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 can be expensive, but could help hone your interests and motivate you to pursue a particular degree or career. 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.