Summer programs are a great way to get a taste of college life on campus before college. There are various program lengths (from several days to several weeks) that provide a preview of life away from home.
Explore Programs
Summer programs are expensive, but can help hone students' interests and motivate them when they return to their studies. Look for scholarships offered by each program. It is also important to note that just because a program is hosted by a university, it does not mean that that university is the program host, so read the fine print!
Teen Life Summer Programs: Search tool for a wide variety of summer programs.
Northwest Gifted Child Association Enrichment & Summer Programs: Specifically for gifted students.
Harvard Summer School for High School Students: 2-week noncredit or 7-week college credit courses.
String Summer Music Programs: Listed by state
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth: On-Campus programs at various colleges.
Middlebury Summer Language Schools: Summer language immersion programs in Vermont.
New York Times Summer Academy: Journalism summer camp for 15-18 year olds.
Notre Dame Leadership Seminar: Competitive, 10-day program on Notre Dame's campus for academically talented students who show impressive leadership within their communities.
Stanford Pre-College Programs: Provides pre-collegiate students the chance to explore their passions and dive deep into a single topic beyond what is typically taught in a school curriculum.
University of Washington:
Summer Sessions: Find out what college classes are really like, and earn UW credit.
UW Youth Programs: More than 100 courses to keep you learning and having fun this summer.
UW Lead Forward: Empowering rising high school seniors across Washington state to explore what it means to be a woman in the business world.