10 Online Summer Schools for Gifted Middle School Students
- Lydia Park
- 1 hour ago
- 8 min read
Do not use bullet points. Use second person pov (you, yours). Write with varied language and sentence structure across and within respnses
For high school students looking to get a head start in science, technology, engineering, or math, summer internships offer an accessible path to professional experience while school's out. STEM summer internships for high school students provide a way to build real-world skills beyond the classroom—whether that's learning lab techniques, exploring coding languages, or working with engineering teams. You also get the chance to connect with professionals in your field of interest, see how different roles work together on complex problems, and sometimes even contribute to meaningful research or product development.
Beyond learning, internships can be a solid addition to your resume, especially if you’re considering competitive college programs or careers in STEM. They help you show initiative, gain confidence in workplace settings, and understand what a STEM career might really look like. Since not every opportunity offers the same level of challenge or professional access, we focused this list on internships that offer a mix of prestige, rigor of professional experience, and opportunities to network with experts in the field.
Whether you’re just starting out or already deep into a STEM-related extracurricular, this curated list of 15 STEM summer internships for high school students can help you explore real-world experience in meaningful way.
If you're looking for more prestigious internships, check out this set of blogs!
10 Online Summer Schools for Gifted Middle School Students
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Varies; Full financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 8-week program; multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorers Program is a selective online research experience for middle school students, designed to build advanced academic writing and research skills. You begin by selecting a subject area, such as STEM, humanities, or social sciences, and are matched with a PhD-level mentor from a top university. Over the course of the program, you receive a structured introduction to your chosen field, then design and carry out an independent research project focused on a real-world question. To strengthen your writing and analytical abilities, you conclude the program by producing a formal research paper that presents your findings.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective; very small cohorts for profoundly gifted students
Location: Remote
Cost: $13,000; need-based financial aid available, with some students receiving substantial support
Dates: Year-round enrollment with summer participation options
Application Deadline: Early Action through mid-October; final deadline in mid-January
Eligibility: Typically grades 5–10; students must demonstrate profound giftedness, often defined as scoring in the 99.9th percentile on accepted IQ or achievement tests
Davidson Academy Online is not a casual enrichment program—it is a fully accredited, full-time online school built specifically for profoundly gifted students who are academically far ahead of grade level. You are placed by demonstrated ability rather than age, which means middle school students often take high school or even college-level coursework in core subjects. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, writing across disciplines, and deep conceptual mastery, with live synchronous classes that demand active participation. You work closely with instructors who specialize in teaching profoundly gifted learners and understand asynchronous intellectual development. Beyond academics, the program fosters a tight-knit peer community through clubs, discussions, and collaborative projects, which is rare in online settings. For families seeking an online summer school for gifted middle schoolers that can also serve as a long-term academic home, Davidson Academy Online represents one of the most rigorous and selective options available.
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; Full financial aid is available
Acceptance rate or Cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Various cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8; no coding or technical background required
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program introduces you to key concepts in artificial intelligence and machine learning through live instruction and collaborative learning. Over 25 hours, you learn Python programming, explore data analysis, and build models using regression and classification techniques. You receive personalized guidance through small-group mentoring, with a five-to-one student-to-mentor ratio. As the program progresses, you explore more advanced topics such as neural networks and AI ethics. A central part of the experience is the team-based capstone project, where you and a few peers apply your new skills to solve a real-world challenge and present your findings at the end.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; course enrollment is capped and based on qualifying test scores
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; need-based financial aid available for many families
Dates: Offered year-round with multiple start dates across spring and summer
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment with course-specific deadlines
Eligibility: Grades 2–12; eligibility determined through CTY testing or submission of qualifying scores
CTY Online Programs are designed for students who want sustained academic challenge without committing to a full-time online school. You choose from a wide range of subjects (math, science, engineering, humanities, writing, and technology), many of which go well beyond standard middle school curricula. Courses are taught by instructors experienced in working with advanced learners and emphasize higher-order thinking, problem solving, and analytical writing. Depending on the format, you may work independently at an accelerated pace or participate in instructor-guided discussions with peers from around the world. Some courses are exploratory, while others are intentionally intensive and condensed for students seeking a serious academic stretch. For families looking for a flexible but rigorous online summer school for gifted middle schoolers, CTY offers one of the deepest and most established catalogs available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective; cohorts of about 12 students
Location: Remote
Cost: Fully funded; tuition-free for all admitted students
Dates: July 6–July 24 for the summer session, followed by weekly meetings from late August to early December
Application Deadline: Late March
Eligibility: Current 6th or 7th graders living and attending school in the United States, typically from low-income backgrounds
The Stanford Middle School Scholars Program is a highly selective, tuition-free opportunity designed to prepare you for academically rigorous high school pathways, including selective private and online schools. You begin with a three-week live online summer course taught by Stanford Online High School instructors, followed by weekly after-school meetings throughout the fall. Coursework emphasizes critical thinking, academic writing, math enrichment, and discussion-based learning rather than test prep or surface-level enrichment. You work closely with a small cohort of peers from across the country, which creates an unusually tight academic and social community for an online program. The fall component adds structured guidance on academic planning, growth mindset, and navigating selective school applications. For students seeking a fully funded online summer school for gifted middle schoolers that prioritizes access, rigor, and long-term academic development, this program stands out as one of the most prestigious options available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; varies by course type and eligibility tier, with capped class sizes
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; need-based financial aid and scholarships available, including partial to full tuition support
Dates: Multiple sessions year-round, including summer and accelerated online terms
Application Deadline: Rolling, with early application discounts and program-specific deadlines
Eligibility: Grades 3–12; eligibility determined by test scores, academic records, or admission portfolio, depending on course tier
Northwestern CTD Online Programs offer one of the most structured and flexible pathways for advanced learners who want to progress beyond grade-level material without enrolling in a full-time online school. You can choose from enrichment courses, core academic classes, or accelerated honors-level offerings, depending on your readiness and goals. Courses emphasize critical and creative thinking, real-world applications, and project-based learning rather than rote instruction. Many middle school students use CTD to explore advanced subjects early, while others pursue credit-bearing honors coursework to accelerate their academic trajectory. Instruction is delivered live or through guided online formats, with instructors experienced in teaching gifted and high-ability students. If you are looking for a customizable online summer school for gifted middle schoolers that balances academic rigor with choice and long-term development, CTD stands out for both depth and scalability.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; admission based on readiness test and recommendation, with small, intensive classes
Location: Remote
Cost: $1,275-1,575 discounts available for early application and multiple courses, limited need-based considerations
Dates: Three sessions running June 8–June 26, June 29–July 17, and July 20–August 7
Application Deadline: Rolling from early January through late May, with multiple rounds
Eligibility: Advanced middle and high school students, typically ages 12–18, with strong interest and preparation in mathematics
The AwesomeMath Summer Program is a three-week, highly intensive online math camp designed for students who want to push well beyond standard school curricula. You attend live classes five days a week, combining long-form lectures with structured problem-solving sessions that emphasize depth, rigor, and mathematical creativity. Courses focus on core competition-oriented areas such as algebra, geometry, combinatorics, and number theory, with multiple difficulty levels to match your background. Daily homework, frequent feedback, and weekly assessments make the workload demanding and fast-paced. You learn alongside peers from around the world who are similarly motivated, creating a focused and academically serious environment. For mathematically advanced students seeking a narrowly specialized online summer school for gifted middle schoolers, AwesomeMath stands out for its intensity and contest-level preparation rather than broad enrichment.
8. Khan Academy
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; unlimited learners
Location: Khan Academy, Mountain View, CA.
Cost: Free; completely free to use, supported by optional donations
Dates: Year-round, self-paced
Application Deadline: None
Eligibility: Pre-K through early college; no prerequisites or testing required
Khan Academy is a globally accessible learning platform that allows you to study at your own pace across math, science, computing, humanities, and life skills. For gifted middle school students, it offers accelerated pathways through algebra, geometry, statistics, and even college-level math and science. Lessons combine short instructional videos with adaptive practice that adjusts based on your performance. While it lacks formal cohorts or selective admissions, its breadth makes it a powerful supplement to more structured programs. Tools like mastery tracking can help you identify gaps and move faster where you’re strong. As an online summer school for gifted middle schoolers, Khan Academy works best as a flexible, zero-cost option to deepen fundamentals or accelerate independently rather than replace a selective, instructor-led program.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely selective; ~20 students admitted annually
Location: Remote
Cost: $500 total, with a $200 non-refundable deposit; need-based financial aid available up to 100%
Dates: July 26–July 31
Application Deadline: Early July, with rolling review starting in December
Eligibility: Students ages 11–14 who identify as girls; interest in STEM required, no prior coding experience needed
The Wolfram Middle School Summer Camp is a one-week, research-driven online program focused on computational thinking and introductory coding. You learn Wolfram Language through fast-paced lessons, hands-on challenges, and short project builds spanning data science, machine learning, and computational art. Instruction is led by Wolfram Education experts, with small-group Q&A sessions featuring Stephen Wolfram and other researchers. The schedule blends structured learning with collaborative workshops and social activities, creating a tight-knit cohort experience despite the remote format. Because of its tiny cohort size and direct exposure to industry-level tools, this is one of the most selective options in this list. For students seeking a focused, technically rigorous online summer school for gifted middle schoolers, Wolfram’s camp offers rare depth in computation at an early stage.
10. Delta Prep
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited enrollment; selective due to high demand
Location: Remote
Cost: Free
Dates: Summer sessions, with additional support during the academic year
Application Deadline: Rolling until spots are filled
Eligibility: Middle school students, primarily incoming 7th–9th graders; focused on students from low-income or immigrant backgrounds
Delta Prep is a volunteer-run nonprofit that provides free, high-quality academic tutoring and mentoring to middle school students. You can participate in SHSAT preparation or a selective computer science program, both taught by trained volunteers who attend or graduated from specialized high schools and top colleges. Instruction emphasizes structured practice, mentorship, and academic confidence rather than test tricks. Because the program is fully remote, you learn alongside peers from similar backgrounds without financial barriers. While it is not a traditional academic enrichment program, its outcomes, especially specialized high school admissions, are strong. As an online summer school for gifted middle schoolers focused on access and equity, Delta Prep stands out for being genuinely free and mission-driven rather than commercial.
Lydia is an alumna from Harvard University and studied Molecular and Cellular Biology & Economics. In high school, she was the captain of her high school’s Academic Decathlon team and attended the Governor's School of Engineering and Technology. She is working as a life sciences consultant after graduation.
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