Participating in summer programs can help you take advantage of the three months spent outside of school. Check out Questbridge's page on how to use your summers here and their summer goals reflection worksheet here. Listed on this page are several highly-recommended summer programs for high school students, some inclined towards Latino / minority students. Keep in mind that since most of these programs are free, they are selective in the application process. Here is Wells Fargo's article about how to network at summer jobs (or programs like these!) and why it's important. Located at the bottom of the page are several more programs that are not strictly in the summer - some are in the spring, some are online, etc.
If you would like to suggest other programs/resources to be added here, please fill out the contact form located on the bottom of this page.
Summer Programs
Youth Leadership Institute Hispanic Scholarship Fund Four-day residential college empowerment conference. Dates/Location:
changes from year to year
in 2019 there was one in June (UChicago) and one in July (USC)
Eligibility:
current high school junior
at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA
identify as Hispanic
plans to enroll in a college/university post-graduation
Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) MIT Six-week residential academic enrichment program. Students take a math course, a life sciences course, a physics course, a humanities course, and an elective course. Dates/Location:
changes from year to year
typically starts in late June and ends in early August
Summer Advocacy Program ACLU One-week intensive program where students learn about issue advocacy, legal strategy, and political decision-making from lawyers, lobbyists, and community activists working to defend civil rights & liberties. Dates/Location:
approximately one week in July (2019 dates were 7/20 - 7/26)
Washington, DC
Eligibility:
students aged 15-18 who are returning to high school in the fall
√mathroots MIT, MIT-PRIMES Two-week residential program exploring mathematical ideas & problem-solving for students from underrepresented backgrounds or underserved communities. Dates/Location:
fourteen days in the summer (2019 dates were 6/23 - 7/7)
MIT campus
Eligibility:
students aged 14-18 who are returning to high school in the fall
calculus knowledge is NOT required, but precalculus is strongly recommended
women, underrepresented minorities, and students from economically disadvantages backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply
Price: free. Travel costs to & from MIT are not covered, but there are travel scholarships available based on need. http://mathroots.mit.edu/
GenCyber Summer Program Dartmouth Two programs - introductory & residential - that educate students on cybersecurity. Dates/Location:
2019 dates were:
Introductory: 7/8 - 7/12
Advanced: 7/29 - 8/2
Dartmouth campus
Eligibility:
US citizen
computer science experience not necessary for introductory course
rising 9th grader to rising college freshman, depending on which program you choose
You might notice that MIT has several summer programs on our list - we appreciate that a top university has committed to making these opportunities affordable and accessible to all. Unfortunately, other prestigious institutions's programs tend to have much higher prices. While we chose not to feature these on our list, we recommend that you do your own research to see if you'd like to apply to them. Here are the links for Stanford, Georgetown, Columbia, and Brown. Other programs worth looking into are: Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute (ESSYI), the Ross Program, Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists (PROMYS), and MathILy.
Programs Not in the Summer
High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) Program NASA Year-round educational experience. During their junior year, students take an online course with interactive lessons, design challenges, and virtual chats with NASA professionals. In the summer, top students may be invited to a week-long residential experience at NASA facilities, where they go on tours, and do team projects, design challenges, and other activities. By the school's discretion, students may receive one half science credit for completion of the online course and one half science credit for completion of the onsite experience. Dates/Location:
year-round
summer experience is at the Johnson Center
Eligibility:
US citizen
Texas high school junior
has Internet access
seek a nomination from a state legislator (This is not separate from the normal application process. After applying, your information will be send to your legislators and they will choose whether or not to nominate you.)
United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) US Senate & The Hearst Foundations One-week intensive program where students spend their "Washington Week" at DC, attending meetings and briefings with high-level officials in the government, including senators, Supreme Court justices, cabinet members, and even the president. They also will receive a $10,000 scholarship for their college education upon completion of the program. Dates/Location:
one week in March
Washington, DC
Eligibility:
current high school junior or senior
hold a leadership position in a student government, civic or educational organization; including but not limited to:
student body president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer
Student Council representative
National Honor Society/National English Honor Society officer
the selection process may also include a Public Affairs exam