Summer Programs for High School Students: Choosing the Right One for You
After a hectic year of school, students might find that they have excessive time on their hands during the summer. However, summer is a great time to discover new interests and develop one's abilities. Thus, those who want to hone specific talents and skills might consider joining a summer program for high school students.
This blog post will discuss the various summer program options, how to find one that fits the best for you, and how to implement what you have learned even after the camp ends.
What is a Summer Program for High School Students?
A summer program for high school students is where students can enhance existing or new skills through camps that can last a few days to a few weeks.
These summer programs are available for various topics, ranging from science and technology to journalism and drawing. Regardless of the program, it's essential to deeply research which camp to pursue.
Benefits of a Summer Program
Participating in a summer program for high school students has various benefits. While students may want to use their summer to relax, most summer programs are short and can provide students with a variety of new skills while also giving them time needed for other activities.
For one, students can develop new abilities they have yet to discover and further explore previous interests. In addition, they can get hands-on experience provided outside of classrooms, especially if these students live in regions with fewer resources and opportunities.
Lastly, there are various social benefits. Students can experience independence and college life while making new connections through networking. One huge positive is that participation in summer programs for high school students can help students build a solid college resume.
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Summer Program for High School Students
Where the Program is Located
Location is a huge factor when considering which summer prorgrams to participate in. Where you are comfortable going plays a role when deciding whether to keep the program on your list. Here are some questions to consider:
Would you like to be somewhere new? Would you like to go somewhere you've previously visited?
Would you like to be close to home so the expenses are lower?
Would you like the program to be in a college so you can experience college life? Are there certain colleges you're interested in?
Some common locations of summer programs for high school students include colleges, museums, recreation centers, art centers, and more.
How Much the Program Costs
Your budget for summer programs for high school students will make or break your decision to apply to the program. Keep in mind that the best programs aren't necessarily the ones that are the most expensive.
In fact, competitive colleges like to see students participate in merit-based programs. If there is little to no cost attached to the program, then the program will be more selective. Thus, if accepted, it will appear far more impressive than someone who participated in a paid summer program.
Matching Your Interests to a Program
Once you've narrowed down your list to programs that you're both able to afford and willing to go to, consider choosing a program that maches your interests. Specifically, what story does your extracurriculars and school activities tell?
If you've consistently shown an interest in the STEM field - perhaps you've participated in your school's Robotics team and have learned various programming languages - you might want to choose a more STEM-oriented program.
However, if there is a summer program that you're interested in but it doesn't fit your story, that's completely okay. Making the summer program match your story is just an excellent way to stand out to selective colleges.
Lastly, consider how selective the program is. The more competitive, the better it appears on college applications. However, it's crucial to understand that selective programs are exactly that - selective. The chances of getting in are exceedingly low. Thus, consider applying for other less competitive summer programs to have other options in case one summer program for high school students doesn't work out.
STEM Summer Programs
There are various STEM summer programs for highschools students to choose from. Here are just a few distinct science, technology, math, and engineering programs.
TechGirls
This free US-based summer program is dedicated to empowering teen girls ages 15 to 17 in a STEM field through a 24-day hands-on program. The 2024 program is open to 111 women from 37 territories, and the necessary qualifications can be found on the website along with the application information.
Inspirit AI Scholars Program
The Inspirit AI Scholars is a $1100 program dedicated to students grades nine through 12 and taught by highly prestigious university instructors. This 25-hour program, or 10-day session, will teach students skills in using AI to build impactful projects in economics and finance, healthcare, the environment, and more.
Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) at Carnegie Mellon University
This free 6-week program allows high school students to learn STEM through a hands-on approach from renowned teachers and staff. The program is open for 16-year-old US citizens who are juniors at the time of application. More application information can be found on the website.
Social Sciences Summer Programs
There are also multiple social sciences summer programs for high school students. Here are a few from the business, law, and politics fields.
Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS)
This two-week program at Yale University is dedicated to discussing international issues and sharing innovative topics. It's open to 2,000 students from more than 150 countries. The application information, costs, and the due date can all be found on the website linked above.
Georgetown Business Programs
Georgetown offers a variety of summer programs, lasting from one to four weeks, on topics such as entrepreneurship, investing, marketing, and international relations. These programs are open for students ages 13 and up and cost up to $1,795. More information can be found on their website.
Humanities and Arts Summer Programs
Lastly, there are multiple humanities and arts summer programs for high school students. Here are a few from the areas of writing and art. There are more, but here are some to get you thinking!
Princeton Summer Journalism Program
The Princeton Summer Journalism Program, or PSJP, is a year-long pre-college program for high school juniors. It offers a multi-week immersive summer program for high school students on campus where students will participate in workshops and attend lectures from renowned journalists. Students can also produce their own content, which will be featured in The Princeton Summer Journal. More about the application can be found on the website.
Berklee ASPIRE Music Performance Intensive
This five-week summer program for high school students takes place in Boston, MA, and is open to students from around 70 countries. Musicians age 15 and up can attend and even gain college credit while learning from Grammy or Oscar winners. While this program has a cost, Berklee offers scholarships to help with these fees.
Conclusion
Ultimately, summer programs for highschool students are a great way to build skills, network, and develop a college resume. This blog has summarized the necessary information to consider when choosing a summer program and some example programs in various fields. We encourage you to follow this path and apply for a few summer programs for high school students!
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
