8 University Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student looking for exposure to university life and the prestige of rigorous academics, dorm living, lifelong friendships, and independence that come with it, then you should consider applying for a university program.
University programs cover a wide range of subjects and are available at some of the most prestigious schools all over the country. They not only show your passion for academics, but they set you apart from your peers by providing you with new mentors, advanced knowledge, and specialized skills — all of which can significantly strengthen your college applications.
Whether you want to stand out in college admissions, learn about a new field of interest, or gain practical experience in a chosen career path, taking part in a university program as a high school student serves as a powerful way to move closer toward your academic and professional goals.
In this blog post, we’ve covered some of the best university programs designed specifically for high school students!
Santa Clara University, a private and prestigious university in Silicon Valley, hosts a Young Scholars Program every summer. The program is designed for highly motivated high school students going into their junior or senior year. Young Scholars are expected to participate in an intensive curriculum that includes coursework, advising, and networking meetings with key people on campus.
You’ll take classes with enrolled SCU students where you can expect to take part in seminar discussions, research, projects, and presentations. You’ll also receive assistance with planning for college by meeting with university advisors and the YSP director. Upon successful completion of your chosen classes, you’ll even receive college credit.
This program helps you get an accurate feel for the college experience while also giving you the chance to get a headstart on required classes. It also gives you the opportunity to make friends with university students and build relationships with professors and advisors. By participating in this program, you’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of the academic expectations at a top university and the demonstrated knowledge and experience to share in your college applications.
Cost: $50 application fee; $610 per credit unit (credit units differ depending on course); housing and transportation are not provided.
Location: Santa Clara University, Silicon Valley, CA
Application deadline: Typically in April. The 2024 application deadline was April 16, 2024
Program dates: The program typically runs for 5 weeks during the summer; 2024 dates are June 18 to July 26, 2024.
Eligibility:
· Must be a rising high school junior or senior.
2. University of Oregon’s Student Academy to Inspire Learning (SAIL) - Overnight/Residential Program
Through the Student Academy to Inspire Learning (SAIL), the University of Oregon offers a week-long, overnight program for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors. This year’s program gives you the option to choose from program tracks like Business, Latinx Studies, Physics and Human Physiology, World Cultures and Languages, and Psychology. As a participant in the program, you’ll watch faculty presentations, attend college and career readiness sessions, participate in classroom and lab demonstrations, play organized games, go on field excursions, and attend special events.
The overnight program also has an evening component with music/dance, community building, campus exploration, and career networking with local professionals. This immersive experience gives you the benefit of specialized knowledge and lifelong friendships. You’ll have the chance to explore your passions and make important connections that can lead to future opportunities, and you’ll get an authentic college living experience at a competitive research university.
SAIL also offers day-only programs that you can learn more about here.
Cost: Free for all accepted participants.
Location: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Application deadline: The application remains open until the program is full.
Program dates: One week in the summer; 2024 dates are July 14 to July 19, 2024.
Eligibility:
Must be an Oregon resident
Must be enrolled in high school (rising sophomore, junior, or senior)
Must meet one of the following eligibility requirements:
Family taxable income does not exceed 150% of the federal poverty line.
Neither parent earned a bachelor’s degree before your 18th birthday or you reside with and also receive support from only one parent who did not earn a bachelor’s degree before you were 18.
You are a member of a racial and/or ethnic group that is historically underrepresented in higher education.
You are unaccompanied youth (not living with family, you are in state custody, foster care, or homeless).
Duke University provides pre-college programs for motivated students in the 6th to 11th grades. These programs are experiential and academic, allowing you to choose from a wide variety of courses across multiple disciplines like applied mathematics, graphic design and entrepreneurship, and bioethics. They offer a summer residential program, a summer commuter program, and summer online courses. With residential and commuter programs, you’ll visit Duke’s world-class campus and significant locations in the surrounding area, take classes from Duke faculty and industry experts, and gain access to various club activities.
The online program also offers advanced coursework but from the comfort of your home. Synchronous and asynchronous classes are available and you can expect to work on small group projects. Duke is one of the top universities in the country, the selective pre-college programs will provide you with a prestigious experience to add to your college applications and valuable peer and professional relationships. You can get an in-depth review of the program here.
Cost:
Residential program:
One week: $1,400 for tuition and $750 room and board
Two weeks: $2,800 for tuition and $1,900 for room and board
Commuter programs:
One week: $1,400 for tuition and $125 for meals
Two weeks: $2,800 for tuition and $250 for meals
Online programs: $795 for tuition
Location: Duke University, Durham, NC; virtual options are available.
Application deadline: Applications typically open in mid-December and remain open until April or until the program is full. You can review the 2023/2024 dates here.
Program dates:
Residential and Commuter programs are available during the months of June and July
Online Programs are offered in July for two weeks.
Eligibility:
Must be entering grades 6-11 for in-person programs
Must be entering grades 9-11 for online programs
University of Colorado Boulder is one of the premier public universities in the Rocky Mountain West, and its STEM Research Experience is currently in its tenth year. This competitive program is geared toward highly motivated high school students with a demonstrated interest in laboratory experience. Pairs of students are assigned to faculty and graduate mentors based on their fields of interest and work in their lab for 15-20 hours per week, Monday-Friday for six weeks. You’ll also take a Research Methods class, which focuses on how to find and read scientific articles, determine the validity of data, and good writing techniques.
You’ll learn what it’s like to be a scientific researcher and get introduced to a clear path to becoming a research scientist. You’ll get an in-depth introduction to the research process and learn how to probe data for answers to important, real-world questions in subjects like hydrology, aerospace, biophysics and biochemistry, and immunology. The course ends with a STEM Research Expo where you will present your work from the program.
Cost: $1,995 program fee; covering all costs including parking, materials, and tuition. Students are responsible for their own room and board.
Location: University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Application deadline: Applications typically open in December and close in April.
Program dates: The program generally starts in early June and continues into July; 2024 dates are June 7 to July 26, 2024.
Eligibility:
You must be 16 years of age by the start of the program
You must complete a competitive application process
Georgetown University is one of the oldest private universities in the country. Known for forward thinking and academic rigor, their pre-college is robust in terms of the variety of subjects offered and the quality of education. Each course you choose features dynamic video lessons by Georgetown faculty and access to mentors. You can complete the program at your own pace from anywhere in the world. Some courses even provide you with college credit!
College credit courses run for 6 weeks while enrichment, non-credit courses run for 1, 2, or 4 weeks. Both course types will provide you with academic support and guidance to help you complete a final project for the program.Course topics range from cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and international law. You’ll have the chance to deep dive into topics of your choosing with the guidance of academic experts, which will not only help you prepare for college but will also help you refine your own academic interests. Looking for a deeper dive into their programs? You can check out our piece about it here."
Cost: Non-credit enrichment course fee: $1,795; Credited course fee: $3,495; financial aid is available
Location: Virtual
Application deadline: Rolling enrollment throughout the year.
Program dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year.
Eligibility: You must be 13 years of age or older.
MIT is one of the most well-known and prestigious universities in the country. This 6-month hybrid program is a STEM-focused college preparation experience designed to help motivated high school students build the confidence and skills needed for success in STEM. When school starts in the fall, the time commitment for the program lessens, so you’ll be able to focus on your studies in school and the program at the same time.
Throughout its duration, the program will take you through rigorous online courses, engaging webinars, social events, workshops, and meetings with peers. You’ll also receive college admissions counseling and many networking opportunities with STEM professionals working in their respective fields. You’ll do mock interviews, have assistance with essay reviews, and learn about different universities’ strengths and advantages. This program is intensive, highly competitive, and prestigious. You can learn more about the programs here.
Cost: Free for all accepted participants; students are responsible for transportation to and from the MIT conference.
Location: Most of the program is conducted virtually, with an in-person conference held near the end of the program.
Application deadline: Typically fall of your junior year; the program is highly competitive, the sooner you apply, the better.
Program dates: The program runs from June to December of your senior year.
Eligibility:
You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
You must be a high school junior
Stanford University offers ten programs for high schoolers and an additional four programs for high schoolers and undergraduate students. These programs cover a range of medical topics, with the prestigious Summer Research Program acting as a research flagship.
During this eight-week program, you’ll work with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers on a medically-oriented project. You’ll conduct research and learn how scientific research is performed at the highest levels. You’ll walk away from this program with a solid foundation in medical research, experience in real-world projects, and relationships with some of the top medical researchers and faculty in the country.
Cost: $40 application fee; program is free for all accepted participants; stipend of at least $500 is provided.
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Application deadline: Application information is available starting December and applications are normally due by mid-February.
Program dates: The program runs from mid-June to early August each year; 2024 dates are June 10 to August 1, 2024.
Eligibility:
You must be 16 years of age by the start of the program
You must currently be living in and attending school in the U.S. and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
You must currently be a junior or senior at the time of application
NYU offers high schoolers the opportunity to experience life as an NYU student, earn college credit, and immerse themselves in the NYU community through their pre-college program. This program allows ambitious high school students to take undergraduate courses in a wide range of academic subjects. All courses are taught by NYU faculty and will help you investigate academic interests and potential majors.
The courses are all academically rigorous with in-person and online options. Depending on the courses you take, you may go on field trips to significant landmarks and locations, attend lectures by acclaimed movie directors, or conduct research under top scientists. This program offers courses in the following fields: arts and media, STEM, humanities and social sciences, and business. You’ll also be provided with academic advising and have access to all of the NYU resources, events, and services, including NYU’s powerful Library System. You can learn more by reading this deep-dive article.
NYU also offers a variety of other programs for high schoolers.
Cost: $50 application fee; $300 program fee; $3,900 fee for housing and meals; tuition fee; $1,844 per credit. Scholarships are available.
Location: NYU, New York, NY
Application deadline: The application deadline is typically right before the session begins, but spaces are limited so it’s a good idea to apply early.
Fall 2023 Application Deadline: August 15, 2023
Spring 2024 Application Deadline: January 1, 2024
Summer 2024 Final Application Deadline: June 12, 2024
Program dates: The program runs throughout the year with each program lasting a semester.
Fall 2024: September 3-December 20
Eligibility:
You must be a rising junior or senior
GPA of 3.0 is recommended
You must demonstrate that you are ready for and committed to doing college-level work.
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs!
This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.
You can find the application link here
One other option — Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research in STEM, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Elise is a writer for Lumiere and a graduate of the University of Montana School of Law. She began writing for Lumiere in 2024 in order to help connect high school students to research opportunities. She is passionate about agency, advocacy, and linguistics. Outside of academics, she enjoys hiking, swimming, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
Image Source: University of Oregon logo