# Best Summer Programs for High School Students in New York (2027) *September 25, 2026 — by Extracurricular Hub* New York summer programs for high schoolers, from research at Stony Brook, NYU, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Roswell Park to leadership, music and art programs, with what each has posted for 2027. New York's summer programs for high school students include research at Stony Brook, NYU, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Roswell Park, a leadership week at West Point, a tuition-free international leadership camp in the Hudson Valley, and art and leadership programs in New York City. Many are built for students who live nearby, so this guide says who each one is for. **About the dates in this guide.** This is the summer 2027 edition, checked against each program's official page on September 25, 2026 and rechecked on September 27, 2026. Most programs have not posted summer 2027 dates or prices yet. Where a program has, we give the 2027 detail. Where it hasn't, we give the summer 2026 figure and label it as last cycle's. We never estimate a date a program hasn't published, so confirm everything on the official page before you apply. ### Research Programs #### Simons Summer Research Program (Stony Brook) The [Simons Summer Research Program](/extracurriculars/simons-summer-research-program) places rising seniors in Stony Brook faculty research groups for six weeks. Fellows work on a mentored project, attend weekly talks and workshops, and present an abstract and poster at a closing symposium, where they receive a stipend award. - **Who (2026 rules):** current 11th graders who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents and at least 16 on the start date, from anywhere in the U.S. Each high school could nominate no more than two students. - **Cost:** no tuition or program fees. Commuting and meals, or the optional residential package (estimated at $2,450 in 2026), are the student's cost. - **Summer 2027:** Stony Brook says applications for 2027 will be posted in late November. Last cycle's student application closed February 5, 2026. #### Garcia Summer Scholars Program (Stony Brook) Stony Brook's [Garcia Center](/extracurriculars/garcia-summer-scholars-program) runs a seven-week in-person program combining instruction with independent, mentored research in areas such as materials, tissue engineering, energy and computation. - **Who (2026 rules):** students at least 16 by July 4 with at least a 3.8/4.0 (or 95/100) unweighted GPA, three letters of recommendation including one from a science teacher, and the ability to reside legally in the U.S. for the program. - **Cost (2026):** a $4,000 laboratory fee plus a $50 application fee; optional campus housing was $2,599 and an optional meal plan $600. - **Summer 2027:** not posted yet. #### NYU Tandon ARISE [ARISE](/extracurriculars/nyu-arise) is NYU Tandon's free ten-week research program: four weeks of remote research-skills and college-writing workshops, then six weeks of in-person lab work with NYU faculty and mentors, ending with posters and presentations. - **Who:** full-time New York City residents who attend a New York City school and will be juniors or seniors the following school year. - **Cost and pay (2026):** free, and students who completed the program received $2,000. - **Summer 2027:** not posted. Last cycle's application closed February 27, 2026. #### Memorial Sloan Kettering HOPP Summer Student Program MSK's [Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program](/extracurriculars/msk-hopp-summer-student-program) offers an eight-week, fully onsite research internship in Manhattan. Interns work with an MSK mentor on a biomedical or computational project and present a scientific poster. - **Who (2026 rules):** current high school juniors legally authorized to work in the U.S., with at least a 3.5 GPA in science and a permanent address in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut within 25 miles of MSK's main campus. - **Pay (2026):** a $1,200 stipend after completing all eight weeks. MSK provides no housing or transportation. - **Summer 2027:** not posted. Last cycle closed February 6, 2026. #### Roswell Park SURE-CAN (Buffalo) [SURE-CAN](/extracurriculars/roswell-park-sure-can-high-school) is a six-week, full-time, commuter cancer-research internship at Roswell Park, 40 hours a week, ending in a scientific poster symposium. - **Who:** juniors who live in and attend school in Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus or Chautauqua County, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and are at least 15 when the program starts. - **Cost:** no application fee. Limited subsistence allowances are available to some students. - **Summer 2027:** Roswell Park lists program dates of June 28 to August 6, 2027 and says the application portal opens at the beginning of October. #### Local Research in Rochester and Ithaca - **[Laboratory for Laser Energetics](/extracurriculars/laboratory-for-laser-energetics-hs-summer-program) (University of Rochester):** a paid eight-week research program for Rochester-area students finishing junior year, with up to 35 paid hours a week, a report and a symposium talk. The 2027 dates aren't posted. - **[Boyce Thompson Institute](/extracurriculars/boyce-thompson-institute-high-school-research-experience) (Ithaca):** a six-week, full-time plant-science or computational-biology internship for year-round Ithaca-area students at least 16 who aren't graduating seniors. BTI says its application typically runs from November through the first Friday of March; exact 2027 dates aren't posted. ### Free Tech, Leadership and Service Programs #### NYU Tandon CS4CS [CS4CS](/extracurriculars/nyu-tandon-cs4cs) is a free four-week cybersecurity program at NYU Tandon in Brooklyn, with Capture the Flag competitions, cryptography, digital forensics and research projects. In 2026 it was for current 10th and 11th graders living in specified New York City, Long Island, Westchester/Rockland and New Jersey areas, and applications were due May 15. The 2027 cycle isn't posted. #### Camp Rising Sun (Rhinebeck) [Camp Rising Sun](/extracurriculars/camp-rising-sun) is the Louis August Jonas Foundation's tuition-free, four-week residential leadership camp for 15- and 16-year-olds from around the world. Every admitted camper attends on full scholarship; families who can afford travel are asked to pay it, and limited travel help is available. The foundation hasn't posted 2027 dates; last cycle's deadlines varied by region, with January 15 for U.S. applicants outside a named region. #### West Point Summer Leaders Experience The [Summer Leaders Experience](/extracurriculars/usma-summer-leaders-experience-sle) is a five-day residential preview of West Point's academics, military training and cadet life for current juniors who are U.S. citizens and at least 16 by July 1. Applying is free; the 2026 attendance fee was $495, including meals, lodging and uniform items, with need-based aid available. West Point says the application deadline for summer 2027 is April 15, 2027. #### Sadie Nash Summer Institute The [Sadie Nash Summer Institute](/extracurriculars/sadie-nash-summer-institute) is a six-week leadership and social-justice program for young women and gender-expansive high school students who live and attend school in New York City or Newark. In 2026 participants could earn a $450 stipend, and the application closed March 13. The 2027 cycle isn't posted. ### Arts #### Cooper Union Summer Art Intensive The [Summer Art Intensive](/extracurriculars/cooper-union-summer-art-intensive) is a four-week, noncredit commuter studio program in the East Village for students ages 15-18 who are rising sophomores through seniors. In 2026 tuition was $4,350 for most courses ($4,500 for the new painting course), including materials and field trips, with no housing, and a limited full-tuition scholarship for New York City public-school students. The 2027 program isn't posted. #### National Youth Orchestra of the USA (Carnegie Hall) [NYO-USA](/extracurriculars/carnegie-hall-national-youth-orchestra-of-the-usa-nyo-usa) brings about 100 U.S. high school orchestral musicians together for a tuition-free summer residency, a Carnegie Hall performance and a tour. When our catalog last checked in August 2026, Carnegie Hall listed the 2027 application as open September 10 to December 3, 2026, with a $30 application fee and need-based fee waivers, for U.S. citizens or permanent residents ages 16-19 on July 1, 2027. ### A Planning Calendar for Summer 2027 - **Beginning of October 2026:** Roswell Park's SURE-CAN portal opens. - **Late November 2026:** Stony Brook posts the Simons application. BTI's window typically opens in November. - **December 3, 2026:** NYO-USA's 2027 deadline, as listed when our catalog last checked. - **April 15, 2027:** West Point's Summer Leaders Experience deadline. - **For reference, last cycle's deadlines:** Camp Rising Sun (U.S. general) January 15, Simons February 5, MSK HOPP February 6, NYU ARISE February 27, Sadie Nash March 13 and CS4CS May 15, 2026. ### How to Choose 1. **Check the geography first.** Many New York programs are limited to one city, a few counties or a commuting radius. 2. **Look at pay as well as cost.** Several research programs here pay a stipend, while others charge lab or program fees. 3. **Price the whole summer.** Commuting, meals and housing are rarely included in nonresidential programs. 4. **Apply to a mix.** Pair a highly selective research program with local, service or arts options. ### Keep Exploring Browse every [New York summer program](/extracurriculars/summer-programs/new-york) in our catalog, see [research opportunities in New York](/extracurriculars/research/new-york), and read our [summer planning guide](/blog/summer-planning-guide-high-school-students) for national programs. Not sure where to start? Take the [Find My Fit quiz](/find-my-fit). ## Sources - [Simons Summer Research Program, Stony Brook University](https://www.stonybrook.edu/simons/) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Garcia Summer Scholars Program, Stony Brook University](https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/garcia/summer_program/apply.php) (checked September 27, 2026) - [NYU Tandon ARISE](https://k12stem.engineering.nyu.edu/programs/arise) (checked September 27, 2026) - [NYU Tandon CS4CS](https://k12stem.engineering.nyu.edu/programs/cs4cs) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Student Program](https://www.mskcc.org/education-training/summer-student) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Roswell Park High School Summer Research Program (SURE-CAN)](https://www.roswellpark.org/education/high-school-undergrad/high-school-summer-research-program) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Laboratory for Laser Energetics Summer High School Research Program](https://www.lle.rochester.edu/education/summer-high-school-research-program/) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Boyce Thompson Institute High School Research Experience](https://btiscience.org/education-and-outreach/research-experiences/high-school-research-experience/) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Camp Rising Sun, Louis August Jonas Foundation](https://www.lajf.org/crs) (checked September 27, 2026) - [West Point Summer Leaders Experience](https://www.westpoint.edu/admissions/summer-program) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Cooper Union Summer Art Intensive](https://cooper.edu/academics/outreach-and-pre-college/summer-art-intensive) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Sadie Nash Summer Institute](https://www.sadienash.org/summer-institute) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Cooper Union Summer Art Intensive: 2026 courses and tuition](https://cooper.edu/academics/outreach-and-pre-college/summer-art-intensive/courses) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Simons Summer Research Program: housing and dining](https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/simons/about/campuslife-1.php) (checked September 27, 2026) - [Carnegie Hall: NYO-USA orchestra application](https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Programs/National-Youth-Ensembles/NYO-USA/Apply/Orchestra) (checked August 21, 2026) - [Carnegie Hall: NYO-USA FAQ](https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Programs/National-Youth-Ensembles/NYO-USA/FAQ) (checked August 21, 2026) Last reviewed against these sources on September 27, 2026. ## Frequently asked questions ### When do New York summer programs open for summer 2027? Several have posted plans as of September 25, 2026. Roswell Park's SURE-CAN portal opens at the beginning of October, Stony Brook says the Simons 2027 application will be posted in late November, and West Point's Summer Leaders Experience deadline is April 15, 2027. Last cycle, Simons closed February 5, MSK HOPP February 6 and NYU ARISE February 27, 2026. ### Which New York programs are free or paid? Simons charges no tuition, NYU ARISE and CS4CS were free in 2026, and Camp Rising Sun is tuition-free. Some pay students: ARISE paid $2,000 for completing the 2026 program, MSK HOPP paid a $1,200 stipend and Sadie Nash a $450 stipend. Garcia at Stony Brook charged a $4,000 lab fee in 2026. ### Do I have to live in New York City or nearby? For several, yes. ARISE requires living in and attending school in New York City, CS4CS and MSK HOPP set commuting-area rules, SURE-CAN is for four Western New York counties, and the Rochester and Ithaca research programs are for local students. Simons takes students from anywhere in the U.S., and Camp Rising Sun takes 15- and 16-year-olds from around the world. ### Is Columbia's Science Honors Program a free summer program? No. It is an academic-year Saturday program for students living within 75 miles of Columbia, and it charged incoming students $900 for 2026-27, with hardship waivers considered after admission. --- Last updated: 2026-10-05. Canonical page: https://extracurricularhub.com/blog/best-summer-programs-high-school-students-new-york ExtracurricularHub (https://extracurricularhub.com) is a program discovery directory. Details come from the catalog record shown on the canonical page above.