15 Summer Programs For High School Students Still Accepting Applications

For high schoolers, the summer is one of the best times to gain hands-on experiences to build their resume, learn new skills and gain exposure to their potential career choices. By attending summer programs, students can get a taste of what college will be like while meeting peers from around the country. Summer programs can vary in length and cost, so students should do their research first to ensure that the program fits their interests and budget.

What To Look For In A Summer Program

Students building their resumes for competitive colleges might wonder what type of program will be the best option for them. Ultimately, they should follow their interests and ensure they can get hands-on experiences throughout the summer. Students sit in a classroom all year, so using the summer to participate in activities that allow them to utilize skills in a practical setting, while working with others, can be beneficial.

Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a rise in virtual programs, which can be an excellent alternative for students who don’t have the flexibility to travel to a summer program or have other commitments that make an in-person camp impossible. Many virtual programs have a high level of interaction between the students and the instructor. These options might also be less expensive because they don’t require students to pay for on-campus housing.

Is Paying For A Summer Program Bad?

Some competitive programs like Research Science Institute (RSI) or the Texas Tech Clark Scholars will offer their program free of charge to all their students, regardless of their financial status. Because of these programs’ prestige and price tag, they are extraordinarily competitive and will take only a select few students. Getting into a high-caliber program can help elevate the student’s college application and show the students advanced abilities in that particular field.

On the other hand, some summer programs can be prohibitively expensive: for example, numerous universities offer programs costing over $10,000. While they might be more costly because you are paying for the name-brand, you also get a hands-on instructor dedicated solely to teaching you over the next few weeks. Attending a top university’s summer program will likely not increase your chances of getting accepted to the undergrad, but it can still be a great opportunity for students to learn something new this summer.

Before writing off a paid program as inherently “bad,” look at what the program offers. Some paid programs can still be highly competitive and give students similar opportunities as rigorous free summer programs. Therefore, the program’s value can still be worth the cost as long as you get something out of it in return.

When To Apply To Summer Programs

Many summer programs will open their applications in November or December, with the deadlines in January or February. Students should start working on the summer program essays as soon as the application opens in order to give themselves adequate time.

While most summer programs start to release their decision in April, it means that students who were either rejected or didn’t apply at all might be scrambling for plans for the summer. Luckily, there are a few programs that still have rolling deadlines or late spring deadlines.

Summer Programs With Late Deadlines

Medical or Research Focused Summer Programs

Bethel College Summer Science Institute

• Program focus: Some research areas include Probability: Know Your Odds, Biology in the Wild!, Nutritional Chemistry, Measuring Skin Color: Shades of Bias and Neuroscience of Music.
• Cost: N/A
• Dates: May 30 – June 3, 2023 (in-person); 4 one-week sessions from June 11 – July 14, 2023 (virtual)
• Deadline: April 17
• Pre-requisites: Open to students entering grades 10-12
• In-Person and virtual options available

Bridge Undergraduate Science Jr. Program (BUGS Jr) at University of Southern California

• Program focus: Students will spend 30 hours a week in their research activities, as well as participate in mandatory weekly programmatic activities. Students can research any topic as long as it relates to the human body and human health. You must find a research lab yourself; The Bridge Institute does not assist in finding a lab for you.
• Cost: None; students will be paid an $800 stipend
• Dates: June 19 – August 5, 2023
• Deadline: April 30, 2023
• Pre-requisites: Rising 9-12 graders
• In-person

Future Physicians at University of Southern California

• Program focus: Shadow physicians at Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, learn from physician guest speakers and gain exposure to basic suturing skills.
• Cost: $10,020 for residential students; $7160 for commuter students
• Dates: June 18 – July 15, 2023
• Deadline: May 5, but accepts on a rolling basis
• Pre-requisites: Must be 17 or older by June 19, 2023, no exceptions; proof of vaccination and TB results
• In-person

Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP)

• Program focus: They have a variety of different courses available, including Chemistry of Herbal Medicine, Designing Intelligent Robots, Global Youth Women’s Health, Novel Bacteriophage Discovery and Where the Body Meets the Mind.
• Cost: $4,630 for one session; $7,885 for both sessions
• Dates: Session 1: July 9 – 22, 2023, Session 2: July 23 – August 5, 2023
• Deadline: Rolling
• Pre-requisites: None
• In-person

Summer Immersion in Medicine at Wake Forest

• Program focus: Students will visit healthcare facilities, participate in simulations and labs, and learn basic skills like suturing and taking blood pressure.
• Cost: $3,000
• Dates: June 11-16, 2023, or July 23-28, 2023,
• Deadline: None
• Pre-requisites: Open to current 9-12 graders
• In-person

Research Scholars – Bioengineering Broad Overview and Techniques at UC San Diego

• Program focus: Research options include BioImaging & 3-D Printing, Mammalian Cell and Tissue Culture and BioMechanics & MechanoBiology. Students will be emailed a lab kit if they are doing it virtually.
• Cost: Varies from $1,300 to $2,900
• Dates: June 19-30 and June 12-16
• Deadline: Rolling
• Pre-requisites: Students must be currently in grades 10-12 and be at least 14 for online courses and 15 for in-person courses
• In-person and virtual options available

Rising Researchers

• Program focus: Students get the opportunity to work one-on-one with a research mentor, complete a poster presentation, and have their work published in a research journal. Throughout the program, students will learn advanced research and data analysis skills. This program is affiliated with Moon Prep.
• Cost: $4,900
• Dates: 10 weekly sessions
• Deadline: None, students are accepted on a rolling basis and can start on their schedule
• Pre-requisites: None
• Virtual

Business Focused Summer Programs

Camp Business at Drexel University

• Program focus: The progress teaches students the basics of business, including finance, management, accounting, the stock market and financial technology.
• Cost: $950 (commuter session) and $2,000 (residential session)
• Dates: July 9-14 (commuter session) and July 16-21 (residential session)
• Deadline: May 1, 2023, but accepted on a rolling basis
• Pre-requisites: None
• In-person

Wharton Global Youth Program at the University of Pennsylvania

• Program focus: Students can choose from classes, including Future of the Business World, Sports Business Academy, Essentials of Leaderships and Understanding Your Money.
• Cost: Varies from $329 to $4,099
• Dates: Programs typically last 1-3 weeks and run from June to August.
• Deadline: May 3, 2023
• Pre-requisites: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9-12 are typically eligible. Requirements will vary from program to program
• Virtual

​​Entrepreneurship Academy at Georgetown University

• Program focus: Students will learn the basics of starting a business, including prototype testing, business operations and market research.
• Cost: $5,500
• Dates: July 2-14
• Deadline: Rolling
• Pre-requisites: Be a current or rising 9-12 grader and have a GPA of at least 2.0. Some programs will have an age restriction.
• In-person

Beta Bowl

• Program focus: The program teaches students how to build a business and marketing plan, financial model and investor proposal.
• Cost: $797-$3,997
• Dates: 4-12 weeks; programs are starting each month
• Deadline: Rolling
• Pre-requisites: None
• Virtual

Tech-Focused Summer Programs

Summer Program for Automation, Robotics, and Coding (SPARC) at New York University

• Program focus: This program teaches students about robotics and will combine concepts from computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Students will also learn how to use micro-controllers, interface sensors and actuators.
• Cost: $2,825 (commuter) and $3,795 (residential)
• Dates: June 20-30; July 10-21; July 31-August 11
• Deadline: Preference is given to applicants who apply before April 20, 2023
• Pre-requisites: Rising 9-12 graders and must be 14 the day program begins
• In-person

Frontiers STEM Summer Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institution

• Program focus: This program allows students to explore different STEM fields, including Aerospace Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Robotics Engineering and more.
• Cost: $3,495
• Dates: July 9-21 and July 23-August 4
• Deadline: April 30, 2023
• Pre-requisites: Rising 10-12 graders
• In-person

Terp Young Scholars at the University of Maryland

• Program focus: Students can choose one 3-credit course to participate in. Options include Introduction to Computing; Enterprise, Leadership and Markets; International Political Relations; Multicultural Psychology in the U.S. and Introduction to Criminology.
• Cost: $1,500-$2,500
• Dates: July 10-28, 2023
• Deadline: May 1, 2023, with decisions released on a rolling basis
• Pre-requisites: Rising 10-12 graders
• In-person and virtual options available

BlueStamp Engineering

• Program focus: Students will learn basic project-building skills as they create their own technology project from scratch. Some past projects include hovercrafts, remote/self-driving cars and machine learning.
• Cost: Up to $4,900 (in-person) and $2,200 (virtual)
• Dates: 2-6 weeks; multiple start dates
• Deadline: Early Enrollment: December 15, 2022-April 30, 2023. Late Enrollment May 1-May 31, 2023
• Pre-requisites: Rising 9-12 graders
• In-person and virtual options available