Nine Prestigious High School Summer Programs

    This time of year brings the end of the academic year for most schools across the country. And the end of school brings another start to the summer season. Most students have already secured their summer plans or are looking to make them, whether it be attending summer camps, going to academic enrichment programs or finding a summer job. Particularly when it comes to high school students seeking to attend a selective college or university, choosing summer plans that remain aligned with the student’s collegiate goals is important. And the truth is, there are some summer opportunities that are looked upon more favorably by selective college admissions committees than others.
 
   The purpose of this blogpost is to highlight nine of the most prestigious summer programs in the country. The following programs are highly competitive, some of them even requiring an application process similar to applying to college. They are academically rigorous and signal to selective college admissions committees the high intellectual caliber of their participants. Read below to learn more about each of them and see if any of the following programs might be a summer opportunity worth pursuing.

   1. ANNENBERG YOUTH ACADEMY FOR MEDIA AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
   Only 26 students are selected every year to attend the Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement. Talented high school students from the communities surrounding the USC University Park and Health Science Campuses are selected every year to participate. Students engage in college-level coursework while developing a better understanding of the role media communications and journalism play in shaping civic-minded thought leaders and innovators.
 
   Participants also develop skills in writing, critical thought, public speech and debate, multimedia production, interviewing and ethnography. They also get the opportunity to meet innovative scholars and practitioners who are shaping the future of communication, journalism and public relations. The cost of the program is free.

   2. ANSON L. CLARK SCHOLARS PROGRAM
   The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is an extremely competitive program that attracts students to Texas Tech University every summer. Each year, only twelve students are selected from a pool of applicants nationwide to spend seven weeks conducting research on a variety of subjects such as biology, chemistry, computer science, and history.
 
   According to its website, the Clark Scholars program “is designed to attract gifted students from around the nation and globe…and [allow] students the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with outstanding faculty on the general academic campus…in a research-intensive setting.” The program also includes weekly seminars, discussions, and field trips. Program participants must be at least 17 years of age by the start of the program each summer. The cost to attend the Clark Scholars program is free.

   3. BERKELEY BUSINESS ACADEMY FOR YOUTH
   The Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) selects 50 students from around the globe each year to live on the campus of UC-Berkeley for two weeks to learn about the power of entrepreneurship. Participants of B-BAY immerse themselves in the cultural life of Berkeley and learn directly from
Berkeley Haas professors and their real-world experience. During the program, students are put into teams to create a comprehensive business plan. The teams’ business plans are presented at the end of the session.
 
   Students participating in B-BAY will also learn the following: how to build confidence through teamwork; enhance their communication skills; explore a wide variety of business subjects; learn how to write a business plan; and develop a network of like-minded students from across the globe. The cost for California residents is approximately $6,300 while the cost for out-of-state students is approximately $7,300.

   4. ECONOMICS FOR LEADERS
   Economics for Leaders (EFL) is a selective summer program that teaches student leaders to integrate economics into decision-making. The week-long program occurring at colleges and universities across the country, and gives future leaders hands-on experience using economics in the decision-making process. EFL’s goal is to equip promising students with leadership skills and the ability to apply economic analysis to public policy decisions.
 
   Approximately 25 – 40 students are accepted at each site, and there are approximately 15 sites across the country, some holding multiple sessions during the summer. There are also virtual programs available as well. High school sophomores and juniors are eligible to participate. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until each site is filled with qualified participants. The cost to attend varies between sites and ranges anywhere from $900 - $1,500.

   5. JACKSON LABORATORY SUMMER PROGRAM
   The Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program (SSP) is designed for students who want to immerse themselves in genetics and genomics research. Approximately 40 undergraduate and high school students from all across the country are selected to participate in SSP on either one of two campuses: the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine; the other in Farmington, CT at the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine.
 
   Students participate in an ongoing research program with the support of an experienced scientific mentor. They develop an independent project, implement their plan, analyze the data, and report the results. At the end of the summer, they present their findings to researchers, other students, and parents. The cost of the program is free and students are awarded a stipend of $6,500 for participating.

   6. MINORITY INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE (MITES)
   MITES is a six-week residential program that immerses students from across the country in life at MIT. During the course of the summer, students will take five rigorous courses—in math, science, and the humanities They also participate in lab tours and gain firsthand insight into the value and reward of pursuing a STEM degree.
 
   Students who participate in MITES have gone on to attend some of the most prestigious colleges in the country, including MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, and Stanford among others. High school juniors from from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. The cost of attending MITES is free.

   7. RESEARCH SCIENCE INSTITUTE (RSI)
   Each summer, 100 of the world's most accomplished high school students gather at the MIT for the Research Science Institute (RSI). RSI is a five-week program in which students experience the entire research cycle from start to finish, review the most current literature in their field of chosen research, and deliver oral and written reports on their findings.
 
   Attending RSI is highly competitive. Prospective students must submit a response to an essay prompt, standardized test scores, high school transcripts and teacher recommendations as a part of the application process. The cost of attending RSI is free and is only for eligible high school juniors.

   8. STANFORD INSTITUTES OF MEDICINE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM (SIMR)
  There are eight areas of research available for students to participate in attending the Stanford Institutes of Medical Summer Research Program (SIMR): immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, bioengineering, stem cell and regenerative medicine, cardiovascular biology, bioinformatics, and genetics and genomics. SIMR is an eight-week program in which its participants perform basic research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and researchers on a medically-oriented project.
 
   Rising high school juniors and seniors are eligible to participate, however, priority is given to Bay Area students as well as students from groups underrepresented in biomedical research. The cost of attending SIMR is free and approximately 60 students from across the globe are selected to participate each year.

   9. TELLURIDE ASSOCIATION SUMMER SEMINAR (TASS)
   The Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS) is a prestigious summer program that allows high school sophomores and juniors with diverse backgrounds from around the world to study how power and privilege shape social structures through courses in humanities and social sciences. TASS prepares and inspires promising young students to lead and serve through transformative educational experiences rooted in critical thinking and democratic community.
 
   Participants must be at least age 15 and no older than age 18 at the start of the program and either rising juniors or rising seniors in high school. The cost of the program is covered by the Telluride Association and runs for approximately four weeks during the summer. TASS admits approximately 50 – 70 students to participate in one of two seminars: Critical Black Studies (TASS-CBS) and Anti-Oppressive Studies (TASS-AOS).