Extracurriculars & Programs in Massachusetts for High School Students

Massachusetts is the densest academic cluster in the country: MIT and Harvard research programs (RSI, PRIMES), Boston-area biotech, and dozens of university summer intensives.

80 verified programs match this page; 13 of the featured listings are completely free; 2 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Harvard Summer School — Harvard: Transform your summer with a 7-week program at Harvard. Earn college credit, deepen academic skills, and boost your college applications through hands
• Harvard Business Conference — Harvard HBS: Elite in-person business competition for grades 10-12 at Harvard. Solve real-world cases, network with Fortune 500 leaders, and strengthen college app
• Harvard-MIT Math Tournament (HMMT) — HMMT Organizing Committee: Compete in the prestigious Harvard-MIT Math Tournament! High schoolers tackle proof and speed challenges, build teamwork skills, and boost college app
• Beaver Works Summer Institute — MIT: Elite summer program for high schoolers in Grades 10-11 focused on STEM fields like drones and cybersecurity. Gain hands-on experience and boost colle
• PROMYS at Boston University — Boston University: Explore number theory in a 6-week immersive summer program for high schoolers. Build research skills, enhance college applications, and dive into hand
• Women's Technology Program at MIT — MIT: Empower your STEM journey with a free four-week summer program for high school women at MIT. Gain hands-on engineering skills and boost your college a
• 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
• Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists — Boston University: Explore advanced math in a six-week residential summer program for grades 10-12. Build STEM skills, enhance college applications, and gain hands-on ex
• MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs — MIT: Explore free in-person engineering programs for high school students at MIT. Build hands-on STEM skills, enhance college applications, and join a dive
• MIT Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers (LLRISE) — MIT Lincoln Laboratory: Build radar systems in this free, hands-on summer program for rising seniors. Develop STEM skills, boost college applications, and explore electrical
• Frontiers Science Research Program — Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Explore STEM fields in this two-week summer program for grades 10-12. Gain hands-on experience in engineering, computer science, or biotech to boost c
• Harvard Medical School MEDscience — Harvard MEDscience: Explore hands-on medical simulations in this Harvard summer program. Perfect for high schoolers in grades 10-12 to build STEM skills and boost college
• Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) — Harvard International Relations Council: Immerse yourself in global diplomacy at one of the largest high school Model UN conferences. Build public speaking, leadership, and international rela
• Harvard Secondary School Program — Harvard Summer School: Earn college credit in a prestigious summer program for high school students. Develop skills in STEM, humanities, or social sciences while boosting co
• Harvard Summit for Young Leaders in Business — Harvard Student Agencies: Transform your leadership and entrepreneurship skills at this in-person summer program for high schoolers. Gain hands-on business experience to boost
• MIT Educational Studies Program — MIT: Explore diverse hybrid programs led by MIT students that foster critical thinking, skill-building, and academic exploration—perfect for enhancing coll
• New England Conservatory Preparatory School — New England Conservatory: Conservatory-level training for pre-college musicians at NEC. Saturday program with NEC faculty.
• The Concord Review (Publication) — The Concord Review: Publish your high school history research in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal. Enhance writing skills, boost college applications, and gain recogni
• 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
• Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program — Harvard Business School: Free HBS program for underrepresented students interested in business. Week-long case method experience at Harvard.
• Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Intensive — Berklee College of Music: Intensive 5-week summer program at Berklee College of Music for high school musicians to study performance, production, songwriting, and music busines
• Boston University Summer Challenge — Boston University: Academic summer programs at Boston University. Pre-college courses and campus experience.
• MITES Semester — MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs: Explore advanced STEM topics in this free virtual semester program for high school students. Build skills, gain mentorship, and boost your college app
• Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics (HCSSiM) — Hampshire College: Explore a rigorous summer program in pure mathematics for high schoolers (grades 10-12). Build problem-solving skills, enhance college applications, a
• MIT Battlecode — MIT: Develop coding, AI, and problem-solving skills in this free hybrid competition for high school students. Boost college applications with hands-on prog
• MIT Sloan Business Analytics Program — MIT Sloan: Master data analytics and strategy in this hands-on summer program for high school students. Develop Python skills and boost college applications with
• MIT Media Lab High School Program — MIT Media Lab: Work alongside MIT Media Lab researchers on creative technology projects spanning art, design, and engineering.
• SPLASH at MIT, Stanford & Other Universities — SPLASH Learning Unlimited: Free student-run weekend classes at top universities (MIT, Stanford) covering virtually any topic for high schoolers.
• MIT Splash — MIT Educational Studies Program: Explore hundreds of unique, student-taught classes at MIT Splash. High schoolers in grades 9-12 develop skills, explore passions, and enhance college
• Northeastern Young Scholars Program (YSP) — Northeastern University Center for STEM Education: Gain hands-on lab experience in a free summer research program for Boston-area high school juniors and seniors. Build STEM skills and boost your colle

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