11 Free Summer Math Programs for High School Students
Are you a high schooler passionate about math? Consider applying to summer math programs!
Early exposure to advanced math through such programs not only fosters academic growth but also demonstrates initiative and passion to college admissions committees. Additionally, applying and getting into free summer math programs highlights prestige and your advanced skills in the field - free programs are usually incredibly competitive, and offered by highly prestigious organizations.
Participating in prestigious, fully-funded programs showcases academic excellence and your ability to excel in competitive environments, thus bolstering your college application and increasing your chances of admission to top-tier institutions.
Here are ten free summer math programs high school students can apply to!
1. Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation — Math Track
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility:
You must be currently enrolled in high school
Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note. students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
Program Dates: Summer cohort runs from June to August, Fall cohort from September to December, Winter cohort from December to February, Spring from March to June. Applications for the summer cohort are now open!
Cost: Full financial aid available!
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 applied math, computer science, AI, and more. You can find more details about the application here!
Location: Virtual
Application Date: May 21, 2024 for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024 for the fall cohort
Program Dates:
Summer seminar - June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024
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 couple of 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! It is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level 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 and on college applications. Apply here!
Application Deadline: Closed for 2024. To be announced for 2025.
Duration: 6 weeks during the summer!
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
Eligibility: High School Juniors only (U.S. and International)
Program Dates: Specific dates to be announced for 2025
Cost: Fully funded, stipend provided, $40 application fee with a need-based refund.
Note: We’ve detailed how to build a strong application to get into RSI here!
RSI, organized by CEE at MIT is a premier, fully-funded summer STEM program that blends on-campus theoretical coursework with off-campus research immersion. Among its offerings, around twelve students annually delve into mathematics research projects. Paired with an MIT faculty advisor and a graduate student mentor, each student crafts a tailored project aligned with their strengths and interests. With daily guidance and support, RSI fosters a dynamic environment for high school students to excel in mathematics research.
The RSI faculty advisors overseeing these mathematical endeavors are Prof. David Jerison and Prof. Ankur Moitra, while André Dixon serves as the program assistant. This collaborative approach ensures that RSI students immersed in mathematical research receive personalized attention and mentoring from experienced individuals in the field.
Application Deadline: The deadline for the 2024 program was March 1, 2024. TBA for 2025.
Duration: 6 weeks
Location: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Eligibility: Sophomores or juniors from high school and underrepresented communities.
Program Dates: As per the previous program’s dates, most likely from the end of June to August.
Cost: Fully funded
Note: Scholars selected for SAMS cannot engage in conflicting programs, whether virtual or in-person, ensuring dedicated focus and involvement in this enriching opportunity.
SAMS offers a unique opportunity for high school juniors from underrepresented backgrounds to excel in higher-level math and science while earning college credit. The six-week program, completely free of charge, is led by Carnegie Mellon University faculty. Participants engage in a rigorous curriculum comprising classroom instruction, hands-on research projects, and professional and academic development courses.
The program culminates in a day-long Symposium where students present their STEM research projects. Applicants should demonstrate a strong interest in math, extracurricular involvement, and dedication to diversity and inclusion in education. Students from low-income families, underrepresented communities, and those attending schools with limited access to top-tier institutions are strongly encouraged to apply. More about this program can be found in our blog here.
Application Deadline: The deadline for the 2024 program was February 15, 2024. TBA for 2025.
Duration: 7 weeks
Location: Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX)
Eligibility: At least 17 years of age by the program start date, and should graduate in 2023 or 2024 (U.S. and International)
Program Dates: As per the previous program’s dates, most likely from June to August.
Cost: No cost, the program provides a $750 stipend. On-campus meals, room and board, and weekend activities/programming are covered. Travel to and from the program location, personal expenses, and medical expenses are not covered.
The Anson L. Clark Scholar Program at Texas Tech University presents a highly prestigious and unique chance for high school juniors and seniors passionate about mathematics to partake in an intensive 7-week summer research experience. This opportunity is open to 12 highly qualified students. Scholars delve into their chosen subjects, including specific mathematics topics, working closely with seasoned faculty members to gain hands-on research experience. Upon completing their research project report, scholars receive a $750 stipend for their dedication and achievement. Learn more about this program in our blog here!
Application Deadline: The application deadline for the 2024 session was Match 1st, 2024. TBA for 2025.
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: Residential, MIT, MA.
Eligibility: US citizens or students attending high school in the US (before the last year of high school) who are between the ages of 14–18
Program Dates: As per the previous program’s schedule, from June to July.
Cost: Free
Mathroots, a 14-day summer program hosted by MIT-PRIMES, caters to high school students from underrepresented backgrounds or underserved communities with a passion for mathematics. Participants engage in an immersive experience exploring innovative topics in the field while refining their problem-solving abilities. Led by a team of seasoned instructors proficient in both research and competition math, the program offers a diverse range of activities such as classes, group sessions, and lectures. Throughout Mathroots, students uncover fresh mathematical concepts and deepen their comprehension of the subject matter.
7. PRIMES USA
Application Deadline: The deadline for receiving applications and letters of recommendation for the 2024 cycle was November 30, 2023! For the 2025 cycle, a new problem set will be posted and admissions will open on October 1, 2024.
Duration: Year-round!
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school juniors and sophomores (including home-schooled) residing in the United States are eligible if they live no closer than 50 miles from Boston (Students residing within driving distance from Boston should apply to the MIT section of PRIMES).
Program Dates: Year-Round, from January 1 to December 31 of the calendar year.
Cost: None
PRIMES-USA offers a year-long, tuition-free research program focused on mathematics for high school students nationwide. Participants receive mentorship from graduate students and faculty members from various universities, including MIT. The program is structured into four phases spanning the academic year.
In Phase 1, students delve into advanced readings. Phase 2 involves active research under mentor guidance. Phase 3 focuses on independent study. The final phase, Phase 4, entails project finalization with mentor support and presentation of findings at the Fall-Term PRIMES conference in mid-October. Alongside presentations, students are required to compose a final paper summarizing their research, which may be submitted to professional research journals and competitions for publication.
8. MITES Summer
Application Deadline: To be announced for 2025. Please keep checking here.
Duration: 6 weeks
Location: Residential, MIT
Eligibility: High school juniors from minority backgrounds and other underrepresented segments of the population. Must be a U.S. citizen.
Program Dates: late June through early August (based on the previous year’s schedule)
Cost: None. Students will have to arrange their own transportation to the MIT campus.
MITES is a competitive, six-week residential program aimed at fostering diversity in STEM fields. This program offers 80 talented high school juniors an academically enriching experience in STEM. Participants engage in five rigorous courses encompassing mathematics, science (with select modules ranging from Machine Learning to Architecture to Genomics), and humanities. Additionally, students have the opportunity to partake in lab tours, social events, and receive college admissions counseling throughout the program.
Application Deadline: May 31, 2024
Duration: 4 days
Location: On-campus at the University of Minnesota. However, limited slots can be made available for students who wish to participate remotely.
Eligibility: Should currently be enrolled in high school and have completed a year-long course in single variable calculus by the end of the 2023–2024 school year. High school seniors who will have graduated by July are also eligible!
Program Dates: June 24 – June 28, 2024
Cost: None. Students will have to arrange their own transportation to the campus.
The Math Modeling Camp offers high school students a free opportunity to utilize mathematical models in analyzing real-world scenarios, such as traffic impact on bridges or climate effects on natural resources. Participants undergo testing of problem-solving skills, collaborative abilities, and attention to detail over extended periods. This non-residential program prioritizes applicants from Minnesota, particularly those residing in the Twin Cities area. To apply, completion of single variable calculus is required, along with a recommendation letter from a math teacher!
Application Deadline: Rolling
Duration: Self-paced
Location: Online
Eligibility: Open to high school students
Program Dates: Self-paced
Cost: Free of cost.
Harvard University, in partnership with edX, provides a range of free, self-paced online mathematics courses that high school students can take up remotely during the summer. Among these offerings are “Calculus Applied!”, which applies single-variable calculus tools to create and analyze mathematical models used in social, life, and physical sciences. Additionally, “Data Science: Inference and Modeling” teaches inference and modeling, two fundamental statistical tools in data analysis. Lastly, “Data Science Probability” covers probability theory, crucial for data scientists, utilizing a case study on the financial crisis of 2007–2008.
Application Deadline: Unspecified!
Duration: 5 days
Location: On-campus, RIT, NY
Eligibility: Open to high school students
Program Dates: July 1— July 5, 2024
Cost: Free of cost.
The free RIT summer workshop for talented high school students offers an opportunity to sharpen their competitive edge under the guidance of a team of RIT math professors. Topics covered will include Probability, Functions, Math Biology, The Sisyphus function, the insane grocery shopper’s problem, and escaping the executioner! This workshop encourages students to push the boundaries of their mathematical imagination when conventional solutions and computation methods fall short.
Trisha Malhotra, an Ashoka University alumna, has 5 years of experience being a freelance writer and currently writes for Lumiere Education. She is passionate about music, reading, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well as a devoted cat parent.
Image Source: MIT PRIMES logo