Extracurricular Deadlines in March — Programs to Apply to
March holds the most deadlines of any month in our catalog — the last call for the majority of summer programs and many national competitions.
Most programs listed here run on annual cycles, so the March deadline pattern repeats every year — check each listing for the exact current date.
229 verified programs match this page; 18 of the featured listings are completely free; 4 can be done online.
Featured programs
Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:
- Quantum Computing Summer School Programs — Various Universities & Google: Discover advanced quantum computing in hybrid summer programs for grades 11-12. Gain hands-on STEM experience, boost college applications, and explore
- National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA) — Carnegie Hall: Join a prestigious summer orchestra program for high school musicians in grades 10-12. Develop advanced music skills, perform at Carnegie Hall, and bo
- Dartmouth Bound — Dartmouth College: Explore this free Ivy League summer program for high school juniors from diverse backgrounds. Enhance skills, boost college applications, and gain han
- Tournament of Champions Qualifier — Tournament of Champions: Compete in an elite high school debate competition to sharpen public speaking and critical thinking skills. Stand out on college applications with thi
- Duke TIP Summer Studies — Duke: Transform your summer with a 3-week gifted student program at Duke campuses. Build advanced academic skills, boost college applications, and explore n
- Caltech YESS Summer Program — Caltech: Explore a 1-week summer program with STEM workshops and lab tours at Caltech. Perfect for high school students to gain hands-on experience and boost c
- Northwestern University Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute — Northwestern University: Elevate your writing skills in this prestigious summer journalism program for high schoolers. Gain hands-on media experience and boost your college ap
- Garcia SUMMER at Stony Brook — Stony Brook: Explore materials science in a hands-on summer program for high school juniors and seniors. Conduct research in nanotechnology and boost your college
- Scripps Research High School Internship Program — Scripps Research: Gain hands-on biomedical research experience in this free high school internship for grades 11-12. Build STEM skills and boost college applications th
- Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP) — Stanford University: Explore medicine, public health, and research in this free, equity-focused summer program for high school juniors. Build skills and strengthen college
- Technology Student Association National Officer — TSA: Lead as a TSA National Officer in this hybrid STEM opportunity. Build leadership skills, enhance college applications, and gain hands-on experience in
- Goldman Sachs Possibilities Summit — Goldman Sachs: Selective multi-day career exploration program at Goldman Sachs headquarters for high school juniors from underrepresented groups interested in financ
- American Chemical Society Scholars Program — American Chemical Society: ACS Scholars Program awards $5,000 annually to underrepresented minority students majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering. One of
- Pioneer Research Program — Pioneer Academics: Research mentorship with college professors; graded transcript included
- Carnegie Mellon Architecture Pre-College — Carnegie Mellon University: Architecture program at CMU featuring studio-based learning. Design projects, digital fabrication, and portfolio development at top architecture schoo
- Harvard-Westlake Summer Research Internship — Harvard-Westlake School: 8-week research internship placing students with university professors and industry researchers. Students complete publishable research projects.
- SMASH (Summer Math and Science Honors Academy) — Kapor Center: Free 3-year summer STEM program for underrepresented students; highly selective
- Rice University STEM Summer Camp — Rice University: STEM camps at Rice University in Houston. Hands-on engineering, computer science, and science programs.
- Weizmann Institute Summer Science Program — Weizmann Institute: 4-week program at world-class research institute. Full scholarship for US students.
- American Enterprise Institute High School Economics Writing Competition — American Enterprise Institute: Economics essay competition from AEI. Analyze economic policy issues for prizes.
- Salk Institute High School Research Scholars — Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Research program at iconic Jonas Salk's institute.
- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge — NFTE: National pitch competition. Winners receive seed funding and mentorship.
- Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship — The Adroit Journal: Highly competitive writing mentorship. Work 1-on-1 with published authors. ~10% acceptance.
- Tournament of Champions (TOC) Bid Winner — University of Kentucky: Most prestigious high school debate tournament. Requires earning bids at qualifier tournaments throughout the year.
- CMU Drama Pre-College — Carnegie Mellon University: Drama program at CMU's top-ranked School of Drama. Conservatory-style training in acting and production.
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab Student Programs — SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: Particle physics research at Stanford's national lab.
- SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference — SkillsUSA: Skilled trades and technical career competition. Hands-on skills.
- Carnegie Mellon National High School Game Academy — Carnegie Mellon University: Game design and programming intensive at CMU. Learn game development from CMU faculty.
- Caltech InnoWorks Academy — Caltech: Free hands-on STEM program at Caltech. Engineering projects and science exploration.
- Stanford Graduate School of Business High School Summer Program — Stanford GSB: Business fundamentals program at Stanford GSB. Experience MBA-style learning and Silicon Valley entrepreneurship.
Frequently asked questions
How many march deadlines are listed for high school students?
ExtracurricularHub currently lists 229 verified programs with March deadlines for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link.
Are any of these march programs free?
Yes — 18 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early.
Which deadlines are coming up soonest?
The next deadlines: Quantum Computing Summer School Programs (March 1, 2027); National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA) (March 1, 2027); Dartmouth Bound (March 1, 2027). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site.
Do these deadlines repeat every year?
Most programs listed here run annual cycles, so their deadlines fall in March (or within a few weeks of it) each year. Use this page to plan ahead, then verify the exact current date on each program's official site.