10 Summer Programs in West Virginia for High Schoolers in 2025
What’s Covered:
- 10 Summer Programs in West Virginia for High Schoolers
- How Do Summer Programs Impact Your College Chances?
Many young West Virginians have aspirations of living up to their state’s slogan—wild and wonderful—over summer break. However, high-achieving high schoolers will want to think about their futures while also having fun in the summer. Summer programs are a great way for high schoolers to prepare for college and a career, while also enjoying their summer break.
10 Summer Programs in West Virginia for High Schoolers
1. WVU Forensic Science Summer Camp
Dates:
- Session 1: June 16 – 20
- Session 2: July 21 – 25
Location: West Virginia University
Application Deadline: Closed, but a waitlist is open
Cost: $1,414 for overnight camp
Participants in this summer program learn the basic knowledge and techniques used by forensic scientists and get to put them into practice at a mock crime scene. Topics covered by this weeklong program include latent fingerprints, death investigation, toolmarks, forensic biology/chemistry, court testimony, and crime scene investigation.
2. Brain Camp
Dates: July 6 – 12
Location: West Virginia University
Application Deadline: Closed, but a waitlist is open
Cost: $800
Participation in this immersive science-based camp is limited to just 30 students. Participants stay on West Virginia University’s campus for a week and attend presentations and demonstrations led by faculty and graduate students of the university’s Department of Neuroscience.
Participants are also given ample opportunity to get hands-on experience in the lab. Topics covered by this fascinating summer program include everything from basic lab safety to effects of light at night, and from research ethics to human neuro-psych testing.
3. WVU Engineering Challenge Camps
Dates:
- Charged Up – Energizing the Future: July 7 – 11
- Machines in Motion: July 21 – 25
Location: West Virginia University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $425
This five-day, non-residential workshop for high schoolers is limited to 30 participants per session. Two sessions of this workshop are offered, with each session featuring a unique agenda. This year’s first session is focused on power systems and energy efficiency, while its other session spotlights mechanical, electrical, and robotics engineering.
The program culminates in a presentation of a project that participants create during the program.
4. WVU Camp STEM
Dates: June 15 – 20
Location: West Virginia University
Application Deadline: Applications open in March
Cost: $400 (includes all meals, residence hall room, t-shirts, camp activities and field trips)
Camp STEM is a weeklong program aimed at students with an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. Participants take part in a variety of classes and projects in fields including electronics, forensic investigation, automobiles, and robotics.
Participants also get to sample college life (as camp is held on WVU’s Beckley campus), meet professors, and explore careers in STEM fields.
5. WVU School of Music – Summer Brass Academy
Dates: June 9 – 13
Location: West Virginia University
Application Deadline: May 26 for meals/housing participants; June 2 for commuters
Cost: $780 for meals/housing participants; $425 for commuters
At this excellent summer program, aspiring musicians can improve their technical ability and interpretive skills, in addition to increasing their understanding of a variety of genres and musical styles. During this weeklong course, participants receive individual instruction and gain experience playing as part of a musical ensemble under the tutelage of WVU faculty.
6. WVU School of Music – Summer Percussion Academy
Dates: June 23 – 27
Location: West Virginia University
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $400 for tuition, as well as:
- $373.83 for overnight participants’ meals and housing, or
- $11.93 for lunch and $15.25 for dinner daily for commuters
The WVU Summer Percussion Academy showcases a diverse range of percussion opportunities, including orchestral percussion, marching percussion, drum set, world music, electronic music, and more. Over the course of the week, students will receive personalized lessons, engage in percussion ensemble rehearsals, and perform in various showcases.
Open to percussion students of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced, the academy offers a variety of clinics and workshops led by WVU percussion faculty and special guest artists.
7. Southern West Virginia Junior Nursing Academy
Dates: June 17 – 18
Location: West Virginia University
Application Deadline: May 1
Cost: Free
Southern West Virginia Junior Nursing Academy is a great summer program for students interested in pursuing a path in the healthcare field. Participants will work with professional nurses to build nursing skills while getting hands-on experience through visits to operating hospitals and real-life labs.
Students leave this program with a better understanding of the day-to-day work performed by nurses, as well as CPR certification.
8. Oglebay Institute’s Mountain Nature Camp
Dates: June 15 – 21 (or any combination of days within this time frame)
Location: Terra Alta Lake
Application Deadline: N/A
Cost: $425 (or $400 for Oglebay Institute members)
Located on an 18-acre peninsula of rural Terra Alta Lake in Preston County, West Virginia, this camp, open to students aged 18 or older, covers a wide variety of habitats. Mature forests, open wetlands, the meadow, and the lake are home to many exciting species of birds, amphibians, flowering and non-flowering plants, and other flora and fauna.
Throughout the week, classes are taught by expert naturalists and professional interpreters renowned for their ability to engage both novice and advanced learners. Areas of study include Botany, Ornithology, Ecology, and Natural History. Additionally, campers will enjoy field trips to some of West Virginia’s most beautiful and ecologically rich sites.
9. Health Care Pathway Initiative (HCPI)
Dates: June 1 – 27
Location: Marshall University
Application Deadline: April 25
Cost: Free
This residential program provides students interested in STEM with insights into the field’s careers and workplaces. Over the program’s four weeks, students will explore fields including science, research, health care, pharmacy, nursing, health informatics, and engineering.
In addition to getting valuable hands-on STEM experience, participants live and learn on Marshall University’s campus and work with the school’s staff and faculty, ultimately gaining a better understanding of the college experience.
10. WVU High School ACCESS Early College Program
Dates: TBA
Location: West Virginia University
Application Deadline: May 14 for summer
Cost: $25 per credit hour for WV residents and $75 per credit hour for non-resident students
The HS ACCESS Early College Program caters to high school or home-schooled sophomores, juniors, and seniors, offering a diverse range of courses. To be eligible, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA, obtain parental permission to attend, and submit academic transcripts.
Additionally, certain courses may require ACT/SAT scores, or completion of the ALEKS placement test to fulfill prerequisites, ensuring academic readiness. All official scores must be recorded in the WVU system before the semester’s add/drop period concludes, ensuring that students meet the requirements for enrollment.
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 several factors, such as the reputation of the program and the weight a school puts on participation in summer programs.
The four tiers of extracurricular activities are a good way to evaluate the value colleges place on activities outside the classroom, such as summer programs. Tier 1 and Tier 2 encompass the most prestigious, rare, and impressive activities. Consequently, participation in these top-tier activities has the greatest impact on your chances of college admission.
Tier 3 and Tier 4 activities are more commonly seen by admissions officials and don’t hold the same sway as higher-tiered activities in the college application process. That said, there is value to attending a summer program, even if it’s in a lower tier. Summer programs demonstrate intellectual curiosity and determination to pursue subjects that interest you, both of which are traits highly desirable to colleges. More so, many summer programs build the skills needed to get into and succeed in college.
What do colleges think of your participation in a summer program? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors, including grades, standardized test scores, and extracurriculars like summer programs to estimate your chances of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.
