8 Ivy League Research Programs for Middle School Students
If you’re a middle school student eager to challenge yourself academically, Ivy League summer programs for middle school students offer a good opportunity to dive into college-level learning. These programs are designed to introduce young scholars to advanced research methods, critical thinking skills, and specialized subjects, all while experiencing life on an Ivy League campus. Whether you’re passionate about science, technology, humanities, or the arts, participating in a research program at an Ivy can help shape your academic interests and even influence your high school course choices.
Exploring a research program offered by an Ivy League school also offers you the chance to connect with like-minded peers, engage with world-class faculty, and get a taste of the campus life these prestigious institutions are known for. Check out our list of 8 Ivy League research programs for middle school students.
We've also covered a host of free, online, paid, and region-specific research opportunities and internships for middle school students here.
The State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP) at Columbia University is a free ivy league preparatory summer program for middle school students interested in medicine or STEM careers. It aims to boost college readiness and increase participation in math, science, technology, health-related fields, and licensed professions. The summer session runs Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 2 PM in July, offering courses like Anatomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Algebra, and Calculus, along with PSAT and SAT prep.
You will also receive college counseling, career development workshops, field trips, and campus tours. Also, participation in S-PREP makes you eligible for future programs such as the Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC) and YES in THE HEIGHTS program.
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY.
Cost: Free!
Dates: July 7 - August 1.
Application Deadline: April 15.
Eligibility: Middle school students enrolled in grades 7 and 8 and residing in New York State are eligible to apply. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with at least an 80% grade average in math and science will be given preference.
The Ulysses S. Grant Foundation offers a six-week academic summer program for motivated middle school students. Each summer, Yale undergraduates lead courses in the humanities, investigative subjects, electives, and group activities to help you strengthen the academic skills needed to excel in school and prepare for college success.
In your Humanities classes, you will explore history, craft speeches, read and analyze poetry, and engage in your own creative writing. During Investigations classes, you’ll enhance your problem-solving abilities through interactive, hands-on projects in both the natural and social sciences. Afternoons are dedicated to electives and clubs. Activities might include sports, games, music, performing arts, debate, mock trials, and book clubs. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of local and regional field trips.
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Cohort Size: 8-15 students per class.
Cost: $75. Full scholarships are available.
Dates: June 23 - July 30.
Application Deadline: February 21.
Eligibility: Middle school students entering grades 6-9 in New Haven public and parochial schools are eligible to apply.
The Dartmouth Precollege Online Program offers middle school students the opportunity to explore dynamic business courses from anywhere in the world. Created by Dartmouth instructors, the program covers innovative topics in business, helping you develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. With flexible lessons and mentor support, you’ll dive into areas like financial markets and entrepreneurial strategies, building a strong foundation for a future in business.
In the 'Finance: Investing & Market Insights' course, you’ll examine stock markets, company valuations, and real-world investment strategies. Through research and hands-on projects, you’ll analyze financial statements, assess risks, and learn how to determine a company’s true value. Each course concludes with a capstone project, where you can present your work and receive personalized feedback from your mentors. Upon completion, you’ll earn a Dartmouth Certificate of Completion, a valuable addition to your college applications.
Location: Virtual.
Cost: $1,795. Need-based scholarships are available.
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year.
Application Deadline: Open enrollment.
Eligibility: Middle school students who are at least 13 years old are eligible to apply.
Penn GEMS is a week-long summer program for middle school students, focusing on bioengineering, nanotechnology, materials science, graphics, and computing. The day camp offers hands-on activities that engage you in applied science, technology, and engineering, giving you the chance to explore these fields in an interactive environment.
You will have the opportunity to connect with mentors and role models, helping you envision a future in engineering. The summer program encourages you to continue studying math, science, and computing, while considering engineering as a potential college path. Throughout the week, you will develop problem-solving skills and work collaboratively in teams.
Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Cost: $650. Limited need-based financial aid is available.
Dates: June 23 - June 27.
Application Deadline: March 3.
Eligibility: Philadelphia area middle school students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade are eligible to apply. Participants need to presently live and attend school within a 60-mile radius of Penn’s campus at the time of application.
If you enjoy immersing yourself in STEM subjects, this two-week ivy league summer program is designed for middle school students who share a passion for advancing their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. You will participate in hands-on team research projects, experiments, and design-build challenges that foster both collaboration and independent learning. The program offers many engaging courses, each combining rigorous academic content, laboratory or field exercises, and a research project that serves as the core of your academic work.
Additionally, you may have the opportunity to interact with Brown University graduate students and gain insights into their advanced research projects. To conclude your STEM experience, you will present your final project to peers, instructors, and family members, and receive a Digital Certificate of Completion and a Course Performance Report.
Location: Brown University, Providence, RI.
Cost: $5,788. Need-based scholarships are available.
Dates: July 13 - 25.
Application Deadline: May 9.
Eligibility: Students completing grades 8 to 9, aged 13 to 15 years, are eligible to apply.
The Scientific Enrichment Month (SEM) Program, organized by YES in THE HEIGHTS at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC), is a free virtual summer month-long program that emphasizes cancer education, scientific enrichment, and professional development. You will engage in a series of lectures covering topics such as hypothesis development, cancer research, cancer health disparities, and public health. The program also includes professional development sessions focused on skills like resume writing, crafting personal statements, interview techniques, and public speaking.
Additionally, you will have the opportunity to participate in public health working groups, which offer peer-to-peer education and allow you to earn community service hours. These groups conclude with student presentations. Past working groups have explored topics such as HPV vaccination, skin cancer prevention, tobacco use prevention, menstrual health, and nutrition and physical activity. Students who attend a specified number of sessions throughout the program are eligible to receive an HICCC Certificate.
Location: Virtual.
Cost: Free!
Dates: July 1 - July 31.
Application Deadline: June 23 or when the program hits capacity (whichever comes first).
Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply.
In this immersive Ivy League summer program for middle school students, you will learn to construct a meaningful robot using everyday craft or recycled materials and then bring it to life through text-based programming languages like JavaScript and Python. By the end of this course, you will have developed skills in creative robotics design, gained hands-on experience with programming languages, and learned how to integrate engineering principles with craftsmanship.
You will also be equipped to design interactive and responsive robotic systems, fostering both problem-solving abilities and innovative thinking. In addition to the university-level learning experience, you will receive a Course Completion Certificate from the Summer Discovery Cornell University program and a Letter of Recognition acknowledging your academic achievement.
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Cohort Size: 8 students per class.
Cost: $8,499. Need-based scholarships are available.
Dates: July 13 - August 1.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis.
Eligibility: Middle school students in grades 6 - 8 are eligible to apply.
The NYS 4-H Animal Science Programs, administered by the Cornell University Department of Animal Science, aim to engage youth in hands-on learning experiences in biology and veterinary sciences. You are responsible for the care of various animal species while expanding your academic understanding of subjects such as biology, physiology, agriculture, production systems, veterinary medicine, and nutrition.
You can select from a range of programs focused on livestock species, including dairy, horses, and goats, as well as companion animals like dogs, cats, and rabbits. Through this program, you will have the chance to collaborate with peers from diverse backgrounds and gain insights from distinguished educators in the field.
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Cost: Varies depending on the program.
Dates: Varies depending on the program.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the program.
Eligibility: Middle school students are eligible to apply.
One more option—The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need-based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Partnerships, Maya, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines for 2024, you can refer to this page!
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