13 Summer Programs for High School Students in Iowa
High school students in Iowa have a range of opportunities to explore their interests, build new skills, and prepare for the future over the summer. Whether you're passionate about the arts, sciences, leadership, or exploring potential careers, Iowa offers a variety of summer programs designed to enrich your academic experience and help you grow personally and academically.
Participating in a summer program can also be useful for college admissions. These programs can prepare you for college by introducing you to advanced coursework early and demonstrating your academic abilities to admissions officers.
In this blog, we'll highlight 13 summer programs across Iowa that are ideal for high school students!
Location: Virtual
Cost: Individual Research Program ($2,990), Premium Research & Publication Program ($5,900), the Research Fellowship ($8,900), Professor Premium Publication Program ($8,900). Financial aid available
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. November 24, 2024 for the upcoming Winter cohort
Program Dates: Individual Research (12 weeks) | Premium Research (16-20 weeks) | Research Fellowship (6-12 months) | Professor Premium (16-20 weeks)
Eligibility: Open to students anywhere in the world
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 PhD 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.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: AI Scholars: $2,290 (financial aid is available); AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase: $5,400; Combination (AI Scholars + AI Fellowship): $6,900
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. October 20, 2024 for the upcoming Winter. You can apply here!
Program Dates: Multiple, year-round cohorts
Eligibility: High school students passionate about AI; Basic understanding of Python or completion of AI scholars is required for the AI Fellowship program
Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students, and the programs are geared toward high school students who want to build their foundations in computer science. In the program, students learn various concepts in data science and artificial intelligence like neural networks, image classification, natural language processing, sentiment analysis, coding using Python, and more.
Veritas AI offers up to 100% financial aid for the 10-week AI Scholars program. Through the program, students build real-world, hands-on projects in groups of 3-5 to showcase their interests and skills. You can also apply for the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase Program where you work 1-1 with mentors from top universities to build unique machine learning projects over a period of 12-15 weeks. These programs are a great option for you if you like engaging in hands-on learning and are a beginner!
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost: $2,490 (Financial Aid Available)
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort. November 24, 2024 for the upcoming Winter cohort
Internship Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. December 16, 2024 onwards for the Winter cohort
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
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.
Location: Virtual
Application Date: Varies according to cohort. November 10, 2024, for the Winter cohort, and February 9, 2025 for the Spring cohort
Program Dates:
Winter seminar: December 2, 2024 onwards
Spring seminar: March 3, 2025 onwards
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 few 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! Horizon is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice of either quantitative or qualitative research.
Once you select a particular subject track as well as 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.
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. Apply here!
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Cost: The total cost to attend the 3-week program is $2,900. There is need-based financial aid
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. November 24, 2024 for the upcoming Winter cohort. You can access the application link here!
Program Dates: Multiple, year-round sessions. December 21, 2024 – January 5, 2025 for the Winter cohort
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
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.
Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: May 12, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Program Dates: July 14 – 20, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 through 12 in good academic standing. Participants must be affiliated with one of the 67 tribes listed here
The Iowa First Nations Program is a week-long residential experience designed to introduce Native American high school students to university life at the University of Iowa. You will have the chance to live on campus, attend structured classroom seminars, explore various academic majors, and engage in hands-on learning experiences. The program also includes field trips to different campus departments, as well as opportunities for social and recreational activities, all while fostering a deeper connection to Native American culture.
Location: Online
Cost: $295. Financial aid available for students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, see details here
Application Deadline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled. Early application is encouraged
Program Dates: July 8 – 26, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: High school students
The University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center offers Summer Writing Online, a three-week online residency that connects you with faculty and graduates from the renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop. During this program, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in workshops, lectures, and events tailored to ignite your passion for writing. Each day begins with seminar discussions and structural approaches to writing, followed by electives in Screenwriting and Poetry. Participants will also be able to enjoy Author Talks and sessions with industry experts.
Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA or virtual
Cost:
In-person session: $2,500
Online session: $575
Application Deadline: February 4, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Program Dates: TBA for 2025. Two sessions were offered in 2024:
Session 1: June 16 – 29, 2024
Session 2: July 14 – 27, 2024
Eligibility: Students currently in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade, including international students. Exceptionally talented 9th graders may also apply
The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio Summer Residential Program is an immersive creative writing experience for high school students. Held at the University of Iowa, this prestigious program offers students the chance to dive deep into their craft, working closely with expert instructors in fiction, poetry, playwriting, or TV writing.
Whether you attend in person or online, you’ll participate in workshops, receive personalized feedback, and engage with peers who share your passion for writing. The program provides an opportunity to develop your writing skills in a supportive and inspiring environment, surrounded by the rich literary tradition of the University of Iowa.
Location: Held on a college campus in Iowa
Cost: $350. Need-based financial aid available
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2025 summer program will open in early 2025
Program Dates: Typically five days during the summer
Eligibility: High school students, including students who will have just graduated
Each summer, over 75 students from across Iowa come together on a college campus to engage in a series of entrepreneurial challenges, leadership activities, and team-building exercises. You will launch your own business and prepare for investor pitches, infomercial screenings, and a trade show where groups compete to win ‘best product.’ In addition to these business challenges, you will attend workshops and speaker sessions with professionals from Iowa.
Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Cost:
Commuter: $350 (meals not included)
Resident: $640 – $715, depending on single or double occupancy room
Application Deadline: May 22 for Resident Campers and June 7 for Commuter Campers
Program Dates: June 16 – 28, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Students who have completed sixth grade and above. Some camps may have requirements for grade completed/number of years of practice
The Iowa Summer Music Camp is a musical training program for students who have completed sixth grade and above, providing instruction across a variety of musical disciplines. Each session is designed to nurture young musicians through group instruction, master classes, and individual practice.
Taking place in two sessions in June, the camps feature different areas of focus, such as Jazz, Piano, Saxophone, Voice, and more. You will engage in rehearsals, activities, and concerts, developing musical skills while experiencing life on a university campus. Classes are taught by Iowa’s music faculty and nationally recognized performers.
Location: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Cost: $300
Application Deadline: April 19, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Program Dates: TBA for 2025. Two sessions were offered in 2024:
Session One: July 9 – 12, 2024
Session Two: July 16 – 19, 2024
Eligibility: Girls who are rising high school juniors or seniors
The RISE with WiSE summer experience is designed for high school girls entering their junior or senior year who are passionate about STEM. This program is hosted by Iowa State University's Program for Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE). During the program, you will participate in hands-on STEM sessions led by university faculty, staff, and students. Alongside these academic activities, you’ll also get to explore student life at ISU through campus visits to places like the ISU Creamery and Cy Bowling.
Location: Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA
Cost:
Residential: $4,000
Commuter: $3,200
Application Deadline: June 17, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Program Dates: July 7 – 24, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors as well as recent high school graduates
The One Course Summer Institute at Cornell College offers high school students the chance to explore college-level learning and earn three college credit hours. Over two and a half weeks, you’ll dive into one intensive course in a small, focused classroom environment, getting a taste of the “One Course At A Time” approach that Cornell College is known for.
The summer session offers an immersive schedule with a blend of academics, social activities, and college prep workshops. For Summer 2024, courses spanned various disciplines, including Neuroscience, Chemistry, Studio Art, Engineering, Creative Writing, Humanities, and Computer Science. Course activities included brain dissection in neuroscience, culinary experiments in chemistry, CAD design in engineering, or app programming in Python. Students who complete this program qualify for a $4,000 scholarship if they attend Cornell College.
Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: No information available
Program Dates: TBA for 2025. Two sessions were offered in 2024:
Session One: June 23 – 28, 2024
Session Two: July 14 – 19, 2024
Eligibility: Current high school juniors
The Tippie Gateway Summer Program at the University of Iowa is a good way for high school students to get a taste of business school. By spending a week on campus, connecting with current students, professors, alumni, and business professionals, you’ll get a preview of being a business undergraduate student.
This fully-funded program includes business simulations, case studies, and networking opportunities. It can help you understand what careers a business degree leads to and get a feel for the University of Iowa community. Students are selected based on a written essay and GPA, and priority is given to students from groups that are underrepresented or under-resourced in business.
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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