Fall doesn’t have to be a “slow” season for learning. In fact, it can be one of the best times to explore your interests, try something new, and start building real-world skills while balancing school. Fall programs are usually designed to run alongside your academic schedule, which makes it easier to stay consistent while still gaining hands-on experience. Whether you are curious about science, technology, arts, leadership, or research, these programs can help you turn classroom knowledge into real-world learning and boost your confidence along the way.
Why choose a fall program in NYC?
If you live in New York City, you have access to some of the best educational and cultural institutions in the world. NYC offers fall programs hosted by top universities and organizations like Columbia University, NYU, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Bronx Zoo. These programs let you explore everything from artificial intelligence and urban ecology to museum education and creative arts, all without the added cost of housing or travel. Staying local makes it easier to manage your time, stay focused, and take full advantage of high-quality mentorship and resources.
You can also check out other online fall programs for high school students here.
In this list, we’ve narrowed down our list to 13 fall programs for high school students in NYC.
13 Fall Programs for High School Students in NYC
1. Columbia University Pre-College Programs
Location: Columbia University, Morningside Heights, NYC
Cost: Varies by program; Financial aid available
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: September 19 – December 7 (Academic Year Weekend); September 2 – December 19 (College Edge)
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: 9th-12th graders (Academic Year Weekend) or 11th-12th graders (College Edge)
Columbia University offers several pre-college programs, including the Academic Year Weekend program and the College Edge: Academic Year program. During the Academic Year Weekend program, you will participate in college-level coursework through online sessions over ten consecutive weekends, allowing you to explore subjects while maintaining your high school schedule. The College Edge: Academic Year program offers intensive, 12-week on-campus courses where you study alongside Columbia undergraduates, earning credits that may transfer to your future institution. Courses span the liberal arts and sciences, from neuroscience to political theory.
2. NYU Precollege Fall Programs
Location: New York University (Washington Square, Brooklyn), NYC
Cost: Tuition varies by course; Financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: September 2 – December 19
Application Deadline: August 15
Eligibility: Current 11th-12th graders with a minimum 3.0 GPA
NYU Precollege offers university-level coursework where you earn college credits while experiencing undergraduate academic rigor across disciplines. Classes are taught by NYU faculty, providing authentic college classroom experiences with seminar discussions, research papers, and rigorous assessment standards that strengthen your preparation for higher education. You can select from courses in macroeconomics, microeconomics, or business intelligence. The curriculum in International Relations provides frameworks for analyzing geopolitical conflicts, international institutions, and comparative political systems. You can also participate in language courses in Japanese, Arabic, and more.
3. American Museum of Natural History Teen Programs
Location: American Museum of Natural History, Upper West Side, NYC
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round programming available
Application Deadline: Varies by program
Eligibility: NYC high school students from all five boroughs
AMNH’s youth initiatives provide exposure to natural history, anthropology, astrophysics, and museum science through hands-on programs. The museum’s programming emphasizes inquiry-based learning, where you formulate research questions, design controlled experiments, collect and analyze data, and communicate findings through scientific posters and presentations. You will gain familiarity with research collections spanning the Earth and space sciences, learning curatorial database management, proper specimen handling protocols, and the role of natural history museums in biodiversity conservation.
4. CCNY STEM Institute: Fall
Location: City College of New York, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: September 13/15/16 – December 20
Application Deadline: July 31 – August 30
Eligibility: 6th-12th graders; 10th-12th graders eligible for college credit through the College Now partnership
This program offers hands-on STEM coursework with options including architecture design, app development with Swift or Kotlin, electrical engineering circuit analysis, and artificial intelligence fundamentals. You will gain proficiency in discipline-specific software, like AutoCAD or SketchUp for architecture students, Android Studio or Xcode for app developers, and MATLAB or Python for engineering tracks. The financial management course covers portfolio theory, risk assessment models, and Excel-based financial modeling for investment analysis and budgeting scenarios. Journalism students learn investigative research methodologies, AP style writing, and digital publishing platforms while developing multimedia storytelling skills.
5. FIT Pre-college: 10-Day Classes
Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY
Cost: $550
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple 10-day sessions in the fall
Application Deadline: July 21 – September 17
Eligibility: 9th-12th graders; Must be NYC residents in the five boroughs
The FIT Precollege program offers an opportunity to explore fashion, design, business, and creative industries through short, 10-day sessions held throughout the year, including fall. The classes are designed to help you develop skills while building a portfolio. You will have the chance to learn from and collaborate with FIT faculty, industry professionals, and alumni. If you have an interest in fashion, art, or design, FIT’s Precollege sessions provide a valuable way to enhance your creative abilities and gain insight into the industry by working on real projects that can be showcased to peers, faculty, and industry professionals.
6. DOROT Academic Year Teen Internship
Location: DOROT, Manhattan, NYC
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: October 20 – December 12
Application Deadline: Applications open in late summer
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12
During DOROT’s Academic Year Teen Internship, you will choose from specialized volunteer tracks, including home visits, tech help, intergenerational chess, or Tea and Chat discussion groups. The program allows you to develop communication skills adaptable to working with individuals experiencing cognitive changes, sensory impairments, or mobility limitations. Through structured training sessions, you’ll gain insight into social determinants of health, isolation’s impact on mental and physical well-being, and community-based interventions.
7. Futures and Options Internship Program
Location: Various business partners throughout NYC; hybrid and remote options available
Stipend: $16.50/hour
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Year-round program
Application Deadline: Rolling (varies by cohort)
Eligibility: Current 11th or 12th grade students (16+) living in NYC’s five boroughs
Futures and Options connects you with paid internships at small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and multinational corporations. The curriculum covers resume optimization with applicant tracking system (ATS) keywords and behavioral interview techniques using the STAR method. You’ll also learn about professional email communication protocols and financial literacy, including budgeting, credit management, and investment fundamentals. You will be individually matched to internship sites aligned with your interests, whether it’s finance, technology, healthcare, marketing, consulting, or social services. You’ll also go on career exploration field trips to companies like BlackRock, Microsoft, and boutique consulting firms expose you to diverse professional environments and networking opportunities.
8. NYPL Teen Reading Ambassadors
Location: NYPL branches across the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, NYC
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades 10-12 at NYC high schools; Must obtain working papers if under 18
During the Teen Reading Ambassadors program, you will learn scaffolding techniques for emergent readers, phonemic awareness instruction methods, and the psychology of reading motivation as you tutor young children and assist with reading support programming. The role involves writing, editing, and designing Portal, the library’s magazine for kids. You will develop editorial judgment, layout design using Adobe InDesign or Canva, and content creation tailored to specific age-appropriate reading levels. You will also plan and facilitate interactive storytime sessions, applying principles of inquiry-based learning and differentiated instruction.
9. Brooklyn Public Library: Librarians of Tomorrow
Location: Brooklyn Public Library branches throughout Brooklyn, NYC
Stipend: Paid
Cohort Size: Limited positions available
Dates: November – June
Application Deadline: October 4
Eligibility: Students in grades 10-12 from any NYC borough
Librarians of Tomorrow immerses you in the professional practices of librarianship, information science, and public programming. You’ll build skills in collection development, the basics of cataloging with Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress systems, and techniques for helping patrons with research during reference interviews. You’ll help plan and run events, such as author talks and STEM workshops, building your event management and community outreach skills. Training sessions cover essential library technologies, including integrated library systems (ILS), digital asset management, and emerging trends in library science such as makerspaces and digital humanities initiatives.
10. NYC DOE Internships and Student Opportunities
Location: Various NYC Department of Education offices
Cost/Stipend: Not mentioned
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round opportunities available
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: NYC public school students
The NYC Department of Education offers diverse internship placements where you can gain exposure to educational policy, curriculum development, student services, and administrative operations. Some positions involve supporting special education services, providing insight into IEP development, assistive technology implementation, and inclusive education frameworks. Other opportunities focus on curriculum design, where you might contribute to lesson plan development, assessment creation, or educational resource curation. Internships in the central office expose you to large-scale organizational management, budget administration, and the policy implementation process.
11. Guggenheim Museum Teen Collaborative
Location: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Upper East Side, NYC
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: November – May
Application Deadline: October (tentative)
Eligibility: NYC teens ages 13-18; No prerequisites required
The Guggenheim’s Teen Collaborative develops your understanding of museum education, curatorial practice, and audience engagement. You will learn exhibition design principles, educational theory for museum settings, and visitor experience optimization as you collaborate with education professionals across departments. Training covers art historical methodologies, critical analysis frameworks for contemporary art, and the operational logistics of museum administration, including collections management, conservation science, and exhibition planning. The program provides behind-the-scenes access to the Guggenheim’s operations, from conservation labs where you learn preventive care techniques to curatorial meetings where exhibition concepts are developed.
12. Bronx Zoo Project TRUE
Location: Bronx Zoo and field sites throughout NYC
Stipend: $350
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: September – December
Application Deadline: Early March
Eligibility: Bronx high school sophomores and juniors in good academic standing
Project TRUE (Teens Researching Urban Ecology) teaches you real-world field research skills by having you investigate things like where mammals are, bird community makeup, water quality factors, and invasive species control in NYC ecosystems. Along the way, you will master data collection techniques like point count surveys for bird population monitoring, macroinvertebrate sampling for stream health assessment, and vegetation transect protocols. Mentorship from Fordham University undergraduates and Wildlife Conservation Society educators provides near-peer guidance through the scientific process from hypothesis generation through peer review. This prepares you for participation in the Bronx Science Consortium Poster Symposium.
13. NYU Tisch: Online High School Filmmakers Workshop
Location: Virtual
Cost: $8,008 program fee + application fee of $75; Financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: October 13 – November 21
Application Deadline: September 9
Eligibility: High school students
The Online High School Filmmakers Workshop offered by NYU Tisch provides an immersive introduction to digital filmmaking. During the program, you will develop your competencies in cinematography, directing, and post-production editing using Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. You will master film grammar, including the 180-degree rule, match cuts, and montage theory as you produce short films and music videos in collaborative crews. The workshop emphasizes storytelling through visual language, with a specific focus on story structure, character development, and visual communication of themes. Coursework is delivered through streaming lectures and video meetings, combining hands-on assignments with writing exercises and critical analysis of media examples.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, 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 – Bronx Zoo