# Carnegie Mellon Programs for High School Students

Carnegie Mellon's high school programs mirror what it's famous for: computer science and AI summer academies, picoCTF (the largest hacking competition for students), and conservatory-grade drama and music intensives.

CMU's CS-adjacent programs are unusually credible with admissions readers because the university itself sets the bar — finishing one is evidence you can handle the real thing.

12 verified Carnegie Mellon programs, 6 free. Official site: https://www.cmu.edu

## Programs (12 total)

| Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [CMU Drama Pre-College](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/cmu-drama-pre-college) | Carnegie Mellon University | $6,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-01 |
| [Carnegie Mellon Informatics & Mathematics Competition (CMIMC)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-informatics-mathematics-competition-cmimc) | Carnegie Mellon University | $30 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-05 |
| [Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Drama](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-pre-college-drama) | Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama | $9,200 | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-01 |
| [Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Programs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-pre-college) | Carnegie Mellon University | $8,000 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-01 |
| [Carnegie Mellon CS Scholars (CSS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-cs-scholars-css) | Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-02-01 |
| [SAMS (Summer Academy for Math and Science) at CMU](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/sams-summer-academy-for-math-and-science-at-cmu) | Carnegie Mellon University | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-02-01 |
| [Carnegie Mellon National High School Game Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-national-high-school-game-academy) | Carnegie Mellon University | $6,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-01 |
| [Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/summer-academy-for-math-and-science-sams) | Carnegie Mellon University | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-02-01 |
| [PicoCTF Cybersecurity Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/picoctf-competition) | Carnegie Mellon University | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-18 |
| [Carnegie Mellon AI Scholars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-ai-scholars) | Carnegie Mellon University | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-01 |
| [Carnegie Mellon Architecture Pre-College](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/carnegie-mellon-architecture-pre-college) | Carnegie Mellon University | $6,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-01 |
| [CMU AI Scholars (AI4ALL)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/cmu-ai-scholars-ai4all) | Carnegie Mellon University | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-01 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Carnegie Mellon offer programs for high school students?

Yes — ExtracurricularHub lists 12 verified Carnegie Mellon programs open to high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. Carnegie Mellon's high school programs mirror what it's famous for: computer science and AI summer academies, picoCTF (the largest hacking competition for students), and conservatory-grade drama and music intensives.

### Are any Carnegie Mellon high school programs free?

Yes — 6 of the Carnegie Mellon programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Funded programs are often the most selective, so apply early and to more than one.

### Which Carnegie Mellon deadlines are coming up soonest?

The next deadlines: Carnegie Mellon Informatics & Mathematics Competition (CMIMC) (January 5, 2027); Carnegie Mellon CS Scholars (CSS) (February 1, 2027); SAMS (Summer Academy for Math and Science) at CMU (February 1, 2027). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the official Carnegie Mellon page.

### How competitive are Carnegie Mellon programs?

It varies widely within one organization — flagship selective programs sit alongside broad-access options. Read each listing's eligibility, and treat the selective ones as reach applications: apply to several programs across organizations rather than betting a summer on one.

## Related pages

- [Computer Science Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/computer-science)
- [Cybersecurity Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/cybersecurity)
- [Arts for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/arts)
- [Extracurriculars & Programs in Pennsylvania for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/pennsylvania)
- [All organizations](https://extracurricularhub.com/providers)
- [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars)

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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.