STEM Summer Programs
by Justin B.
The possibilities of summer are endless and can include academic enrichment, international travel, volunteering, paid jobs, internships, overnight camps or leadership training. While there isn’t necessarily a “right” or “wrong” program or opportunity to select for the summer, what matters is to plan an experience that is engaging & rewarding.
College admissions officers love to see a deep commitment to your personal passions. So when considering academic program options, try to identify the ones that closely align with your future college major and career interests.
In this post, we’ll introduce you to a selection of summer opportunities in each of the branches of STEM, categorized by their selectivity. Yes, many STEM summer programs can be just as competitive as college admissions so it’s important to have a balanced list of summer program options.
Science
- Reach – Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
- Target – Medical Immersion Summer Academy (MISA) in Oakland
- Likely – Environmental Science: The Living City (Loyola Marymount University)
Technology
- Reach – SPARK Summer Internship Program in Seattle
- Target – Internship Program (SIP) at UC Santa Cruz
- Likely – Berkeley Pre-College Scholars
Engineering
- Reach – Research Science Institute (MIT)
- Target – Engineering Innovation (Johns Hopkins)
- Likely – UC San Diego Bioengineering Scholar High School Internship Project
Math