Extracurricular Deadlines in May — Programs to Apply to

May deadlines cover rolling summer admissions, fall program early applications, and competitions with school-year finals.

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.

100 verified programs match this page; 19 of the featured listings are completely free; 4 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• UPenn Summer Academies — UPenn: Transform your summer with a 3-week in-person program exploring business, STEM, or medicine. Gain hands-on experience to boost skills and strengthen c
• Yale Summer Conservatory for Actors — Yale School of Drama: Develop advanced acting skills in Yale’s intensive summer program for high school students. Build confidence, gain hands-on experience, and stand out
• Mathematical Olympiad Program — MAA: Intensive math competition program for elite high school students. Enhance problem-solving skills, boost college applications, and train with top USAM
• International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) — International Geography Olympiad (iGeo): Qualify via national selection; annual international finals.
• Tufts Veterinary School Summer Experience — Tufts University: Explore veterinary medicine in this hands-on summer program for grades 10-11 at Tufts. Build career skills, gain real-world experience, and boost your
• Penn Experimental Physics Research Academy — University of Pennsylvania College of Arts & Sciences: Hands-on physics experiments and data analysis at Penn.
• High School Game Design Competitions — Various Organizations: Participate in hybrid game design competitions for high school students! Build programming and creative skills, gain hands-on experience, and impress
• Synbiobeta Design Challenge — SynBioBeta: Compete in the SynBioBeta Design Challenge to explore synthetic biology, develop biotech skills, and boost college applications. Open to high school s
• YouthBuild USA Leadership Development — YouthBuild USA: Leadership through construction and community service. Learn trades while building affordable housing.
• Tufts University Pre-College Programs — Tufts University: Pre-college summer at Tufts University. Multiple tracks including STEM, international relations, and humanities. College credit available.
• Tufts Pre-College Programs — Tufts University: Transform your summer with hands-on academic programs for high schoolers in grades 10-12. Build skills, boost college applications, and explore future
• State Seal of Biliteracy — Various State Departments of Education: Earn the State Seal of Biliteracy to showcase bilingual skills on your diploma and transcript. Boost college applications and gain recognition for lan
• Penn Chemistry Research Academy — University of Pennsylvania College of Arts & Sciences: Dive into modern chemistry with Penn faculty and research labs.
• Generation Citizen Action Civics Challenge — Generation Citizen: Empower your voice in the Generation Citizen Action Civics Challenge. Tackle local issues, build leadership skills, and enhance your college applicati
• Yale Book Award — Yale Alumni: For exceptional juniors with character and leadership. Nominated by school.
• Penn Biomedical Research Academy — University of Pennsylvania College of Arts & Sciences: Explore hands-on biomedical research in this summer program for grades 10-12. Gain lab skills, enhance college applications, and dive deep into molecu
• Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society — Mu Alpha Theta: Join a prestigious mathematics honor society for high schoolers to enhance problem-solving skills, compete in math contests, and boost college applica
• Dow Jones News Fund — Dow Jones News Fund: Gain hands-on journalism experience through a paid hybrid internship for high school juniors and seniors. Build writing skills and boost your college
• Tufts Leadership for Social Change — Tufts University: Develop leadership, advocacy, and social entrepreneurship skills in this free summer program for high schoolers. Gain hands-on experience to boost col
• Sanofi Biogenius Canada Competition — Sanofi / bioLOGIQUE: Participate in a free biotechnology competition for Canadian high school students. Gain hands-on research experience, boost college applications, and
• Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program — Smith College: Immerse yourself in a free, hands-on summer program for high school women to explore engineering and STEM research. Build skills and strengthen your c
• National Guild of Piano Teachers Auditions — American College of Musicians: Showcase your piano skills in the National Guild Auditions! Earn national ratings, boost college applications, and gain valuable feedback from expert
• Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar (SIYSS) — Swedish Federation of Young Scientists: Selected students attend Nobel Prize ceremonies and meet Nobel laureates. Fully funded. US representatives chosen through ISEF and other national scie
• National Beta Club National Convention Top Award — National Beta Club: National awards at Beta Club Convention recognize students for academic achievement, leadership, and service. Over 500,000 members compete.
• Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) World Cup — SAGE Global: Global social entrepreneurship competition. Teams run social enterprises.
• Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (BMO) — Mathematical Society of South Eastern Europe (MASSEE): An annual regional math Olympiad for high school students from Balkan and invited countries, featuring challenging proof-based problems.
• EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council — EarthEcho International: Join a selective virtual youth council for high school students to develop leadership skills, advance ocean conservation, and boost college applicatio
• Thermo Fisher Scientific Antibody Scholarship — Thermo Fisher Scientific: Win a $10,000 scholarship for biology or biochemistry majors. Perfect for high school seniors aiming to boost college applications and pursue STEM car
• National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo — USPTO: Showcase your invention at a national competition for grades 4-12! Gain hands-on STEM experience, boost creativity, and stand out on college applicati
• National Robotics League Combat Robots — National Robotics League (NTMA): A combat robotics competition where students design, build, and battle robots in a real-world engineering challenge.

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