Competitive summer programs for high school students: 2027 deadlines and guide
The deadline for the Research Science Institute (RSI) at MIT is fast approaching. Interested juniors must apply by December 11, 2026.
California high schoolers, especially those in the Bay Area, should take note: this year, RSI added a second site at Stanford for 50 standout students. Meanwhile, the Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS), a fixture for community-minded sophomores and juniors, won’t run this year.
Below are the dates and program descriptions for the most competitive summer programs for high schoolers in 2027. These look great on a college transcript, so don’t miss your chance to apply.
Summer programs for high schoolers: 2027 deadlines
- Research Science Institute (RSI): December 11, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET
- Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP): January 4, 2027, 5:00 p.m. ET, recommendation included
- Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP): the last Monday in January, which is January 25, 2027
- MITES Summer: February 1, 2027 (recommendations due February 15)
- Boston University RISE: February 3, 2027
- Simons Summer Research Program: February 5, 2027 (school nomination due January 29)
- Anson L. Clark Scholars Program: February 15, 2027, 11:59 p.m. CT
- Summer Science Program (SSP): February 2027 for U.S. applicants, January for international; exact dates TBA
- Canada/USA Mathcamp: TBA (February 23, 2026)
- Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR): late February 2027; opens December 18, 2026
- PROMYS (Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists): end of February 2027; exact date TBA
- Iowa Young Writers' Studio: TBA (a two-week window that opened January 19, 2026)
- Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop: March 1, 2027; opens in January
- Ross Mathematics Program: TBA (March 8)
- MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI): summer application due March 31; teacher recommendation due April 3
Cost, eligibility, and format: how the programs compare
| Program | Field | Who Can Apply? | Cost to Attend | Program Dates | Program Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSI | STEM research | Juniors, age 16 by July 1, 2027 | Free | 6 weeks, residential at MIT (June 20 to July 31) or Stanford (June 27 to Aug. 7) | CEE recommends PSAT Math 740+ and Reading and Writing 700+ |
| Simons | STEM lab research at Stony Brook | Juniors, U.S. citizens or permanent residents, age 16 by start | $75 application fee | 6 weeks (June 28 to Aug. 6) | School nomination fi; up to 3 students per school |
| Rockefeller SSRP | Team biomedical research, New York City | Juniors or seniors, age 16 by start | Not stated on the program page | 7 weeks, about 35 hours a week (June 21 to Aug. 5) | Zoom interview in March for selected applicants |
| SIMR | Biomedical research in Stanford labs | Juniors or seniors, age 16 by start, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | $50 application fee | 8 weeks, commuter only (June 7 to July 29, tentative) | No housing; you must live with a family member or guardian nearby |
| BU RISE | Lab internship or group practicum | Juniors, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | 2026: $10,735 residential, $6,415 commuter; 2027 rates post Dec. 17 | 6 weeks, residential or commuter | Short essays plus recommendation |
| Clark Scholars | Research in any field, humanities included | Rising seniors and recent graduates, 17 by start, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | Free room and board, $750 stipend; $25 application fee | 7 weeks, residential at Texas Tech campus | Twelve spots; three recommendations and test scores required |
| SSP | Team research in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics or cell biology | Juniors, ages 15 to 18 during the program | Fee with need-based aid; 2027 fee posts in December | 5 weeks, residential, several campuses | Prerequisite courses (for example, physics and precalculus for astrophysics) completed for a grade by June |
| MITES Summer | Project-based STEM courses plus humanities | Juniors, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | Free | 6 weeks, residential at MIT | One application covers MITES Summer and MITES Semester |
| BWSI | Team engineering projects: autonomous vehicles, AI, cybersecurity | Juniors living and attending school in the U.S. | Free under $200,000 household income; $3,000 above | 4 weeks (July 5 to Aug. 1), online or in person at MIT, no housing | Grades in a free online prerequisite course |
| PROMYS | Number theory | Completed 9th grade, ages 14 to 18 | Free for U.S. families earning under $80,000; aid above | 6 weeks, residential at Boston University (June 27 to Aug. 7) | A problem set of hard proofs |
| Ross | Number theory | Ages 15 to 18 | $7,500, with financial aid | 6 weeks, residential in Ohio and Indiana | Math problems plus a video |
| Mathcamp | Proof-based math at the undergraduate level | Ages 13 to 18 | Tuition with need-based aid; no application fee | 5 weeks, residential | The Qualifying Quiz, 5 to 10 open-ended problems |
| PSJP | Journalism and a year of college advising | Juniors from limited-income families | Free | Virtual sessions, then 10 days residential at Princeton | Three rounds, ending in an interview |
| Kenyon Young Writers | Creative writing | High school students | $2,575; no application fee; need-based aid | 2 weeks, residential (June 27 to July 10 or July 18 to 31) | 300-word personal statement |
| Iowa Young Writers' Studio | Poetry, fiction, TV writing, playwriting | High school students | $2,500 in person (2026); $10 application fee | 2 weeks, residential or online | Writing sample and statement of purpose |
High school summer program descriptions
Research Science Institute (RSI)
Run by MIT's Center for Excellence in Education, and starting at Stanford in 2027. Students spend the first week in classes with professors, then do a research project with a mentor’s guidance. They finish with a written paper and conference presentation. Applications are right around the corner.
Simons Summer Research Program
Stony Brook on Long Island, NY places each Simons fellow into a faculty-led research group for six weeks. Prior research experience isn’t required. The trick is getting in: your high school must nominate you by January 29, and it can name only three students. The program admits fewer than 5% of applicants.
Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
SSRP accepts only 32 to 40 students a year. Successful applicants work in research teams of between 8 and 10, led by trainees from Rockefeller, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Weill Cornell. Student teams choose their own topics. With a deadline of January 4th, now’s the time to submit an application.
Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Successful SIMR applicants study medical projects in Stanford labs. The program is free, but it doesn’t include housing, so it’s mainly for Bay Area students.
Boston University RISE
BU’s RISE has two tracks: internship students do full-time research at a BU faculty lab, while Practicum students do structured group research on a predetermined topic (Computational Neurobiology or Data Science, for example). At $10,735 for residential students in 2026, it’s the most expensive program on the list.
Clark Scholars Program
Texas Tech accepts twelve Clark Scholars a year for seven weeks of independent research with faculty. It’s the rare program that takes students in the humanities and fine arts, along with STEM students. Open to recent graduates, Clark offers successful applicants free room and board and a $750 stipend.
Summer Science Program (SSP)
Successful applicants work in groups of three on a research project. On the biochemistry track, for instance, teams might design a molecule to block an enzyme behind fungal crop infections.
MITES Summer
MITES Summer gives rising seniors a taste of college. Successful applicants spend six weeks at MIT living in the dorms and taking a full course load of math, science, and humanities. The same application covers MITES semester and a hybrid evening program, and MITES encourages students to apply to both.
MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Anyone can register for BWSI’s free online prerequisite course. Eligible students then get the summer application in March. Course grades weigh heavily in the decision, so the deadline that matters is the day you start the prerequisite.
PROMYS
Around 80 high schoolers spend six weeks at Boston University studying number theory, alongside 25 undergraduate counselors. The 2027 application opens in January, and the program is free for families that earn under $80,000.
Ross Mathematics Program
Ross has successful applicants work on number theory problems instead of attending lectures. The program fee is $7,500 for six weeks, with aid available. Ross hasn’t posted its 2027 deadline yet, but last year it was March 8th.
Mathcamp
Mathcamp accepts students as young as 13 up to college-aged students. The Qualifying Quiz is central to the application, and the 2027 version goes up in January. Mathcamp posts past quizzes on its site. Working through two or three of them is your best bet.
Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)
PSJP admits up to 40 juniors from limited-income families each May. The summer runs virtual workshops and ends with ten days on Princeton's campus printing a newspaper, the Princeton Summer Journal. Each student keeps a college adviser through senior year. That last part makes PSJP as much a college access program as a journalism one.
Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop
Kenyon runs two residential sessions in 2027 and a one-week online workshop June 20 to 26 for young writers.
Iowa Young Writers' Studio
Students choose one core course (poetry, fiction, creative writing, TV writing, or playwriting) for two weeks. The application window is short: two weeks in late January last cycle, and Iowa no longer accepts transcripts. The writing sample carries the application.
How to choose a high school summer program
Admissions committees can tell the difference between a program that chooses a student and one a student pays for. Clark picks 12 students from a national pool, and RSI selects 150. A five-figure precollege course at a famous campus might admit most applicants, and admissions readers know that.
Lean toward selective summer programs, even when the paid one has a better brand name.
Also check eligibility before applying. Clark only wants applicants who are 17 by the start date. SIMR and BWSI’s in-person courses don’t provide residential housing.
Finally, apply to several summer programs. With Clark taking 12 students and SSRP 40 at most, a strong applicant might be rejected for reasons that have almost nothing to do with merit.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most competitive summer programs for high school students?
By published size, the most selective are the Clark Scholars Program (12 students), Rockefeller's SSRP (32 to 40), PSJP (up to 40), and RSI (100 at MIT plus 50 at Stanford in 2027). Simons reports admitting fewer than 5% of applicants. In math, PROMYS, Ross, and Canada/USA Mathcamp screen applicants with hard problem sets.
When are the 2027 deadlines for competitive summer programs?
RSI closes first, on December 11, 2026. Rockefeller's SSRP follows on January 4, 2027. Most others close in February, and Kenyon (March 1), Ross (early March last cycle), and BWSI (March 31) have the latest deadlines.
Which competitive summer programs are free?
RSI, MITES Summer, SIMR, Clark Scholars, and PSJP cost nothing to attend, and Clark pays a $750 stipend. PROMYS is free for U.S. families earning under $80,000. BWSI is free for households under $200,000.
Do competitive summer programs help with college admissions?
The selective, free ones help most. What a student does there matters, too: an RSI paper or a Clark research report gives a recommender something concrete to write about.
Build your 2027 summer plan with Empowerly
The RSI deadline is December 11, and the Simons nomination needs your counselor's sign-off by January 29. Many qualified students lose a spot because a recommendation arrived a day late. Empowerly counselors help students pick the programs that fit their interests and eligibility, then map every recommendation request and essay to a date.
Talk with an Empowerly counselor about which summer programs belong on your list.