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.

79 verified programs match this page; 18 of the featured listings are completely free.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• MIT Women in Stem Research Program Pre-College Summer Program — MIT Women in Stem Research Program: Pre-college program at MIT Women in Stem Research Program for high school students focusing on stem.
• 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.
• Boston University Summer Challenge — Boston University: Academic summer programs at Boston University. Pre-college courses and campus experience.
• Broad Institute Scientific Internship Program — Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Research internship at world-leading genomics research institute.
• 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.
• Research Science Institute (RSI) — Center for Excellence in Education: Most selective free summer science program in the US.
• Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) at Boston University — Boston University: 6-week research internship in BU labs. Competitive admission. Students work on real research projects.
• Tufts University Pre-College Programs — Tufts University: Pre-college summer at Tufts University. Multiple tracks including STEM, international relations, and humanities. College credit available.
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute High School Student Program — Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Cancer research at Harvard-affiliated cancer center.
• Harvard Pre-College Program — Harvard Summer School: Selective two-week academic immersion with Harvard faculty and peers.
• Whitehead Institute High School Research Program — Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: Biomedical research program at MIT-affiliated Whitehead Institute. Hands-on experience in cutting-edge life sciences research.
• New England Conservatory Preparatory School — New England Conservatory: Conservatory-level training for pre-college musicians at NEC. Saturday program with NEC faculty.
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution High School Fellowship — Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Marine science research at premier oceanographic institution.
• Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra — Boston Symphony Orchestra: Elite orchestral training at Boston Symphony's Tanglewood. Perform in renowned summer music festival setting.
• Secondary School Program at Harvard — Harvard University: Take actual Harvard undergraduate courses for college credit. Live on campus and experience Ivy League academic environment.
• MITES Summer — MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs: Six-week, residential MIT program for underrepresented rising seniors in STEM.
• MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) — MIT Lincoln Laboratory & MIT School of Engineering: Rigorous 4-week STEM program. Students work on real engineering challenges in robotics, AI, cybersecurity. Free for selected students.
• Harvard National Forensics Tournament — Harvard Debate Council: Largest and most prestigious HS debate tournament. Presidents' Day weekend. Highly competitive.
• MIT Media Lab High School Program — MIT Media Lab: Work alongside MIT Media Lab researchers on creative technology projects spanning art, design, and engineering.
• BU RISE Internship Program — Boston University: Summer research internship at Boston University. STEM research with BU faculty mentors.
• MITMUNC (MIT Model United Nations Conference) — MIT: Join a rigorous Model UN conference blending science, tech, and diplomacy. Perfect for high school leaders to boost college apps, debate skills, and g
• 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
• MIT Integration Bee — MIT: Test calculus skills in a fast-paced integration competition for grades 11-12. Build problem-solving expertise, boost college applications, and compet

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