careers
Cedars-Sinai's Teen Volunteer Program gives high school students early exposure to the workings of a major medical center through a structured, semester-long volunteer experience. The fall session places you in patient-facing and support roles, including assisting with patient orientation, delivering amenities, and providing administrative support to healthcare teams.
Who it's best for: LA-area students who want patient-facing hospital exposure on a light two-hour weekly commitment, useful as a first look at healthcare.
Location: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Cost/Stipend: Free; daily lunch provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Medium selectivity; exact cohort size not published
Dates: August 4–7 (boot camp) + quarterly sessions through April
Application deadline: May 30
Eligibility: Milwaukee-area high school and college students interested in pharmacy; must attend the August boot camp in person
This year-long program introduces you to pharmacy careers through hands-on compounding labs, vitals collection, and guided site visits. The experience begins with an intensive August boot camp and continues through the academic year with quarterly mentoring sessions, matching you with both a practicing pharmacist and a student pharmacist mentor.
Who it's best for: Milwaukee-area students specifically interested in pharmacy, who want both a practicing pharmacist and a student mentor across a full year.
Location: Marquette University Opus College of Engineering & Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; exact cohort size not published
Dates: September–May academic-year program
Application deadline: April 4
Eligibility: Milwaukee-area high school juniors and seniors; minimum 3.5 GPA; must have completed or be enrolled in Biology, Chemistry, Algebra I & II, and two years of English
This academic-year research program places you in active biomedical engineering and clinical research labs across MCW and Marquette University. You'll work as part of a professional research team, conduct original experiments, and develop a manuscript and poster presentation for the end-of-year SUPREMES Symposium, at sites including the Zablocki VA Medical Center and Children's Research Institute.
Who it's best for: Academically strong Milwaukee juniors and seniors who want real biomedical engineering lab work and a manuscript plus poster to show for it.
Location: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Medium selectivity; exact cohort size not published
Dates: November–April (six Saturday sessions)
Application deadline: September 30
Eligibility: 9th–12th grade students in Milwaukee Public Schools or surrounding charter/private schools; minimum 2.8 GPA
This academic-year initiative gives you a structured introduction to a wide range of health science and medical careers through six interactive Saturday sessions. You'll participate in hands-on demonstrations, Q&A panels, and guided discussions designed to build confidence and early professional skills, led by MCW medical students and practicing physicians.
Who it's best for: Milwaukee students early in their exploration of health careers who want a low-barrier introduction across six Saturday sessions.
Location: In-person (Maine and Connecticut campuses), hybrid, or fully remote
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); placements depend on available mentors and commuting distance
Dates: Depend on the project; opportunities available from fall to spring
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students 16+, junior or senior in good standing at a school within commuting distance of Farmington, CT or Bar Harbor, ME
The Jackson Laboratory's Academic Year Fellowships allow you to work in an active biomedical research environment during the school year. As a fellow, you become part of a JAX research group, learn essential lab techniques, and contribute to ongoing projects, developing an independent project under mentorship from faculty, postdocs, and graduate students.
Who it's best for: Students near Bar Harbor or Farmington who want to join a working biomedical research group during term time, with flexible remote and hybrid options.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep dive here!
Fall Humanities, Arts, and Civic Programs
Not every fall program runs on a lab bench. These sit in newsrooms, museums, government offices, and community organizations instead, and several put you directly inside how a city or the federal government actually runs.
Location: City Limits, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $500 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small fall cohorts each year
Dates: September – December
Application deadline: Summer (date varies by year)
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors attending public or charter schools in NYC; priority given to students from underserved backgrounds
CLARIFY is a selective journalism internship that trains high school students in investigative and accountability reporting focused on New York City issues. The program combines classroom-style workshops with hands-on reporting assignments, allowing you to develop skills in research, interviewing, fact-checking, and article drafting. You will work closely with professional journalists who provide editorial guidance and feedback throughout the reporting process, closing with published bylines and newsroom-deadline experience.
Who it's best for: NYC students serious about journalism who want published bylines and real newsroom deadline experience, not a simulation.
Location: Wildlife Conservation Society & Fordham University, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: $350 for fall interns; $750 stipend or $16/hour for summer interns
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small research teams with undergraduate mentors
Dates: Fall: September–December (Saturdays); Summer: late June – August
Application deadline: Early March
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors living in the Bronx with good academic standing
Project TRUE is a selective, fully funded research program that trains high school students in ecology and urban conservation science over the summer and fall. During the fall session, you will build on your summer fieldwork by analyzing real datasets related to mammal populations, bird communities, water quality, and invasive species across New York City, working in small teams under mentorship from Fordham undergraduates and WCS scientists.
Who it's best for: Bronx students interested in ecology who want to carry a summer field project through to full data analysis in the fall.
Location: The New York Historical, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: $700 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited academic-year cohort
Dates: October – June (fall + spring during the academic year)
Application deadline: Late August
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10–12 who live and attend school in the New York City metro area
The Student Historian Internship Program is a selective, paid academic-year internship that trains high school students in historical research and digital humanities. During the fall session, you will utilize The New York Historical museum and library collections to conduct in-depth research around a historical theme, working with museum educators on archival research, historical analysis, and digital storytelling.
Who it's best for: NYC-area students who want to work directly with archival collections and build digital humanities skills across a full academic year.
Location: NYC Parks & Urban Park Ranger sites, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; community service hours provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective placement; limited spots per park location
Dates: Fall Session: September – December (~eight weeks)
Application deadline: Rolling; placements filled on an ongoing basis
Eligibility: New York City high school students interested in environmental science or conservation
The Ranger Conservation Corps Internship is a fall program that allows high school students to work alongside NYC Urban Park Rangers on conservation and restoration projects. During the program, you will participate in hands-on environmental work in natural areas across the city's major parks, assisting with habitat restoration, wildlife observation, and park maintenance, plus field trips that may include canoeing or overnight camping.
Who it's best for: NYC students who want hands-on conservation fieldwork on a light weekly commitment, with community service hours attached.
Location: Everett Children's Adventure Garden at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None; some paid positions may be available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective (estimated); volunteer-based intake
Dates: Flexible internship period in the fall; 125 volunteer hours required over six months or less
Application deadline: April 22
Eligibility: High school students
The NYBG Explainer Program offers high schoolers the opportunity to serve as volunteer educators for the garden's visitors. You will join an assigned team, conduct citizen science phenophase research in the Thain Family Forest, and attend seminars on botany, climate literacy, horticulture, and environmental education, developing teaching skills for activities with children and families.
Who it's best for: Students who enjoy teaching and public engagement as much as science itself, and want botany and climate literacy training alongside it.
Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $550/course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; places filled first-come, first-served
Dates: September 27 + October 4, 11, 18, 25 + November 1, 8, 15, 22 + December 6 (10 dates)
Application deadline: September 17; first-come, first-served
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12
This program offers the chance to take 10-day courses taught by FIT professionals on Saturdays throughout the fall. You can enroll in one or two classes across sewing, styling, fashion journalism, jewelry design, illustration, fashion business, advertising, graphic design, interior design, and fine arts, building competitive portfolio pieces and exploring FIT's majors.
Who it's best for: Students building a portfolio for art, design, or fashion programs who want to test a specific discipline before committing to it.
Location: Online or at NYU, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $50 application fee + tuition: $700–$16,016 depending on credits
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective (estimated); GPA-gated at 3.0 rather than cohort-capped
Dates: Fall: September 2 – December 11; summer and spring sessions also available
Application deadline: Fall: August 15
Eligibility: Current 11th and 12th-grade students with a minimum 3.0 GPA
NYU offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to engage in credit-bearing college-level coursework during the academic year through spring and fall courses, held on campus or online. You can choose courses from tracks including STEM, business, social sciences, the arts, and media, attending faculty-led lectures and relevant field trips.
Who it's best for: Juniors and seniors ready for genuine college coursework and credit, who want to test university-level expectations before applying.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep dive here!
Location: Alley Pond Park and other field sites, Queens, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: $150; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited cohort sizes per session
Dates: Fall session: September – December (Saturdays only) Application deadline: August 1
Eligibility: High school students, ages 14+, who can commit to outdoor fieldwork and attend at least five of six scheduled sessions
Alley Pond's Field Biology Internships are designed for high school students interested in ecology, environmental science, and hands-on field research. During the fall session, you participate in guided fieldwork across urban ecosystems in Queens, conducting biodiversity surveys, bird observation, water/soil quality testing, and macroinvertebrate identification under environmental professionals.
Who it's best for: Queens-area students who want genuine outdoor fieldwork rather than lab or classroom time, on a Saturday-only commitment.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: $80 application fee + $2,810 tuition/session
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective (estimated); enrollment-based across roughly 20 course options
Dates: September 19 – December 7; spring session also available
Application deadline: Late August
Eligibility: High school students
Columbia University allows high schoolers to engage in college-level coursework during the fall and spring through the Academic Year Weekend Program. You will spend 10 weekends attending classes, connecting with peers, and receiving mentorship from a Student Life Intern, choosing from around 20 course options across STEM, business, and social sciences.
Who it's best for: Students who want Columbia-taught college coursework compressed into weekends, without needing to be in New York full time.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $8,008 + $75 online application fee; scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); application-based with portfolio-style intake
Dates: October 13 – November 21; summer sessions also available
Application deadline: September 9
Eligibility: High school students
NYU Tisch's Online High School Filmmakers Workshop is an asynchronous program covering the development and production of short films. You will work on technical and creative projects, including a music video, a documentary, and a final narrative short film, connecting virtually with peers in a crew-like setup to explore visual storytelling and screenwriting fundamentals.
Who it's best for: Aspiring filmmakers who want to finish the fall with a completed narrative short, music video, and documentary for their portfolio.
Location: Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free for all accepted participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size depends on opportunity
Dates: Fall internship: September to December
Application deadline: Apply in June
Eligibility: U.S. citizens; enrolled or accepted at an accredited institution
Treasury student internships in Washington, D.C. offer valuable experiences for high school students by providing direct exposure to federal careers. Intern tasks vary by office but typically include data analysis, research, communication, government engagement, event coordination, and supporting management functions, across the Treasury's economics, finance, and national security work.
Who it's best for: Students interested in economics, finance, or public policy who want federal government experience on their record.
Location: United States Senate, Washington, DC (Residential)
Cost/Stipend: Free; pages are paid on an annual salary basis, with housing and meal costs deducted from pay
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; only 30 page positions exist each term (15 male, 15 female)
Dates: Early September through late January
Application deadline: Varies by senator and state; contact your senator's office directly
Eligibility: High school juniors aged 16-17 on the appointment date, U.S. citizens with a valid Social Security number, minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
The Senate Page Program puts high school juniors to work inside the Capitol itself. You live in supervised housing in Washington, D.C., attend early morning classes, then spend the rest of the day on the Senate floor delivering documents, preparing the chamber for sessions, and assisting during roll call votes. Pages need a senator's sponsorship rather than a standard application, and stipend figures vary by source since housing and meal costs come out of the base pay before it's disbursed. It's one of the few programs on this list that puts a student directly inside a working legislative body rather than observing from the outside.
Who it's best for: Juniors who can commit to relocating to Washington for a full term and want to see legislative work from inside the chamber.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep dive here!
Location: Brooklyn and Central Islip offices, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; housing/transportation/stipend not provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); limited placements across three specialized units
Dates: September to December
Application deadline: June 15 for Fall Program
Eligibility: Entering seniors from an accredited high school
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York offers several unpaid internships for students interested in law, with specialized placements in Automated Litigation Support, the Library Legal Information and Resource Center, and Paralegal-Legal Studies. These internships suit students interested in pre-law, criminal justice, accounting, information technology, library management, human resources, or community crime prevention.
Who it's best for: Seniors weighing law, criminal justice, or public service who want federal prosecutorial exposure across several possible departments.
Location: New York City
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $16/hour (paid hourly)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (estimated); paid placement with citywide applicant pool
Dates: October 21 – April 11
Application deadline: August 23
Eligibility: 16+, NYC resident (for Fall/Spring), valid working papers, in high school or accepted into an undergrad program
The New York City Office of the Mayor Internship Program gives high school students experience in city government and policy operations. You'll be placed in departments aligned with your interests, working on tasks like research, data analysis, drafting briefings, attending meetings, and staffing events, plus a bi-weekly Speaker Series with Deputy Mayors and Commissioners.
Who it's best for: NYC students interested in how city government actually operates, who want paid placement plus access to senior officials.
Location: Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment (estimated); volunteer-based intake with an age requirement only
Dates: 4-hour shift/week throughout the school year, building to 100 hours
Application deadline: Typically April 1 (summer); August 1 (school year)
Eligibility: High school students 14+ (up to 18) by the application deadline
The Carnegie Science Center welcomes teen volunteers across various departments, offering the chance to gain hands-on experience while engaging with visitors at exhibitions, demos, and activities. Opportunities are available in departments such as the Buhl Planetarium, the Animals & Habitats section, and the digital fabrication lab.
Who it's best for: Pittsburgh-area students who want regular, low-barrier science engagement and enjoy explaining ideas to the public.
Frequently asked questions: fall programs for high school students
What are the best fall programs for high school students?
The strongest options pair a named mentor with an output you keep, rather than a certificate. The American Museum of Natural History's Science Research Mentoring Program runs a full academic year with working scientists, and the Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program lets you design your own research question rather than joining a preset project.
Are there free fall programs for high school students?
Yes, many of the programs here cost nothing, and several pay you. Google Code Next, MIT Beaver Works, the New York Academy of Sciences Junior Academy, and most of the medical programs on this list are free. Some go further and attach a stipend, including the DNA Learning Center's Urban Barcode Research Program at $500 and America On Tech's Tech Flex Leaders at $1,000 on completion.
Can high school students do fall programs online?
Yes, and virtual options are among the easiest to fit around a school timetable. MIT Beaver Works, the Junior Academy, Johns Hopkins CTY, Northwestern CTD, and NYU Tisch's Filmmakers Workshop all run fully online. For mentored research, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program runs remote fall cohorts pairing you one-to-one with a PhD mentor.
What grade do you need to be in for fall programs?
Most programs on this list accept students in grades 9 through 12. Sophomores and juniors have the widest choice, since programs like the AMNH SRMP and MIT Beaver Works are built specifically for 10th- and 11th-graders. Programs offering college credit, such as NYU Pre-College, generally require you to be in 11th or 12th grade with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
When do applications for fall programs open and close?
Deadlines are spread across the entire preceding year, so there is no single window to watch. The most selective options close earliest, with the MERIT Health Leadership Academy in mid-February. A second cluster falls between June and August, including the Dolphin Research Center on June 1 and the US Attorney's Office on June 15. A handful stay open into the term itself, such as Los Alamos on 30 September and CrowdMath on 30 November.
Do you need prior experience to apply for a fall program?
No, most programs assume none. America On Tech's Tech Flex Leaders requires no prior coding background, and Stanford's Clinical Skills Internship states no prior medical experience is needed. Programs usually screen for a GPA threshold, a teacher recommendation, or, in some cases, an entrance exam, as with Columbia's Science Honors Program. Where a genuine prerequisite exists, it is normally subject coursework rather than research experience, such as the biology and chemistry requirement for the SUPREMES program.
Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.