Summer Programs for High School Students: Selective Research Programs Worth Applying To

Last updated: October 31, 2026

The right summer program lets a strong student work on real questions alongside real scientists, and many of the best are free. This guide covers the research programs worth your time, with details checked on each program's official site in October 2026. Plan early: the most competitive programs close their applications between December and February, so the time to prepare for summer is now.

Want a summer that truly stretches you? Spend it on a research question of your own, one-on-one with a PhD mentor. See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program →

Three kinds of summer programs

Before you compare programs, know which kind you're looking at:

Selective research programs. You apply with essays, grades and recommendations, and places are few. You work on a research project with a mentor and usually present it at the end. Many are free or offer substantial financial aid.
Pre-college courses. Universities run summer courses for high school students, often with college credit and campus life. They're a rewarding way to explore a subject and experience college life. The focus is on classes rather than research, and most are tuition-based.
Mentored research you do from home. Online programs pair you with a researcher for a project of your own. They're flexible and available wherever you live. The mentor shapes the experience, so look for real expertise in your field.

For a college application, the first and third kinds give you something concrete to show: a question you investigated and a result you can explain. We explain why in does research help college admissions?

How selective are the top programs?

Very competitive. The Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook reports 1,864 applications in 2026 and 60 fellows selected, about 3%, and applicants must be nominated by their schools. PROMYS admits about 80 students each summer, and the Clark Scholars Program takes twelve. Apply to several, and plan a second option you would be glad to do.

Imagine an expert from a top-20 university guiding your own project, one-on-one and on your schedule. Learn how the program works →

Selective summer research programs in STEM

Dates and rules change every year. Check each program's site before you apply.

Research Science Institute (RSI)

Who: high school juniors.
What: a week of intensive STEM classes with professors, then a five-week research internship on an individual project with an experienced scientist as mentor, ending with written and oral presentations.
Cost: free to students.
Deadline: applications for RSI 2027 are open through December 11, 2026.
Website:cee.org

Simons Summer Research Program (Stony Brook University)

Who: high school juniors, nominated by their schools.
What: six weeks inside a faculty research group in chemistry, computer science, neurobiology, marine science or another department: running experiments, analyzing data and taking on a question of your own, then presenting a research poster.
Dates: June 28 – August 6, 2027. The application link is posted on November 15.
Website:stonybrook.edu/simons

Summer Science Program (SSP)

Who: high school juniors (rising seniors).
What: a five-week residential research program on a college campus. Students work in teams of three on a research project in fields such as astrophysics, biochemistry or bacterial genomics.
Website:summerscience.org

MITES Summer (MIT)

Who: high school juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
What: six weeks on MIT's campus with high-level math and science courses, STEM electives, midterms, finals and final projects. Expect a full day of classes and several hours of homework.
When to apply: online during the fall of your junior year.
Website:mites.mit.edu

Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)

Who: juniors or seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Stanford states that selection heavily favors Bay Area students.
What: eight weeks of medical research at Stanford.
Dates: tentatively June 7 – July 29, 2027. Applications are due in late February 2027.
Website:simr.stanford.edu

Boston University RISE

Who: domestic students in their junior year.
What: six weeks at BU. The internship track means about 40 hours a week on a research project designed by a faculty member, postdoc or graduate student, in areas such as neuroscience, engineering, computer science or public health. Residential and commuter options.
Deadline: applications open December 17.
Website:bu.edu/summer

If you want to own the question, not just assist on someone else's, this is your kind of summer. See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program →

Anson L. Clark Scholars Program (Texas Tech)

Who: twelve highly qualified rising seniors and recent high school graduates.
What: an intensive seven-week summer research program.
Cost: no program participation fees; there is an application fee.
Website:depts.ttu.edu/clarkscholars

George Mason University ASSIP

Who: high school and university students who have not yet graduated; some mentors only accept students aged 16 or older.
What: a summer research internship working one-on-one with faculty researchers. Many interns' abstracts are published in the Mason Journal of Student Scientists Research.
Timeline: in the last cycle, mentors interviewed applicants in March, offers went out in April, and the internship ran from mid-June to mid-August.
Cost: an application fee and tuition for college credit, both of which can be waived for financial need.
Website:science.gmu.edu/assip

PROMYS (Boston University)

Who: strongly motivated students aged 14–18. About 80 students each summer, including 60 first-year participants.
What: six weeks of residential mathematics. Returning students do original research projects.
Cost: tuition-based with financial aid; free for lower-income domestic families.
Dates: June 27 – August 7, 2027. The application deadline is the end of February 2027.
Website:promys.org

COSMOS (University of California)

Who: California students completing grades 8–12. This includes rising ninth graders.
What: a four-week residential STEM program with faculty and researchers at UC Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego or Santa Cruz.
Cost: tuition-based, with financial assistance available.
Website:cosmos-ucop.ucdavis.edu

Outside STEM: Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)

Who: sophomores and juniors, U.S. and international, aged 15 to 17.
What: a college-level seminar with daily classes and essays, with feedback from the instructors. No grades.
Cost: free, including tuition, books, room and board.
Website:tellurideassociation.org

When to apply

Most selective programs follow the same calendar:

Fall (now): shortlist programs, ask for recommendations, and check whether your school must nominate you.
December–February: application deadlines for most programs.
March–April: interviews and decisions.
June–August: the programs run.

If you're a sophomore, use this year to build the record these programs look for.

How to build a strong application

Selective programs look for the same things college admissions officers do:

Evidence of independent work. A project you started yourself says more than a list of clubs. If you've never done one, start with our guide on how to choose a research topic or browse our research topics for high school students.
Specific interests. "I like biology" is a start. "I want to understand how gut bacteria affect mood, and here's what I've read" is memorable.
A strong recommendation from a teacher or mentor who has seen you work on something difficult.
Essays in your own voice. Readers remember a real voice and specific detail.

A finished research paper is one of the strongest things you can bring to these applications. See how to write a research paper in high school.

Apply now and start research that is truly yours, on your own schedule. Start your application to the STEM Research Program →

If you're not admitted this year

These programs are so competitive that a decision says little about your potential. You can still spend the summer on real research:

Find a mentor yourself. See how to find a research mentor in high school and how to email a professor for research.
Do a mentored research project online, from wherever you live.
Publish or present the result. See our list of journals for high school students to publish in.

FAQ

Are there free summer programs for high school students? Yes. RSI is free to students, TASS covers all program costs, and the Clark Scholars Program has no participation fees. Several others offer need-based aid. Free programs are usually the most selective.

Are there fully funded summer research programs? Yes: RSI, TASS and the Clark Scholars Program are examples. Check each site for what is covered, such as travel.

When should I apply for summer programs? In the fall and winter before the summer. Most selective deadlines fall between December and February.

Do summer programs help college admissions? Research programs can, because they show what you can do with real independence. Summer courses are a good way to explore a subject. What counts most is what you did and whether you can explain it.

Are there summer programs for middle school students? Fewer, but some, like COSMOS, accept students who are finishing eighth grade. See how to get into research in middle school.

About learnSTEM

All bright students reach a point where school stops challenging them. learnSTEM provides that challenge: the space to explore a field of their choice, guided by a world-class PhD mentor from a top-20 university, completely one-on-one and on your own schedule. Students finish with a passion for a new subject, a research project they are proud of, and a clear sense of what they want to pursue next.

See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program → · Questions about eligibility? Contact us →

"It has only strengthened my love for learning about the world and given me a paper that I am proud to say I've made." — learnSTEM student