10 Delaware Summer Programs for High School Students
Delaware offers many opportunities for high school students looking to make the most of their summer. From academic enrichment to hands-on experiences in various fields, the state has a range of programs that can help students develop new skills, explore potential careers, and prepare for college. The skills and knowledge you gain through summer programs can be an asset when applying to college, demonstrating your intellectual curiosity to admissions officers.
In this blog, we highlight 10 summer programs in Delaware that can help high school students get ahead, learn something new, and have an enriching summer.
Cost: Individual Research Program ($2,990), Premium Research & Publication Program ($5,900), the Research Fellowship ($8,900), Professor Premium Publication Program ($8,900)
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. November 24, 2024 for the upcoming Winter Cohort
Program Dates: Individual Research (12 weeks) | Premium Research (16-20 weeks) | Research Fellowship (6-12 months) | Professor Premium (16-20 weeks)
Eligibility: Open to students anywhere in the world
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler.
The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Cost: AI Scholars: $2,290 (financial aid is available); AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase: $5,400; Combination (AI Scholars + AI Fellowship): $6,900
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. October 20, 2024 for the upcoming Fall cohort. You can apply here!
Program Dates: The Winter cohort starts in December
Eligibility: High school students passionate about AI; Basic understanding of Python or completion of AI scholars is required for the AI Fellowship program
Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students, and the programs are geared toward high school students who want to build their foundations in computer science. In the program, students learn various concepts in data science and artificial intelligence like neural networks, image classification, natural language processing, sentiment analysis, coding using Python, and more.
Veritas AI offers up to 100% financial aid for the 10-week AI Scholars program. Through the program, students build real-world, hands-on projects in groups of 3-5 to showcase their interests and skills. You can also apply for the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase Program where you work 1-1 with mentors from top universities to build unique machine learning projects over a period of 12-15 weeks. These programs are a great option for you if you like engaging in hands-on learning and are a beginner!
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost: $2,490 (Financial Aid Available)
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. November 24, 2024 for the upcoming Winter cohort
Internship Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. December 16, 2024 onwards for the Winter cohort
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries from tech/deep tech, AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form.
Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. Past founders have included YCombinator alums, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
Interns are offered one-on-one training in communication, time management, and other such valuable skills and also have the opportunity to attend group training sessions with other interns in their cohort. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
4. Horizon
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort:
September 25, 2024 for the Fall cohort
February 9, 2025 for the Spring cohort
Program Dates: Multiple, year-round sessions:
Fall seminar: October 23, 2024 – February 19, 2025
Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a few tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! Horizon is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research.
Once you select a particular subject track as well as the type of research you wish to carry out, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar from a reputed university who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student, as well as detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects. Apply here!
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost: The total cost to attend the 3-week program is $2,900. There is need-based financial aid.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort. October 20, 2024 for the upcoming Winter cohort. You can access the application link here!
Program Dates: Multiple sessions throughout the year. December 21, 2024 – January 5, 2025 for the upcoming Winter group program
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.
Apart from building the start-up itself, you will participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more.
The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore the multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
Location: University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Cost: $4,900 (does not include books, lunch, and spending money)
Application Deadline: TBA for 2025. Last year’s deadlines were:
Domestic students: May 1, 2024
International students: February 15, 2024
Program Dates: July 7 – 27, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors with a cumulative GPA above 3.0
The Edge Summer College Program offers rising high school juniors and seniors from around the world the chance to experience college life while still in high school. You can take 1–2 college-level courses of your choice, taught by UD faculty members, and earn up to six transferable credits. In addition to academics, the program includes a college readiness workshop led by college admissions professionals, providing valuable insights into the college application process and the college essay.
Beyond the classroom, students live in the residential dorms, eat in the dining halls, and have access to campus facilities like basketball courts. The program also includes various cultural experiences, allowing students to build friendships and appreciate the value of living in a diverse community.
Location: Varies according to program:
Technology in the Environment: University of Delaware’s Newark campus, Newark, DE
Marine Science: University of Delaware’s Lewes campus, Lewes, DE
Cost: Not specified
Application Deadline: Not specified
Program Dates: TBA for 2025. Two sessions were offered in 2024:
ECO Camp: Technology in the Environment: July 22 – 26, 2024
ECO Camp: Marine Science: August 12 – 16, 2024
Eligibility: Students entering grades 7 through 12
The Environment, Climate, and Ocean (ECO) Camp is an educational program focusing on the complex atmospheric, oceanic, and biogeochemical processes in the Delaware Bay. This camp offers a blend of academic activities, including classroom instruction, discussions, and lectures, along with field excursions to modern oceanographic and atmospheric laboratories.
ECO Camp: Technology in the Environment focuses on the technology used to study and protect our environment. Campers will build their own underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), participate in team competitions, learn about beach erosion, and test their drone piloting skills.
ECO Camp: Marine Science offers an in-depth look into the coastal marine environment. Activities include kayaking, catching marine life with a seine net, exploring salt marshes, and trawling for dogfish.
Location: University of Delaware, Newark campus, Newark, DE
Cost: No information available
Application Deadline: TBA for 2025
Program Dates: July 14 – 19, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Delaware residents in their sophomore year at a Delaware high school who are nominated by their principals
The Delaware Governor’s School for Excellence is a prestigious one-week summer residential program designed for Delaware’s most academically and artistically talented high school students. Hosted on the University of Delaware’s Newark campus, the program offers two distinct tracks: an academic program and a visual and performing arts program.
Students participating in the academic program will engage in a variety of intellectually stimulating activities, including discussions, lectures, debates, and film viewings centered around a specific theme. Those in the visual and performing arts program will receive intensive, hands-on instruction from an artist, culminating in a public performance or display of their work. The program is highly competitive, with students nominated by their schools based on their exceptional talents.
Location: University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications for 2025 will open in December 2024. The 2024 deadlines were:
April 15, 2024 for submitting applications
May 1, 2024 for submitting enrollment forms
Program Dates: TBA for 2025. Two sessions were offered in 2024:
For rising 11th and 12th graders: June 17 – 28, 2024
For rising 9th and 10th graders: June 23 – 28, 2024
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 who are first-generation college students or low-income. See full criteria here
The College Readiness Scholars Institute (CRSI) is a summer program designed for first-generation and underserved high school students in Delaware. Held at the University of Delaware, this program empowers students to not only prepare for college but also embark on a journey of personal and academic growth.
The program has a summer session and supports students throughout the academic year, with sessions focused on academic, personal, and professional development. During the summer session, you participate in academic seminars led by UD faculty, career preparation workshops, and cultural experiences that foster a sense of community. Additionally, you have access to UD’s Career Center and are mentored by UD staff and undergraduates.
Location: University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Cost: $1,995 (housing not included)
Application Deadline: June 17, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Program Dates: June 24 – 28, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have at least one high school credit for a biology/general science course
The University of Delaware’s Forensic Science Pre-College Summer Program offers high school students an immersive experience in forensic analysis, biomedical sciences, and crime scene investigation. This hands-on program provides you with lab experience, site visits to crime units, and guidance from UD forensic experts. The program covers key forensic science topics like fingerprinting, DNA profiling, and firearms analysis.
You will solve a mystery through forensic techniques, produce court-ready reports, and gain valuable skills applicable to careers in biotechnology, criminal justice, and forensic science. By the end of the program, you will receive a personalized reference letter for college applications and 3.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.