12 STEM Pre-College Summer Programs
STEM pre-college programs allow students to explore their discipline of choice in a supportive environment. Not only do these programs prepare you for the rigor of academic life in college, but they also help you develop analytical and critical thinking skills early on.
For many students, engaging with high-level research and fieldwork in a STEM pre-college program offers clarity on what they want to study in college. You have experience to inform your college application essays, which often require you to elaborate on how you’ve explored your academic interests. These programs also expose you to a valuable network of alumni and faculty in STEM that can help you with the college admissions process.
To make your journey a little easier, we’ve compiled a list of 12 STEM pre-college summer programs for high schoolers. Read on to know more!
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring.
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
This list would be incomplete without MIT's Research Science Institute, which is widely considered the most prestigious summer program in STEM for high school students. A six-week summer residential program, RSI is fully funded and highly selective, with past students getting into Ivies and other top colleges. As part of the program, you will experience the complete research cycle and learn to execute your research plan, presenting final findings via oral presentations and written reports. To better understand the academic output of RSI alumni, you can read through some of their written papers here.
Cost: An application fee of $65 for U.S. students and $30 for international students.
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: High school juniors. Check the website for recommended minimum test scores.
Program dates: June 23 to August 3.
Application deadline: December 13, 11:59 pm E.T.
3. Veritas AI
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program | $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase | $6,900 for both. Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program is an eight-week program for high school juniors or seniors from diverse backgrounds. The program aims to increase their interest in biological sciences and medicine while helping them realize their potential in the field. On selection, you will be assigned a field of study based on your preference and spend two months being mentored by Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students, and researchers. Each branch has a unique internship structure. An added perk is the $500 stipend that students receive upon successful completion of the program!
Cost: No cost, stipend provided. The $40 application fee can be waived
Location: Stanford University campus
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years of age by the start of the program and in the graduating classes of this or next year may apply. The program is only open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Program dates: June 10 to August 1
Application deadline: February 24. Application forms will be available on December 20
5. MathCamp
If you want to explore the complex field of mathematics further, then MathCamp is your go-to summer camp. Funded by the Mathematics Foundation of America, this annual four-week program introduces you to various undergraduate and graduate-level topics in maths through lectures, workshops, and collaborative projects. MathCamp is one of the most prestigious summer programs, with an acceptance rate of less than 5 percent.
Cost: $5000. General financial aid is provided based on the needs of the applicant.
Location: Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.
Eligibility: Students between 13 and 18 years of age may apply.
Program dates: July to August (based on last year’s schedule)
Application deadline: March (based on last year’s schedule)
MIT’s pre-college summer program offers exposure to mentors in STEM who can help you develop your critical thinking, academic, research, and personal skills. You will learn how to utilize your STEM knowledge to solve challenges in the real world. You will also receive a comprehensive skill report highlighting your strengths and areas of improvement, which can help you draft a better college application. Over 30 percent of MITES Summer students go on to study at MIT!
Cost: Free of charge
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: High school juniors with U.S. citizenship or a Permanent Residency status.
Program dates: Late June through early August (exact dates are yet to be announced)
Application deadline: February 1.
The Summer Science Program is ideal for those who want hands-on experience in experimental science. An independent nonprofit governed, operated, and largely funded by its alumni and former faculty, SSP offers academic growth in a collaborative space. Each year, 36 participants are divided into teams of three to undertake a research project involving the analysis of original data. In the past, the SSP operated six programs, of which three were in astrophysics, two in biochemistry, and one in Genomics. Be sure to check their official website to stay updated on the programs on offer!
Cost: $8400 (based on last year’s figure). Need-based financial aid covering up to 100 percent of all expenditures is provided, and need-blind admittance is guaranteed.
Location: Depending on your course of choice, either New Mexico State University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Purdue University, or Indiana University.
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors, as well as a few exceptional sophomores, who are between the ages of 15 and 19 during the program.
Program dates: Mid-June to the end of July
Application deadline: February for international applicants and March for domestic students
If you want to get all the perks of pre-college programs from the comfort of your home, consider Georgetown University’s online course on Medical Research: Clinical Trials Resulting in Medical Discoveries. Over two or four weeks, you will receive twenty to thirty hours of instruction and complete coursework with guidance from mentors. The course culminates with a Capstone Project, which involves a video presentation studying the components of the scientific method for clinical trials.
Cost: Up to $1795. Scholarships available.
Location: This is an online program.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Program dates: 2-week program - December 17 to December 31; 4-week program - January 7 to February 4; 2-week program - January 21 to February 4.
Application deadline: December 10 for the programming commencing in December, December 31 for the January 7 program, and January 14 for the 2-week January program.
Carnegie Mellon University’s SAMS allows high school juniors to engage in projects and lectures from faculty to broaden their understanding of STEM. The first part of the program is a virtual briefing that equips you with the necessary skills to engage in the five-week in-person pre-college program. The program culminates in a final symposium of the cohort’s project presentations and a closing awards ceremony. As a SAMS scholar, you will interact with peers, university students, and community members to explore STEM majors at CMU.
Cost: Free
Location: Carnegie Mellon University Campus, Pittsburg, PA
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school juniors of at least sixteen years of age by the start of the program. The program is only open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Program dates: June 22 to August 3
Application deadline: March 1
The Young Researcher’s Program is a six-week summer program for high school seniors who want to work on university-level research projects. You will attend weekly workshops on college applications and careers in STEM. The program pairs you with a graduate mentor to complete a research project, leading up to a public symposium open to friends and family. An additional attraction is the three-day nature appreciation trip to Catalina Island, spent learning about environmental science, hiking, and snorkeling!
Cost: $300 stipend at the end of the program
Location: University of Southern California Campus, Los Angeles, with two field trips to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Catalina Island
Eligibility: For high school juniors or rising seniors attending a public school in Los Angeles, Lynwood, Compton, or Inglewood Unified school districts (including charter schools).
Program dates: June 15 - July 28
Application deadline: March
JHIBS is a fully funded eight-week-long research program for high school students interested in neurological sciences. Its focus on cultivating an inclusive environment means that the program is free of cost. As one of the five to six students selected, you will have access to mentorship from neuroscientists at the university. You will participate in scientific seminars, projects, and weekly educational and professional development sessions. An oral or poster presentation highlighting your research progress is expected at the end of the internship. You can also opt for the five-week-long virtual version of the program!
Cost: No cost, hourly stipend provided, and transportation costs covered. Virtual interns receive a $500 scholarship upon completion of the program.
Location: Online or at the Johns Hopkins University Campus in Baltimore.
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors and seniors from underrepresented populations for the virtual program. Additionally, applicants must be enrolled in schools in Baltimore City to be eligible for the in-person program.
Program dates: June to August.
Application deadline: March 1.
A six-week-long paid internship, the Geosciences Bridge Program offered by the University of Maryland provides exposure to the tactical field of geoscience. You will take part in daily lectures or field trips covering topics such as atmospheric science, biogeochemistry, environmental science, marine biology, and civil and environmental engineering. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC), the program is committed to developing your skills and enriching your resume before your freshman college year begins!
Cost: Fully funded, with a stipend of $500 per week and travel reimbursement to and from the university.
Location: University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a minimum GPA of 2.7 planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a geoscience discipline.
Program dates: Late June to early August
Application deadline: Mid-April
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. 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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