10 Summer Biology Programs for Middle School Students in Boston
- Stephen Turban
- Mar 20
- 6 min read
Biology is a subject that fascinates many students. If you are one of them, you can consider attending a summer biology program. Summer programs are a way to delve into the specific fields you are interested in and enhance your knowledge. They are typically taught by experienced faculty, who also guide you regarding potential career pathways.
You can take this opportunity to meet and network with other Boston middle schoolers interested in biology. The programs enable you to develop relevant hands-on skills. So, here are some programs for you to choose from.
10 Summer Biology Programs for Middle School Students in Boston
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 8 weeks; varies by cohort
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program is a hands-on research program for middle school students. With guidance from PhD mentors from prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are experts from various fields, you learn about biology. As part of the program, you conduct original research and gain specialized biology knowledge. You learn how to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study, which enables you to build crucial skills. Feedback and writing coaching sessions are embedded into the program to help you develop. You can opt for the Junior Research and Publication Program, where you can publish your research in academic journals.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15–20 students
Location: Waltham, MA or Greater Wellesley, MA
Cost: $699; scholarships available
Dates: June 22 – 26 (Session 1) | July 13 – 17 (Session 2) | July 20 – 24 (Session 3)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students entering grades 6–8
Mini Med School introduces you to the field of medicine and its latest developments. The program covers specific areas, starting with neuroscience, including the nervous system, spinal cord, and degenerative diseases. You then learn about the heart, orthopedics, oncology, genetic diseases, and more. Instructors leading the program have experience in hospital settings as well as in research. You also partake in lab-based practical activities to develop your skills.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (weekends) during the spring cohort, or 25 hours over 2 weeks (weekdays) during the summer cohort
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
You can also consider an interdisciplinary program like Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program. Through this program, you gain foundational knowledge of AI and machine learning. You discover a wide range of topics, including Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. Following this theoretical component, you work on a practical project. This project must use technology to solve a real-world issue in the field of biology. 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.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Various locations, including MA
Cost: Varies by location
Dates: 6 weeks
Application Deadline: Varies by location
Eligibility: Students aged 5–12
Mad Science Worldwide offers several STEM programs around the country. The after-school programs cover various science topics, including physics and biology. You partake in practical activities, observe demonstrations, and take home science-themed toys. The experiments and activities are designed to be safe and age-appropriate. Experienced instructors lead the program. While some workshops have specific themes and topics, others have a broad curriculum.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: The Pathway Initiative’s STEM Innovation Lab, Downtown Boston, MA
Cost: $699 per week
Dates: June – August
Application Deadline: May 25 (tentative)
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
This summer program teaches middle schoolers about diverse STEM topics, including biology. It is a rigorous and immersive experience that introduces you to careers in medicine, life sciences, biotechnology, and engineering. You engage with advanced academics that prepare you for high school AP and Honors courses. You also partake in hands-on activities such as human models and lab experiments for biology, 3D printing for bioengineering and design, and programmable robotics for biotechnology and biomedicine. Lasting 9 weeks, each week in the program covers a different topic in depth. Through this program, you build problem-solving and creative thinking skills.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Virtual or in-person
Cost: $490–$1,070; scholarships available
Dates: Various sessions in the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High-achieving middle and high school students ages 12–18
The Rosetta Institute organizes several workshops in molecular medicine for middle and high schoolers. You can opt for the virtual programs in the summer. The available tracks include FutureMD: Oncology, Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Medicinal Chemistry, and Medical Bioinformatics. These courses allow you to consider careers in biomedical research, drug development, pharmacy or nursing. Lectures are taught by PhD-level faculty. By the end of the program, you complete original research on a gene or molecular process of your choice.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Online
Cost: $1,795
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 and older
This program by Rice University teaches you all about how the human body functions. You study the inner workings of the different systems in the human body and what can go wrong. You explore the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Practicing physicians also talk to you about their career and experiences. For the capstone project, you make models that showcase the physiological properties of the body’s healthy and pathological organs and systems.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Online
Cost: $575; scholarships available
Dates: June 24 – August 5
Application Deadline: One week before the start date
Eligibility: Students entering grades 6–8 who meet Emerald-tier eligibility criteria
Northwestern CTD’s programs cover a range of topics for talented middle schoolers. In this track, you consider the interaction between humans and animals from the perspective of an ecologist. You learn to track and map populations, explore the networks of animals in your neighborhood, and use tools employed by professional scientists. For the final project, you study the interconnection between species, including how human interaction affects population. You also make and share a plan to help shape the animal or insect populations near you.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,365
Dates: June 17 – July 22 (Summer A) | July 14 – August 18 (Summer B)
Application Deadline: May 11 (Summer A) | June 8 (Summer B)
Eligibility: Students in grades 5–6 with CTY-level verbal or quantitative scores
This program by Johns Hopkins CTY introduces you to the science of genes and genetics. You explore Mendelian genetics to determine how traits are passed from parents to offspring. Regarding human genetics, you delve into classic and complex crosses. The program also covers the cell division process, including the roles of DNA and chromosomes. Then, you take a macro view to understand how the genetic composition of a population can determine survival over time. You learn to distinguish between, calculate, and analyze theoretical and experimental probabilities in genetics.
10. EXPLO 360°
Location: Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Cost: $6,295 (overnight) | $4,045 (day); financial aid may be available
Dates:
Session 1: June 28 – July 11 (overnight) | June 29 – July 10 (day)
Session 2: July 12 – July 25 (overnight) | July 13 – July 24 (day)
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising 7th–9th graders
This is a highly personalized program that can be tailored to your interests. You pick 2 workshops and 2 electives from a range of options based on your interests. Tracks are available in science, law, government, arts, and more. Workshops are collaborative and involve completing projects, whereas electives allow you to develop practical skills. Students interested in biology can opt for Brain Hackers: Decoding the Mind, Medicine: First Aid + Clinical Skills, and more. Thus, you get a taste of various professions and determine your future career in biology.
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.
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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