Resources

Extracurricular Options

Academic Competitions

• AMC (American Mathematics Competitions) - AMC 10 and 12 for high school students. First step on path to the International Mathematical Olympiad. Register early December, competition in early February.

• Quiz Bowl - Fast-paced buzzer competitions in which teams of four players compete to answer questions that cover academic subjects like literature and science as well as the broader world of popular culture and current events. Local tournaments and national championship.

Community Service and Volunteering

• Amigos de las Americas - Community service and youth leadership development across the Americas

• DoSomething.org - Social change volunteer opportunities

• Projects Abroad - Volunteer and intern abroad

• Teen Life - Search for summer, gap, volunteer opportunities

Environmental/Wilderness

• Adventures Cross Country - Summer and bridge year programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America

• Inspiring Girls - Tuition-free wilderness science expeditions for young women

• Naturebridge - Field-based environmental science programs (some California locations)

• Outward Bound - Experiential and outdoor education programs including backpacking, mountaineering, whitewater rafting, canoeing, dog sledding, sailing, and more. Numerous options in California.

Performing & Visual Arts

• Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity - Performing Arts programs in Dance, Music, Opera, Theater. Also offers programs in Visual & Digital Arts, Literary Arts, Media & Production

• Berklee College of Music - Contemporary Music, Jazz, Opera, Strings, Guitar, Percussion, Songwriting, Music Production & Business, and more.

• Blue Bear School of Music - Summer day programs in songwriting, guitar, rock band, DJ. Located in Fort Mason, San Francisco

• California Jazz Conservatory - Immersive programs which include ensembles, improvisation, theory; located in Berkeley

• Cazadero Music Camp - For musicians age 10-18; located in Sonoma County

• Grammy Camp - Music/Music Industry Program with tracks in Audio Engineering, Electronic Music Production, Songwriting, Performance, Music Journalism, Video Production, and Music Business; selective audition process

• Idyllwild Arts - Summer programs in Creative Writing, Dance, InterArts/Fashion Design, Film & Digital Media, Music, Theater, Visual Arts

• Interlochen - Wide range of Arts and Musical offerings. Particularly renowned classical music program.

• NYU Tisch Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music - Hands on music industry training including recording and production, visits to NYC record labels, festivals.

• School of Creative and Performing Arts - Programs in Filmmaking, Acting, Dance, Photography, Music

• Stanford Jazz - Week long residential or day camp/institute

• Tanglewood - Premier summer training for aspiring classical musicians

Pre-Collegiate Academic Programs

• Boston University Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) - Spend six weeks at BU conducting university laboratory research with some of the nation's brightest scientific minds, and advance your knowledge and skills in the sciences. Rising seniors only. Admission is selective.

• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Engineering Possibilities in College - Explore various fields of engineering through hands-on labs taught by university professors and industry professionals.

• COSMOS - Four-week residential STEM summer programs held on the campuses of UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz

• Georgetown University Summer Programs - Wide range of subjects; one to five weeks in length; some offer college credit.

• iD Tech - Coding, Apps, Game Design, Robotics and more. Local options available.

• Johns Hopkins Gifted & Talented Science Summer Programs - Physics, Astronomy, Biology, Environmental Science, Engineering & Robotics, Engineering

• LaunchX - Business entrepreneurship summer program. Four to five weeks in length. Highly selective.

• MIT Admissions Suggested Programs in Science and Math

• Oxbridge - Summer study programs in England, France, Scotland, Spain, USA

• Pre-college Summer Science Programs - Descriptions of programs in a variety of scientific subfields held on college campuses across the U.S.

• Santa Clara University Summer Engineering Seminar - Designed to introduce 10th and 11th graders to engineering. No experience necessary.

• Stanford Medicine - Programs and internships for undergraduate and high school students interested in medicine or science.

• Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes - Residential academic summer programs; wide range of subjects. Admission is selective.

• Summer Discovery - Pre-college Business institutes

• Summer Science Program - Residential research program for gifted rising seniors. Highly selective.

• TeenLife - Robust database of programs offered by colleges and independent providers. Some selective, some less selective.

• Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP) - Free six-week educational experience for high school juniors that offers challenges and rewards rarely encountered in secondary school or even college. Highly selective.

• The School of the New York Times - Residential two-week courses in Manhattan and Washington D.C. Extensive variety of topics from creative writing, sports, opinion writing, global reporting, politics, public policy, and more.

• Top Summer Science Programs - Information and links to excellent programs

• UC Berkeley Pre-College Summer Programs - Classes in many disciplines; for credit or non-credit options. Virtual, residential, and commuter options.

• UCLA Pre-College Summer Institutes - Residential program on the UCLA campus. Designed for advanced high school students wishing to gain academically challenging college-level experience. College credit awarded. Variety of subject areas (design media, economics, engineering, filmmaking, investments, nanoscience, performing arts, and more). Selectivity varies by program.

• University of Pennsylvania Engineering Summer Academy - Residential program for motivated students to explore engineering at the college level. Highly selective.

• Yale Young Global Scholars - Nine interdisciplinary academic programs for rising juniors and seniors; range of subjects; highly selective. Application deadline mid-January.