10+ Programs in Maryland for High School Students
If you're a high school student in Maryland and interested in experiencing college life while learning something new, pre-college programs are a great option for you. These programs offer a wide range of options across the state, catering to different interests and goals. Whether you're looking to explore potential career paths, dive into a specific academic subject, or gain experience in a particular field, there is a program for you.
In this article, we will introduce 10+ programs for high school students in Maryland, featuring diverse subjects and opportunities to help you make an informed decision.
The University of Maryland Young Scholars Program offers high school students a chance to delve into various fields such as forensic sciences, international political relations, modern medicine, criminology, and more. The program caters to different learning preferences by providing both online and on-campus courses, allowing students to select the environment that suits them best.
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2023 sessions are already closed. Based on this year’s deadlines, the applications close on May 1
Eligibility: Applicant should be a high school sophomore, junior, senior, or graduating senior, with an academic average of 3.0 or above, without any weightage.
Program Dates: July 10-28, 2023
Location: On-campus and online courses are both offered.
Fees: $1,212
If you’re looking for a summer pre-college program that allows you to experience medical school, you may want to consider this offering. As part of the 3-week medical academy, you will be required to pick any one of the following tracks
Anatomy & Physiology,
Neuroscience, or
Emergency Medicine
As a participant of the medical academy, you will be required to delve into your chosen area of study, and gain a deeper understanding of the topic. You will be expected to participate in classroom learning, hands-on projects, case studies, as well as lab work.
You can read more about each track and its offerings and expectations here. This can prove to be a valuable opportunity for you to gain hands-on experience, experience college life, and network with experts, faculty, and your peers.
Application Deadline: May 15, 2023
Eligibility: In order to apply, you must
Be a current or rising high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior during the academic year prior to your summer program
Have good academic standing, with at least a 2.0 GPA
Program Dates: 3 weeks in June or July
Location: On-campus, Georgetown University Campus
Fees: $6,950
MICA's Pre-College Art and Design Residency Program is an immersive experience aimed at transitioning participants from high school art students to artists. The program offers a range of courses such as Ceramics, Drawing the Figure, Fiber: Dye, Felt, Weave, Graphic Design, Hand Drawn Animation, Illustration, Interdisciplinary Art, Painting the Figure in Acrylic, and Printmaking: Painterly Print, and more. With college-level classes, both live sessions and independent work time, and ongoing support from faculty and MICA staff, the program ensures maximum dedication and effort.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The application period for this year starts on November 1, 2022, and the deadline has been extended from April 30, 2023, to May 15, 2023.
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors, as well as international students of equivalent grade level with English proficiency, are eligible to apply for MICA's PreCollege Art and Design Residency Program.
Program Dates:
2-Week Session 1: July 2 - July 15
2-Week Session 2: July 16 - July 29
4-Week Combined Sessions: July 2 - July 29
Location: 1300 W Mount Royal Ave, Baltimore
Cost:
2-Week Session 1: Cost: $3,310
2-Week Session 2: Cost: $3,310
4-Week Combined Sessions: Cost: $6,620
The Pre-College Art and Design Residency Program at MICA is a transformative experience designed to help high school art students transition into becoming artists. This immersive program provides a wide selection of courses including Ceramics, Drawing the Figure, Fiber: Dye, Felt, Weave, Graphic Design, Hand Drawn Animation, Illustration, Interdisciplinary Art, Painting the Figure in Acrylic, Printmaking: Painterly Print, and more. Participants engage in college-level classes with a combination of live sessions and independent work time. The program is committed to ensuring students' utmost dedication and effort by providing ongoing support from MICA faculty and staff.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The application period for this year starts on November 1, 2022, and the deadline has been extended from April 30, 2023, to May 15, 2023.
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors, as well as international students of equivalent grade level with English proficiency, are eligible to apply for MICA's PreCollege Art and Design Residency Program.
Program Dates:
- 2-Week Session 1: July 2 - July 15
2-Week Session 2: July 16 - July 29
4-Week Combined Sessions: July 2 - July 29
Location: 1300 W Mount Royal Ave, Baltimore
Cost:
2-Week Session 1: Cost: $3,310
2-Week Session 2: Cost: $3,310
4-Week Combined Sessions: Cost: $6,620
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI a suitable environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. These programs are designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni and you can expect a great, fulfilling educational experience. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship.
The AI Fellowship program will have students pursue their own independent AI research project. Students work on their own individual research projects over a period of 12-15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. In the past, students have worked on research papers in the field of AI & medicine, AI & finance, AI & environmental science, AI & education, and more! You can find examples of previous projects here.
Location: Virtual
Cost:
$1,790 for the 10-week AI Scholars program
$4,900 for the 12-15 week AI Fellowship
$4,700 for both
Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Applications for fall cohort have closed September 3, 2023.
Program dates: Various according to the cohort
Program selectivity: Moderately selective
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit past experience with AI concepts or Python.
Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions pertaining to the students background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest.
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!
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.
The program offers AI education through formal curriculum instruction by a local AI high school teacher, guest speakers from UMD professors and industry professionals, and an in-depth introduction to ongoing research projects. Personal growth is fostered through discussions led by experts, small group mentoring, and social events. Hands-on experience is provided through small-group research projects focusing on using AI for societal good, culminating in group presentations at the program's end.
Application Deadline: You can expect the application deadline to close a month or so before the beginning of the program
Eligibility: The AI Summer Program targets underrepresented communities among rising 10th-12th graders to foster inclusivity and diversity in the field of artificial intelligence.
Program Dates: July 10 - July 21, 2023
Location: University of Maryland Campus
Cost: $600
The Army Education Outreach Program (AEOP) provides valuable opportunities for apprenticeships and fellowships where individuals can actively engage in meaningful research alongside professional teams. By participating in these programs, you will have the chance to contribute to cutting-edge research that focuses on developing state-of-the-art technologies and advancing scientific knowledge. The research areas encompass a wide range of disciplines, including forensic science, food chemistry, engineering, molecular simulation, bioinformatics, quantum mechanics, biological defense, pharmaceutical science, mathematics, cyber security, origami post-synthesis processing and modification, and materials science.
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2023 sessions are already closed. Based on this year’s deadlines, the applications close on March 5.
Eligibility: Participants must be current high school students in the U.S. and either U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Open to students in grades 9 through 12
Program Dates: High school apprenticeships have specific dates determined by location.
Location: Varies from project to project
Cost: AEOP participation is free, and all apprentices receive an educational stipend as a form of recognition for their contributions.
9. YouthWorks
YouthWorks is managed by the Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Employment Development and links numerous young individuals aged 14 to 21 with summer employment opportunities offered by private companies, nonprofit organizations, and city/state government entities in Baltimore. The program also provides workshops and seminars on financial literacy, career exploration, and college readiness.
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2023 sessions are already closed. Based on this year’s deadlines, the applications close on April 7th.
Eligibility: Students who possess a work permit from Baltimore City and fall within the age range of 14 to 21 are eligible to apply.
Program Dates: July 10th – August 11th
Location: Baltimore
Cost/Stipend: Students will receive compensation at the minimum wage rate, which amounts to $13.25 per hour.
The SAAMS Program, part of the Department of Mathematics, is an intensive academic enrichment program that aims to inspire high school students in Mathematics, Actuarial Science, and Computer Science. Accepted applicants receive a stipend and have the opportunity to participate in program-related field trips and professional development sessions.
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2023 sessions are already closed. Based on this year’s deadlines, the applications close on March 31st.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the SAAMS Program:
Students must complete an online application that includes a student essay in PDF format.
Submit two letters of recommendation (with detailed instructions provided in the online application)
Arrange for their official high school transcript to be sent to the SAAMS office.
Program Dates: June 20th - July 28th
Location: Baltimore
Cost/Stipend: Accepted SAAMS Program applicants who fulfill all program requirements will receive a stipend of at least $600.
The Prospective Students’ program at Loyola University Maryland offers personalized campus visits, information sessions, faculty interactions, and a student life showcase. These activities, along with specialized programs such as the Engineering Innovation (EI) Summer Program, the National Center for Women & Information Technology Aspirations Program, The Maryland Out of School Time (MOST) Network, and Maryland's STEM Innovation Network (STEMnet). The program aims to create an immersive and informative experience for individuals considering Loyola University Maryland while also offering targeted programs in engineering, technology, out-of-school programs, and STEM education.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis depending on the subject of interest. For additional details, please click here.
Eligibility: Program Dates: Each program has unique program dates. For further information, please click here.
Location: Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore
Cost: Varies from course to course
The Jump Start Program, sponsored by the University of Maryland, invites 75 high school juniors and seniors to take part in a summer science program. Initially established with funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the program is now supported by the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland. The program offers subjects such as Biomedical Science 1 and 2, as well as Microbial World.
Application Deadlines: The application period for the 2023 sessions has concluded, with applications accepted on a rolling basis until April 15 or until the program reaches its capacity.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors entering in fall 2023, with a preference for strong preparation in biological and chemical sciences.
Program Dates: The program dates are:
Biomedical Science (In person) - July 10-14
Biomedical Science (Virtua)l July 17-28
Our Microbial World (Virtual) July 17-28
Location: University of Maryland
Cost: The program fee for 2023 is $300 for virtual sessions and $400 for the in-person session
One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are passionate about research, you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 2100 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
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.
Image Source: University of Maryland