15 Summer Programs With No Application Essay Required

Key Takeaways

• These 15 programs cover a wide range of fields, from marine microbiology and AI training to engineering, horticulture, and mock trial, all without requiring an application essay.
• Formats vary considerably, from fully online, self-paced courses like the University of Michigan’s Joy of Coding to residential, in-person experiences like MSOE’s Women in Technology Program and the UGA Mock Trial Academy.
• Costs range widely, from $100 for UGA’s Animal Science in Action to over $5,000 for Emory’s residential Pre-College Program, so it’s worth weighing time commitment and budget together.
• Several programs, including WashU’s Exploration Courses and Dartmouth’s Pre-College Online Program, offer college-level coursework and a certificate of completion without full academic credit, while others, like the Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Future BFA program, award transferable college credit.
• Eligibility requirements still apply even without an essay, with several programs setting minimum GPA thresholds, like MSOE’s 3.5 requirement, so it’s worth checking these details before assuming a program is a guaranteed acceptance.

If you’ve been thinking about making your summer count by joining a program, there’s a decent chance the essays have been the thing holding you back. If that’s you, it’s worth knowing that a summer program that doesn’t require an essay is genuinely worth considering. These programs still get you real, hands-on experience. You’ll still build something, work through a real project, and pick up skills you can actually talk about later.

What do summer programs for high schoolers include?

These programs cover a wide range of subjects- STEM, business, writing, leadership- so there’s usually something that matches whatever you’re actually into. Depending on what you pick, you might code a small app, run a lab experiment, work through a business case study, or build a portfolio piece, all guided by real instructors who give you actual feedback.

They also do real work for your summer, and eventually your resume and college applications. You walk away with a finished project or a new skill, something specific to point to, without having spent your whole application process wrestling with an essay first.

With that, here are 15 summer programs with no application essay required! If you’re looking for competitive summer research programs, you can find them here. You can also check out free summer programs for high school students here.

15 Summer Programs With No Application Essay Required

1. WashU Exploration Courses 

Washington University’s Exploration Courses allow high school students to take online noncredit courses that fit around their school and extracurricular activities. You’ll complete discussions, lectures, readings, and assignments by scheduled deadlines without fixed class meeting times. Courses include 30–40 hours of coursework over two to ten weeks, depending on the course and semester. Summer options include courses like Introduction to Environmental Science, Personal Narrative, Metacognating Mario, Spandex, Spangles, and Stripes, The Biological Basis for Human Disease, and Foundations of Neuroscience. You’ll experience college-level coursework, strengthen your communication skills, learn from experts, and also be invited to the Arts and Sciences Pre-College Orientation in Canvas after enrollment.

2. Ecampus at Oregon State University — Summer Courses

Oregon State University’s Ecampus offers year-round online courses for high school students. You’ll enroll as nondegree-seeking students, earn college credit, and have the option to later apply to a full degree program. You’ll study alongside Oregon State students and learners from a variety of backgrounds and get a head start on college by taking courses that may not be available at your high school. You can choose from more than 100 online courses across subjects such as math, languages, and science. Summer options include Introduction to the Visual Arts, World Geography, Introduction to Climate Change Economics and Policy, Pests, Plagues and Politics, AI for Everyone, Statics, and Writing in Business.

3. UC San Diego Extended Studies — High School: Marine Microbiology

UC San Diego Extended Studies’ Marine Microbiology course introduces high school students to marine microbes and careers in marine microbiology. You’ll explore how millions of microbes survive in environments such as polar oceans, the deep sea, and shipwrecks and learn the lab techniques used by marine scientists and microbiologists. You’ll study major groups of microbial life, ocean ecosystems, microbial interactions, microbial cell functions and metabolisms, symbioses, and unusual metabolic processes that influence the environment, industry, biotechnology, and human health. You’ll also learn to interpret changes in microbial communities as signs of environmental change and develop scientific questions and hypotheses to investigate the microbial world.

4. Dartmouth’s Pre-College Online Program — Biology: Transforming the Future of Science

Dartmouth College’s Biology: Transforming the Future of Science program introduces you to how systems biology and technology are shaping medicine, biotechnology, and biological research. You’ll study biological networks, genomics, cellular signaling, proteomics, immune pathways, feedback loops, and interactions between genes and proteins. You’ll get to explore how scientists use technology to analyze complex biological systems and predict drug responses and disease outcomes. You’ll also learn about drug development, personalized medicine, anti-aging research, vaccine design, autoimmune disorders, and important biochemistry concepts using protein interactions and cellular processes. For your final capstone project, you’ll apply systems biology concepts to a real-world challenge and develop a research proposal on aging, medicine, or drug discovery.

5. Emory Pre-College Program

Emory University’s Pre-College Program gives high school students the chance to experience academic and residential life at a liberal arts university and take noncredit, college-level courses taught by Emory instructors. You can choose from courses such as International Perspectives of Mental Illness, Biological Foundations of Medicine, Branding and Marketing, Developmental Psychology, Environmental Neuroscience, Human Physiology, Medical Microbiology, U.S. Law Unlocked, and more. You’ll receive a written assessment and a certificate of completion, connect with students from around the world, and explore the Emory campus and Atlanta. You’ll also participate in College 101 workshops, attend degree exploration sessions, and have opportunities to interact with Emory students, faculty, and staff across multiple schools.

6. University of Michigan’s Joy of Coding — Intro to Training, Evaluating & Fine-tuning an AI

The University of Michigan’s Joy of Coding offers online, self-paced courses in artificial intelligence, coding, and data science taught by engineering faculty. In the Intro to Training, Evaluating and Fine-Tuning an AI course, you’ll learn how supervised learning works, build linear models, represent information using feature vectors, and train machine learning systems with labeled data. You’ll practice preprocessing data, testing models, measuring accuracy and loss, and improving performance through fine-tuning and iteration, as well as learn about overfitting and underfitting. You’ll also study the complete AI workflow, from preparing data to training, testing, and refining models. This will help you interpret results and troubleshoot your own AI experiments.

7. Maydm’s Creators Lab: From Idea to Impact Program

Maydm’s Creators Lab: From Idea to Impact Program helps high school students turn creative ideas into real projects and build problem-solving skills. You’ll choose a STEM area that interests you and spend the program developing your own project with guidance and help from instructors. You’ll brainstorm ideas, select a final project, identify the tools and materials you need, and learn about time management, budgeting, and resource management, and get opportunities for both independent and collaborative work. You’ll also learn how to adapt when challenges arise and present your completed project at the end of the program. Strong participants who meet the age requirement may be invited to apply for a future internship program.

8. Milwaukee School of Engineering’s (MSOE) Women in Technology Program

Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Women in Technology Program is a week-long residential camp for high school girls who want to explore engineering. You’ll learn about construction management and architectural, biomedical, chemical and biomolecular, civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering through classes and academic activities led by MSOE faculty with help from female engineering students. You’ll also visit industry sites and apply engineering concepts in real-world settings. Evening activities include interactive comedy shows, bowling, Milwaukee tours, and game night, giving you time to connect with other participants outside the classroom. The program covers much of the same material as the Explore Summer Program but places a stronger focus on women in engineering.

9. University of Georgia (UGA) Mock Trial Academy

The University of Georgia’s Mock Trial Academy is a weeklong residential summer program for students aged 13–17 who are interested in a legal career. You’ll participate in a mock trial competition, defend a case against your peers, and build practical legal skills. The program is hosted by the UGA Undergraduate Mock Trial team and helps you learn about trial procedures, courtroom advocacy, and legal argument development in a real courtroom setting. It is led by law professors, practicing attorneys, and experienced mock trial competitors, which allows you to learn from legal professionals, explore the legal field, and prepare for future opportunities in law.

10. Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Programs

Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Programs are one-week STEM, business, and career exploration programs for students in grades 9–11 that help them explore college pathways and real-world careers. You can choose from fields such as robotics, neuroscience, computer science, aviation, engineering, chemistry, metal manufacturing, and more. You’ll participate in hands-on activities like conducting lab experiments, designing 3D graphics, building projects with university faculty, and working with other students on engineering challenges. You’ll also get a firsthand look at college life and get to interact with peers. Outside the classroom, you can hike local trails, visit waterfalls, and join supervised recreational activities across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

11. Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Future BFA Pre-College Program

Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Future BFA is a three-week portfolio and college preparation program for high school students planning to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual art, design, or creative writing. You’ll live in campus housing, work in professional studios, and experience life as part of the AAC community. You’ll take a college-level course focused on artistic research and independent projects, where you’ll develop design and creative writing skills, create artwork, and build your portfolio. You’ll also explore your own ideas and artistic practice and connect with like-minded peers. After completing the program, you’ll earn three transferable college credits that count as a studio elective.

12. High School Summer Programs at Lawrence Technological University

Lawrence Technological University’s High School Summer Programs allow you to explore careers in robotics, architecture, biomedical engineering, esports, mobile app design, and other fields through hands-on sessions. You might build and program autonomous robots, create architectural models, write Python code for self-driving cars, or test water and soil samples in modern university labs and studios. Courses are taught by full-time faculty, staff, and student assistants using team-based projects and activities. You’ll learn from expert instructors and gain practical experience in engineering, technology, science, and design. Residential students also enjoy evening social activities and experience college life with other participants.

13. NC State University’s Horticultural Science Summer Institute

NC State University’s Horticultural Science Summer Institute is a week-long program that introduces high school students to careers in horticulture and agriculture. You’ll join hands-on workshops led by faculty, staff, and students on vegetable breeding, ornamental shrub propagation, cut flower preservation, sustainable production and design, and plant science tools. You’ll participate in activities like sampling raspberries, grafting tomatoes, climbing trees, and exploring plant genetics. You’ll also visit greenhouses, farms, markets, and gardens across North Carolina. In addition to learning about horticulture, you’ll build leadership skills, explore college life, attend evening events, and interact with students from across the country.

14. University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences’ Animal Science in Action

Animal Science in Action is a two-day summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in veterinary medicine, animal science, and agriculture. It is hosted by the University of Georgia’s Department of Animal and Dairy Science and includes hands-on laboratory experiments and visits to teaching farms. You’ll gain experience working with beef and dairy cattle, swine, horses, and sheep, and take part in laboratory demonstrations covering the physiological, biological, and agricultural aspects of animal science. You’ll work with faculty and current College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students and learn about livestock production and management. You’ll also explore veterinary school requirements and careers in agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, animal breeding, and related fields.

15. MSOE Focus Summer Programs — Focus on Health Professions

The MSOE Focus on Health Professions Summer Program gives high school students a chance to explore different healthcare fields. As you move through areas like public health, pharmacy, nursing, global health, clinical and translational science, and more, you can figure out which paths interest you most. You will learn how to address community health challenges in both urban and rural settings and how healthcare professionals support patients and communities in different ways. The programs will also introduce you to future-focused roles in healthcare, including expanded patient care in pharmacy, innovation, and advocacy for access to primary and preventive care.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of summer programs are available without an application essay?

You’ll find a mix of formats, including online asynchronous courses like WashU’s Exploration Courses and UC San Diego’s Marine Microbiology course, residential STEM and engineering programs like MSOE’s Women in Technology Program and Lawrence Technological University’s Summer Programs, and specialized experiences like the UGA Mock Trial Academy and Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Future BFA program. There’s also a strong range of career exploration options, like Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Programs and MSOE’s Focus on Health Professions, if you’re still deciding on a field.

Do these programs still have other eligibility requirements even without an essay?

Yes, most programs still set GPA minimums or other criteria. WashU’s Exploration Courses require a 3.5 weighted GPA, MSOE’s programs require a 3.5 GPA, and Emory’s Pre-College Program requires a 3.0 GPA and a minimum age of 15. A few, like the UGA Mock Trial Academy, explicitly state no prior experience is required, making them more accessible if you’re newer to the subject area.

Are there free or low-cost options available?

While none of these programs are completely free, several are quite affordable. UGA’s Animal Science in Action costs only $100, and the University of Michigan’s Joy of Coding costs $149. Most other programs charge a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, with need-based scholarships available at many, including Maydm’s Creators Lab and NC State’s Horticultural Science Summer Institute.

Which programs offer college credit?

The Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Future BFA program awards three transferable college credits as a studio elective. Programs like WashU’s Exploration Courses and Dartmouth’s Pre-College Online Program are noncredit but still provide a certificate of completion, so it’s worth checking whether transferable credit matters to you before choosing between similar options.

Which programs are fully online versus residential?

WashU’s Exploration Courses, Oregon State’s Ecampus courses, UC San Diego’s Marine Microbiology course, Dartmouth’s Pre-College Online Program, and the University of Michigan’s Joy of Coding are all fully online and asynchronous. Most other programs on this list, including MSOE’s programs, Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Programs, and the Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Future BFA, are residential or in-person experiences.

When should you apply?

Deadlines for these programs are spread throughout the year, and several use rolling admissions rather than a single fixed date. NC State’s Horticultural Science Summer Institute closes April 1, WashU’s Exploration Courses close May 11, and Emory’s Pre-College Program closes May 1. Many others, including Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Programs, MSOE’s programs, and Lawrence Technological University’s Summer Programs, operate on a rolling basis, so applying early is generally your best strategy for securing a spot.

Image source: Emory University