Winter high school programs offer high school students like you a unique opportunity to delve into advanced skills and gain hands-on experience in their chosen fields. With your academic year well underway around winter, these programs provide an immersive environment where you can focus intensively on specific interests, whether it’s in science, technology, arts, or any other area.
Why should I apply for winter programs as a high school student?
The condensed schedule of winter sessions allows for concentrated learning and skill development, often featuring expert instruction and real-world projects that enhance your understanding and competence.
This is particularly useful if you’re thinking about summer research programs or internships, but are unsure about your skill level and experience with the subject. Winter programs are solid primers that can help you understand your profile better!
With that, here are 12 winter programs every high school student should know about!
1. Horizon’s Academic Research Program (HARP)
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
This program is a solid opportunity for you to pursue a research program in highly specialized fields, under the guidance of a top scholar. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student, as well as detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects and college applications. Apply here!
Location: Virtual
Application Date: May 21, 2024, for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024, for the fall cohort
Program Dates:
- Summer seminar — June 24, 2024 — September 2, 2024
- Fall seminar — October 23, 2024 — February 19, 2025
- Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Fox Chase Cancer Center offers a stellar opportunity for high school students to dive into the world of biomedical research, with a focus on ‘mapping nutrient targets during development’. The program features weekly ~3-hour Saturday sessions with a mix of lectures, hands-on lab work, and an independent project, culminating in a presentation day where you can showcase your research. With just 16 spots available per cohort, this highly competitive, fully funded program is a prime chance for students in the Philadelphia-tri state area to collaborate with professional scientists. The application process is rigorous, requiring two recommendations and an interview.
Subject Areas: Biology, Chemistry
Location: Fox Chase Cancer Center, PA
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Registrations typically run for 3.5 weeks from early to mid-October into early November. As seats were remaining after the first round, registrations for the 2023 program reopened on January 23, 2024, and closed until seats were full! TBD for 2025.
Program Dates: The winter session of the Immersion Science Program typically begins in early January and runs through mid-March. The session is 11 weeks in length, with week 11 serving as the student’s presentation day.
Eligibility: Students from the Philadelphia- Tri-State area who are at least 16 years of age and have completed high school chemistry and biology.
UC San Diego’s Academic Connections Research Scholars program for winter 2025 includes two advanced marine science courses: Advanced Seafood Fraud Detectives and Advanced Sustainable Seafood Science. The first course focuses on combating seafood fraud through molecular biology techniques, with students engaging in local research and interacting with culinary experts, fishermen, and NOAA scientists.
Students will create a research poster for the Marine Science Website and potentially Birch Aquarium. The second course, offered online, invites students to tackle seafood mislabeling and fraud through independent research projects tailored to their community, with a focus on the social dimensions of traceability. Both courses provide 4 pre-college units and offer valuable insights into sustainability and industry challenges.
Subject Areas: Marine Sciences (advanced)
Location: Varies based on the course selected. Can be hybrid (University of California, San Diego, CA) or online.
Cost: $2000 (online course) or $3000 (hybrid course). Scholarships are available sometimes.
Application Deadline: Currently accepting applications here. Students will be accepted on a rolling basis, meaning there is no strict deadline. The website will reflect if the course is full or not.
Program Dates: Between Feb and March 2025.
Eligibility: High school students from grades 9–12 are eligible to apply. On-campus housing will not be provided for the hybrid course.
High school students can apply to UMBC’s Pre-College Program as visiting students to earn college credit while still in secondary school. The program offers a range of in-person, online, and hybrid tracks with courses spanning biology, economics, history, media studies, languages, and more. Most credits earned are applicable to UMBC degree programs or can be transferred to other institutions. Keep in mind that enrollment requires permission from your school and an academic standing on par with a first-year college student.
Subject Areas: STEM, Humanities and Social Sciences, Art and Media
Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD
Cost: Ranges from $439 — $6,426 depending on the number of credits and whether you are a Maryland resident or not.
Application Deadline: December 16, 2024 for visiting students. January 2, 2025, for students to be enrolled from waitlists.
Program Dates: January 2, 2025 — January 24, 2025
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors eligible for concurrent enrollment can apply.
The Department of Education (ED) offers internships for students and recent grads eager to dive into federal education, policy, and administration. These internships contribute to ED’s goal of advancing educational excellence and equitable access. Participants can attend various ED-sponsored events like a brown-bag lunch series, D.C. landmark tours, professional development workshops, and social activities. High school students can apply for:
- Student Volunteer Trainee Program: This 8–10 week program provides volunteer positions for students enrolled in accredited institutions, offering hands-on experience in their field of interest and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Pathways Programs — Internship Program: This program provides paid, part-time, or full-time internships for a year or more to students enrolled or accepted into qualifying educational institutions, allowing them to explore career paths related to their academic interests
Subject Areas: Aligned with the student’s field of interest. Covers federal education, policy, and administration roles, among others.
Location: Multiple locations across the country. Varies based on the internship position.
Cost/Stipend: No cost to apply. Interns will receive a stipend, and it varies based on the position.
Application Deadline: November 30, every year (Winter/Spring cohort)
Program Dates: January — May (Winter/Spring cohort). Internships are available in the fall, winter/spring, and summer, varying in duration.
Eligibility: Applicants need to be at least 16 years old, enrolled, or accepted in a qualifying educational institution for a degree or certificate program. International applicants can apply to the student volunteer trainee program provided they meet the listed criteria.
Research opportunities are available at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute for high school and undergraduate students looking to gain practical experience in laboratory techniques and explore careers in biomedical research. Note that the Research Education and Training Center does not directly place students in the labs. Instead, you’ll need to identify labs of interest and contact each Principal Investigator (faculty member) with a tailored email.
In your email, introduce yourself, mention your interest in their lab’s research, list relevant science courses and any prior research experience, and clarify what you hope to gain from the experience. Specify your availability (winter, during the school year) and your motivation for seeking research experience. Since not all labs may have space for high school students, you might need to contact multiple Principal Investigators. Use the lab search tool or the Science page to find labs that match your interests.
Subject Areas: STEM, particularly biomedical research.
Location: Cleveland, OH
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Program Dates: Flexible depending on the applicant’s preference.
Eligibility: Students must be 16 years of age or older to work in a Lerner Research Institute laboratory.
The Student Historians internship at the New York Historical Society offers high school students a valuable opportunity to engage in in-depth research and create digital projects that contribute to public education. Interns utilize the Society’s rich resources to explore 2024 — 2025’s historical theme “Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America,” and develop their historical analysis and digital media skills.
The program includes meetings with professional staff to gain insights into museum operations, library resources, and digital humanities, while fostering collaboration and academic growth through substantial research and writing tasks. This hands-on experience enhances interns’ understanding of American history and equips them with practical skills in digital scholarship.
Subject Areas: Humanities and Social Sciences
Location: New York Historical Society, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost. All interns will receive a $700 stipend upon successful completion of the internship.
Application Deadline: September 22, 2024
Program Dates: Once a week on Wednesdays from October 23, 2024 — June 11, 2025.
Eligibility: Open to high school students entering grades 10, 11, or 12 who live in and attend school in the New York City metro area (includes the five boroughs of New York City, as well as areas of New York State, Connecticut, and New Jersey).
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program provides high school students with a rigorous research experience, featuring 1-on-1 mentorship with Ph.D. researchers. Over the course of 12 weeks, you’ll collaborate on an independent research project tailored to your interests. Students can select from a wide array of subjects, including psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. By the end of the program, you’ll have crafted a comprehensive research paper, deepening your expertise in your chosen field. You can find more details about the application here!
Subject Areas: STEM, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: USD 2800- Individual Research Program (12 weeks ), USD 5400 Premium Research & Publication Program (16–20 weeks), USD 8900 Research Fellowship (6–12 months). All programs come with need-based financial aid.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Applications for the winter cohort typically close in November.
Program Dates: The winter cohort typically runs from December to February. (The program options range from 12 weeks to 1 year).
Eligibility:
- You must be currently enrolled in high school
- Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement. (Note. students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
- Previous knowledge of your field of interest is optional!
Penn State College of Medicine offers high school students a chance to engage in biomedical research through various internships and observation opportunities. You can opt for short 1–2 day shadowing experiences or longer internships that last weeks or months. During your time as an intern, you’ll immerse yourself in hands-on learning within the lab, observing the daily work of a research mentor.
This includes witnessing methodologies, experimental setups, data collection, and analysis techniques up close. Students must identify a potential research supervisor by using the Penn State Research Database, entering a topic of interest, and browsing through department profiles for faculty research areas.
Subject Areas: Biomedical research
Location: Penn State College of Medicine (PSCOM), Hershey, PA.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Internships may or may not provide a stipend.
Application Deadline: Applications are currently being accepted. No deadline has been specified.
Dates: Flexible dates, based on which research mentor you select while applying for the internship opportunity.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be a high school student.
- Be residents of the United States.
- Be sponsored/supervised by a member of the College of Medicine faculty. This faculty laboratory supervisor is responsible for ensuring this procedure is completed and that the student’s activities are closely supervised at all times.
10. Veritas AI
Veritas AI, run by Harvard graduate students, offers specialized programs for high school students interested in computer science and AI. The curriculum covers essential concepts like neural networks, image classification, natural language processing, sentiment analysis, and Python coding.
You can choose from multiple programs, but here are a few notable ones to consider. The 10-week AI Scholars program provides up to 100% financial aid and involves collaborative, hands-on projects in groups of 3–5 students, allowing you to apply and showcase your skills. Additionally, the AI Fellowship offers a 12–15 week experience where you work one-on-one with mentors from top universities to develop unique machine learning projects.
Subject Areas: Computer Science, Data Science, AI and ML
Location: Virtual
Cost: AI Scholars — $1,790 (financial aid is available); AI Fellowship — $4,900; Combination (AI Scholars + AI Fellowship) — $5,900
Application Deadline: Upcoming winter cohort deadlines TBA. You can apply here!
Program Dates: Upcoming winter cohort dates TBA.
Eligibility: High school students passionate about AI; Basic understanding of Python or completion of AI scholars is required for the AI Fellowship program.
The Cornell Pre-college Program’s winter session offers high school students a chance to delve into advanced academic topics online! Students can select from a variety of courses in fields such as biomedicine, economics, and ethics, providing an early introduction to college-level studies. For example, courses from their past rosters include Introductory Microeconomics which provides a foundational grasp of economic concepts like supply and demand, market behavior, and consumer choices.
Another past course was Ethics in New Media, Technology, and Communication which explored the ethical issues related to modern technology and media, including privacy, information dissemination, and digital ethics. These courses not only enhance your knowledge in specific areas but also offer a preview of college academic expectations.
Subject Areas: STEM, Humanities and Social Sciences
Location: Online (this includes live sessions and offline work).
Cost: $1,840/credit hour. More details can be found on their tuition & aid page.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in December.
Dates: January 2 — 18, 2025
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible. Different courses may have different criteria, do check before you apply.
Sandia National Laboratories, a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), offers internships for students both during the summer and year-round. These internships are notable for their association with government work and provide a chance to gain practical experience in a high-tech research setting.
Interns at Sandia take on technical and business roles in projects related to cybersecurity, energy, engineering, and software, working closely with seasoned scientists and engineers. Under the guidance of a manager, you’ll help define your tasks, schedule, and the length of your internship. Benefits include competitive pay, academic credits, robust mentoring, and advanced training.
- Year-round internships are available for students attending local schools, allowing part-time work of up to 25 hours per week during the school year and up to 40 hours per week during breaks.
- Co-op internships are arranged in collaboration with individual schools, offering students the chance to take time off from their studies to work at Sandia. These internships run for 3–8 months during the academic year and may extend into the summer, with a maximum of 40 hours per week.
Subject Areas: Engineering, Cybersecurity, Energy, Software Development, Business Management
Location: Current internship openings at Sandia National Laboratory are based in Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA.
Cost/Stipend: No cost to apply. The stipend will vary based on the internship role.
Application Deadline: Open throughout the year.
Program dates: Year-round, if you choose that program option. For the Co-op internships, you can select your internship period, in coordination with Sandia and your school.
Eligibility: Students who are at least 16 years old, are enrolled full-time in an accredited college, university or high school, are U.S. citizens can apply. Those applying must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for R&D, technical or business roles.
Cornell University’s Burke Neurological Institute offers an introductory course on the mammalian nervous system. This course provides a foundational understanding of how the brain regulates movement, the impact of Alzheimer’s disease, and the organization and repair mechanisms of the nervous system. Conducted twice a week in a virtual format, the program not only prepares you for college-level studies but also offers a chance to connect with professionals from the institute.
Subject Areas: Neuroscience
Location: Online
Cost: $500. Full scholarship available.
Application Deadline: February 2, 2024, for registration. January 25, 2024, for scholarship applications. TBD for 2025.
Program Dates: February 6 — March 28, 2024. TBD for 2025
Eligibility: All high school students who have completed the NYS Regents Living Environment or equivalent Biology class can apply.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.