25 Summer Programs in Indiana for High Schoolers
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 do. Summer programs allow high school students to develop their interests, learn more about college, and gain insight into career paths.
25 Summer Programs in Indiana
1. Summer Academies | Exploring Engineering
Students will participate in activities including working on Arduino microcomputers, building a solar water heater, practicing soldering, and testing an electronic circuit during this six-day program.
Affiliate Organization: Hanover College
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $750
Deadline: 4/15/22
Application requirements: Transcript
2. Summer Academies | Environmental Science Institute
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 six-day program.
Affiliate Organization: Hanover College
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $650
Deadline: 4/15/22
Application requirements: Transcript
3. Summer Academies | Health Science Institute
Students have the chance to learn from healthcare practitioners and science professors about the health sciences during this six-day program.
Affiliate Organization: Hanover College
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $750
Deadline: 4/15/22
Application requirements: Transcript
4. Summer Academies | Creating TV Dramas, Sitcoms & Commercials
This super-fun Indiana summer program teaches participants about the basics of storytelling in radio, television, and film.
Affiliate Organization: Hanover College
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $650
Deadline: 4/15/22
Application requirements: Transcript
5. Summer Honors | Making History: Adventures in Archives, Museums, and Films
History buffs will want to attend this six-day summer program exploring the past through primary sources, documentary films, recent scholarship, exhibitions, and interviews with authors, filmmakers, and museum directors.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana State University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $450
Deadline: 6/10/22
Application requirements:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Transcript
- Letter of recommendation
6. Summer Honors | Elementary Education
Aspiring educators will get hands-on experience teaching elementary school students during this six-day summer program.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana State University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $450
Deadline: 6/10/22
Application requirements:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Transcript
- Letter of recommendation
7. Summer Honors | Business Communication for Professional Success
Students learn how to help businesses share their stories while making themselves more marketable in an increasingly digital marketplace over the course of this six-day summer program.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana State University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $450
Deadline: 6/10/22
Application requirements:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Transcript
- Letter of recommendation
8. Summer Honors | Poetry Writing Seminar: Power, Process, and Play
This immersive experience provides participants with the opportunity to experience the world of poetry while sharpening their critical thinking, analysis, and writing skills. The summer camp concludes with a public performance of their work.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana State University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $450
Deadline: 6/10/22
Application requirements:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Transcript
- Letter of recommendation
9. Balfour Scholars Program
Students will cultivate their academic skills and career development during this program while also building skills like managing their personal finances, evaluating major options, and exploring career paths.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana University
Grades: 11th
Cost: Free
Deadline: 3/31/19
Requirements:
- African American, Latinx, and/or Native American
- Transcript
- Minimum 2.7 GPA
- Three short answer questions
- Letter of recommendation
10. Business is Global: Summer Language Program
This great summer program provides participants with the chance to immerse themselves in cultures and languages from around the world—Akan, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Mandarin, Chinese, and Russian— while also exploring key business disciplines.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $300
Deadline: 4/29/22
Application requirements: Teacher recommendation
11. Foundations in Science and Mathematics
This two-week program helps participants develop the critical science and math skills that are the foundation of high school science and math classes.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: N/A
Deadline: N/A
12. Jim Holland Summer Enrichment Program in Biology
Students will broaden their knowledge of biology during this six-day program. They’ll get to explore topics such as genetics, evolution, environmental biology, molecular biology, and plant sciences.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: N/A
Deadline: 4/29/22
Additional Requirements:
- Underrepresented high school students
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Two teacher recommendation
13. Luddy Pre-College Summer Program
Over the course of this six-day residential program, participants will learn how the faculty and students of the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering use and design computational tools to solve problems in engineering, science, and society.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $750
Deadline: N/A
14. Women’s Cybersecurity Immersion Camp
This week-long camp allows young women interested in exploring careers in cybersecurity to gain hands-on experience with the popular tools and techniques of the field.
Affiliate Organization: Indiana University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $300
Deadline: N/A
15. Summer Scholars | Identity and Popular Culture
Over the course of this two-week 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.
Affiliate Organization: University of Notre Dame
Grades: 10th and 11th
Cost: $4,250
Deadline: 5/2/22
Application requirements:
- Transcript
- Counselor report
- Teacher recommendation
16. Summer Scholars | Modern Art: From French Impressionism to American Pop
This two-week summer program seeks to instill in participants knowledge of the major figures in modern art and an improved appreciation for the artistic process.
Affiliate Organization: University of Notre Dame
Grades: 10th and 11th
Cost: $4,250
Deadline: 5/2/22
Application requirements:
- Transcript
- Counselor report
- Teacher recommendation
17. Summer Scholars | Public Speaking and Debate
Students hone their public speaking skills during this 2-week program. The program uses policy debate to help students develop strong communication skills and exercise critical thinking.
Affiliate Organization: University of Notre Dame
Grades: 10th and 11th
Cost: $4,250
Deadline: 5/2/22
Application requirements:
- Transcript
- Counselor report
- Teacher recommendation
18. Summer Scholars | Film Production: the Art of Being a Filmmaker
Students learn the skill of filmmaking during this two-week course. They’ll explore the history of filmmaking and produce and direct their own short film that will be screened at the end of the program.
Affiliate Organization: University of Notre Dame
Grades: 10th and 11th
Cost: $4,250
Deadline: 5/2/22
Application requirements:
- Transcript
- Counselor report
- Teacher recommendation
19. Summer Scholars | Gender and Culture in American Society
During this two-week course, students will explore the academic field of Gender Studies and gain a better understanding of the main themes central to how gender operates in the world.
Affiliate Organization: University of Notre Dame
Grades: 10th and 11th
Cost: $4,250
Deadline: 5/2/22
Application requirements:
- Transcript
- Counselor report
- Teacher recommendation
20. Gifted Education Resource and Research Institute | Pulsar
Students enhance their academic profile during this program while working with gifted, creative, and talented students from across the country and around the world.
Affiliate Organization: Purdue University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: $2,400
Deadline: N/A
Application requirements: Essay or alternative media statement
21. Cybersecurity Camp
High school girls are given the chance to delve into cybersecurity during this week-long program which explores topics such as programming, networking, and cybersecurity ethics.
Affiliate Organization: Purdue University
Grades: 9th, 10th, and 11th
Cost: Free
Deadline: N/A
Additional requirements: Females only
22. PREFACE
Students examine engineering fields during this week-long program. They’ll have the chance to engineer solutions to modern problems and evaluate career choices according to their personal goals.
Affiliate Organization: Purdue University
Grades: 9th and 10th
Cost: $724.10-$1324.55
Deadline: 6/1/22
Requirements:
- Underrepresented students (i.e., African American, Native American, and Hispanic American)
- Minimum 3.3 GPA
- Transcript
23. Multiethnic Introduction to Engineering (MITE)
Students explore engineering projects during this five-week program. During this program participants will receive personalized attention about life as an engineering student, assistance with improving their SAT scores, and participate in hands-on workshops.
Affiliate Organization: Purdue University
Grades: 11th
Cost: $2164.70-$3365.60
Deadline: 6/1/22
Requirements:
- Underrepresented students (i.e., African American, Native American, and Hispanic American)
- Transcript
- Score reports from standardized tests
- Essay
24. Operation Catapult
Students explore STEM fields during this two-week program. They can choose to learn about topics such as robotics and participate in activities like developing a machine or brewing biodiesel.
Affiliate Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Grades: 11th and 12th
Cost: $2,500
Deadline: 4/20/22
25. Indianapolis Project SEED High School Research Program
Students conduct hands-on research and explore a career in science during this eight-week program.
Affiliate Organization: Project SEED
Grades: 10th, 11th, and 12th
Cost: $0
Deadline: 3/21/22
Requirements:
- From an economically disadvantaged background
- Transcript (one year of chemistry is mandatory)
- Essay
- Teacher recommendation
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 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.
