For high school students interested in computer science, summer research programs offer a solid opportunity to build skills and knowledge in the field. Plus, they also allow you to work on critical research skills before college!
Research programs often involve hands-on project work, which can help you improve your practical skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
If you’re looking for a flexible way to do research in computer science, consider attending an online computer science research summer program. These programs allow you to learn advanced topics and engage in hands-on experiences from the comfort of your home.
Here are 10 online computer science research summer programs for high school students:
1. Veritas AI
Cost: $2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program | $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase | $6,900 for both. Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Program dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects.
Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here.
2. Stanford AI4All
Cost: $4,000
Program dates: June 18 – July 2
Application deadline: January 24
Eligibility: Current 9th graders/rising 10th graders who are at least 14 years of age. Basic math/computer skills are preferred. International students can apply as well.
Stanford AI4All is a two-week online computer science research summer program for high school students interested in artificial intelligence. As a participant, you will explore topics like robotics, computer vision, medical AI, machine learning models, and natural language processing.
A significant amount of time is spent on research projects with hands-on experiences. Previous students’ projects have revolved around using natural language processing to aid disaster relief, writing machine-learning algorithms to detect cancer, and using computer vision to map poverty-affected areas. Additionally, you will attend mentorship sessions and career development workshops.
3. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Cost: 100% financial aid is available
Program dates: The summer cohort runs from June to August, the Fall cohort from September to December, the Winter cohort from December to February, Spring from March to June
Application deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. The Summer Cohort I priority application deadline is March 9
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate high academic achievement. (Note: students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4). No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a research program that allows high school students to work on a mentored research project. This program offers you personalized guidance and 1-on-1 mentorship by pairing you with a PhD mentor.
Both computer science and data science are included in the program’s available research areas, featuring topics like machine learning, deep learning, software development systems, and more. By the end of the program, you will have in-depth knowledge of your chosen research topic. You can apply for the program here.
4. MIT THINK Scholars
Cost: Free of cost
Program dates: Finalists are announced in February and projects are completed by June
Application deadline: January 1 of each year
Eligibility: All high school students can apply as individuals or in teams of two
Prize: A $1,000 budget, weekly mentoring and a paid trip to MIT’s campus.
While the MIT THINK Scholars program is not a traditional academic enrichment program, we have still included it on this list due to the value it could offer you. The program is a research competition that accepts STEM research proposals from high school students.
If you have a computer science research idea that needs additional resources, you could apply to the MIT THINK Scholars program. If accepted as a finalist, you will receive $1,000 in funding and weekly mentoring sessions to help you complete your project. At the end of the program, you will also receive an all-expense-paid trip to MIT.
5. Stanford AIMI’s Summer Research Internship
Cost: $850. Financial aid that covers tuition and application fees is available, based on demonstrated financial need.
Program dates: June 16 – 27
Application deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years of age and have strong math and/or programming skills
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging’s Summer Research Internship is a two-week virtual internship that explores the use of AI in healthcare. The program consists of lectures, mentoring activities, social activities, and group sessions to work on research projects.
You can expect plenty of hands-on work, as previous students have worked on projects such as “The use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to determine the correct position of an endotracheal tube in an X-ray”. At the end of the program, you might have the opportunity to attend an extended research opportunity.
6. NASA and UT Austin’s SEES High School Summer Intern Program
Location: You can choose between in-person and virtual internships
Cost: Free
Program dates: Online learning component from May 1 – July 1, project work from June 1 – July 19, Virtual SEES Science Symposium from July 21-22
Application deadline: February 22
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors who are US citizens and at least 16 years of age
Organized by NASA and UT Austin, the STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) Summer Intern Program offers high school students the opportunity to work with NASA scientists and engineers and NASA satellite data. The program’s virtual internship opportunities include computer science themes like “Architecting AI for Human Space Travel” and “Hack the GLOBE!”.
The former explores AI development in space travel while the latter uses coding and data analysis to study long-term environmental trends. At the end of the program, you and your team will present your research during a virtual symposium. However, do keep in mind that this is a highly competitive program with an acceptance rate of 3-4%.
7. George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Cost: None. There is a $25 application fee, but waivers are available for those who need it
Program dates: June 18 – August 8
Application deadline: February
Eligibility: High school and undergraduate students who are at least 15 years old
George Mason University’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program is an 8-week, online research summer program for high school students. As an intern, you will be paired with a faculty researcher and contribute to their ongoing research.
Mentors are available in various fields, and several of them conduct research in computer science, covering topics like machine learning, data mining, cybersecurity, brain-inspired computing, visual/augmented reality, and more. Through the program, you will also learn how to use scientific equipment and technologies, get hands-on experience, develop scientific writing skills, and explore career pathways.
8. Johns Hopkins University’s ASPIRE
Location: You can choose between in-person and virtual programs
Cost: Free
Program dates: The program generally begins in the last week of June and goes on for 6-9 weeks
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High-school juniors and seniors residing in one of the given Maryland counties, who have a minimum GPA of 2.8 and are at least 15 years of age
Johns Hopkins University’s ASPIRE program is an online academic enrichment program that allows high school students to explore STEM fields. The program has several areas of placement for you to choose from, including “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning”, “Information Technology and Cybersecurity” and “Programming and Computer Science”.
Each of these involves different hands-on activities like creating deep-learning techniques, designing a secure password management system, and teaching a robot arm new skills. You can read more about it here. If you want a stronger focus on research, you can choose Research and Development as your preferred project type in your application.
9. Harvard Computer Society AI Summer Bootcamp
Cost: Ranges from $495-$595. Limited, need-based financial aid is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Program dates: Session 1 from June 2 – 6, Session 2 from June 9 – 13, and Session 3 from 16 – 20
Application deadline: May 30
Eligibility: High school students who are familiar with Python and calculus. Students applying to the advanced track should be comfortable with basic AI/ML and PyTorch
The Harvard Computer Society is a Harvard student-run organization that offers an AI Summer Bootcamp for high school students. The 5-day online computer science research summer program will give you the chance to learn about AI from Harvard graduate researchers and undergraduates.
The program involves lectures, coding exercises, and group projects. It focuses on in-depth research in AI and machine learning and also includes mini-research projects. You can choose between an introductory track and an advanced track, the latter of which puts more emphasis on independent research.
10. Girls Who Code – Pathways Program
Cost: Free
Program dates: June 30 – August 8
Application deadline: April 11
Eligibility: Girls and non-binary students from grades 9-12 who are between the ages of 14-18
The Girls Who Code Pathways Program is a 6-week online computer science summer program for high school students interested in the field. This is an asynchronous, project-based program that allows you to complete your work at your own pace. You can choose from three different tracks — Data Science + AI, Cybersecurity, and Web Development — and learn coding languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python.
Each track involves 8-15 hours of work, during which you will learn key computer science concepts and then follow a tutorial to build a project. The program also involves sessions with an advisor and other virtual events for you to network with peers and professionals in the field.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like computer science, tech, data science, and AI, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – George Mason University
