9 Programs for High School Students in New Mexico
- Stephen Turban
- Oct 7, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 11
Participating in programs, internships, or immersive experiences can be a valuable experience for high school students. These opportunities allow students to explore their interests in a hands-on environment. These activities can provide real-world insights, foster a sense of responsibility, and allow you to connect with professionals in your field of interest.
Moreover, early exposure to such programs can strengthen your college application. Admissions committees are often looking for applicants who stand out—those who have demonstrated initiative, dedication, and a clear commitment to their personal and academic growth. Summer programs can provide compelling stories and examples to highlight in essays and interviews, making your application more impactful.
In this blog, we’ll explore 9 such summer programs for high school students in New Mexico.
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 and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring.
Cost: Full financial aid is 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 psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Cost: Dependent on the course taken
Location: Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque, NM
Application Deadline: Registration typically opens in February
Program Dates: June 10 – July 19
Eligibility: High school students
Albuquerque Academy offers a range of summer programs for high school students, including both part-day and full-day options. These programs cover diverse fields, such as visual and performing arts, languages, and mathematics. Designed to build upon the knowledge gained during the school year, these courses aim to keep students intellectually engaged and active throughout the summer break. You can check out the course offerings here.
Cost: The total cost to attend the 4-week program is $2900. There is need-based financial aid.
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
Program Dates: Vary according to cohort.
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. You can access the application link here!
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 also 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 multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
Cost: $300; Full scholarships are available
Location: University of New Mexico, Sante Fe or Albuquerque campuses, NM
Application Deadline: May 6
Program Dates: TBA. Multiple sessions were offered in the past:
Santa Fe (non-credit): June 10 – 22
Santa Fe (dual-credit): June 10 – 28
Albuquerque (non-credit): July 8 – 19
Albuquerque (dual-credit): July 8 – 26
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
High school juniors and seniors are introduced to the various disciplines covered by the University of New Mexico's (UNM) School of Architecture + Planning through these courses. The program features design activities, lectures, and field trips. Students enrolled for dual credit earn 3 college credits and usually 1 high school credit, depending on their school’s participation. While dual-credit students will have some homework, those enrolled for non-credit will not be assigned any.
Cost: No information available
Location: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Application Deadline: No information available
Program Dates: No information listed
Eligibility: High school students
The Youth Entrepreneurship Summer (YES) Camp gives high school students the chance to explore their entrepreneurial interests while earning three college credits. Through 40 hours of classroom learning and a 35-hour practicum, you will research a business idea, develop a business plan, and present it to a panel of local business professionals in a competition for honors and awards.
The curriculum covers key topics such as the role of entrepreneurship in the economy, characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, market research, hiring and managing employees, understanding business costs, and raising capital. Students will also learn how to create and use financial records, develop a business plan, and explore ethical considerations in business.
Cost: Based on family income, with a maximum of $8,400. Financial aid available
Location: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Application Deadline: January 24 (international), February 21 (domestic)
Program Dates: The program begins in mid-June
Eligibility: High school juniors who have completed these prerequisites by the summer and will be between the ages of 15-19 during the program
Founded in 1959, the Summer Science Program (SSP) is among the oldest pre-college programs in the nation. This 39-day residential program for high school students offers hands-on research in astrophysics, including asteroid orbit determination. You will collaborate in teams to learn celestial coordinates, interpret ephemeris data, and conduct telescope observations while using Python to calculate asteroid positions and velocities. This experience enhances scientific skills and fosters collaboration and problem-solving, allowing you to gain valuable knowledge in astronomy, physics, and mathematics alongside like-minded peers.
Cost: $565
Location: New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Application Deadline: May 24 (June deadline); June 28 (July deadline)
Program Dates: TBA. Two sessions were offered in the past:
Session 1: June 9 – 14
Session 2: July 14 – 19
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA who have completed Algebra 1
The Summer STEM Experience at New Mexico Tech offers high school students a chance to step into the shoes of a college student, earn one credit hour, and dive into a focused area of science or engineering. This week-long program offers lectures, lab activities, and field trips. In the past, the courses offered included Chemical Engineering: Scaling Chemical Discoveries, Physics: Astronomy, and Computer Science: Python for Data Science.
Cost: $1,400/session. Financial aid may be available; contact the director for more information
Location: St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM
Application Deadline: June 1
Program Dates: July 7 – 13 (Beginnings), July 14 – 20 (Civil Disobedience), July 21 – 27 (Love and Friendship)
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18, including international students
St. John’s College offers a week-long residential summer program where students explore the origins of human society, language, and knowledge. In Beginnings: Inquiring into the Origins of Politics, Poetry, and Mathematics, you will engage with classic texts such as Aristotle’s Metaphysics, The Bible, Plutarch’s The Life of Lycurgus, Plato’s Meno, and Euclid’s Elements, gaining insight into how these works have shaped our view of the world. The program focuses on developing reading, critical thinking, and discussion skills.
The program ‘Civil Disobedience: Understanding the Relationship Between the One and the Many’ is designed to offer you an in-depth exploration of the interplay between individual rights and societal responsibilities. By examining a diverse selection of texts and speeches, including Sophocles’s Antigone, Plutarch’s Life of Cato, and addresses by Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, the program delves into how personal duties and societal obligations intersect.
In ‘Love and Friendship: Austen and Aristotle; Human Goodness, Virtue, and the Relationships That Bind Us Together,’ you will delve into the themes of love and happiness, examining how these concepts connect us. Through readings of some of literature's most acclaimed works, such as Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Shakespeare’s sonnets, you will reflect on these fundamental relationships.
Cost: Room and board, tuition, and instructional materials are fully covered; non-residential students receive a stipend
Location: The University of Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Application Deadline: April 15
Program Dates: TBA. Two sessions were offered in the past:
Non-residential: June 3 – 28
Residential: July 7 – 26
Eligibility:
Non-residential: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors
Residential: Rising high school juniors and seniors, priority given to students who will be 16+ by the program start date
The Engineering and Computing Summer Academy immerses students in practical experiences across multiple fields of engineering and computer science. Throughout the academy, you will have the chance to connect with industry experts, faculty from STEM disciplines, and current engineering and computer science students, offering a comprehensive learning experience and valuable networking opportunities. To apply, you must submit a 500-word personal statement, your transcript, and a letter of recommendation from a math or science teacher.
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.
