# Humanities Programs & Competitions for High School Students Humanities programs — great-books seminars, classics institutes, and interdisciplinary summer schools — reward the readers and arguers that STEM-heavy applicant pools underrepresent. Depth in the humanities is a differentiator precisely because it is rare: sustained work here reads as intellectual conviction, not resume filler. 17 verified programs match this page; 10 of the featured listings are free; 2 can be done online. ## Programs (17 total) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Telluride Association Summer Seminars (TASS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/telluride-association-summer-seminars-tass) | Telluride Association | Free | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2026-12-03 | | [Telluride Association Sophomore Seminars (TASS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/prestigious-summer-seminars-humanities) | Telluride Association | Free | in_person | Grade 10 | 2026-12-03 | | [The Concord Review Published Author](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/the-concord-review-published-author) | The Concord Review | $70 | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-08-01 | | [Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/telluride-association-summer-program-tasp) | Telluride Association | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | Rolling | | [Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stanford-pre-collegiate-studies) | Stanford University | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-13 | | [Harvard Pre-College Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/harvard-pre-college-program) | Harvard Summer School | $5,300 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-11 | | [Stanford Summer Humanities Institute (SHI)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stanford-summer-humanities-institute-shi) | Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies | $6,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [Harvard-Westlake Summer Research Internship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/harvard-westlake-summer-research-internship) | Harvard-Westlake School | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-01 | | [Harvard Secondary School Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/harvard-secondary-school-program) | Harvard Summer School | $6,500 | hybrid | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-10 | | [Johns Hopkins Pre-College Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/johns-hopkins-pre-college-program) | Johns Hopkins University | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-10 | | [MIT INSPIRE](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mit-inspire) | MIT | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-15 | | [UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP) - Humanities & Social Sciences](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ucsb-research-mentorship-program-rmp-humanities-social-sciences) | UC Santa Barbara | $8,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-15 | | [Verto Education Pre-College Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/verto-education-first-year-abroad) | Verto Education | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Brown Pre-College Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/brown-pre-college-program) | Brown University | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-15 | | [St. John's College Summer Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/st-johns-college-summer-academy) | St. John's College | $1,400 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | Rolling | | [All-Russian Olympiad of Schoolchildren](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/all-russian-olympiad-of-schoolchildren) | Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation | Free | in_person | Grades 5–11 | 2026-11-01 | | [NAACP ACT-SO](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/naacp-act-so) | NAACP | Not listed | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many humanities programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 17 verified humanities opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these humanities programs free? Yes — 10 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: The Concord Review Published Author (August 1, 2026); All-Russian Olympiad of Schoolchildren (November 1, 2026); Telluride Association Summer Seminars (TASS) (December 3, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Do humanities extracurriculars help with college admissions? Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in humanities (participation → awards or leadership → independent work) reads far stronger than scattered one-off activities. Pick one or two programs from this page and go deep. ## Related pages - [Philosophy & Ethics Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/philosophy) - [History & Civics Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/history) - [Writing Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/writing) - [World Languages Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/language) - [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars) - [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit) --- Canonical page: https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/humanities Source: ExtracurricularHub (https://extracurricularhub.com) — a free directory of 1,826 verified extracurricular programs for high school students. Cite the canonical page above; always confirm binding details on each program's official site.