Competitive summer camps:
Good news for all young readers and writers! Grace has enjoyed reading since she was little, and her dream at 12 years old was to publish her own book. Her dream comes true this year. While being a medical student at Stanford, her debut novel, Portrait of a Thief, is also published! The story was inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums, about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity centered around five Chinese American college students. For more information, please click the image or go to Grace’s website https://gracedli.com/
We will update our website when we find more summer programs for all grade level.
黄仕霞博士 “夏天安排和领导力培养” 教育讲座 – YouTube
Seven Research-Focused Virtual Summer Programs For High School Students (Forbes 2024)
The pandemic brought about many changes to how students learn, including having more access to digital learning platforms. Virtual summer programs have continued to be popular amongst busy high school students as a way to engage in enriching experiences, even if they don’t have time to attend in person.
Research Science Institute (RSI, MIT)
Eligibility: U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents: All U.S. students, including U.S. Citizens studying overseas, with one year remaining before graduation from high school, may apply to RSI.
Deadline for US student: Research Science Institute (RSI)
Usually January each Fee (USD): yes
Website: RSI
Program Fee: Free
Description:
Each summer, 80 of the world’s most accomplished high school students gather at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the Research Science Institute (RSI). RSI is the first cost-free to students, summer science & engineering program to combine on-campus course work in scientific theory with off-campus work in science and technology research.
RSI Admissions Guidelines
It is recommended that PSAT Math Scores be at least 740 or higher and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score be 700 or higher. ACT math scores should be at least 33 and verbal scores at least 34. Lower scores must be offset by strong indicators of mathematical, scientific, and academic potential exemplified in recommendations, high school grades, and science activities.
There are two types of applications, U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents and International Applicants. Please note that high school seniors are not eligible to apply.
Yale Young Global Scholars
Eligibility:
Be at least 16 years old by the designated date in July (usually first day of Session III)
Be a current high school sophomore or junior (or international equivalent)
Be graduating in May/June within two years from the Northern Hemisphere, or in Nov./Dec. from the Southern Hemisphere.
Be a first-time participant in YYGS.
Deadline:
Applicant Pool #1: Early Action: 11:59PM ET early November
Applicant Pool #2: Regular Decision: 11:59pm ET in early January
Website: YYGS
Fee: For YYGS Residential students, the full program tuition for one, 2-week session is $6,500 USD.
Description:
Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) is an academic enrichment program for outstanding high school students from around the world. Each summer, students from over 150 countries (including all 50 U.S. states) participate in one interdisciplinary, two-week session online or at Yale’s historic campus. Immerse yourself in a global learning community at Yale University.
Stanford Daily 8-weeks Journalism Workshop
Eligibility: current high school students 9-12 graders
Deadline: Check website.
varies
Website: Search web
Description:
“Join us for our annual 8-week, all-remote Summer Journalism Workshop! We’ll teach high schoolers the fundamentals of journalism through real-world reporting assignments, with opportunities to get their work published on The Stanford Daily’s website as they receive one-on-one guidance from Daily editors in weekly check-in meetings and lessons.
Participants are not limited to writing and will also be able to work with editors experienced in podcasts, graphics, tech and more. Even if you’ve done a program with us before, you’re sure to learn new skills, encounter new challenges, and ultimately level up your journalistic toolkit! We have all-new content and guest speakers with fresh and exciting perspectives to bring to the table”.
Pre-College | The School of The New York Times
Eligibility: Summer Academy is open to high school students (grades 10-12 and Graduating Seniors based on the grade the student is entering in the Fall school year). Students must be 15 years old by the first day of the program.
Deadline:
Application Deadlines: Applications for Summer Academy usually open early.
Application Deadlines
- Early Decision: early January
- Priority Decision: February
- Regular Decision: March
Website: https://nytedu.com/pre-college/
Fee: check web
Description:
Dive deep into subject matter that interests you while sharpening skills that will propel your academic and professional future. Each course is designed to develop your intellectual curiosity to help you think critically about the world. Courses are taught by New York Times journalists and thought leaders from different industries who bring real-world expertise into the classroom and an ability to inspire young people.
The committee strives to select talented student leaders with diverse interests, ambitions and writing styles who will contribute to a well-rounded, and academically engaging community of students. Each application is reviewed holistically and qualified students who have demonstrated both a genuine interest in Summer Academy and a strong academic background will be considered for admission to the program. Our goal is to accept as many qualified students as possible and to place them in courses that are a fit for their academic, personal and professional aspirations (given space availability).
Simons Summer Research Program
Simons Summer Research Program
Admission estimate: ~35 students nation-wide each year (~8% admission rate)
Eligibility: Applicants must currently be in their junior year (11th grade) of high school; must be US citizens and/or permanent residents; and must be at least 16 years of age by the start of the program. (no exceptions to these rules)
Deadline: Late March
Please check back in mid-December for information regarding the upcoming summer
Website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/simons/
Fee: student will receive $1000 stipend. Students pay for room and board for in-person program.
Description: Simons Fellows are matched with Stony Brook faculty mentors, join a research group or team, and assume responsibility for a project. The Simons Fellows conclude their apprenticeship by producing a written research abstract and a research poster.
In addition to learning valuable techniques and experiencing life at a major research university, Simons Fellows attend weekly faculty research talks and participate in special workshops, tours and events. At the closing poster symposium, students are presented with a stipend award.
Garcia Research Program
Eligibility: 16 years and older. Usually 10 and 11graders
Admission estimate: ~8%
Deadline: Middle March Usually
Please check back in mid-December for information regarding the upcoming summer
Website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/garcia/summer_program/apply
Fee: $4000+ laboratory fee (check website). Students pay for room and board.
Description: This is an intensive seven week program for gifted high school students which combines formal instruction with independent research and allows students to design original research projects with guidance from Garcia Center faculty, students, and staff. Students can continue during the academic year in the Mentor Program, which allows them to plan a research schedule with a faculty mentor throughout the year. Pre-arranged transportation and class schedules are coordinated with local school boards to enable students from a large geographical area to enroll in the program. Almost three hundred high school students have participated in the mentor program since its inception. The students have consistently won recognition for their research through national competitions ( LISEF, NYCSEF, NYSSEF, ISEF), published in refereed journals, been awarded patents, inducted into the National Young Inventor’s Hall of Fame, and been accepted to universities or professional programs of their choice.
California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS)
Eligibility: Rising 8th graders (will be in 9th grade after the summer) through rising 11th graders (will be in 12th grade in the Fall). Students who are not residents of California may apply, COSMOS can admit up to 20 out-of-state students each summer.
Admission estimate: competitive. Each campus can only accommodate about 160-200 participants.
Due to CA legislation, COSMOS is limited to admit 20 students from out-of-state.
Deadline:
Application Opens in January, Submission deadline in February.
Program Dates: July 10 – August 6 (range, could vary from year to year)
Website: https://cosmos-ucop.ucdavis.edu/app/main
Fee: total cost for an admitted online student, including all fees:
$5007+ (check website)
Financial aid available.
Description:
California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science (COSMOS) is an intensive four-week summer residential program for students who have demonstrated an aptitude for academic and professional careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Talented and motivated students completing grades 8-12 have the opportunity to work with renowned faculty, researchers, and scientists in state-of-the-art facilities while exploring advanced STEM topics far beyond the courses usually offered in California high schools. Through challenging curricula that are both hands-on and lab intensive, COSMOS fosters its students’ interests, skills, and awareness of educational and career options in STEM fields.
Students apply to one of the four University of California’s COSMOS campuses — UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz. While each campus employs the best practices in STEM education, the curriculum of each program builds on the unique teaching and research expertise of its faculty and host campus. Each campus can only accommodate about 160-200 participants, so the selection is competitive. A typical COSMOS student has a GPA of 3.5 or above. Students must have achieved academic excellence.
The Summer Science Program (SSP)
Two different programs: Astrophysics and Biochemistry
Deadline: March (for US citizens living in US)
Applications will open in mid-December
Eligibility: During the pandemic, programs were offered online in both Astrophysics and Biochemistry.
SSP is open to current high school juniors (and a few truly exceptional sophomores) who have completed the pre-requisites by summer, and will be at least 15 years old, but not yet 19, during the program. (Too young? We can remind you later.)
Admission: ~10%. In each program, 36 participants and 7 faculty will form a supportive “living and learning community” over the 5 1/2 weeks.
Website: read more
The Summer Science Program offers teens an exhilarating and inspiring immersion into hands-on experimental science. Working in teams of three, 36 participants and 7 faculty form a supportive “living and learning community” over 39 days. Each team completes a real research project, taking and analyzing original data. Afterward, they join a worldwide network of 2,500+ alumni of all ages. In 2022 we will operate six programs:
- three in Astrophysics: research in near-earth asteroid orbit determination at New Mexico Tech, Univ. of Colorado Boulder, and Univ. of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- two in Biochemistry: research in fungal crop pathogens at Purdue Univ. and Indiana Univ.
- one in Genomics: research in evolution of antibiotic resistance, also at Purdue
Program in Mathematics for Young Student (PROMYS)
Program in Mathematics for Young Student (PROMYS) (National Science Foundation’s Young Scholar program & Boston University)
Deadline: March
Eligibility: students must, by the first day of the program, have completed at least 9th grade (or its equivalent) and be at least 14 years old.
Website: https://promys.org/programs/promys/for-students/
Fee: $6,000+ for the six-week residential program. [The actual per-student cost to PROMYS of over $8,500 is subsidized for all students thanks to donors and sponsors.]
Stanford Summer Humanity Institute
Eligibility: 10 and 11 graders at time of application
Admission rate estimate: ~4% (heard on the street)
Deadline: March
Website: https://summerhumanities.spcs.stanford.edu/admissions-humanities
Description:
We seek intellectually curious students with a deep interest in the humanities. Develop your interest in writing, philosophy, literature, art, or history this summer in an elite, collegiate environment. Admission is selective.
Fee:
Tuition for Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is $8,250.
The tuition covers the following: housing in Stanford residence halls, meals each day, daily activities, and field trip costs.
Become a Humanities Scholar through Stanford’s Humanities Institute Admission Sight
Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)
Eligibility: 10 and 11 graders at time of application
Admission rate estimate: ~4% (heard on the street)
Deadline: February
Website: Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC) | Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies
Description:
SUMaC leads participants on a journey in advanced mathematics through lectures, guided research, and group problem solving. In an online environment centered on mathematics, participants explore current lines of mathematical research, the historical development of important areas of mathematics, and applications across scientific disciplines.
Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP)
Eligibility: 11 graders
Admission rate estimate: 30 students from CA, target low income families.
Deadline: March
Website: https://smysp.spcs.stanford.edu/
Description:
Stanford Medical Youth Science Program is a five-week online enrichment program focused on science and medicine for low-income students from select counties in Northern and Central California. The thirty admitted juniors will engage in online workshops, a group research project in a health disparity, and advising on health careers, medicine, and college planning.
Fee: Free.
SMYSP is a tuition-free program. We rely on donations to increase opportunity and access for aspiring first generation college students from underrepresented backgrounds.
The Wharton Global Youth Program
Different programs educate and inspire pre-collegiate students to explore business practices, analyze the world’s complex challenges, and take the first steps in becoming leaders who will transform the global economy.:
Eligibility: rising 9th, 10th and 11th grade
Criteria: Wharton Global Youth Programs
Admission rate estimate: competitive
Deadline: Varies. Check web for deadline
Description:
Wharton Global Youth’s On-Campus Programs are immersive, pre-collegiate experiences for students currently enrolled in grades 9–11. Led by Wharton faculty and instructional staff, these programs take place in-person on Wharton’s Philadelphia campus. Students get to explore topics driven by Wharton research and teaching, engage with our rigorous business education, and network with peers in an Ivy League environment.
On-Campus Programs
- Essentials of Entrepreneurship
- Essentials of Finance
- Leadership in the Business World
- Sports Business Academy
Fee: varies. Check website
2021 EXPLORE Business Summer Institutes (Virtually) @University of Houston
Two different business related summer camps:
EXPLORE Entrepreneurship Institute
EXPLORE Financial Empowerment Institute
Eligibility: rising 9th, 10th and 11th grade
Criteria: Requirements for High School Students | Bauer College of Business (uh.edu)
Admission rate estimate: ~30 students per class from around the nation (past experience).
Deadline: Usually March
Description:
Looking for ways to learn more about the business world? Then take advantage of our FREE all online summer enrichment programs for rising 9th, 10th and 11th grade. This unique experience offers students an exploration into Entrepreneurship and Financial Empowerment through education and panel of experts.
Fee: Free
Summer Programs for Young Students
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
Eligibility: 8-11 graders
Admission information: average class size: 15， with more than 30 courses
Deadline: March
Website: Home Page | Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes
Description:
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes provides a taste of the Stanford classroom experience and challenges students with advanced content not typically found in the high-school curriculum.
Fee: $2500+
CTY Intensive Studies for Grades 7 and Above
Eligibility: grade 7 and up. Meet talent search criteria
Deadline: Rolling basis after January 24th
Eligibility:
All courses in the Intensive Studies program require Advanced CTY level scores on designated standardized tests. These are scores that place them above the mean for college-bound high school seniors. In addition, students must (more details):
- Have completed seventh grade by the summer of the program year
- Be at least 12 years old by June 30 of the program year
- Not turn 17 years old before September 1 of the program year
Important Deadlines
To be considered in our initial course assignment process, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 24.
After January 24, applications received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time each Friday are considered for course assignments the next Friday. A late fee will be charged for applications received after April 10. After April 10, course assignments will take place on Wednesdays for all applications received the previous Wednesday through Friday, as well as on Fridays for all applications received between Saturday and Tuesday.
Fee: check with program for 2021 fee
CTY Young Students Programs, Grades 2-6
Eligibility: grade 2-6
Chick website for more details: Young Students Gifted and Talented Programs, Grades 2-6 | Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (jhu.edu)
CTY Eligibility | Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (jhu.edu)
Summer Writing Camp WITS by Rice University
Eligibility: k-12
Deadline: please check website
Chick website for more details: WITS Summer Writing Camps:
Creative Writing Camp is a collaboration between Writers in the Schools and Rice University’s School Literacy and Culture and has inspired young writers for over 30 years. Our online and in-person camps deep dive into writing topics that hone creativity and prepare students for future success. With low student-teacher ratios and mentorship from professional writers, Creative Writing Camp offers a writer’s workshop experience!
Summer Camps by University of Houston
Eligibility: grade 3 and above
- Virtual “Girls Coding Academy by CodeCougars” UH STEM Center and College of Education (Grades 6 thru 8)
- Virtual: ITECH-STEM Summer Technology Camp for grades 3-6 (UH at Sugar Land sponsored by UH STEM Center and College of Education)
- Cougar Junior Scholars Camp (The Honors College)
- Equinor STEM Camp
- UH Young Innovators’ STEM Academy
- Fiction and nonfiction/journalism for high school students (Creative Writing Program/Wonderworks)
- Filmmaking for high school students (Jack J. Valenti School of Communication/Wonderworks)
- G.R.A.D.E. (Girls Reaching and Demonstrating Excellence) (Cullen College of Engineering)
College Apps, Simplified. 