15 Summer Programs in Rhode Island for High Schoolers in 2024
What’s Covered:
- 15 Summer Programs in Rhode Island for High Schoolers
- How do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
Spending summer on the beach is a tempting proposition for Rhode Island high schoolers. The state has the longest ratio of coastline to overall area and the moniker “the Ocean State.” However, motivated college-bound students understand that summer is a valuable time for bolstering their profiles. Summer programs allow students to explore areas of interest, can make them more appealing to colleges, and help them gain a better understanding of possible future paths. Some Rhode Island summer programs even allow for plenty of time on the water.
While this list is hardly an exhaustive list of all the summer programs in Rhode Island available for high school students, it’s a good place to start your search for what you might do this summer.
15 Summer Programs in Rhode Island for High Schoolers
1. Residential Summer Immersive
Dates: June 29-August 3
Location: Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $8,715-$11,350
Rising high school juniors and seniors will experience a college-level curriculum—including day-long studio classes, critiques, and projects—in this artsy summer program. Participants work with like-minded and creative peers who inspire and encourage them to push their artistic limits and produce their best work. By the end of this five-week-long program, students will have deepened their knowledge of art and design and bolstered their portfolios.
2. RISD Advanced Program Online
Dates:
- Session 1: June 22-July 20
- Session 2: July 21-August 18
Location: Online
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $2,760
This four-week program is aimed at students planning to pursue a degree in art and design. The online program blends live and recorded video sessions, is open to students in grades 10 through 12, and challenges participants to discover new materials and create new work. Ultimately, program participants will learn best practices for developing their work and gain a deeper understanding of design and art.
3. Brown Summer High School
Dates: July 10-July 28
Location: Brown University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: Free
Just 150 to 200 motivated students from Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts are chosen to participate in this summer morning enrichment program at Brown University. Participants are encouraged to pursue the fields that interest them and courses are offered in English, math, science, and social studies—and all courses have a focus on equity and justice. In addition to classes, participants take part in hands-on and experiential learning projects, creative labs, and discussions.
4. Brown Pre-College Programs
Dates: Varies
Location: Brown University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: Varies
Brown University offers a variety of pre-college programs—ranging from one week to six weeks long—allowing high schoolers to explore the challenges and opportunities offered by college. With more than 300 courses available, students are sure to find an interesting subject to pursue while getting first hand experience of college life—balancing academics with social activities—at an Ivy League institution.
5. High School Summer Academy in Architecture
Dates: July 7-August 3
Location: Roger Williams University
Application Deadline: June 1
Cost: $5,800
This summer program provides participants with a better understanding of what it’s like to pursue architecture as both a major and a career. Over four weeks, rising juniors and seniors will participate in studios, seminars, and fieldwork, along with a variety of extracurricular activities. They will also explore basic architectural principles, digital drawing, modeling techniques, and contemporary practice while participating in team design projects. Students earn three college credits for completing this program.
6. Marine Biology Camp
Dates: N/A
Location: Roger Williams University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $1,400
If your idea of a classroom is the coastline, this is the summer program for you. Participants between ages 15 and 17 get first-hand experience in the field, taking part in activities like exploring bay ecosystems by kayak, snorkeling along tidal pools, and viewing whales from a boat. Students also log lab time sampling plankton, studying the biology of shellfish, and doing productivity studies. Enrollment is limited to just 18 students per session, ensuring they receive individual attention.
7. Food Science Camp
Dates: July 21-26
Location: Roger Williams University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $995
Students in grades 10 through 12 can explore the science of cuisine in this six-day overnight camp. Participants will learn the science that goes into making a five-star dinner—exploring physics, chemistry, and biology—while building food preparation and laboratory science skills.
8. Forensic Science Summer Camp
Dates: July 14-19
Location: Roger Williams University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $995
Participants in this week-long residential camp will explore the cutting-edge technologies and techniques used by forensic scientists to solve crimes. Topics include fingerprinting, collecting footwear evidence, analyzing substances, and crime scene possession. When not solving cold cases, students have full access to Roger Williams facilities, including its sailing center, kayaks, and waterfront.
9. Young Actors Summer Institute (YASI) Casting Call
Dates: July 8-12
Location: Trinity Repertory Company
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $400
Students in grades 8 through 12 with an interest in theater will want to check out this week-long program. The class explores different types of acting auditions, emphasizing two-monologue theatrical auditions. Program participants will learn to perform monologues and short scenes, build audition techniques, and learn about common pitfalls. The class culminates with a mock audition and students receive files of their on-camera auditions.
10. Young Actors Summer Institute (YASI) Improv & Comedy
Dates: July 22-26
Location: Trinity Repertory Company
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $400
This course is perfect for students who love to make people laugh. Participants between grades 8 and 12 will learn the basics of comedy—from improvisation and writing to comedic timing and physical comedy—in this course. Students will spend time writing scripts, crafting characters, and having each other rolling in the aisles laughing.
11. Young Actors Summer Institute (YASI) One Act
Dates: July 29-August 2
Location: Trinity Repertory Company
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $400
Up to 20 students from grades 10 through 12 are chosen to participate in this summer program in which students prepare a one-act play—from first read-through to curtain call. The program culminates with a staging of the play and participants will leave with first-hand experience in every step of a live stage production.
12. Providence Debate Camp
Dates: July 28-August 3
Location: Portsmouth Abbey School
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $1,695
This six-day, six-night summer program aimed at students in grades 8 through 11 helps build effective communication and teamwork skills through debate and public speaking. Participants can expect four or more rounds of debate daily, along with debate-focused workshops and optional activities like swimming and off-campus outings.
13. Next Stop Broadway
Dates: N/A
Location: Providence Performing Arts Center
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $565
Immerse yourself in musical theater in this five-day program for students ages 10 to 17. Participants will take part in classes, workshops, and rehearsals as they learn the music and choreography for iconic chorus numbers. The program concludes with students delivering a final performance for friends and family.
14. New England College Pre-College Program
Dates: July 9-20
Location: New England College
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $2,200-$3,200
Students can explore their artistic sides at the pre-college program offered by New England College’s Institute of Art and Design. Students between ages 14 and 18 will develop their artistic talents, foster problem-solving skills, and build a portfolio while taking courses in core subjects like creative writing and visual arts, along with electives such as sculpture, illustration, and photography. Participants can earn four college credits for this two-week summer program.
15. GenCyber Camp
Dates: June 17-July 26
Location: Online
Application Deadline: June 9
Cost: Free
This camp sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA) is open to rising high school juniors and seniors and aims to develop the next generation of cyber stars. Participants will explore topics like staying safe online, ethics, and cyberbullying, and learn to program along with participating in activities like movie nights. Students will even spend a week learning to hack—ethically, of course.
How do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
The influence your participation in a summer program has on your odds of college admission varies depending on numerous factors, such as the prestige of the program and the weight a college places on extracurricular activities. One of the best ways to understand how colleges value summer programs is by using the four tiers of extracurricular activities.
Tier-one and tier-two activities are the most valuable to college admissions. Top-tier summer programs are held in high esteem, very selective, and rarely seen by admissions officers. Activities in tiers three and four are more common, less attention-grabbing, and aren’t as impactful to admissions.
Although the significance of summer programs will vary from one to another, every summer program holds some value to college admissions. Attending a summer program demonstrates your initiative, ambition, and intellectual curiosity. Also, college preparation is integrated into the curriculum of many summer programs, allowing college-bound high schoolers to do everything from bolstering artistic portfolios to honing audition performances to building needed skills. However, the ones that will impact your application the most are ones that are highly selective, free, and backed by a reputable university or organization.
Our free chancing engine lets you see how your participation in a summer program affects your odds of college admission. It uses a variety of metrics, such as grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities like summer programs to estimate your odds at more than 1,600 colleges nationwide.
