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 this month's deadline pattern repeats every year — check each listing for the exact current date.

229 verified programs match this page; 20 of the featured listings are completely free; 3 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago Early College — School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Art program at SAIC with access to world-class museum. Studio courses and critiques at leading art school.
• Rice Office of STEM Engagement Programs — Rice University: Transform your summer with hands-on STEM research and engineering projects at Rice. Perfect for high school students aiming to boost skills and streng
• Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) — American Museum of Natural History: Explore astrophysics, biology, and earth science in this free hybrid high school research program. Gain hands-on experience and boost your college app
• Texas Governor's School — Texas Foundation: Join a prestigious summer program for gifted 10th-11th graders in Texas! Develop leadership skills, explore government, and boost college applications
• SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference — SkillsUSA: Skilled trades and technical career competition. Hands-on skills.
• Tournament of Champions (TOC) Bid Winner — University of Kentucky: Most prestigious high school debate tournament. Requires earning bids at qualifier tournaments throughout the year.
• Maryland Distinguished Scholar Program — Maryland Higher Education Commission: Compete for the Maryland Distinguished Scholar Program, a merit-based opportunity for high school seniors to earn scholarships and boost college appli
• Dow Jones News Fund High School Journalism Workshops — Dow Jones News Fund: Intensive journalism workshops at universities nationwide. Learn from professional journalists and editors. Scholarships available.
• SMASH (Summer Math and Science Honors Academy) — Kapor Center: Free 3-year summer STEM program for underrepresented students; highly selective
• MIT Media Lab High School Program — MIT Media Lab: Work alongside MIT Media Lab researchers on creative technology projects spanning art, design, and engineering.
• Jefferson Awards for Public Service — Jefferson Awards Foundation: Gain leadership skills and national recognition with this free hybrid competition for high school students creating positive change through volunteer
• Louisiana Governor's Program — Northwestern State University: Transform your leadership skills in this free Louisiana summer program for 10th-11th graders. Gain hands-on experience and boost your college applicat
• Caltech InnoWorks Academy — Caltech: Free hands-on STEM program at Caltech. Engineering projects and science exploration.
• UIL Academic Competition (Texas) — University Interscholastic League: Excel in academics with Texas's top interdisciplinary competition for high school students. Build skills, enhance college applications, and showcase y
• American Enterprise Institute High School Economics Writing Competition — American Enterprise Institute: Economics essay competition from AEI. Analyze economic policy issues for prizes.
• Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) — U.S. National Park Service (with USFS & USFWS partners): Join a paid summer program for high schoolers to protect public lands, gain hands-on conservation experience, and build skills for college and beyond
• NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge — Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship: Compete in the NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge to pitch your startup idea, win up to $25,000, and gain hands-on business skills for college and
• American Astronomical Society Scholarships — American Astronomical Society: Explore astronomy scholarships for high school seniors pursuing astrophysics. Boost college applications, gain STEM recognition, and take the next ste

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