25 Summer Programs in Indiana for High Schoolers in 2024
What’s Covered:
Students often think that “summer camps” are just for younger kids, and that high schoolers are better off spending their summers working. However, there are summer programs designed specifically for high school students that give participants an opportunity to learn and grow in ways that a traditional part-time job can’t provide. These kinds of thoughtfully constructed programs allow high school students to develop their interests, learn more about college, and gain insight into potential career paths.
25 Summer Programs in Indiana
1. Summer Academies | Exploring Engineering
Dates: June 9 – 14
Location: Hanover College
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $800
During this week-long program at Hanover College, students will participate in activities including working on Arduino microcomputers, building a solar water heater, practicing soldering, and testing an electronic circuit. Scholarships are available for qualifying students from Indiana.
2. Summer Academies | Environmental Science Institute
Dates: June 9 – 14
Location: Hanover College
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $800
Students learn about the biological diversity in Indiana and participate in hands-on science-based activities such as tree-ring analysis and fossil collection during this week-long program at Hanover College, which culminates in a symposium where participants have the chance to present their findings. Scholarships are available for qualifying students from Indiana.
3. Summer Academies | Health Science Institute
Dates: June 9 – 14
Location: Hanover College
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $800
Students have the chance to learn from healthcare practitioners and science professors about the health sciences during this week-long program at Hanover College, which is run in partnership with the East Indiana Area Health Education Center. Scholarships are available for qualifying students from Indiana.
4. Summer Academies | Civil War: A Nation Divided
Dates: June 9 – 14
Location: Hanover College
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $800
This summer program is perfect for students interested in museum curatorship, archive work, history, or simply the Civil War. Participants explore one of the country’s most dramatic periods, the Civil War, through the lens of military, political, and social history, and evaluate the roles played by political leaders, soldiers, slaves, and women. Alongside their studies, students will get to experience what life is like at Hanover College.
Scholarships are available for qualifying students from Indiana.
5. Summer Academies | From Script to Screen
Dates: June 9 – 14
Location: Hanover College
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $800
Learn how films and television shows are produced—from pitch to post-production—in this week-long summer program at Hanover College. Participants will recreate scenes from famous movies and TV shows while shooting in the studio and on location, and leave the program with a digital copy of their work. Scholarships are available for qualifying students from Indiana.
6. Sycamore Summer Seminars | Making History: Adventures in Archives, Museums, and Films
Dates: July 14 – 20
Location: Indiana State University
Application Deadline: June 7
Cost: $425
History buffs will want to attend this one-week-long summer program, during which they’ll explore the past through primary sources, documentary films, recent scholarship, exhibitions, and interviews with authors, filmmakers, and museum directors. Students will also get a taste of what life is like at Indiana State while living in the Pickerl Hall residence.
7. Sycamore Summer Seminars | Honors Seminar in Elementary Education
Dates: July 14 – 20
Location: Indiana State University
Application Deadline: June 7
Cost: $425
Aspiring educators will get hands-on experience teaching elementary school students during this week-long summer program, during which they will also have the opportunity to get a firsthand look into life at Indiana State while living on campus.
8. Sycamore Summer Seminars | Introduction to the Law
Dates: July 14 – 20
Location: Indiana State University
Application Deadline: June 7
Cost: $425
This summer program is ideal for students interested in law, democracy, and/or politics. Students in the program will explore the law, how it’s applied, and how it affects our daily lives. They will also review famous legal cases, draft their own briefs, and participate in a mock trial. And perhaps best of all, they will get a glimpse into what their future life as a college student will look like, as they live on Indiana State’s campus for the duration of the program.
9. Sycamore Summer Seminars | Creative Writing
Dates: July 14 – 20
Location: Indiana State University
Application Deadline: June 7
Cost: $425
Aspiring writers will want to look into this week-long summer program. Participants get to explore their creative side while building their critical thinking, analysis, and writing skills. Students will tackle a variety of disciplines, discover their voices, and gain a deeper understanding of the process of writing and revising.
Finally, if you’re thinking about attending Indiana State, this program will let you get a glimpse into what your life there could look like, as you live and learn on campus for a full week.
10. Sycamore Summer Seminars | Engineering Pack-a-Palooza
Dates: July 14 – 20
Location: Indiana State University
Application Deadline: June 7
Cost: $425
Packaging is everywhere—it protects everything from breakfast cereal to high-tech gadgets like phones. This unique summer program explores the design and testing of packaging while encouraging students to develop durable solutions to the challenges packaging designers face, and ultimately consider a career in the field.
Students will also get to start envisioning their future life in college, as they go to sleep each night in the Pickerl Hall residence on Indiana State’s campus.
11. Business is Global: Summer Language Program
Dates: June 23 – July 6
Location: Indiana University Bloomington
Application Deadline: April 14
Cost: $1,900
This great summer program provides participants with the chance to immerse themselves in cultures and languages from around the world—Akan, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Zulu, and Russian— while also gaining a better understanding of common business practices. Additionally, students will get a sneak peek at college life while they live and study on Indiana University Bloomington’s campus.
Need-based scholarships are available.
12. Jim Holland Summer Enrichment Program in Biology
Dates: July 14 – 19
Location: Indiana University Bloomington
Application Deadline: April 12
Cost: $75
Underrepresented students will broaden their knowledge of biology during this summer enrichment program at Indiana University Bloomington. They’ll get to explore topics such as genetics, evolution, environmental biology, molecular biology, and plant sciences, while living in a dorm on IU’s campus.
13. Luddy Pre-College Summer STEM Program
Dates: July 21 – 27
Location: Indiana University Bloomington
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $750
Over the course of this six-day residential program, participants will learn how the faculty and students of the Indiana University Bloomington’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering use and design computational tools to solve problems in engineering, science, and society. Topics covered include gene sequencing, 3D modeling, smart homes, and cybersecurity.
14. Women’s Cybersecurity Immersion Camp
Dates: June 24 – 28
Location: Indiana University Bloomington
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $300
This week-long camp at Indiana University Bloomington allows young women in grades 9 through 12 interested in exploring careers in cybersecurity to gain hands-on experience with the popular tools and techniques of the field. AI will be a focus point for the camp this year, although students do not need to have prior experience with tech to participate.
15. MEET Kelley
Dates:
- Men’s week: June 16 – 21
- Women’s week: June 23 – 28
Location: Indiana University Bloomington
Application Deadline: March 24
Cost: Free
MEET (short for meet, educate, experience, transition) Kelley gives high-achieving students from traditionally underrepresented groups the chance to explore Indiana University Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business. Students explore the opportunities offered by the school and participate in a business case competition, all while learning what life is like as a student at Indiana University Bloomington.
16. Summer Science Program
Dates: Varies by program
Location: Varies by program
Application Deadline: February 16
Cost: Free
This prestigious summer program, which has been running since 1959, provides participants with real-world research experience in fields like astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics, and synthetic research. Students live and learn at some of the nation’s top colleges—including Indiana University and Purdue University—while working in small teams to collect and analyze data.
17. Summer Scholars | Identity and Popular Culture
Dates: June 8 – 22
Location: University of Notre Dame
Application Deadline: February 20
Cost: $4,725
Throughout this program, participants explore popular culture to gain a better understanding of the relationship between what we see as entertainment and the structural systems and beliefs that make up society and culture. Participants will also get a comprehensive look at what life is like as a Notre Dame student, through Q&As with current students and admissions officers, a range of social events, and a day of service in South Bend.
Limited need-based scholarships are available for this program.
18. Summer Scholars | Gender and Culture in American Society
Dates: June 29 – July 13
Location: University of Notre Dame
Application Deadline: February 20
Cost: $4,725
This program explores the gender system in the U.S. through a cultural lens, by seeing how it developed and considering how individuals and groups have responded to it. Participants are introduced to fundamental themes of the field of gender studies and how they intersect with other academic areas such as sociology, anthropology, literature, biology, neuroscience, and the visual arts.
Students will also get to take advantage of all that Notre Dame and the surrounding area have to offer, by exploring art museums and attending a theater show in Chicago. Limited need-based scholarships are available for this program.
19. Summer Scholars | Under the Influence: Teens and Screens
Dates: June 8 – 22
Location: University of Notre Dame
Application Deadline: February 20
Cost: $4,725
This summer program is based on one of Notre Dame’s most popular undergraduate courses. Using alcohol as a case study, participants explore the persuasive power visual storytelling has in shaping our beliefs and altering our actions. Students will also get a sneak peek at life at Notre Dame while living on campus for the duration of the course.
Limited need-based scholarships are available for this program.
20. Summer Scholars | Entrepreneurial Immersion
Dates: June 29 – July 13
Location: University of Notre Dame
Application Deadline: February 20
Cost: $4,725
This summer program asks participants how to use a vision to advance the common good and make the world a better place. Participants will focus on developing early-stage business ideas, testing customer interest, and understanding how to pitch to potential investors. Students will live and learn on Notre Dame’s campus for the duration of the program.
Limited need-based scholarships are available for this program.
21. Gifted Education Resource and Research Institute | Pulsar
Dates:
- Session 1: June 30 – July 13
- Session 2: July 14 – 27
Location: Purdue University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $2,500
Students enhance their academic profile during this program by working with gifted, creative, and talented students from across the country and around the world to explore a wide range of topics, from ethics, to gaming in the 21st century, to the intersection of music and mathematics. Participants also get a glimpse at all that Purdue has to offer in terms of residence halls, dining halls, classrooms, and labs.
A limited number of partial, need-based scholarships are available.
22. PREFACE
Dates: June 23 – 28
Location: Purdue University
Application Deadline: April 22
Cost: $724.10 (Indiana residents); $1324.55 (out-of-state participants)
Students examine engineering fields during this week-long program. They’ll use their engineering skills to develop solutions to modern problems, and evaluate career choices according to their personal goals. The program is specifically geared towards students typically underrepresented on college campuses, and also provides a peek into life at Purdue, as participants will live on campus for the duration of the program.
Need-based scholarships are available.
23. Multiethnic Introduction to Engineering (MITE)
Dates: July 8 – August 2
Location: Purdue University
Application Deadline: April 22
Cost: $2,164.70 (Indiana residents); $3,365.60 (out-of-state participants)
Students explore engineering projects during this two-credit college simulation, which is aimed at underrepresented students. Participants learn about life as an engineering student at Purdue, participate in hands-on workshops in a range of STEM and humanities fields, and receive guidance on improving their SAT score.
Need-based scholarships are available.
24. Operation Catapult
Dates:
- Session 1: June 4 – 14
- Session 2: June 18 – 28
- Session 3: July 9 – 19
Location: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $2,600
Students explore STEM fields during this two-week program at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. They can learn about topics such as robotics, participate in activities like developing a machine or brewing biodiesel, experience life on a college campus, and receive two college credits to boot!
25. Rose Power
Dates:
- Session 1: June 6 – 21
- Session 2: June 23 – 28
Location: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Application Deadline: April 1
Cost: $1,550
This week-long summer program is aimed at rising sophomore girls interested in science, math, and engineering. Participants explore Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s innovation centers, learn about their tools and machines, and build technical skills.
How do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
The mileage you get from attending a summer program depends on a multitude of factors—including the program’s selectivity and the value a particular institution places on extracurricular activities like summer programs.
A great way to understand the impact summer programs have on your college chances is through the four tiers of extracurricular activities, which rank activities outside of the classroom based on their rarity, exceptionalism, and prestige. Tier 1 is home to the most impressive extracurricular activities (consequently, the ones that hold the most influence over college admissions), while Tier 4 activities are those most regularly seen by admissions offices and carry the least weight.
Lower-tier extracurricular activities aren’t as attention-getting as their more wow-worthy counterparts, however, they still have value to college admissions. They demonstrate that a student pursued their interests and took advantage of an opportunity available to them. Many summer programs also have a component that helps prepare participants for college and the college application process, which gives them a leg up on other students.
CollegeVine can help you determine the influence extracurricular activities like summer programs have on your odds of college admission. Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors including grades, standardized test scores, and extracurriculars to estimate your chances of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.
