10 Gifted and Talented Programs for Middle School Students in New York
- Stephen Turban
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
Gifted students looking to expand their knowledge can participate in summer programs. Such programs offer a challenging curriculum and advanced academic learning. You can delve into the field of your choice and learn relevant practical skills. Experienced faculty and professionals provide insights into their fields and career pathways.
You also get the opportunity to collaborate with other talented students who become part of your network. If you are a gifted middle schooler from New York, here are some summer programs for you to consider.
10 Gifted and Talented Programs for Middle School Students in New York
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies; financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective
Dates: 8 weeks; varies by cohort
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Talented middle schoolers looking to pursue research can participate in Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program. The program pairs you with PhD mentors from prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are experts in their respective fields. Through the program, you gain specialized knowledge in a field of your choice. As you conduct research, you learn how to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study, which enables you to build crucial skills. Feedback and writing coaching sessions encourage you to polish your scientific communication skills. You can opt for the Junior Research and Publication Program, where you can publish your research in academic journals.
Location: New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: July 6–31
Application Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th graders who are NYC residents
Talented middle schoolers can opt for SoSC, a selective program offered by NYU that explores engineering and technology. Here, you learn coding, microcontroller programming, electronics, and circuitry basics. Regarding the theory, you will delve into environmental and urban science. The program is designed to teach you how technology can help make urban life safer and sustainable in the context of New York City. Furthermore, you collaborate in groups to complete a hands-on project that addresses an urban problem using engineering and technology. At the end of the program, you present this project to the cohort.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies; financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Spring cohort: 25 hours over 10 weekends | Summer cohort: 25 hours over 2 weeks on weekdays
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program is an interdisciplinary program for middle schoolers curious about science and technology. The program imparts foundational knowledge regarding AI and machine learning. You explore a range of topics like Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. After completing the theory section, you apply your learnings to a practical project. Your project must present a technological solution for a real-world issue in a field that you are interested in. In the past, students have built a machine-learning model to classify music genres and a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: July 6–31
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: NYC students in 7th or 8th grade during the application period
With NYU’s College and Career Lab, you can learn about and experience various careers. The program offers college-style lectures and intensive workshops in a range of subjects depending on your interests. Some of the available subjects include arts, anthropology, business, law, health sciences, and so on. Thus, you gain specialized knowledge as well as skills that prepare you for a career in the field.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: July 6–31 (summer session) | October–May (academic year session)
Application Deadline: April 15 (summer) | November 1 (academic year)
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–12 interested in medicine or STEM careers; minimum 80% average, especially in math and science
S-PREP is a rigorous program for ambitious middle and high school students. It is a selective high school and college preparatory program with a challenging curriculum. You attend classroom lectures on topics like Anatomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Brain & Cognitive Science, Ready for PreMed, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Statistics. The program also helps you prepare for standardized tests and receive support. Beyond academics, you can participate in college preparation and career development workshops, college & academic counseling services, field trips, and college tours.
Location: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $1,300; scholarships available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: July 6–10 | July 13–17
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Students interested in science can opt to participate in the Science Alliance Program. You can explore various topics and learn to think like a scientist. The program offers tracks in various subjects, including anthropology, astrophysics, conservation science, Earth science, and evolutionary biology. You learn the theoretical as well as practical aspects of the subjects by completing hands-on projects. These projects are completed in groups, building your collaboration and critical thinking skills.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Selective
Dates: July 6–24 (summer) | August 26–December 9 (fall)
Application Deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Low-income U.S. students in grades 6–7 with family income below $90,000; must live in and attend school in the U.S.
SMSSP is a selective program for gifted middle schoolers. It is held online in the summer and fall. You can opt from the following tracks based on your interests: Democracy & Dissent, Discovering Geometry: From Flatland to the Fourth Dimension, History through Graphic Novels, and Real-Life Applications to Mathematics. In the summer, you attend live interactive classes regarding your chosen track. In the fall, you engage in debates and discussion to deepen your understanding of the subject. Furthermore, you receive support and counseling to apply for other prestigious programs.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost/Stipend: $700
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 24 students per grade level
Dates: June 29–July 9
Application Deadline: First-come, first-served
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–8
Ambitious students curious about science can opt for Stony Brook’s Science Exploration Program. This is a competitive and selective program with a rigorous curriculum. 7th graders take classes in physics, chemistry, microbiology, and ecology in a lab environment. Similarly, 8th graders explore biology, chemistry, biotechnology, and environmental chemistry through case studies and interactive demonstrations. You can expect to develop research skills through reading, computer searching, writing, and group work. This program complements your school curriculum and helps you consider a career in science.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: From $2,599
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 6 students per cohort
Dates: July 6–31
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students aged 11–18
Students interested in AI, data science, and coding can opt for this program by Berkeley. The course begins by teaching you Python, an introductory coding language to understand big data. You learn how to create visualizations, build machine learning models, and apply AI in the real world. The program is structured with lecture and cohort time. In the lecture, you learn new concepts and techniques and maintain a coding notebook. During cohort time, you work in small groups to complete practical projects that require the application of the theory you have learnt. In these cohorts, you also conduct original research. You will have a portfolio of work and a certificate of completion at the end of the program.
Location: Online or Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Cost/Stipend: $990–$6,025, depending on course length
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Small classes
Dates: Varies by course
Application Deadline: One week before course start date
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–12; additional academic requirements vary by course
The programs by Northwestern’s CTD are aimed at academically advanced students. You can choose from a range of courses in different subjects. Although each track may have varying eligibility criteria, you can expect the courses to be challenging. These courses help you enhance your knowledge and develop critical and creative problem-solving. The program offers the opportunity to interact and network with industry professionals who provide insights regarding their career journeys.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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