High School Programs Accepting Applications Right Now

Every program on this page is still accepting applications: the deadline hasn't passed, or admissions are rolling with no deadline at all.

The list is sorted by closing date, so the programs at the top are the ones you'd need to move on first — rolling programs come after the dated ones.

1787 programs match this page; the 30 most relevant are featured below; 3 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30 curated programs for high school students:

• Research Science Institute (RSI) — Center for Excellence in Education: Most selective free summer science program in the US. — Cost: Free (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) — Society for Science: Most prestigious pre-college science research competition in US. 40 finalists compete in DC. Top prize $250,000. Many winners become major scientists. — Deadline: Thursday, November 5, 2026 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• MIT PRIMES Research Program — Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Free year-long research program for high school students in mathematics, computer science, and computational biology. Students work with MIT… — Cost: Free (confirmed on the program's own page)
• QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program — QuestBridge: Empower your college journey with this free leadership program for high-achieving juniors. Gain skills, college prep resources, and scholarship… — Cost: Free (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — Scholastic Inc. / Alliance for Young Artists & Writers: The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation's longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12… — Cost: $10 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• United States Senate Youth Program — Hearst Foundations: Explore leadership and civic skills in this prestigious high school program. Includes a week in Washington, D.C. and a $10,000 scholarship to boost…
• SSP (Summer Science Program) — Summer Science Program Inc: Prestigious 39-day residential program where students work in teams to determine orbits of asteroids using college-level physics, calculus… — Cost: $11,800 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Wharton Global High School Investment Competition — Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania: Test your investment acumen in this prestigious global competition. Teams manage a $100,000 virtual portfolio and compete against schools worldwide. — Cost: Free (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Carnegie Hall National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA) — Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute: Join the elite National Youth Orchestra for a free summer program with world-class training, international tours, and performance experience…
• USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) — USACO: Compete in free online programming contests for grades 7-12 to master coding, algorithms, and problem-solving. Build STEM skills and boost… — Cost: Free (confirmed on the program's own page)
• MITES Summer — MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs: Six-week, residential MIT program for underrepresented rising seniors in STEM. — Cost: Free (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship — Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation: One of most prestigious merit scholarships; 150 scholars selected from 100,000+ applicants — Deadline: September 30, 2026 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• National History Day (NHD) — National History Day: Explore history through research, writing, and creative projects in this hybrid competition. Build skills, enhance college applications…
• Simons Summer Research Program — Stony Brook University: Explore STEM fields in the fully funded Simons Summer Research Program. Conduct hands-on research, gain mentorship, and boost college applications… — Deadline: FEBRUARY 5, 2026 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Bank of America Student Leaders Program — Bank of America: Paid 8-week summer internship at local nonprofits plus DC leadership summit. Highly competitive. — Deadline: March 16, 2026 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) — Society for Science: Compete in the world's largest pre-college STEM competition. Present original research and compete for millions in awards and scholarships.
• Iowa Young Writers' Studio — University of Iowa: Selective summer program for high school writers in grades 10-12. Develop skills in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction while enhancing college… — Cost: $2,500 · Deadline: Sunday, February 1, 2026 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Telluride Association Summer Seminars (TASS) — Telluride Association: Explore a free in-person summer program for high school students in grades 10-11. Build leadership skills, study humanities, and boost your college… — Cost: Free (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Clark Scholars Program — Texas Tech: Elite summer research program for high school juniors and seniors. Gain hands-on STEM experience, earn a $750 stipend, and boost your college… — Deadline: February 16, 2026 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Diamond Challenge for High School Entrepreneurs — University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship: Global competition empowering high school entrepreneurs to pitch innovative ideas, build startups, and gain hands-on business experience. Perfect…
• USA Physics Olympiad — AAPT: Compete in the elite USA Physics Olympiad to sharpen problem-solving skills, enhance college applications, and aim for the International Physics…
• Interlochen Arts Camp — Interlochen Center for the Arts: World-renowned summer arts program offering intensive training in music, visual arts, theatre, creative writing, and dance.
• American Legion Boys State — The American Legion: Premier week-long government simulation program where high school juniors create a mock state government. Free, highly selective, and one…
• Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program - High School Application — The Jackson Laboratory: Explore genetics in this competitive high school summer program. Gain hands-on research experience, enhance your skills, and boost your college… — Deadline: January 26, 2026 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• National Economics Challenge (NEC) Nationals — Council for Economic Education: National economics competition with quiz bowl format. Teams advance through state and regional rounds to nationals.
• USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) — Center for Excellence in Education: Compete in the USA Biology Olympiad to enhance lab skills, deepen biology knowledge, and boost college applications. Open to high school students…
• Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop — Kenyon Review: Transform your writing skills at a summer program for high schoolers. Join acclaimed authors for hands-on workshops in poetry and fiction—perfect… — Cost: $2,575 (confirmed on the program's own page)
• American Legion Auxiliary Girls State — American Legion Auxiliary: Immerse in a premier summer program for young women to develop leadership, civics, and policy skills through hands-on state government simulations…
• Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) — Stanford University School of Medicine: Elite 8-week paid research internship at Stanford Medicine. Mentorship from world-class researchers. Highly competitive admission. — Cost: Free (confirmed on the program's own page)
• Conrad Challenge: Innovation Competition — Conrad Foundation: Create innovative solutions to real-world problems in categories like aerospace, cybersecurity, health, and energy. Win scholarships and recognition. — Deadline: October 30, 2026 (confirmed on the program's own page)

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