24 Science Summer Programs for High School Students [2027]
Updated: 16 hours ago
TL;DR
This list covers 24 summer options in science, grouped into biology and biomedical research, college-style academic courses, Earth and space science, multidisciplinary university labs, and forensics. Twelve charge no tuition and five of those pay you a stipend, while the rest run from $65 for a virtual forensic camp up to $11,800 at the Summer Science Program. You’ll find options whether you want a campus lab placement, a college-style course, or something you can do from home, since several run fully online. Eight programs accept only residents of a single state or metro area, so check eligibility before you get attached to one. If you’d rather produce a mentored research paper than spend a week on campus, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is one of the remote options on this list.
A science summer program lets you do what scientists do. You might run tests in a lab, dig up fossils with museum staff, or study real NASA data. Many of the best ones are free, and some even pay you.
This list covers 24 programs, grouped by subject. It starts with biology and medical research. Then come college-style science courses, Earth and space science, and lab programs across many fields. It ends with forensic science. Each entry lists cost, dates, deadlines, and who can apply, so you can spot the right fit fast.
When to apply to science summer programs, and how selective they are
The earliest deadline on this list falls roughly nine months before the program starts: Texas Aerospace Scholars closed its application on September 16, 2026, for a residential week in July 2027.
Most selective applications open in December and close in February: ASSIP at George Mason opens December 7, 2026, and closes February 12, 2027, and Stanford’s SHTEM opens the same day. SSP’s application page shows the 2026 cycle opened on December 31, 2025, which puts the 2027 opening in late December 2026. If you wait until spring to start looking, those are already gone.
January and February carry the heaviest cluster: WashU closes January 25, Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars closes February 1 with decisions on April 1, and FMI’s forensic program has closed in mid-February.
Check cohort size: SUNY Oneonta takes one to three high school interns a year, MD Anderson takes up to six, WashU and FMI take ten to twelve, SMYSP and Stony Brook take 24, and Northeastern takes around 32. SSP is the outlier, admitting around 700 participants across all its sites in 2026. For a closer look at one programme’s numbers, see our breakdown of the SSP acceptance rate.
Which science summer programs accept students from outside the host state
Eight of the 24 restrict eligibility to residents of a single state or metro area.
Check residency first: WashU takes Greater St. Louis juniors, NIH’s HiSTEP takes students within 40 miles of Bethesda, Aspirnaut takes Michigan students, Stanford’s SMYSP takes Northern California juniors, SUNY Oneonta takes New York State residents, Northeastern’s YSP takes Massachusetts students within commuting distance, and both MD Anderson’s CATALYST and Texas Aerospace Scholars take Texas students only. NASA’s own Texas Aerospace Scholars page lists the requirement plainly: US citizen, Texas resident, enrolled as a junior in a Texas high school.
Citizenship is a second, separate filter: SEES is open to US citizens only, Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars and Stanford’s SHTEM require citizenship or permanent residency, and FMI’s forensic program is limited to US residents.
Be careful about commuter programs: Denver Museum, Bradley’s BEST internship, Stony Brook, Purdue Northwest, Fullerton College, and SHTEM provide no housing, which means you need somewhere local to stay.
Several take students regardless of where you live: SSP, Summer@Brown, Immerse’s Cambridge course, Veritas AI and Bowling Green’s virtual camp are open on location, and ASSIP offers remote placements depending on the mentor.
Do science summer programs help your college application?
They help when the program produces something you can point to and talk about, and they help very little when the only outcome is a campus name on an activities list. Admissions readers see thousands of the latter, which is covered in more detail in our piece on what colleges actually think of pre-college programs.
A finished output is what carries weight: a research paper, a poster, a public presentation, or a published report gives you material for essays and interviews. SUNY Oneonta prints your report in the station’s annual report, SEES has every intern present at a science fair, and Bradley’s BEST ends with a symposium.
From our research, we found that Lumiere applicants were 4x more likely to get accepted to top universities compared to the general applicant pool, with 97% of them mentioning their research paper in the application.
A supervising mentor becomes a credible recommender: someone who watched you work through a methodology can describe how you think, which carries more weight than a teacher who knows you from class. We’ve written separately on how summer research programs benefit high school students.
Cost and selectivity are not proxies for value: several of the free programs here involve more supervised research than the expensive residential ones.
How we chose these science summer programs
We checked every program against the same four criteria, reading each program’s own website rather than other roundups.
Who supervises you: whether you work with faculty, PhD researchers, graduate students or undergraduates, and how much of their time you actually get.
What you finish with: a paper, poster, presentation or completed project, rather than attendance alone.
Full cost and stipend, stated clearly: tuition, application fees, housing and any payment to you, taken from the program’s published figures.
Who can realistically apply: residency, citizenship, age, grade and housing, since these rule out more students than selectivity does.
Section | Top programs | Cost | Best for |
Biology, biomedical and life sciences research | WashU Young Scientist Program Summer Focus, Aspirnaut (University of Michigan), Stanford SMYSP, NIH HiSTEP, MD Anderson CATALYST | Free (stipends up to $4,800 at WashU) | Students who want a real biology or medical lab placement, often free and paid, though most take only local students |
Pre-college and academic science programs | Summer Science Program (SSP), Carnegie Mellon AI Scholars, Summer@Brown, Immerse Education Natural Sciences, Veritas AI | Free to $11,800 | Students who want college-level science through classes and team projects instead of solo lab work |
Earth, space and environmental science | SEES (UT Austin and NASA), Texas Aerospace Scholars, Denver Museum Teen Science Scholars, SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station | Free (SEES on-site has cost about $2,000 without a scholarship) | Students who want to work with NASA data, museum scientists, fossils, or lake field research |
Multidisciplinary research | Lumiere Research Scholar Program, George Mason ASSIP, Northeastern Young Scholars Program, Stanford SHTEM, Bradley BEST | Free to $2,500 (Lumiere varies by program type) | Students who want topic choice and one-on-one mentoring across many fields, including remote options |
Forensic science | FMI Summer Science Program, Purdue Northwest Forensic Camp, Fullerton College Forensic Camp, Stony Brook Explorations in Forensics, Bowling Green Virtual Forensic Camp | Free to $750 (the virtual Bowling Green camp starts at $65) | Students who want hands-on crime scene and lab work, from a free week to a seven-week program |
Biology, Biomedical and Life Sciences Research
These programs put you in a real biology or medical lab. Most are free, and many pay you. Several only take local students.
Location: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (commute, in person)
Cost/Stipend: Free, $4,800 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10 to 12 scholars each year, chosen after an application and interview
Dates: May 31 to July 23, 2027
Application deadline: January 25, 2027 (recommendation letters due February 1)
Eligibility: Current juniors at any Greater St. Louis high school who live in Missouri or Illinois; no research experience needed
You get two scientists: a lab mentor and a tutor. You work 40 hours a week on your own project. Past topics include genetics, brain science, and ecology. Two short classes cover science writing and college prep. The summer ends with a public talk about your work.
Who it's best for: A St. Louis junior with no lab time yet who wants a paid summer near home.
Location: UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: No tuition listed; MD Anderson hasn't published a stipend figure for this track
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Up to 6 students each summer
Dates: Usually about 10 weeks, from early June to early August
Application deadline: Usually in January
Eligibility: Current Texas high school seniors (public, private, charter, or homeschool) who will be 18 or older by the first day and are interested in an allied health career
This is the high school track of MD Anderson's summer programs. You spend five days a week in a cancer center lab. A faculty member guides your project. The goal is to learn how real lab science works.
Who it's best for: A Texas senior who is already 18 and curious about cancer research.
Location: Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (residential)
Cost/Stipend: Free, $3,000 plus housing and meals
Acceptance rate/cohort size: A small cohort, usually about 6 to 10 interns
Dates: Usually six weeks from mid-June to late July (2026 ran June 14 to July 24)
Application deadline: Usually in February; 2027 details are expected in late fall 2026
Eligibility: Michigan high school students, with active recruiting in rural and under-resourced communities
You spend six weeks in a U-M life sciences lab. You help with real projects and collect data the lab will use. You live in a dorm with college RAs. You also get test prep, college advice, and practice explaining science.
Who it's best for: A Michigan student from a small town or a high-need school.
Location: NIH main campus, Bethesda, MD
Cost/Stipend: Free, paid stipend based on education level
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohort; NIH doesn't publish an acceptance rate
Dates: Usually five to six weeks in July
Application deadline: Usually in January
Eligibility: Usually rising seniors who live in DC, Maryland, or Virginia within 40 miles of NIH and attend a school where at least 30% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch
HiSTEP brings students from high-need schools to NIH, the country's top health research agency. You go to workshops, talks, and lab visits. You also learn about jobs in science and medicine. You apply through NIH's high school internship form and choose HiSTEP. NIH hasn't posted the next cycle yet, so check the dates before you apply.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here!
Who it's best for: A DC-area rising senior from a high-need school.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Tuition-free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 24 students each summer
Dates: Usually five weeks from late June to late July (2026 ran June 22 to July 26)
Application deadline: Usually in March (2026 closed March 23)
Eligibility: Low-income, first-generation high school juniors who live in Northern California
SMYSP is a five-week program in science and medicine for first-gen, low-income juniors. You go to talks and anatomy labs. You also do a hospital internship at Stanford and a group project on health gaps. Your mentors stay in touch after it ends.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here!
Who it's best for: A first-gen Northern California junior drawn to medicine.
Pre-College and Academic Science Programs
These programs teach college-level science through classes and team projects, not solo lab work.
Location: College campuses across the U.S. (residential, varies by track)
Cost/Stipend: Up to $11,800 (2026), need-blind aid covers 100% of demonstrated need, and it's free to apply
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective, about 36 students per program, working in teams of three
Dates: Five weeks, usually mid-June to early August
Application deadline: Usually in February; 2027 applications open in December 2026
Eligibility: Current high school juniors aged 15 to 18, with coursework matched to the track (for example, physics and precalculus for astrophysics)
SSP has run since 1959. Each team of three gets one real research project to finish in five weeks. You pick a track: asteroid orbits, biochemistry, bacterial genomics, or cell biology. The days are long, and the pace is fast. The fee covers tuition, room, board, and trips. Families earning about $140,000 or less usually get full or partial aid.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here!
Who it's best for: A junior who has taken the track's required classes and likes teamwork.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA (residential)
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded, including tuition, housing, and meals
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; CMU doesn't publish an acceptance rate
Dates: June 26 to July 24, 2027
Application deadline: February 1, 2027 (decisions April 1)
Eligibility: Current juniors, at least 16 by the start date, U.S. citizens or permanent residents; documentation of financial need is required
AI Scholars is a free, four-week intro to AI at Carnegie Mellon. A short online Python class runs before you arrive, so you don't need to code yet. You take AI classes, build a group project, and visit tech firms. You also leave with a polished college essay.
Who it's best for: A junior who likes AI more than lab work and has financial need.
Location: Brown University, Providence, RI, or online
Cost/Stipend: $3,748 for one week residential to $10,858 for five weeks hybrid, online courses $3,364 to $6,520 (2026), scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Admission is by application, less selective than the research programs on this list
Dates: Usually mid-June to late July, in sessions of one to six weeks
Application deadline: Usually in May
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 to 12
Summer@Brown has more than 230 short courses, including biology, physics and medicine. Classes meet about three hours a day in small groups. Some courses let you do research with real data. There are no grades. You get a certificate, and longer courses add a short report on your work.
Who it's best for: A student who wants to try one college science class first.
Location: Cambridge, UK (residential, in Cambridge colleges)
Cost/Stipend: From about £5,995 for two weeks, including accommodation, meals and activities; bursaries available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small classes, about 7 students on average
Dates: Two-week sessions in June, July and August 2027
Application deadline: Rolling, by session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 to 15 (this science track is for younger students)
This two-week course gives younger students a first taste of biology, chemistry and physics in Cambridge. You learn from tutors who do research. You get one-on-one help and finish your own small research project. You live in a Cambridge college, and students 14 and up can earn UCAS points.
Who it's best for: A 13- to 15-year-old who wants a first try at university science.
10. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12- to 15-week cohorts each year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application deadline: Rolling, cohorts open in January, May, September, and November
Eligibility: High school students; AI Fellowship applicants should have completed AI Scholars or have experience with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI was started by Harvard grad students. AI Scholars is a 10-session boot camp in AI and data science. The AI Fellowship pairs you with a mentor from a top school on your own project. A team then helps you aim for a high school research journal.
Who it's best for: A student anywhere who wants to use AI on a science question.
Earth, Space and Environmental Science
These programs take science outside the usual lab, to space data, museums, fossil sites, and lakes.
Location: UT Center for Space Research, Austin, TX (on-site) or virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free for virtual projects; on-site interns are paid about $2,000 unless they receive a scholarship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, with a small on-site cohort and a larger virtual group
Dates: Usually online modules from mid-May, virtual projects June to late July, and a two-week on-site session in July (2026: July 5 to 18)
Application deadline: Usually in late February (2026 closed February 22)
Eligibility: Current sophomores or juniors, at least 16 by early July, U.S. citizens only, who have not been SEES interns before
SEES is run by UT Austin with NASA. You start with online lessons in Earth and space science, plus some Python. Then you join a team that works with real satellite data. Topics include climate, planets, and mapping from space. Every intern presents at an online science fair.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here!
Who it's best for: A U.S. citizen sophomore or junior who wants to work with NASA data.
Location: Online, plus NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX for top teams
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to eligible Texas juniors, with competitive selection for the summer stages
Dates: Online course September 28, 2026 to March 6, 2027, virtual Moonshot May 31 to June 11, 2027, residential week July 25 to 30, 2027
Application deadline: Usually in mid-September (2026 window ran July 1 to September 16)
Eligibility: Texas high school juniors who are U.S. citizens
TAS is a year-long NASA program, not just a summer one. It starts with an online course on space, Earth science, and engineering. Students who score 70% or more join Moonshot, a five-day online mission challenge. Top teams then spend a week at Johnson Space Center. You can earn up to 1 science credit.
Who it's best for: A Texas junior who wants a free path into NASA's world.
Location: Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, CO (no housing)
Cost/Stipend: Free, $1,803 stipend per session (2026), plus daily lunch
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 20 scholars a year, with 2 to 4 per research track
Dates: Two sessions of about four weeks: early to late June, and early to late July
Application deadline: Usually in early spring, with interviews in late March and offers in mid-April
Eligibility: Sophomores or juniors aged 14 to 17, with priority for students from underrepresented or underserved communities
You join museum scientists on one research track. Recent tracks include digging for dinosaur fossils, testing bats for malaria, and collecting insects. You also practice public speaking. At the end, you share your work at a public showcase.
Who it's best for: A Colorado-area teen who loves fossils, animals, or museums.
Location: SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station, Cooperstown, NY (no housing for high schoolers)
Cost/Stipend: Free, $3,500 on completion, plus 1 free college credit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 1 to 3 high school interns a year, with at least 1 spot for an Otsego County resident
Dates: Eight weeks between late May and August, with flexible start dates
Application deadline: Usually in March, with application materials posted in January
Eligibility: New York State residents aged 16 or older by June 20
This is real lake science on Otsego Lake in upstate New York. Most days mix fish and plant surveys, water samples, and lab work. You present at weekly meetings and make a poster. Your report is printed in the station's yearly report.
Who it's best for: A New York student who wants outdoor field science.
Multidisciplinary Research
These programs place you in real research across many subjects, from one-on-one mentors to small lab teams.
Location: Remote, so you can join from anywhere in the world
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on program type, with full financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Cohorts in summer, fall, winter, and spring, from 12 weeks to 1 year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school students with a high level of academic achievement
Lumiere pairs you one-on-one with a PhD mentor on your own research project. You pick the field, from physics and biology to chemistry and engineering. By the end, you'll have written your own research paper.
Who it's best for: A student anywhere who wants a mentored science paper on their own topic.
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax and Manassas, VA, or remote, depending on the mentor
Cost/Stipend: $25 application fee and $1,299 tuition for 3 college credits; both can be waived for financial need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive, with offers made by individual mentors after interviews
Dates: Eight weeks, usually mid-June to mid-August
Application deadline: February 12, 2027 (the application opens December 7, 2026)
Eligibility: At least 15 by the start date (16 for wet labs), high school and undergraduate students
ASSIP pairs you one-on-one with a George Mason researcher for eight weeks. Topics range from forensic science to astronomy, chemistry, and climate. Many mentors offer remote or hybrid options. You earn three college credits, and some interns have been published.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here!
Who it's best for: A student who wants lots of topic choice or a remote option.
Location: Northeastern University, Boston, MA (day program, no parking)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohort, about 32 students in recent years
Dates: June 22 to July 31, 2027, Monday to Thursday
Application deadline: March 1, 2027 (recommendations due March 8)
Eligibility: Current juniors who live and attend school in Massachusetts within commuting distance, U.S. citizens or permanent residents
YSP places you in Northeastern labs in science, engineering, and health for six weeks. Past projects range from cancer drugs to batteries. A weekly talk series covers different kinds of engineering. You also get college advice and trips to companies like Biogen.
If you're interested in learning more, check out our deep-dive here!
Who it's best for: A Massachusetts junior who can get to Boston each day.
Location: Bradley University and partner labs, Peoria, IL (non-residential)
Cost/Stipend: Usually a program fee (about $1,675 in 2024), based on the most recent figure published
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, matched to available mentors
Dates: Usually June to late July
Application deadline: Usually in early April for priority consideration
Eligibility: High school students aged 15 or older
BEST pairs you with a research mentor for 150 to 300 hours of lab work. Mentors have come from Bradley, a USDA lab, a medical school, and Caterpillar. You start with a three-day training on research, ethics, and safety. Every intern presents at a final symposium.
Who it's best for: A student near Peoria who wants a flexible lab internship.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA (in person, no housing)
Cost/Stipend: $2,500 tuition and a $95 application fee (2027), with financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohort, with projects shaped by available mentors
Dates: June 21 to August 6, 2027
Application deadline: Usually in late February; the 2027 application opens December 7, 2026
Eligibility: Current juniors or seniors, at least 14 by June 20, 2027, U.S. citizens or permanent residents
SHTEM mixes science and engineering with fields like psychology and design. You work in a small group with Stanford mentors for 20 to 30 hours a week. Recent projects studied brain waves, cancer markers, and bias in AI. You don't need research experience.
Who it's best for: A Bay Area junior or senior who likes science and people questions.
Forensic Science
These programs teach the science behind solving crimes. Most are short and hands-on, and some are free.
Location: Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, Horsham, PA (no housing)
Cost/Stipend: Free, with travel scholarships for students with financial need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 10 to 12 students a year
Dates: Usually seven weeks from mid-June to late July (2026: June 17 to July 31), weekdays 9 to 4
Application deadline: Usually in mid-February (2026 closed February 13)
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 or older (seniors preferred) who have taken algebra, biology, and chemistry; U.S. residents only
FMI spends seven weeks solving one mock crime with real forensic lab tools. You work in forensic biology, chemistry, and toxicology. Then you testify as an expert witness in front of a judge. You also tour NMS Labs, one of the country's top private crime labs.
Who it's best for: A teen near Philadelphia who wants the longest free forensic program here.
Location: Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, IN
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small camp that fills fast
Dates: One week in mid-June (2026: June 15 to 19)
Application deadline: Usually in May, first come, first served
Eligibility: Students aged 14 to 17
This free week starts with a staged crime you have to solve. You process the scene and collect evidence. Then you learn the lab skills to test it. By Friday, you'll know who did it.
Who it's best for: An Indiana or Chicago-area teen who wants a free week of forensics.
Location: Fullerton College, Fullerton, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited spots
Dates: Four days in early June (2026: June 1 to 4)
Application deadline: Usually in April
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9 to 12
Fullerton College runs this four-day crime scene camp. You collect evidence from a mock scene. Then you test hair, fibers, and DNA in the lab. Past camps included the college crime lab and a look inside a police forensics van.
Who it's best for: A Southern California student who wants a short, free intro.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY (no housing)
Cost/Stipend: $750
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Up to 24 students
Dates: One week in mid-July (2026: July 13 to 17)
Application deadline: Usually in May
Eligibility: Students who have finished 9th grade and haven't taken a formal forensics course
This five-day workshop covers forensics from DNA to fingerprints to blood spatter. You also try lie detection and handwriting analysis. Each day builds toward solving a mock crime scene. It's a good way to decide if you want to take forensics in school.
Who it's best for: A Long Island student who hasn't taken forensics yet.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $65 for webinars only, $251 with a standard lab crate, $375 with an upgraded crate (2027)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Rolling admission until spots fill
Dates: One week in June, mornings with optional afternoon labs (2026: June 15 to 19)
Application deadline: March 1, 2027 for early admission, April 30, 2027 general deadline
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 to 12 in fall 2027
This camp runs online, and a box of lab supplies ships to your home. Mornings are college-style talks from forensic experts. Afternoon labs include fingerprints, shoe prints, and blood tests. You also walk through a virtual crime scene.
Who it's best for: A student anywhere who wants cheap, hands-on forensics from home.
Frequently asked questions: science summer programs for high school students
What are the best science summer programs for high school students?
The best one depends on what you want out of the summer, since this list covers three different things. If you want a supervised placement in a working lab, WashU’s Summer Focus, Northeastern’s Young Scholars Program and George Mason’s ASSIP put you alongside practising researchers for six to eight weeks. If you want a structured research course with peers, the Summer Science Program has run since 1959 and gives each team of three a single project to complete in five weeks.
How long do science summer programs last?
Anywhere from four days to a full year. Fullerton College’s forensic camp runs four days, and most of the forensic programs run a single week, while lab research placements usually run six to ten weeks. Texas Aerospace Scholars is the longest commitment on this list, starting with a five-month online course in the autumn before the summer experience. Mentored research programs sit at the longer end, running 12 weeks or more, since writing up findings takes time that a one-week camp doesn’t allow.
Can you do a science summer program online?
Yes, several options here run fully or partly online. Bowling Green’s forensic camp ships a box of lab supplies to your home and teaches the rest over video, SEES runs virtual research projects with real satellite data, and Texas Aerospace Scholars delivers its entire first stage as an online course. George Mason’s ASSIP offers remote placements depending on which mentor takes you. Online works well if you aren’t near a research university, though you’ll miss the equipment access that an in-person lab gives you.
What grade do you need to be in to apply to science summer programs?
Most of the research placements on this list are built for current juniors, which is the single biggest eligibility filter after residency. WashU, Stanford’s SMYSP, the Summer Science Program, Carnegie Mellon’s AI Scholars, Northeastern’s YSP, and Texas Aerospace Scholars all take juniors, and MD Anderson’s CATALYST takes seniors. Younger students have fewer options, but they do exist: Summer@Brown and Bowling Green take grades 9 to 12, Stony Brook takes anyone who has finished ninth grade, and Immerse’s Cambridge course is built for ages 13 to 15. If you’re a freshman or sophomore, start with the courses and camps and aim for the lab placements in junior year.
What is the difference between a science summer program and a science internship?
A summer program is built to teach you, while an internship is built around work the host needs done. In practice, the line blurs, since several programs here function as internships, including ASSIP, SEES, and SUNY Oneonta’s field station placement, where you collect data the lab will actually use. Internships tend to be unpaid or stipended, locally recruited, and less structured, with no guaranteed output at the end. Mentored research programs like the Lumiere Research Scholar Program sit between the two, giving you a supervisor and a defined finished paper without requiring you to be near a host institution.
Are there science summer programs outside the US?
On this list, one in-person option is based outside the US: Immerse Education’s Academic Insights in Natural Sciences, which runs two-week residential sessions in Cambridge colleges for students aged 13 to 15. The virtual programs are open internationally, so students outside the US can join those from anywhere.
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.