Research Opportunities & Summer Programs
Boston University High School Honors Program
College courses or research with a faculty supervisor. 6-week program, students must be entering 12th grade.
Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Mathematics and Science
Free. For students from under-represented or disadvantaged backgrounds. Special courses and hands-on projects. 6-week program, students must be at least 15 years old.
Clark Scholars Program
7-week paid research program at Texas Tech. Lots of alumni have gone on to win Siemens and Intel STS awards. Current 11th- and 12th-graders only.
Clemson & PARI Space Camps
2 week residential camp at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) in Pisgah National Forest, NC, ages 14-17 Do astronomical research in conjunction with Clemson University and PARI (if your student has younger siblings 11-14 they also have a middle school camp)
COSMOS – California State Summer School for Math and Science
Special courses at UC Davis, Irvine, Santa Cruz, or San Diego. 4-week program, all grades may apply.
Earthwatch IGNITE
Free. Research expeditions where students conduct field work in environmental science.
Girls on Ice
Free. Girls only. Two weeks doing glaciology research on an alpine glacier. Admission preference given to people with few prior opportunities for field work or educational enrichment.
Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI)
Free. For graduating seniors heading to college.
Harvard Secondary School Program (SSP)
College courses at Harvard. 4- or 8-week program, students must be entering 11th or 12th grades or college.
JPL Summer High School Internship
When there is a budget for HS, students conduct paid research internships at JPL. They announce in December/January whether the following summer will include high schoolers.
MIT's MITES Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science Program
Free. 6-week program. Students must be minorities, preference given to lower income applicants.
MIT Women’s Technology Program (WTP)
Girls only. Special courses in electrical, computer, or mechanical engineering. 4-week program.
National Youth Science Camp
Free. Recent 12th grade graduates only. Special courses and seminars. 2 students are nominated from each state, so it’s rough to be from California.
Perimeter Institute ISSYP
Free except for transportation costs to Ontario, Canada. Very prestigious two-week theoretical physics program. Students must be at least 17 years old by the program’s beginning.
Research Science Institute (RSI)
Free. Research program sponsored by Caltech and MIT. 6-week program. Extremely prestigious, very selective.
Smith College Summer Science & Engineering Program
Special classes at Smith College. 4-week program, girls only entering the 9th-12th grades.
SSP – Summer Science Program
Special science courses at one of two camps, affiliated with both Caltech and MIT. 6-week program, students must be entering 11th or 12th (12th preferred) grades. Well-established (since 1959) and prestigious program, alumni include several Nobel laureates.
Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
You get a small stipend but you must pay room and board. 8-week program in which students conduct biomedical research under an individual faculty supervisor. Students must be entering the 12th grade or have just graduated high school.
UC Berkeley Summer Focus
One college course and two special courses. 6-week program, students must be entering 11th or 12th grades.
UCLA Summer Sessions
Regular university courses, either residential or commuter program.
UCLA Engineering Summer Research
UCLA High School Summer Research Program (HSSEAS)
Paid stipend. Conduct original engineering research in an 8-week program under faculty members at UCLA.
UCSB Summer Pre-College Programs
Several options, including: Early Start Program (take college courses); Research Mentorship Program (work in a research laboratory); and Science & Engineering Research Academy (capstone seminar with directed research project).
University of Pennsylvania Summer High School Programs
College courses or special programs at U. Penn – there are several options (not all in science).
University of Pennsylvania - Engineering Summer Academy @ Penn (ESAP)
Lecture and lab experience in biotechnology, complex networks, computer graphics, computer science, nanotechnology, or robotics. 3-week program.
USC Summer Courses
Assorted summer college courses at USC. 2 or 4 weeks. Pricey but high quality and local.
USC/Chevron Frontiers of Energy Resources
Free. Course focusing on energy sources and engineering applications. Students must be entering the 12th grade.
USC Young Researchers Program
Free. For students who live near USC and are from under-represented or disadvantaged backgrounds. Students conduct independent research under the supervision of USC professors. 6-week program.