Summer Programs
Free Summer Programs for High School Students
23 selective programs that charge no tuition. 6 of them also pay a stipend.
Book a free application consultFree 25-minute call, no commitment
- Programs
- 23
- Free to attend
- 23
- Residential
- 11
- 2027 deadline posted
- 12
- of 23
| Program | Where | Who can apply | Cost | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEOPArmy Educational Outreach Program | Multiple locationsCommuter | Current high school students (also open to undergraduates) | Free with stipend | Varies by position; applications are always openLast cycle’s date |
| AI ScholarsCarnegie Mellon University Pre-College Programs | Pittsburgh, PAResidential | Students between 11th and 12th grade | Free | February 1, 2027 |
| ALA Girls StateAmerican Legion Auxiliary | Multiple locationsResidential | High school students who have completed their junior year | Free | Not posted |
| ASPIREJohns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory | Laurel, MDCommuter | High school juniors and seniors | Free | Not posted |
| Clark ScholarsTexas Tech University | Lubbock, TXResidential | Rising high school seniors and recent high school graduates | Free with stipend | February 15, 2027, 11:59 pm CT |
| JCampAsian American Journalists Association | Multiple locationsResidential | Current high school sophomores and juniors | Free | January 11, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| KWKKode With Klossy | Multiple locationsHybrid | Ages 13 to 18 | Free | Not posted |
| Leadership SeminarsUniversity of Notre Dame Office of Pre-College Programs | Notre Dame, INResidential | Current high school juniors | Free | January 20, 2027 |
| LEDALeadership Enterprise for a Diverse America | Multiple locationsResidential | Juniors at public high schools graduating in 2028 | Free | Part I due December 9, 2026 |
| LLPPrinceton University Science Outreach | Princeton, NJCommuter | Local New Jersey high school students age 16 or older | Free | March 15, 2026, 11:59 pm ESTLast cycle’s date |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Student ProgramMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | New York, NYCommuter | Current high school juniors | Free with stipend | February 5, 2027, 8:00 am EST |
| MITESMIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) | Cambridge, MAResidential | 11th graders | Free | February 1, 11:59 pm PST |
| PathwaysGirls Who Code | OnlineOnline | 9th to 12th grade girls and non-binary students, including rising 9th graders and graduating seniors | Free | Not posted |
| PAYSPomona College Draper Center for Community Partnerships | Claremont, CAResidential | Current 9th grade students | Free | February 22, 2027 |
| PSJPPrinceton University | Princeton, NJHybrid | High school juniors | Free | Round 1 runs November to January; Round 2 February to March; Round 3 in May |
| REACHScripps Research | La Jolla, CACommuter | High school students at least 16 years old | Free with stipend | March 22, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| RSICenter for Excellence in Education, hosted at MIT | Cambridge, MA | High school juniors (seniors are not eligible) | Free | December 11, 2026, 11:59 pm |
| SAMSCarnegie Mellon University Pre-College Programs | Pittsburgh, PAResidential | Students between 11th and 12th grade | Free | February 1, 2027 |
| SHIPFred Hutchinson Cancer Center | Seattle, WACommuter | Students entering 12th grade | Free with stipend | March 13, 2026Last cycle’s date |
| SimonsSRPStony Brook University | Stony Brook, NYResidential or commuter | Current high school juniors (11th grade) | Free | February 5, 2026, 11:59 pm EST (school nomination due January 30, 2026; recommendations due February 13, 2026)Last cycle’s date |
| SIMRStanford University School of Medicine | Stanford, CACommuter | Current juniors and seniors as of fall 2026 (graduating classes of 2027 or 2028) | Free | Late February 2027 (the 2026 deadline was February 21, 2026) |
| SSRPThe Rockefeller University (RockEDU Science Outreach) | New York, NYCommuter | Current high school juniors and seniors | Free | January 2, 2026, 11:59 pm ET (letters of recommendation due January 5, 2026)Last cycle’s date |
| USSYPUnited States Senate and The Hearst Foundations | Washington, DCResidential | High school juniors and seniors | Free with stipend | Varies by state; December 1, 2026 is the national deadline for states to submit their selections |
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A link to this list, so you have the deadlines when applications open.
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Frequently asked questions
When should I start a summer program application?
Each program sets its own deadline, and some fall months before summer. Check each deadline in the table and work backward from the earliest one.
Do summer programs help with college admissions?
A program is one line on an application. What a student did there, and what they did next with it, matters more than the name.
Each program was read from its own official site. A date or fee the site has not posted is left blank. Last checked 2026-10-09. A deadline marked “last cycle’s date” is from the previous year, shown because the new one is not posted. Dewey Smart is not affiliated with these programs.
