One of the most important decisions facing families this time of year is what to do with your teenager over summer break. Teenagers will have approximately 8-10 weeks of unscheduled time to relax, have fun, and hang out with friends. Taking time to renew and refresh is important. So is using that time wisely. There are many wonderful programs offered by colleges and universities that will introduce your teenager to more in-depth study in their area of interest. Why take the time to attend a program? Competition for college admission is fierce. Top colleges and universities look for students who are serious about their choice of study. One way to stand out is to attend at least one program between sophomore and junior year (rising junior) and another program between junior and senior year (rising senior) in your area of interest. These programs vary in length of time, from 3 days to 8 weeks, and cost, from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. They are truly diverse. Programs exist locally, throughout the United States, and overseas. The sky is the limit when it comes to finding programs. Application deadlines differ so be careful to follow each program’s instructions carefully. Below is a sample list of websites that list programs of interest. Do a more thorough search online for specific programs in your area of interest.
Brown University, Providence, RI: Summer@Brown
http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Continuing_Studies/pc/index.php
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Disease Detective Camp (tuition-free; non-residential; rising junior and seniors)
http://www.cdc.gov/gcc/exhibit/camp.htm
Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, CA: Summer Research Program
http://www.chori.org/Education/Summer_Internship_Program/summer_internship.html
Clark University, Worcester, MA: Summer Science Program (tuition-free)
http://www.clarku.edu/admissions/specialprograms/summerscienceprogram/index.cfm
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY: Telluride Association Summer Programs for High School Students
http://www.tellurideassociation.org/default.html
Duke University, Durham, NC: Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) (programs from 4th to 12th grade; financial aid may be available)
http://www.tip.duke.edu/index.html
George Washington University, Washington, DC: Science & Engineering Apprenticeship Program
http://www.usaeop.com/programs/SEAP/index.htm
Health Jobs Start Here, California: Internships & Volunteering (list of various medical internships and volunteer opportunities throughout California)
http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/experience/find
Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, Baltimore, MD: Summer Programs
http://cty.jhu.edu/summer/grades7above.html
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA: Research Science Institute
http://www.cee.org/rsi/index.shtml
Michigan Tech, Houghton, MI: Summer Youth Program
http://youthprograms.mtu.edu/
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ: Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA)
http://www.ledascholars.org/
Quest Bridge College Prep Scholarship (providing scholarships to various summer programs)
http://www.questbridge.org/access/collegepreptext/
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY: Biology & Biotechnology Paid Co-op/Internships (NOTE: this contains a detailed list of many internship opportunities, including some for high school students)
http://people.rit.edu/gtfsbi/Symp/summer.htm
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center: Youth Opportunity Program (summer internship employment)
http://www-public.slac.stanford.edu/hr/jobs/YopProgram.asp?catid=0200
Stanford University, Stanford, CA: Office of Science Outreach (list of science-based outreach programs at Stanford University)
http://oso.stanford.edu/
Stanford University, Stanford, CA: Summer Residential Camps
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/hds/scs/youth/
Stanford University Center for Clinical Immunology (CCIS), Stanford, CA: Stanford Institutes of Medical Research (SIMR) Summer Internship Program
http://ccis.stanford.edu/
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX: Clark Summers Program
http://www.clarkscholars.ttu.edu/home.htm
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA: Summer Sessions and Special Programs
http://www.summer.ucla.edu/highschool/hsgeneral.htm
University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA: Summer Programs
http://summerprograms.ucsd.edu/ http://meded.ucsd.edu/sdexport/
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI: Telluride Association Summer Programs for High School Students
http://www.tellurideassociation.org/default.html
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA: Summer & Special Programs
http://www.usc.edu/dept/admissions/programs/summer//
University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY: Summer High School Institute
http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/provost/hsi/
University of Southern Florida Area Health Education Center (USF AHEC), Tampa, FL: Health Professions Summer Academy (residential program for local junior and senior students; minority and underrepresented students highly encouraged to apply)
http://health.usf.edu/ahec/HighSchool/Students-summeracademy.htm
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY: Biology & Biotechnology Paid Co-op/Internships (NOTE: this contains a detailed list of many internship opportunities at colleges across the United States)
http://people.rit.edu/gtfsbi/Symp/summer.htm
Stanford University, Stanford, CA: Office of Science Outreach (list of science-based outreach programs at Stanford University)
http://oso.stanford.edu/
University of Maryland, College Park, MD: Youth Scholars Program (rising juniors and seniors)
http://oes.umd.edu/s/ysp/
University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College Park, MD: Summer Research Initiative (rising juniors and seniors)
http://www.bsos.umd.edu/dean/summer.html
