10 Summer Exploration Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 2 hours ago
- 6 min read
Summer is a good time to try out different activities and explore your interests. Many programs are available in the summer for you to discover different subjects and fields. They blend theory with hands-on practice to provide a holistic learning experience. You can delve into various subjects and engage with a rigorous curriculum.
You also receive the opportunity to interact and network with professionals as well as peers. Along the way, you build foundational knowledge and relevant skills that help you in your future career. Here are some summer exploration programs for you to get started.
10 Summer Exploration Programs for Middle School Students
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 8 weeks. Varies by cohort
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
Research is a solid option to pursue in the summer, for which you can participate in Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program. To guide you through research, you are paired with PhD mentors from prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are specialists in their respective fields. You can expect to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study, thereby building crucial research skills throughout the program. The program also embeds feedback and writing coaching sessions that help improve your scientific communication skills. Students looking to publish their research in academic journals can opt for the Junior Research and Publication Program.
Location: Online
Cost/Stipend: Fully funded
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6 to July 24 for summer. August 26 to December 9 for fall
Application Deadline: March 25
Eligibility: Low income students in grades 6 or 7 who live in and attend school in the U.S. Family income below $90,000
SMSSP is designed for academically advanced students to study a rigorous curriculum. This program is held in the summer and fall. In the summer, you attend live, interactive classes led by Stanford faculty in a track of your choice. Thereafter, in the fall, you attend weekly meetings and engage in debate and discussion on topics related to your chosen track. Some of the courses you can opt for are Democracy & Dissent, Discovering Geometry: From Flatland to the Fourth Dimension, History through Graphic Novels, and Real-Life Applications to Mathematics. You also receive support and guidance to apply to other prestigious programs.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks on weekends during the spring cohort. 25 hours over 2 weeks on weekdays during the summer cohort
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
If you are curious about science and technology, you can consider Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program. Through this program, you gain a foundational knowledge of AI and machine learning, two emerging fields. The program teaches a range of concepts such as Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. Upon completing the theoretical component, you apply your learnings to a practical project. This project must solve a real-world challenge in any field, allowing you to explore diverse interests. 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.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: July 6 to July 31 for the summer session. October to May for the academic year session
Application Deadline: April 15 for summer. November 1 for the academic year
Eligibility: Students in grades 7 to 12 interested in medicine or related STEM fields with at least an 80 percent grade average, especially in math and science
This program is for students interested in medicine or related STEM fields. It is a high school and college preparatory program that helps build knowledge and experience with an advanced curriculum from middle school. You encounter a variety of topics like Anatomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Brain & Cognitive Science, Ready for PreMed, Physics, Psychology, Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus and Statistics. The program also provides support with preparing for standardized tests. In addition to academics, you partake in college preparation and career development workshops, college and academic counseling services, field trips, and college tours.
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $75. Full scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 7 to 14 students per class
Dates: June 29 to July 30
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Middle school students enrolled in public or parochial schools in New Haven, CT
The Ulysses S. Grant Foundation program at Yale University lasts for 6 weeks. Here, you study different topics with other students in the same or different grades. The morning schedule involves humanities and investigations classes. In the afternoons, you take an elective of your choice. Some of the subjects in the humanities include art, writing, poetry, and philosophy, and those in investigations include biology, chemistry, finance, and architecture. This is a rigorous program that prepares you for advanced academics.
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Cost: $675
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 24 students per grade level
Dates: June 29 to July 9
Application Deadline: First come, first served
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7 or 8
This exploration program complements your school studies over the summer. You are encouraged to develop a scientific temperament by learning to think, analyze, and research. Depending on your grade, you learn different science subjects. Rising 7th graders develop lab skills in physics, chemistry, microbiology and ecology. Rising 8th graders delve into biology, chemistry, biotechnology, and environmental chemistry in the context of case studies of Cholera, Bioremediation, Genetics, and daily interactive demonstrations. In the program, you participate in reading, computer searching, writing and group work.
7. Penn GEMS
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: To be announced. Limited financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 22 to June 26
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Rising students in grades 7 to 9 who live and attend school within 60 miles of Penn’s campus
Penn GEMS is a hands-on STEM camp that emphasizes experiential learning. You explore a range of engineering, math, and science subjects like bioengineering, robotics, AI, materials science, and more. You learn how engineers solve challenging problems. A mentor supports you throughout the program and acts as a role model. You build skills in teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, all of which help you in a future career in STEM.
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6 to July 31
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: NYC students in 7th or 8th grade during the application period
The College and Career Lab lasts for several years and involves six-week programming in the summer. The program aims to help you explore different academic options and careers through college-style lectures and intensive workshops. These lectures and workshops cover a wide range of subjects, from neuroscience to philosophy. They are taught by NYU faculty. You also connect with industry professionals, thereby receiving mentorship and advice. Eventually, in the Immersive Stage during high school, you dive deeper into the subjects through college classes and internships.
9. EXPLO 360°
Location: Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Cost: $6,295 for overnight students. $4,045 for day students. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates:Session 1 overnight: June 28 to July 11Session 1 day: June 29 to July 10Session 2 overnight: July 12 to July 25Session 2 day: July 13 to July 24
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising students in grades 7 to 9
This camp offers a personalized experience based on your interests. With various tracks to choose from, you can opt for 2 workshops and 2 electives. Workshops are hands-on and project-based learning experiences. Electives emphasize skill development. Options are available in business, engineering, law, science, performing arts, and more. Through this program, you can step into the shoes of various professions.
Location: The Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Varies by session
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple sessions during the summer
Application Deadline: Varies by session. Typically one week before the session begins
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7 to 12
At the Lawrence Hall of Science, you can conduct research in a range of subjects. You explore science through a hands-on approach. By conducting research in a university lab, you also get a taste of the college experience. Middle schoolers can participate in courses related to biology, engineering, space exploration, and animal behavior. In addition, network with students and faculty and explore STEM careers.
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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