10 Summer Programs for High School Students in Utah
If you’re a high school student in Utah interested in spending a productive summer break, you should consider participating in a summer program. Many universities and institutions in Utah offer summer programs for high school students including enrichment programs, research opportunities, and internships that can supplement your classroom learning and help you cultivate new skills.
These programs offer early exposure to high-level academics and the chance to engage in hands-on projects, both of which can significantly boost your college applications! Attending these programs can also help enhance your academic profile, highlighting your personal and professional growth and your ability to engage with advanced coursework.
To help you get started, here's our list of 10 summer programs for high school students in Utah spanning fields such as business, AI, engineering, marketing, medicine, college preparation, and more!
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Current high school students with an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4 can apply.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The main summer deadlines fall on March 17, April 14, and May 12. The final deadline for the summer session is generally in June. You can apply here.
Program Dates: There are four cohorts available throughout the year—spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Cost: Starts at $2,990. Financial aid is available.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program provides high school students with the opportunity to develop an original research project in a field of their choice. As a participant, you will be paired with a PhD mentor from a prestigious university who will offer personalized guidance throughout your project.
During the program, you'll attend individual sessions with both your research mentor and a writing coach to help you select a research topic. Over the following weeks, you will explore your chosen topic and participate in workshops on the research process. By the end of the 12-week program, you will have completed an independent research paper. The program is entirely virtual and covers a wide range of fields, including engineering, computer science, architecture, medicine, data science, and more. You can find more details about the application here!
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: For the AI Scholars program, no previous experience is required. The applicants must demonstrate an interest in AI. For the AI Fellowship program, applicants either need to complete the AI Scholars program or should have experience with AI concepts or Python.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort. You can apply here!
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts are available throughout the year.
Cost: AI Scholars: $2,290 | AI Fellowship: $5,400 | Combination (AI Scholars + AI Fellowship): $6,900. Financial aid is available.
Veritas AI, founded and managed by Harvard graduate students, offers programs designed for high school students interested in building a foundation in computer science. In these programs, you will learn various concepts in data science and artificial intelligence, such as neural networks, natural language processing, image classification, Python coding, sentiment analysis, and more.
Veritas AI provides up to 100% financial aid for the 10-week AI Scholars program. During this program, you’ll collaborate in groups of 3-5 to work on real-world, hands-on projects that demonstrate your interests and skills. There is also the AI Fellowship, where you will work one-on-one with mentors from top universities to develop unique machine-learning projects over 12-15 weeks. These programs are well-suited for beginners interested in hands-on learning.
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: The program is open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can commit to working 10-20 hours per week for 8-12 weeks.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year.
Program Dates: 8-week programs are offered with multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Cost: Starts at $2,490. Financial aid is available.
Ladder Internships offer a great internship opportunity for high school students, particularly those who cannot attend in-person internships. The program will match you up with a leading startup where you will work on a real-world project under the guidance of a manager. Project examples include topics like competitor analysis for a health tech company or a machine learning model that predicts customer behavior.
As an intern, you will get one-on-one mentorship from your manager as well as a Ladder coach. You will work for 5-10 hours per week and present your project at the end of the program. There are several available fields to pursue in this program including finance, tech, AI, engineering, health, consulting, and more. But keep in mind that this internship can be selective to get into! You can explore all the options on the application form.
Location: Virtual
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 prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Application Deadline: May 21, 2024, for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024, for the fall cohort.
Program Dates:
Summer seminar: June 24–September 2, 2024
Fall seminar: October 23, 2024–February 19, 2025
Horizon Labs offers flexible dates, but you need to apply at least 4 weeks in advance.
Cost: You can find out the exact cost by raising an interest form here.
Horizon is a research program that connects high school students with distinguished professors or PhD scholars from leading universities. Through the program, you will work with your mentor on a college-level research project tailored to your interests — a wide array of subjects in both STEM and social sciences are available. The highlight of the program is that Horizon offers students the choice between conducting quantitative or qualitative research.
In this program, you'll develop a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can submit to reputable journals for publication as a high school student. It offers a chance to pursue research in specialized fields with guidance from a leading scholar. The program also provides each student with a letter of recommendation and detailed feedback on their project, which can be useful for future work and college applications. You can apply here!
Location: This program is entirely virtual, featuring live, interactive workshops.
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The primary summer deadlines are March 17, April 14, and May 12, with the final deadline for the summer cohort usually falling in June. You can access the application link here!
Program Dates: The 2024 edition of the program started on July 3 and spanned 4 weeks.
Cost: The total cost to attend the 4-week program is $2,900. There is need-based financial aid available.
The Young Founder’s Lab is a startup boot camp created and managed by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work on building a revenue-generating startup that addresses a real-world problem. You'll also have the chance to be mentored by experienced entrepreneurs and professionals from companies like Google, Microsoft, and X.
In addition to developing your startup, you will engage in interactive classes on business fundamentals, participate in workshops and skill-building sessions, and explore case studies and panel discussions. This program provides a valuable opportunity to explore the business world while in high school, allowing you to study both theoretical and practical frameworks for building a successful business. You can read the program’s brochure here.
Location: University of Utah’s John and Marcia Price College of Engineering, Salt Lake City, UT
Eligibility: All high school students can apply.
Application Deadline: The registration for 2024 is closed and will open in 2025 for the next session.
Program Dates: 8 weeks between June and August; TBA for 2025
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Participants do not receive any compensation.
University of Utah’s High School Summer Research Internship offers opportunities for students to develop independent research projects within the field of engineering. During the internship, you will learn about the process of conducting academic research from start to finish while also attending workshops on different topics such as ethics in research.
At the end of the program, you will have the chance to present your project at the Utah Science & Engineering Fair! This program is hosted by the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering at the University of Utah. Please keep in mind that admission to this program is selective and the application will require letters of recommendation from your teachers. If you’re looking for an engineering camp experience instead, check out these programs.
Location: Utah Valley University main campus, Orem, UT
Eligibility: Utah high school students enrolled in grades 9–11 with a minimum GPA of 2.5 can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for 2024; TBA for 2025
Program Dates: June 24–August 9, 2024; TBA for 2025
Cost: Free for all accepted participants.
Formerly known as the Latinos of Tomorrow Summer Bridge program, Utah Valley University’s Empowered Professionals of Tomorrow is a 7-week summer program that introduces high school students to university-level education at an early stage. The program runs Tuesdays–Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
As a participant, you can attend one of the following four programs — Scientists (covering biotechnology and geography), Engineers & Technologists (covering computer science and biology), Business Leaders (covering finance and entrepreneurship), and Scholars (covering art and college English prep). Apart from academic lessons, you can also expect opportunities for career exploration, college prep, and networking. You will receive mentorship to increase your involvement in Utah’s workforce. You can also earn up to 6 college credits as long as you attend a UVU Concurrent Enrollment partner school!
Location: Weber State University, Ogden, UT
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors who are at least 15 years old can apply.
Application Deadline: May 19, 2024; TBA for 2025
Program Dates: June 5–June 8, 2024; TBA for 2025
Cost: If you register before May 5, you need to pay $300 for all activities, lodging, meals, and lab supplies. After May 5, the registration costs $325.
The WSU Medical Academy offers high school students an opportunity to experience what a career in healthcare and medicine could look like. The program includes a combination of group discussions, lectures, laboratory activities, and the chance to network with WSU faculty. You will also work with local healthcare professionals and interact with their patients. You will receive guidance from WSU professors and other professional specialists for your academic and professional endeavors.
You can also expect a significant amount of hands-on work. Throughout the program, you will explore topics like microbiology, organic chemistry, physics, genetics, anatomy, and more. Additionally, this is a residential program that will also give you a taste of college life in general. Here is a video that offers a glimpse of the program.
Location: Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12 can apply.
Application Deadline: Registration for 2024 is closed; TBA for 2025
Program Dates: June 24–June 29, 2024; TBA for 2025
Cost: $549 for the tuition fees and an additional (optional) $289 for food and housing
Brigham Young University’s Young Entrepreneurs Program is a week-long camp that aims to equip high school students with the basics of entrepreneurship. You will learn several major aspects of the field, such as developing an idea, building a pitch, creating a marketing plan, and identifying potential customers. This will be done through workshops, lectures, and networking opportunities with various founders and CEOs.
You will learn and practice skills like marketing and sales and get to interact with local entrepreneurs. Through the course of the program, you will develop a business plan and take part in a pitch competition towards the end. Additionally, you will get to participate in recreational activities such as games, BBQ, and movie nights. You can find a detailed schedule here.
Location: Utah State University’s College of Engineering, Logan, UT
Eligibility: Students entering their senior year of high school can apply.
Application Deadline: Registration generally opens in early February and closes in late March or when the program reaches its maximum capacity, whichever is earlier; TBA for 2025
Program Dates: June 18–June 19, 2024 | June 20–June 21, 2024
Fee: $155; includes accommodations and all meals. Scholarships are available for students with a GPA of 3.30 and above.
Utah State University’s Engineering State Summer Camp is an overnight program for high school seniors interested in engineering. As a participant, you will be charged with using engineering concepts to find shelter, food, and water during a zombie apocalypse.
The program is designed to help you enhance your creativity and innovation skills through the practical application of engineering. The available engineering disciplines include civil engineering, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and biological engineering. You will go through the whole process, from developing an idea and testing various iterations to presenting the final solution at the end of the program. Each cohort has about 100 students and you can expect to work in small groups. You can check out the detailed schedule 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.
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