10 Free Summer Programs for High School Juniors
As a high school junior, gaining early exposure to research, internships, or specialized programs can provide a valuable edge in your academic journey. Participating in free, fully-funded summer programs allows you to explore your interests without financial barriers while adding prestige to your college applications.
Programs like these often provide mentorship, hands-on projects, and the chance to collaborate with peers, giving you a taste of college-level work and research. Here are 10 free summer programs designed for high school juniors, with essential details like their deadlines, duration, location, and more.
The Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation is a non-profit research program tailored for gifted students from low-income backgrounds. Stemming from the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, known for its extensive one-on-one research opportunities for high school students, the foundation provides the same access to independent research experiences at zero cost.
The Lumiere Breakthrough Scholar Program is the equivalent of the Individual Research Scholar Program at Lumiere Education. We pair talented high-school students with world-class PhD mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll develop an independent research paper. You can choose topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can apply here!
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: 4 annual cohorts run in fall, spring, summer, and winter
Program Dates: Vary based on cohort
Eligibility:
You must be currently enrolled in high school or plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall
Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
2. Veritas AI
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs tailored for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, you get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that you will have access to the in-house publication team to help you secure publications in high school research journals. The fellowship encourages you to explore interdisciplinary approaches, enabling you to merge AI with various fields such as finance, medicine, sports, environmental science, and more! You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here
Application deadline: Winter cohort deadline: December 1, 2024
Program dates: Varies according to the cohort
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
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 and 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 will also have the opportunity to attend group training sessions with other interns in their cohort. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Cost: Full financial aid is available
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
RSI is a prestigious six-week STEM research program held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. About 80 students are accepted to conduct research alongside a Boston-based mentor, culminating in a presentation. You will begin by reading background literature in your field before formulating a research question and starting your research. The program is highly selective, with a less than 5% acceptance rate. International students should verify their country-specific eligibility. For more information, check out our ultimate guide to getting into RSI here.
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: December 11, 2024
Dates: June – August 2025
Eligibility: High school juniors (U.S. and international)
TASS offers two programs—TASS-CBS (Critical Black Studies) and TASS-AOS (Anti-Oppressive Studies). The six-week program encourages critical thinking and leadership development, focusing on topics like history, literature, and politics from the perspective of people of African descent. The AOS version of the program considers how we can dismantle oppressive systems like white supremacy and patriarchy. The program aims to nurture future leaders and scholars. You can read our full guide to TASS here.
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, and University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: December 3, 2024
Dates: June 22 – July 26, 2025
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors, with a focus on students of color and/or students from disadvantaged backgrounds
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 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 and 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. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects. Apply here!
Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,950 (Financial aid available for group classes)
Application Deadlines: May 21, 2025 for the summer program (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Dates: June 24 – September 2, 2025 for the summer program (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: High school students with a GPA > 3.67
PSJP gives students from underrepresented backgrounds a chance to explore journalism. You will attend lectures and workshops taught by top journalists from outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN. You will also have the chance to interact with Princeton professors and alumni. The program includes writing and editing experiences and provides guidance on the college admissions process. Although this is a year-long commitment, the program offers a hybrid summer institute.
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (hybrid)
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications for summer 2025 open in December 2024
Dates: July 26 – August 5, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: High school juniors who attend school in the U.S., have a GPA of at least 3.5 and are from low-income backgrounds
SAMS is designed for students from underrepresented communities who are interested in pursuing college-level math and science. The five-week program offers rigorous coursework, hands-on research projects, and academic development courses taught by Carnegie Mellon faculty. You will have the chance to attend workshops led by industry leaders, alumni, and students on topics such as career paths, college admissions, and STEM research. You have to attend a virtual introductory session before attending the in-person component on campus. The program ends with a symposium, where you will present your STEM project.
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: March 1, 2025
Dates:
Virtual jumpstart: June 16 – 17, 2025
In-person program: June 21 – August 2, 2025
Eligibility: Students in 11th grade who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will be at least 16 years old by the program start date
SIMR offers students the opportunity to conduct medical research under the guidance of Stanford faculty. Interns select one of eight fields and work in a lab to contribute to ongoing research. You can conduct research in immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, bioengineering, stem cell and regenerative medicine, cardiovascular biology, bioinformatics, and genetics and genomics. The program begins with orientation and lectures before you transition to full-time lab work. A final presentation caps off the experience. You can see our full guide to SIMR here for more information.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: $500 stipend, $40 application fee (can be waived)
Application Deadline: February 22, 2025
Dates: June 9 – July 31, 2025 (8 weeks)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens or green card holders, currently live and attend school in the U.S., and will be at least 16 years old by the program start date
USC’s Bovard Scholar Program helps students with financial need transition to college. As a participant, you will receive mentorship from academic coaches who guide you through the college admissions process. Although this is a year-long program, it includes a three-week summer intensive. During the summer program, you will attend workshops on college essay writing, explore career paths, and gain a deeper understanding of college life. The program offers an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills and build a strong application. Check out our guide to the Bovard Scholars program here.
Location: Virtual and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: January 17, 2025
Dates:
July 15 – August 2, 2025: Three-week summer intensive
Fall 2025: Collaborate with your Bovard Scholars Admissions Coach as you finalize your college, financial aid, and scholarship applications
Spring 2026: Access support from Admissions Coaches as needed to assist with your college decision-making process
Eligibility: High school juniors who:
Have a 4.0 weighted GPA or above
Are enrolled in Algebra II, Trigonometry or above
Have taken AP/IB course (if offered)
Are enrolled in a high school in the U.S.
Have demonstrated financial need
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.