Laura Berlinsky-Schine April 30, 2022 4 Extracurricular Activities

10 Summer Programs in Massachusetts for High Schoolers

What’s Covered:

• Summer Programs in Massachusetts
• How do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?

Home to more than 100 institutions of higher education, Massachusetts is a state full of opportunities for learners of all ages. High school students can get a taste of college, learn something new, and flesh out their extracurricular profiles by participating in summer programs. 

Whether you’re interested in science, art, business, or creative writing, there’s something for everyone.

Summer Programs in Massachusetts

1. Adventures in Veterinary Medicine

Dates:

July 11-15, 2022
July 25-29, 2022
Location: Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Application deadline: Rolling admissions, application fee of $40
Cost: $3,850

Hosted by the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, this residential program exposes high school students to the ins and outs of the veterinary profession. Students will learn from lectures, shadowing fourth-year veterinary students, and more. They will also get hands-on experience working with the animals on the Cummings School Farm and participating in labs.

2. Boston Architectural College Summer Academy for High School Students

Dates: July 5th-July 29th
Location: Boston College
Application deadline: June 1st
Cost: $1,500

BAC’s Early College Program gives high school students around the world a sneak peek into the world of architecture, interior design, landscape design, and more. Students will work with leading professionals via an on-site experience, which includes live lectures, exercises, site and professional firm visits, and team design and building projects. A virtual, synchronous format is also available. 

Students may be eligible to earn college credits and scholarships.

3. Boston Leadership Institute STEM Programs for Teens

Dates: Summer 2022
Location: Boston Leadership Institute
Application deadline: May 15, 2022
Cost: One-week tuition is $599, and three-week tuition is $2,200. The residential fee is $599 per week.

With in-person and remote options available, BLI’s STEM programs allow young adults entering grades 8-12 to explore a range of subjects in science, engineering/tech, medicine, and business. One-week and three-week programs are offered. 

4. Boston University Summer Programs for Pre-College Students

Dates: Summer 2022
Location: Boston University
Application deadline: June 1st
Cost: varies by program

BU offers several opportunities for high school students to experience residential college life, explore a range of academic topics, engage in hands-on learning, earn college credit, and take on new challenges, through programs like:

• Academic Immersion
• High School Honors
• RISE Internship/Practicum
• Summer Challenge
• Summer Preview

5. GirlsGetMath

Dates: July 11-15, 2022
Location: Stonehill College
Application deadline: May 20th
Cost: $100

At Stonehill College, entering 10th or 11th-grade students will explore the mathematical sciences in an open and encouraging setting, through hands-on activities, interactive lectures, and daily computer labs. Working under the guidance of professional faculty, they will learn topics like cryptography, data science, image processing, prime numbers and factoring, and mathematical modeling.

Scholarships are available. The program is non-residential.

6. Harvard Pre-College Program

Dates: 
June 26-July 8
July 10-22
July 24-August 5
Location: Harvard College
Application deadline: March 2
Cost: $4,950 + $75 application fee and $100 health insurance

Exceptional high school students flock to Cambridge every year to get a taste of Harvard’s world-class education. Students may choose from more than 30 non-credit courses, which cover topics like:

• Speech, Writing, and Literature
• Psychology, Medicine, and Public Health
• Law, Politics, Philosophy, and History
• Business and Leadership
• Race, Gender, and Ethics
• Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM)

Scholarships are available.

7. MassArt Pre-College Summer Studios

Dates: July 18 – August 12, 2022
Location: MassArt
Application deadline: May 2
Cost: The virtual program costs $3,245 (non-credit)/$3,830 (credit). The on-campus version costs $3,570 (non-credit)/$4,155 (credit).

One of the country’s top art schools is home to a summer program for creative artists entering grades 11 and 12. The four-week intensive experience helps students develop artistic and critical thinking skills while they attend three courses: 2D Fundamentals, 3D Fundamentals, and Issues & Images. Students also take an elective. Successful participants have the option of earning three college credits. Scholarships are available.

8. Pre-College @ UMass Amherst

Dates:
Session 1: June 26
Session 2: July 10
Session 3: July 24
Location: University of Massachusetts
Application deadline: rolling with final deadline June 15th
Cost: varies by program

The University of Massachusetts flagship campus and the Mt. Ida campus are home to unique 1–3-week pre-college programs. Students participate in academic intensives in more than three dozen topics: STEM, art and design, business, and more. Students live on campus among their peers. Online options are also available. 

9. Research Science Institute

Dates: Summer 2022
Location: MIT
Application deadline: rolling
Cost: varies by program

Annually, 80 talented high school students from around the world convene at MIT to participate in the prestigious RSI. There, they will engage in real research, reading current literature in STEM fields, learning under leading professors, creating a research plan, and delivering conference-style oral and written reports on their work. The experience is cost-free and open to rising high school seniors.

10. Smith College Summer Precollege Programs

Dates: Summer 2022
Location: Smith College
Application deadline: rolling, final deadline May 15th
Cost: varies by program

Hosted at one of the country’s most prestigious liberal arts colleges, these programs offer a hands-on, collaborative experience to female-identifying and gender-nonconforming students entering grades 9-12. They will work with world-class scholars while pursuing their passions and developing new skills, tackling topics like Creative Writing, Science and Engineering, Sustainable Futures, and Women, Gender & Representation.

How do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?

Most top colleges and universities evaluate extracurriculars according to four tiers, with Tier 1 indicating the most exceptional and prestigious activities and Tier 4 indicating the least impressive and most common activities. While many summer programs fall into Tiers 3-4, those that are free or low-cost and highly selective, like RSI (#9 above), are of higher tiers.

Curious how your summer programs and other extracurricular activities will impact your chances of admission? Find out with CollegeVine’s free chancing engine. Not only will we estimate your odds of success at hundreds of colleges and universities, but we’ll also give you tips for improving your profile.