12 Math Programs for High School Students in Virginia
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
If you’re interested in math, you might be looking for ways to go beyond what your high school classes offer. Structured academic programs can help you explore advanced topics while giving you exposure to college-level academics, mentorship, and collaborative learning environments. They also allow you to build skills in problem-solving, research, and analytical thinking in a more focused setting.
In Virginia, math programs are offered through universities, school-based academies, statewide course providers, and established academic initiatives. These programs vary in format, including summer intensives, year-long curricula, and subject-specific courses, with some emphasizing advanced theory and others focusing on building core mathematical skills.
Why should I do a math program in high school?
Math programs allow you to study topics that go beyond the standard high school curriculum, including subjects like combinatorics, number theory, and statistical modeling. You’ll also develop key academic skills, including constructing clear mathematical arguments, approaching complex problems, and collaborating with peers. Participating in selective or research-focused programs can strengthen your college applications by showing initiative, intellectual curiosity, and readiness for advanced work.
To help with your search, below is a list of 12 math programs for high school students in Virginia.
If you’re looking for online summer research programs, check out our blog here.
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies by program track | Full financial aid available
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts (summer, fall, winter, spring) | 12 weeks to 1 year options
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. You can find the application form here
Eligibility: High school students demonstrating strong academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a selective, mentor-driven research experience designed for high-achieving high school students seeking sustained academic rigor. In this program, you are paired one-on-one with a PhD mentor to design and execute an independent research project in your chosen field. Depending on your selected track, you develop a structured research paper grounded in formal methodology, analytical reasoning, and academic writing standards. If you are interested in mathematics, you can pursue topics such as applied mathematics, data science, quantitative economics, computational modeling, number theory, or other theoretical areas.
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax Campus, VA
Cost: Free for selected students (housing, meals, and materials included)
Program Dates: July 29–31
Application Deadline: March 22
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors (current 10th graders) enrolled in a public or private high school (or homeschooled) in the Commonwealth of Virginia | Minimum GPA of 2.5 | Not a prior VSA/VLA participant
The VALHEN STEM Academy is a competitive, three-day residential pre-college program hosted by George Mason University. Designed as an immersive STEM experience, VSA introduces high school students to interdisciplinary problem-solving through interactive lectures, hands-on lab sessions, and collaborative research challenges. This year's theme, Exploring Grand Challenges in STEM & Sustainability, centers on designing solutions to complex global problems while strengthening research, analytical reasoning, and science communication skills. As a participant, you work in teams to develop and present a research-based project addressing a real-world STEM or sustainability issue. Sessions are facilitated by Mason faculty, industry professionals, and peer guides, providing direct exposure to university-level expectations and STEM career pathways.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by track | Financial aid available
Program Dates: Spring and Fall (15 weeks) | Summer (10 weeks, June–September)
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines for Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts
Eligibility: High school students with strong academic standing (typically 3.67/4.0 GPA or higher) | Most accepted students are in 10th or 11th grade | Some tracks have prerequisites
The Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP) is a trimester-long virtual research experience designed for high-achieving high school students seeking sustained, rigorous academic engagement. After selecting a subject track, you are paired with a professor or PhD scholar who mentors you through the full research lifecycle, from refining a focused research question to applying appropriate methodology and producing a formal academic paper. The program emphasizes analytical precision, structured inquiry, and academic depth rather than short-term enrichment. If you are interested in mathematics or quantitative disciplines, you can pursue projects in applied mathematics, data science, machine learning, statistical modeling, or computational analysis.
Location: Virginia schools (digital and print implementation)
Cost: School/district-based pricing
Program Dates: Academic year
Application Deadline: Not applicable (district/school adoption model)
Eligibility: K–8, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II classrooms aligned to the Virginia SOL
Kiddom Virginia Math is a fully approved mathematics curriculum aligned to the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) and based on IM by Illustrative Mathematics. It provides a comprehensive digital and print solution designed for classroom implementation across K–8, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. The curriculum emphasizes rich mathematical tasks that promote deeper conceptual understanding, critical thinking, reasoning, and structured problem-solving. The platform integrates curriculum planning tools, instructional resources, engagement supports, assessment systems, and reporting features into a unified system.
Location: Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, VA
Cost: Public school program (no separate tuition for enrolled students)
Program Dates: Academic year (grades 9–12)
Application Deadline: Determined by Virginia Beach City Public Schools admissions timeline
Eligibility: Students within the Virginia Beach City Public Schools system, meeting academic criteria
The Mathematics & Science Academy at Ocean Lakes High School is an advanced academic program developed by Virginia Beach City Public Schools to provide a rigorous, specialized curriculum in mathematics and science. Designed for students with a strong commitment to academic challenge, the academy emphasizes advanced coursework in core STEM disciplines with integrated technology applications. The program emphasizes independent learning, research-oriented thinking, and interdisciplinary problem-solving through frameworks such as the Autonomous Learner Model. Students engage in advanced coursework, technical writing, and project-based learning, with opportunities to explore specialized STEM topics in depth.
Location: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Cost: Not publicly specified(check program materials for current details)
Program Dates: Summer program (dates vary annually)
Application Deadline: Announced by Virginia Tech prior to program start
Eligibility: High school students selected to participate
Math Xperience at Virginia Tech is a mathematics enrichment program designed to expose high school students to advanced mathematical ideas beyond the standard curriculum. The program features interactive lectures, exploratory worksheets, and hands-on activities led by university faculty and instructors. Rather than focusing on rote computation, Math Xperience emphasizes conceptual understanding, mathematical structure, and real-world applications. Students explore topics such as network theory, linear algebra through hands-on Gaussian elimination activities, infinite series and their paradoxes, oscillatory behavior modeled by trigonometric functions, and cryptography through knapsack ciphers.
Location: Manassas, VA (Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center)
Cost: Varies by camp; pricing depends on specific program selection
Program Dates: Summer sessions (multiple weekly offerings)
Application Deadline: Rolling registration until sessions are full
Eligibility: Elementary through high school students (varies by camp)
Freedom Center Summer Camps offer a range of enrichment programs for students across grade levels, including STEM- and math-related camps, athletics, and general enrichment options. Depending on the specific camp selected, students may engage in hands-on problem solving, logic-based challenges, applied science activities, and collaborative team projects designed to strengthen reasoning and analytical skills. Many STEM-oriented sessions emphasize experiential learning through engineering challenges, coding-based activities, or structured games that require strategic reasoning. Camps are typically organized in week-long formats, allowing students to focus intensively on a theme while working in small groups.
Location: In-person, South Virginia Beach, VA
Cost: Varies by enrollment plan
Program Dates: Summer; flexible scheduling
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: K–12 students
Mathnasium of South Virginia Beach offers a summer math program designed to strengthen foundational skills, close learning gaps, and provide enrichment for students across elementary, middle, and high school levels. The program follows Mathnasium’s structured assessment-based model, beginning with a diagnostic evaluation to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Students receive individualized learning plans and work through targeted exercises in small groups under instructor supervision. The curriculum focuses on conceptual understanding, number sense, and problem-solving rather than rote memorization. For advanced students, enrichment pathways introduce higher-level challenges to deepen mathematical reasoning.
Location: Virtual (statewide program)
Cost: Determined by local school division enrollment policies
Program Dates: Full Year
Application Deadline: Set by local school division registration timelines
Eligibility: Students who have completed Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II/Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus/Mathematical Analysis
AP Calculus AB is a full-year, College Board–aligned course covering the foundational concepts of differential and integral calculus. Students study limits, derivatives, definite and indefinite integrals, and their real-world applications. Instruction emphasizes multiple representations of calculus concepts—graphical, numerical, analytical, and verbal—to build conceptual depth and problem-solving fluency. The course prepares students for the AP Calculus AB examination and for subsequent college-level mathematics. Required materials include an approved calculus textbook (such as Calculus for AP or OpenStax Calculus Volumes 1 and 2) and a graphing calculator (TI-Nspire or TI-83/84). AP Calculus AB is best suited for students with a strong foundation in algebra and pre-calculus who are ready for a rigorous, proof-informed, application-driven introduction to university-level calculus.
Location: Virtual (statewide program)
Cost: Determined by school division enrollment policies
Program Dates: Fall Block, Spring Block, Full Year, and Summer Sessions (including credit recovery)
Application Deadline: Set by local school division registration timelines
Eligibility: Students who have completed Pre-Algebra or Mathematics 8
Virtual Virginia’s Algebra I course is a fully online, Standards of Learning (SOL)-aligned high school mathematics course designed for students in grades 8–12. The curriculum introduces foundational algebraic concepts, including solving and graphing equations and inequalities in one and two variables, understanding function behavior and notation, working with quadratic functions, applying exponent rules, and performing operations with polynomials. You will also engage in introductory data analysis. The course offers flexible scheduling formats, including fall and spring block options, full-year pacing, and structured summer cohorts.
Location: Online or in-person at Stanford University, CA
Cost: Online: $3,580 | Residential: $8,575 | Financial aid available
Program Dates: Session One (Online): June 15–July 3 | Session One (Residential): June 21–July 17 | Session Two (Online): July 6–24
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors (grades 10–11 at the time of application)
Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC) is a highly selective summer program that immerses you in advanced, proof-based mathematics at an early undergraduate level. During the program, you explore topics such as algebraic structures, number theory, and formal logic through a combination of lectures, guided problem-solving sessions, and collaborative work. You will engage in constructing formal proofs and analyzing abstract mathematical systems, with a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than computation. The curriculum is designed to develop mathematical maturity, rigorous reasoning, and the ability to think independently about complex theoretical problems.
Location: Virtual (statewide program)
Cost: Determined by school division enrollment policies
Program Dates: Full academic year
Application Deadline: Set by local school division registration timelines
Eligibility: Students who have completed Algebra I
Virtual Virginia’s Algebra II & Trigonometry course offers a comprehensive, SOL-aligned study of advanced algebraic and trigonometric concepts for high school students. The curriculum expands on prior algebra foundations by exploring functions, equations, and inequalities, systems of equations, polynomials, rational and radical expressions, complex numbers, and sequences and series. A key feature of the course is its transformational approach to graphing, which emphasizes understanding families of functions and analyzing how algebraic transformations affect graphical representations. The trigonometry component introduces right triangle ratios, trigonometric functions, and circular functions, building conceptual depth and preparing students for Pre-Calculus and other advanced mathematics coursework.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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