Summer Programs

MIT / Center for Excellence in Education

The gold standard of summer STEM research programs. Students conduct original research under MIT faculty mentors and present at a symposium.

MIT

Rigorous STEM coursework for rising seniors from underrepresented backgrounds. Strong pipeline to MIT admissions.

Stanford University

Students work in Stanford medical research labs alongside faculty. Top pre-med credential.

Stony Brook University

NSF-funded research in polymer science and nanoscience. Many alumni publish papers.

Telluride Association (Cornell / Michigan)

Intellectual seminar in humanities/social sciences. One of the most prestigious summer programs in the country.

UC system

California's premier residential STEM program across four UC campuses.

Texas Tech University

Fully funded research mentorship. 12 scholars selected nationally. $750 stipend included.

New Mexico Tech / CU Boulder / Purdue

Students determine the orbit of an asteroid or investigate biochemistry. Team-based original research.

MIT

Year-long online STEM community for rising seniors. Strong MIT admissions pipeline.

Girls Who Code

Intro to CS for girls and non-binary students. Builds portfolio projects and community.

MIT (independent nonprofit)

Students launch real companies during the program. Not a simulation — real products, real customers.

Bank of America

Paid internship at a local nonprofit + a leadership summit in DC. Strong civic engagement signal.

Stony Brook University

Faculty-mentored research in science, math, or engineering. Many students publish or present.

Yale University

Yale-run interdisciplinary program. Good but not top-tier in admissions signaling — the experience is the value.

Center for Applied Rationality

Intensive program in applied mathematics, probabilistic thinking, and effective reasoning.

University of Pennsylvania

Intro to business at the world's most famous business school. Finance, leadership, and analytics.

State governments (VA, NC, NJ, PA, TN, etc.)

State-sponsored residential programs for top students. Free, competitive, and regionally prestigious.

Boston University

Intensive number theory and proof-based math for students who love mathematical exploration.

Hampshire College

Proof-based mathematics with emphasis on collaboration. Alumni have won Fields Medals.

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Premier arts camp for music, visual arts, theatre, dance, creative writing, and film.

Ohio State University / Otterbein University

Intensive number theory program emphasizing exploration and proof-writing. One of the three elite math summer programs alongside PROMYS and Mathcamp. Many alumni become research mathematicians.

Mathcamp

Summer program for mathematically talented students ages 13-18. Flexible curriculum lets students choose from advanced topics. Strong community of alumni at top math/CS programs.

Stanford University

Pure mathematics program exploring abstract algebra and number theory. Hosted at Stanford with access to Stanford math faculty. Strong signal for math-focused T20 applications.

Carnegie Mellon University

Free STEM enrichment for rising seniors from underrepresented backgrounds. Coursework in math, CS, and science with CMU faculty. Strong pipeline to CMU admissions.

UC Santa Cruz

Students work on original research projects in UCSC labs alongside graduate students and faculty. Many participants publish or present at conferences.

National Institutes of Health

Paid research internship at the world's premier biomedical research institution. Students work in NIH labs alongside world-class researchers. Exceptional credential for pre-med and biology applicants.