10 Programs to Build Impressive Middle School Portfolios

As a middle schooler, now is a good time for you to start building a portfolio. Making a portfolio showcases your achievements and skills, helping you stand out when applying to college. Several prestigious programs offer opportunities and guidance for you to start building your portfolio.

Such programs allow you to engage with higher level academics and interact with professionals from diverse fields. You can expect to develop practical and soft skills. We have listed below 10 programs that you can opt for to build an impressive portfolio.

10 Programs to Build Impressive Middle School Portfolios

1. Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program

Location: Virtual

Cost: Varies; financial aid available

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified

Dates: 8 weeks, varies by cohort

Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort

Eligibility: Students in Grades 6–8

The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program pairs middle school students with Ph.D. mentors from universities such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton to explore academic subjects and develop a written project. Across eight weeks, you’ll learn to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study. You’ll receive individualized feedback through eight mentor sessions and two writing-coach sessions, ensuring you master both analytical and writing fundamentals. Research topics range from gene editing to behavioral economics. Lumiere also offers a Junior Research and Publication Program for students who wish to publish their research in academic journals.

2. Stanford Middle School Scholars Program

Location: Online

Cost/Stipend: Fully funded

Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified

Dates: 3 weeks in July, plus a fall semester from mid-August to December

Application Deadline: March 20

Eligibility: Low-income students in Grades 6 or 7 who live and attend school in the U.S., with a family income under $90,000

Stanford University hosts a free program for middle school students in the summer and fall. Choosing from a variety of topics, you will attend live interactive classes in the summer term. Thereafter, in the fall, you will participate in weekly meetings and discussions. Stanford instructors have PhDs in their fields and encourage you to meet your potential. The classes are designed to enhance your knowledge and communication skills. The program also provides counseling regarding other prestigious programs and exploring high school options.

3. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers

Location: Virtual

Cost: Varies; financial aid available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: Spring cohort: 25 hours over 10 weeks (weekends). Summer cohort: 25 hours over 2 weeks (weekdays)

Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines

Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8

If you’re interested in technology, Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers might suit your needs. This intensive program introduces you to the fundamentals of AI and machine learning, two up-and-coming fields. You will receive instruction on topics such as Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. In the practical component, you will apply your theoretical learnings to a project. This project can be of your choosing wherein you use technology to solve a real-world challenge. 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.

4. Science of Smart Cities

Location: New York University, New York, NY

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: July 7 – August 1

Application Deadline: May 15

Eligibility: Rising 7–8th graders who are residents of NYC

The SOSC Program by NYU blends engineering and technology with urban design. You will learn coding and microcontroller programming as well as electronics. The curriculum also delves into sustainability and urban design. Collaborating in teams, you will develop a project that responds to an urban problem. Such a project can be a solid addition to your portfolio. This program is also an opportunity to build critical thinking and communication skills.

5. State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP)

Location: Columbia University, New York, NY

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive

Dates: Summer Session: July | Academic Year Session: October – May

Application Deadline: Summer: April 15 | Academic Year: November 1

Eligibility: 7th–12th grade students interested in medicine or related STEM fields, with at least an 80% average (especially in math and science)

S-PREP is a high school and college preparatory program where you study advanced subjects. You can take classes in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Brain & Cognitive Science, Ready for PreMed, Physics, Psychology, Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus and Statistics. The program is meant for students who wish to pursue medicine or other STEM subjects. In addition to academics, you will receive support to prepare for standardized tests. Participating in this program makes you eligible to apply for other prestigious programs, helping you chart your academic future.

6. Ulysses S. Grant Foundation

Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT

Cost/Stipend: $75; full scholarships available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: 7–14 students per class

Dates: June 23 – July 30

Application Deadline: February 26

Eligibility: Middle school students enrolled in public and parochial schools in New Haven, CT

This 6-week academic program allows you to explore science and humanities subjects. Depending on the grade you are in, you attend classes on particular subjects. The humanities courses cover topics such as art, writing, poetry, and philosophy. Similarly, the investigations classes include biology, chemistry, finance, and architecture. You also opt for an elective, which takes place in the afternoon. You can take this opportunity to explore various subjects and discover your interests at Yale University.

7. Purdue University’s Physics Inside Out

Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Cost/Stipend: Fully funded

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited spots

Dates: June 9 – 13

Application Deadline: April 17

Eligibility: Students in grades 7 and 8

Students interested in science, especially physics, can opt for Purdue University’s Physics Inside Out program. This free program covers the fundamental principles of physics and their real-world applications. You will partake in hands-on activities and projects. Faculty and researchers lead the course and also share their career journey, which can serve as inspiration for you. Tours of the campus and labs give a taste of the college experience.

8. dynaMIT

Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA

Cost/Stipend: Fully funded

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: August 11 – 15 (for rising 6th/7th graders) | August 18 – 22 (for rising 8th/9th graders)

Application Deadline: February 10

Eligibility: Rising 6th–9th grade students

dynaMIT is a program to encourage middle schoolers to pursue STEM careers. Aimed at students from disadvantaged backgrounds, this is a fully funded program. The program is designed and executed by MIT undergraduates. They also act as mentors and guide you through experiments. Through this program, you will discover science and engineering subjects by participating in hands-on activities.

9. SEE: Summer Engineering Experience

Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: July 7 – 11

Application Deadline: To be announced

Eligibility: Rising 8th and 9th graders

This week-long camp gives you a peek into the world of engineering. If you are passionate about math and science, this program might be a good option for you. Middle schoolers can opt for the Making & Engineering track where you will learn about different engineering disciplines and the concept of design. During the week, you will work on two projects. The first is a group project. In the second project, you will work individually within a smaller group. Both of these assignments propel your creativity and innovation skills.

10. Penn GEMS

Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Cost/Stipend: $650 (tentative); need-based financial assistance available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 22 – 26

Application Deadline: March 1

Eligibility: Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders with at least a B average

Penn GEMS is an interdisciplinary program blending math, science, and engineering. Some subjects taught in the program include bioengineering, robotics, AI, materials science, and so on. You will complete hands-on projects that become part of your portfolio and learn how engineers solve real-world problems. Faculty act as mentors and lend support to facilitate your learning. The program provides space for you to connect and collaborate with peers. You will build confidence in STEM subjects and polish your skills.

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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