11 Winter Programs for Gifted Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Dec 15, 2025
- 7 min read
If you’re a motivated and high-achieving middle school student, winter is an ideal time to expand your academic experience through enrichment programs. These programs let you take on advanced topics, strengthen your skills, and learn directly from mentors who can guide your progress. Many universities and educational organizations host these programs, giving you access to structured learning environments and opportunities to explore new subjects in depth. Unlike the busy summer months, winter programs offer a shorter, more concentrated way for you to dive into subjects you enjoy and discover new areas of curiosity.
In this blog, we have narrowed down our list of 11 winter programs for gifted middle school students.
If you are looking for online programs, check out our blog here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; need-based financial aid available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including in the winter
Application deadline: November/December; you can apply here
Eligibility: Middle school students with strong academic backgrounds
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a research-focused experience for middle school students interested in exploring a subject area in detail. During the program, you will work with Ph.D.-level mentors from leading universities to develop independent research projects based on your interests. You can choose from STEM fields, social sciences, business, and various other disciplines, and then pick a topic for your project, which could be a research report, presentation, or anything else that reflects your skills and knowledge. This experience can help you refine your critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and independent research skills and prepare for academic competitions and research opportunities.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; applicants need to submit a comprehensive testing report as proof of their abilities.
Location: Online + in-person engagement across the U.S.
Cost: Fully funded; some events may charge fees.
Dates: Year-round engagement
Application deadline: Applications are reviewed year-round during specific application periods
Eligibility: Students, ages 5 – 16, who are academically gifted and meet the testing requirements
While not a traditional program, the Davidson Young Scholars is a support-based initiative for gifted students and their families. Here, you can access free, year-round support virtually and through in-person events. Acceptance grants you access to a community of peers, family consultants, and seasonal opportunities that are otherwise inaccessible. The program focuses on creating a tailored educational plan for you, involving enrichment activities or dual enrollment. The program is designed to help you find learning environments, events, and activities that help you stay engaged and stimulated.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, with small group cohorts
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; need-based financial aid available
Dates: Winter cohorts run for 10 weeks (on weekends) starting in December or January.
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines. You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
The AI Trailblazers program by Veritas AI is a virtual program that allows middle school students to explore the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over the course of 25 hours, you will learn the basics of Python, regression, image classification, data analysis, neural networks, and AI ethics through lectures and group sessions with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. You will also work on AI-focused projects with peers. Previous projects have included building a machine-learning model to classify music genres and developing a machine-learning algorithm to generate a custom list of educational resources based on specified criteria.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small cohort sizes
Location: Online or in-person at Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research, Alameda, CA/Berkeley, CA
Cost: Varies by program; typically, $670 – $1,890
Dates: December 26 – 31 (some sessions end on December 30)
Application deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: High-achieving students, ages 11 – 18
Rosetta Institute offers winter workshop-style programs focused on biomedical science exploration, allowing middle and high schoolers to gain exposure to topics in cancer biology, bioinformatics, and medical chemistry. Each program combines live lectures with small-group discussions and lab-style simulations. Classes are led by Ph.D.-level instructors. During the program, you will work on assignments that mimic real biomedical research. You will also gain exposure to lab work and experimental design.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Regional competitions with the national finals in D.C.
Cost: $25 registration fee/school, which is often funded by the school
Dates: Regional competitions: January; Finals: February
Application deadline: Registration closes late October.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
Future City is a project-based learning experience where students spend the winter months designing and building a city of the future. You will apply math and science concepts to real-world engineering challenges, such as sustainability and transportation, culminating in a regional competition in January. The project requires extensive research with deliverables including a written essay, presentation, and physical model that highlight the features of the planned city. The experience can help you learn how to work within a team, manage and meet deadlines, and think critically.
6. Mathcounts
Acceptance rate/cohort size: School-based selection; only the top students advance.
Location: Local schools and Chapter venues
Cost: ~$35–$40 registration fee
Dates: Chapter Competitions: February; State Competitions: March
Application deadline: November 15 (early bird); December 15 (final registration)
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
Mathcounts is a premier middle school mathematics competition that holds its critical Chapter Competitions in February. As a "Mathlete", you will train intensively throughout the winter to solve rigorous problems covering algebra, geometry, and combinatorics in both individual and team formats. At each level of competition, you will solve math problems within the given time. The level of difficulty exceeds standard school math, providing a stimulating environment for mathematically advanced students.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Location: Participating schools in the U.S.
Cost: Small registration fee that is usually covered by your school
Dates: January 22 – 28
Application deadline: January 5
Eligibility: Students in grade 8 or below, with a maximum age of 15.5 years old on the day of the competition
The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute multiple-choice exam designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills. While it is an exam, the experience can serve as a short-term winter enrichment program, allowing you to study advanced logic and arithmetic concepts not typically taught in school. You will tackle problems in algebra as well as estimation, proportional reasoning, counting and probability, geometry, and spatial visualization. High scores on the AMC 8 are often used as entry criteria for other prestigious camps and programs.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Various high schools and universities nationwide
Cost: State-based team registration fees vary from $125 to $300 per team.
Dates: Invitationals: December–February; Regionals: February/March
Application deadline: No deadline; teams can be formed at any point in the year.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 9 (for Division B or middle school events)
Science Olympiad allows students to compete in 23 events spanning various scientific disciplines, from "Disease Detectives" to "Robot Tour." The winter season is the peak time for Invitational tournaments, where you and your team will travel to other schools and universities to test your devices/projects and knowledge against other participants. The preparation for these events is rigorous, often requiring college-level study and engineering skills. This competitive circuit can be an opportunity to boost STEM knowledge and problem-solving skills.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 20 students/year
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $2,700; financial aid available
Dates: Runs year-long through weekly sessions, including in the winter
Application deadline: May 26
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8 who are residents of the Greater Boston area.
MIT PRIMES STEP is a highly selective, year-long math enrichment program that also extends to the winter months. Unlike typical camps, this program splits participants into groups of students who work together to solve open-ended research problems in mathematics, often leading to published work. You will engage in "mathematical play" under the guidance of mentors, developing logic and proof-writing skills that go beyond the standard middle school curriculum. The program also covers ideas and methods required to solve olympiad-level problems.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Online
Cost: Varies by format and course, can range from ~$900–$1,400; financial aid is available.
Dates: Vary by course; sessions are available throughout the year, including in the winter months.
Application deadline: Varies by course and format
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8 who meet CTY eligibility requirements through qualifying test scores (e.g., SCAT, PSAT, etc).
The Center for Talented Youth (CTY) at Johns Hopkins University offers rigorous online courses during the winter term, covering advanced topics from AP Computer Science to Creative Writing. As a participant, you will work at an accelerated pace, often completing a semester's worth of material in a few months under the guidance of expert instructors. The courses are designed to challenge intellectually curious students and to provide high school-level credits or placement. Project work, homework, challenges, and class assignments are part of the experience to help you track your progress.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Online
Cost: $675; financial aid is available.
Dates: January 21 – March 18
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 3–8 who are either in the 90th percentile or higher on a nationally normed grade-level assessment in the required qualifying subject area, have completed a CTD course in the past two years, or have received a teacher recommendation with a transcript/report card
Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) offers enrichment and credit-bearing courses year-round, including winter sessions that run from January through March. The courses in the Core Essentials track are designed to help middle schoolers explore subjects like aeronautics, debate, and biomedical science in depth. You will explore a subject area over nine weeks. The program offers personalized feedback and flexible pacing, allowing you to advance quickly through complex material.
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 in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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