Summer Programs
Summer Programs for High School Students in Massachusetts
10 selective summer and pre-college programs in Massachusetts. 2 are free to attend and 8 are residential.
- Programs
- 10
- Free to attend
- 2
- Residential
- 8
- 2027 deadline posted
- 8
- of 10
| Program | Where | Who can apply | Cost | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUTIBoston University College of Fine Arts | Lenox, MAResidential | Ages 14 to 20 (Young Artists Programs ages 14 to 19) | Paid, aid available | January 19, 2027 |
| BWSIMIT Beaver Works (MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT School of Engineering) | Cambridge, MACommuter | Students entering their senior year of high school | Paid, aid available | March 31 (prerequisite online course registration); teacher recommendation due April 2 |
| Harvard Pre-College ProgramHarvard Summer School | Cambridge, MAResidential | Rising juniors and seniors who will graduate in 2028 or 2029 | Paid, aid available | Early January 13, 2027; regular February 10, 2027; late March 31, 2027 |
| HCSSiMHampshire College | Amherst, MAResidential | Mostly students who have finished 10th or 11th grade; some after 9th grade | Paid, aid available | April 17, 2026, 11:59 pm EST (Interesting Test due April 25, 2026)Last cycle’s date |
| MITESMIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) | Cambridge, MAResidential | 11th graders | Free | February 1, 11:59 pm PST |
| PROMYSPROMYS at Boston University | Boston, MAResidential | Ages 14 to 18 who have completed at least 9th grade | Paid, aid available | February 27, 2026, 11:59 pm EST (teacher recommendation due March 3)Last cycle’s date |
| RISEBoston University Summer Term | Boston, MAResidential or commuter | Current high school juniors (entering senior year) | Paid, aid available | February 3, 2027, 11:59 pm Eastern |
| RSICenter for Excellence in Education, hosted at MIT | Cambridge, MA | High school juniors (seniors are not eligible) | Free | December 11, 2026, 11:59 pm |
| SSPHarvard Summer School | Cambridge, MAResidential or commuter | Students who will graduate high school and enter college in 2027, 2028 or 2029 | Paid, aid available | Early January 13, 2027; regular February 10, 2027; late March 31, 2027 |
| WTPMIT Department of Mechanical Engineering | Cambridge, MAResidential | High school students now in grade 11 | Paid, aid available | December 21, 2026 |
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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.
