Eager students often want to learn and gain valuable engineering experience not offered in their high school classrooms. Fortunately, summer programs allow high schoolers to further their engineering education and research abilities.
You don’t have to spend your summer searching for the best summer programs for high school students. Pioneer Academics is highly respected for its rigorous standards. We used the same level of expectations to help you save time and energy by selecting some great summer opportunities for you.
Advice from a Former Admissions Officer
Academic Development Manager | Pioneer Academics Former Associate Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Wake Forest University Former Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions
Important note: The “best” program is always going to be the program that best fits your needs, goals, and interests. Check out my thoughts on things to consider when selecting a summer program here: College Application: Tips on Selecting a Summer Program Meeting Admission Officers’ Standards. Engineering, at its core, is problem-solving. The students who fit most naturally in engineering programs are often tinkerers, explorers, and doers. You might think of engineers as the folks who wear hard hats on construction sites. Certainly, this subset of engineering is still crucially important, but the term has evolved alongside the demands of modern society. In fact, you will find that there are dozens of different degree programs offered under the broad category of “engineering.” When beginning your path to a potential engineering degree and career, it is best to get the basics down first. The foundation of any engineering program is math and science. From there, find your passion! Which projects get your creative juices flowing?
💡Bonus tips for choosing the right academic programs:
Click here to read the in-depth investigative report and its summary on the academic programs and publications by the Pulitzer-winning journalist on ProPublica and Chronicle of Higher Ed!
In no particular order, here’s our hand-picked list of the best summer engineering programs for high school students.
Pioneer Academics is the world’s only fully accredited online research program. Pioneer’s rigorous academic system and educational standards are great for high-performing high school students worldwide who love learning and researching. Driven and ambitious high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors accepted into Pioneer’s programs gain access to world-class research resources. Students also expand their ambition by working directly with experienced mentors. This summer program wraps up with students completing an independent research project. The top 3% are selected for The Pioneer Research Journal.
CURIE Academy is a residential course for female rising high school juniors and seniors wanting to know more about engineering and college life. This pre-college program’s daily classes teach students about various engineering fields. Program participants also network with Cornell Engineering faculty and meet undergraduate students with shared interests. This one-week program also lets students participate in nine field sessions, each covering an engineering major offered by CURIE Academy. Students interested in becoming engineering majors also learn about the college application process. CURIE Academy’s summer programs conclude with participants presenting a research project.
The Veritas AI Summer Fellowship is a 12 to a 15-week online program that ends with each student completing an independent AI project. While getting to showcase their passions, each student taking part in this program works alongside a mentor with immense experience in the AI field. Through the beginning of this program, students learn key concepts in AI-related disciplines. Students then work with their mentors to develop a unique AI creation and assess its feasibility. As students explore innovations and resolve potential problems, their projects culminate by giving project-related presentations to their peers.
SUMMER WEEKEND 2 – Jul 23 – Sep 24
SUMMER 1 – May 8 – May 19
SUMMER 2 – Jun 12 – Jun 23
SUMMER 3 – Jul 3 – Jul 14
SUMMER 4 – Jul 17 – Jul 28
SUMMER 5 – Jul 17 – Jul 28
SUMMER 6 – Aug 7 – Aug 18
SUMMER 7 – Aug 21 – Sept 1
If you’re a student completing either 10th or 11th grade and living in New York City, attending ARISE’s program is a great potential way to spend your summer. This program teaches those who participate how to conduct college-level research and the importance of working ethically. ARISE lets students explore many fields by attending research labs focused on computer science, biomedical engineering innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), and similar types of engineering technology. Students complete applied and fundamental research spanning the fields of bioengineering, engineering, and electrical engineering. This program culminates in having students work on and complete a professional presentation.
The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) offers a month-long summer program, allowing students to explore engineering innovation in various fields. Instead of courses, COSMOS refers to its classes as clusters. And there are several engineering fields or clusters for those interested in this program, including design, structural, and biomedical engineering. Throughout this program, students learn and complete hands-on workshops alongside other high school undergraduates with shared interests. They also get to attend exclusive lectures from professionals in the STEM world and work in COSMOS’ state-of-the-art laboratories. It’s important to note that this program is only open to students attending high school in California.
$40 non-refundable application fee
Frontiers is the name of a popular residential program offered by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This program offers many exciting courses for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students can pursue their interests by learning about aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, environmental, architectural, robotics, and mechanical engineering. Students attending these programs attend lectures, complete projects, and work in this institute’s cutting-edge labs. They also take courses that teach them about the college admissions process and attend an exclusive on-campus career fair. While students aren’t gaining a better understanding of engineering disciplines, they’ll spend the weekends engaging in team-building activities and playing fun games.
Frontiers II: July 23 – August 4, 2023
Sally Ride Science Academy offers a summer program offering a unique hands-on experience for students interested in engineering disciplines. This academy’s one-week programs immerse students in the opportunities and challenges faced by marine biologists, computer programmers, and engineers. Program attendees deepen their knowledge of topics, including mechanical engineering, computer science, astrobiology, city planning, robotics, and math. Students also learn real-life stories of female contributions in STEAM-related fields, including learning more about women engineers. Sally Ride Science Academy offers online and in-person classes available to all students in the 9th to 12th grades.
In-Person PM sessions run 1-4pm. Live-Online PM sessions run 1-3pm with office hours from 3-4pm
MITES Summer is a six-week residential program showing high school students what it’s like to live and learn on MIT’s campus. This program shows rising juniors new and challenging facets of engineering, math, and science. Students will also take exclusive tours of MIT labs and companies employing MITES graduates throughout Greater Boston. They’ll also attend seminars with experts and learn about elective opportunities in various STEM fields taught by MIT, including engineering design, machine learning, electronics, architecture, and genomics. At the end of these summer programs, students receive written evaluations highlighting students contributions, strengths, and growth areas.
North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering offers many summer opportunities for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in engineering. If the field of aeronautics is of interest, check out the Look Up! Way Up! Program. While learning about college life at NC State University, this engineering summer program teaches students about electronic controls, aeronautics, and mechanical systems. Students begin this program with lessons including aircraft performance, propulsion, structures, and other mechanical and aerospace engineering-related topics. Then, this residential summer program will have students complete hands-on projects in this university’s wind tunnel and building labs.
Residential Camp II: June 25 – 30, 2023
Residential Camp III: July 9 – 14, 2023
NASA offers many programs for sophomores, juniors, and rising seniors. These engineering programs occur throughout the summer at research centers, space centers, and educational institutions throughout the United States. The nationwide programs offered by NASA give students an inside look at the technology, tools, research, and minds solving the world’s problems in various industries. Areas of study offered include astronautical, aerospace, chemical, materials, communications, civil, and electrical engineering. These programs also give eager students a chance to learn and work alongside mentors in their chosen fields.
The majority of interns received a stipend award, but there are some volunteer opportunities noted in project descriptions
If you’re a high school student interested in learning more about engineering research for high school students, we encourage you to attend a free online information session.
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