10 Computer Science Extracurriculars for High School Students
With the growth of tech, computer science has become one of the most popular fields for students around the world. If you’re a high school student looking to get involved with computer science outside of your classroom, this blog is for you!
In this post, we’ll lay out 10 different types of computer science extracurriculars, how much coding experience you need to do them, and how to get started. The good news is that extracurriculars are available to all students. Though some, like computer science clubs, require you to either have a club like this in your school or you to build one. Some extracurriculars require a baseline coding ability to get started (e.g., internships).
The deeper you go into coding and computer-science related skills, the more opportunities will open themselves up to you. Here are ten computer science extracurriculars for young software engineers in high school!
1. Join or create a computer science club
Coding Experience Required: Little to none
Average Cost: None
Below we lay out a few example student clubs that you can consider joining and participating in. Usually, if you want to get started with clubs, you’d join a computer science club at your school or build a new one with your friends/classmates!
Here are a few great sources of inspiration that you can look at while forming a new club: Palo Alto High School Computer Science Club, Irvington High’s computer science club that gives you access to a discord server as well! The Girls Who Code club is another popular option for those looking to join a club outside of school!
Joining a computer science club or organization is an incredible way to dive deep into the world of technology. You can expand your knowledge and skill sets beyond your school curriculum, and make friends with like-minded peers.
Before joining a club, you might want to know about the value that clubs can add to your student resume and college application. The collaborative nature of these clubs promotes practical, hands-on learning where you can work on coding projects and software development. These skills and experience can be leveraged in the future, when you’re working on innovative projects and startup ventures! However, clubs can limit your exposure because members of the club are likely the same age and have the same experience as you.
What matters here is whether your school or community already has a computer science or related club. If it does, then the first step is to reach out to them and see how you can get involved and support the club. If it doesn’t, then you should consider building the club. This can be a great way to build what YOU want and also show your initiative!
2. Join Computer Science Camps
Coding Experience Required: Various based on the camp, but some have none!
Average Cost: $900 - $6000 (Really depends on the camp)
There are some super accessible computer science camps and programs, including Veritas AI, that you can join. You can check out our post on the top 20 artificial intelligence camps for high school students for some great options!
These camps are great choices for students who want to learn foundational topics and the fundamentals of programming. Joining a program like this not only helps you expand your knowledge and skill set, but also gives you a chance to interact with expert instructors and mentors.
The instructors for computer science programs are usually industry experts or researchers who have practical knowledge and experience in the field. Under their guidance and mentorship, you can ask loads of questions, work on projects with them, and receive feedback on the way!
Additionally, computer science camps have a variety of interactive learning resources in the form of group classes, collaborative softwares, and coding exercises. These help you apply theoretical knowledge to real world situations. Interactive resources are also a great way to promote active learning, critical thinking, and problem solving, all of which are valuable in the field of computer science.
However, one thing to keep in mind is that these camps are short lived and may not be the best option if you are looking for more hands-on experience with computer science.
3. Participate in Hackathons
Coding Experience Required: Little to advanced (But advanced is better if you want to do more technical projects)
Average Cost: Free
If you love puzzles and treasure hunts, you should consider participating in hackathons.
These intensive coding marathons are good for students looking for an opportunity to innovate and collaborate. For beginners, this is a great way to improve your coding skills and gain access to resources.
Some exciting hackathons you should check out are MHacks, Hack the North, and Space City Hacks. They have become increasingly popular in the computer science community. If you are someone who is an experienced coder, hackathons are a unique platform to showcase your skills and get recognized for it!
Participating in a hackathon allows you to think critically about real world challenges and develop practical solutions for them. Hackathons also promote implementing new frameworks, libraries, or APIs which allows you to expand your knowledge and technical skills while staying up to date on all the new technologies.
In a hackathon, you get a chance to collaborate with like-minded individuals who come from different backgrounds and can teach you new techniques. It promotes team building, delegating, communication, and task management skills - all of which are extremely important if you are looking to make a career in computer science. However, in many hackathons, the project dies at the end of the 24 hours - so if you’re thinking about a long-term project, this is probably not your best choice.
Moreover, by participating in a hackathon, you get a chance to present your project to a panel of judges, industry experts, and your peers. This allows you to demonstrate your skill sets, problem solving approach, and highlight the impact of your solution. The exposure and recognition from hackathons is a great value add to your resume and college applications!
4. Participate in Coding Competitions
Coding Experience Required: Moderate to advanced (Advanced math skills are also important here)
Average Cost: Most are free, some have a fee of $50 - $100 (for the programs mentioned below)
Coding competitions, as opposed to hackathons, ask you to solve algorithmic problems within a timeframe which require you to think critically and come up with unique solutions.
The solutions you present are assessed based on your ability to analyze problems, write code, work with algorithms, and collaborate with other teammates.
If you are looking to participate in a coding competition, you can start by checking these out - USACO, ACSL, and Code Quest. These are designed for high school students and offer a unique experience for aspiring computer scientists who are looking to challenge themselves. They provide participants with a platform to showcase their problem-solving abilities, coding skills, collaborative skills and gives them the resources to build on their existing knowledge.
If you are looking to sharpen your coding skills, learn new programming techniques, and go deep into the world of software development, you should definitely consider taking part in a coding competition!
A big advantage of these competitions is that you get to learn from other coders through observation of the different techniques and solutions implemented by fellow participants. The collaborative nature of coding competitions makes it a fun, engaging experience where you get the opportunity to build a network of like-minded peers. A disadvantage is that it is highly competitive and more advanced students will have the upper hand.
As a bonus, coding competitions are also valuable additions to your resume or portfolio! It highlights your ability to apply theoretical knowledge and practical solutions and showcases your commitment and passion for the field.
5. Do Computer Science Research Projects
Coding Experience Required: Little to advanced
Average Cost: Free to ~$3,000 (if a program has tuition)
The easiest way to get started on your research project is to apply to programs like Lumiere Education and Veritas AI, where you can work 1-1 with a PhD computer science researcher to explore your chosen topic. Projects like these allow you to go deep into specific areas of interest and explore advanced concepts, theories, and technologies that you would not learn through your regular school curriculum. This in-depth learning experience nudges you to be curious, think about relevant questions, and boosts your passion for computer science.
Computer science research projects can be an excellent extracurricular if you are looking to standout and showcase your unique interests and skills. A huge advantage of choosing a research project as your extracurricular is the mentorship you receive from experts and researchers. It is the perfect opportunity for you to expand your knowledge by learning about new topics in computer science, engaging in different research methodologies, asking questions, sharing ideas, and receiving feedback.
However, before you opt for a research project, keep in mind that it is more theoretical and not a good fit for those looking to do a more real-world project. But, it can look good on your college application!
If you are someone who is interested in going deep into a topic within computer science, this is the perfect extracurricular for you! It prepares you for college and demonstrates your interest in the field, intellectual curiosity, and willingness to go beyond.
Here are some interesting computer science research ideas for you to get started!
6. Get a Computer Science Internships
Coding Experience Required: Start-ups usually prefer interns with strong coding skills
Average Cost: Usually free, might get paid, some programs have a fee (like Ladder Internships below)
A good starting point can be to check out Ladder Internships - an internship program for high school students across multiple fields and industries. You can pick from a range of options to find an internship that is interesting to you and adds value.
Internships are the best way to gain first hand experience and exposure to the field of computer science. There is no better way to learn the real world applications of computer science and industry practices. Working alongside industry professionals allows you to effectively see how academic knowledge can be applied to practical solutions and prepares you for your career in computer science!
Computer science internships give students a chance to work on real projects, solve problems, and contribute to larger areas of work. This helps them improve their technical skills, programming skills, and teaches them industry skills whether it’s software development, data analyses, or cybersecurity.
However, internships can be rigorous and will require you to have a good understanding of computer science and programming. It may not be easy to get an internship in computer science while you are still in high school, but it’s worth a shot!
7. Contribute to Open Source Projects
Coding Experience Required: Moderate
Average Cost: Free
Contributing to open source projects is an excellent way to build your computer science skills in a practical and impactful way. Open source is a software that is available to people for free, where they can edit and distribute projects, allowing for collaboration to improve existing projects. This is a great opportunity for growth for anyone looking to enhance their coding skills! But, one difficulty is that open source projects often require a high level of coding ability - this wouldn't stop most people trying to learn computer science.
To get started, you can look at contributing to projects like Zulip - an open source group chat project. Another interesting option is Neovim, a text editor, which is known as a great first project to work on.
Here are some more open source projects for beginners to help you get started!
As a high school student, you can also use open source contributions to add to your professional portfolio. By actively participating and working on different projects, you can showcase your coding skills, ability to problem solve, and work with a team. Any project you work on acts as a recognizable display of your expertise and interest in computer science making your case as a future computer scientist more credible!
Ultimately, by contributing to open source projects, you gain real world experience in software development and coding, enhance your knowledge, build a portfolio of relevant experiences, and expand your network.
8. Volunteer to Teach Computer Science
Coding Experience Required: Proficient to advanced
Average Cost: Free
If you are someone who has experience with the basics of computer science and programming - enough to help some other students learn - you should consider volunteering in an outreach program! With the growing interest in this field, there are so many students eager to learn more about it. Taking some time out to teach computer literacy to your peers or younger students through an outreach program is a really impactful and meaningful way to add to your extracurriculars!
You would be helping students improve their computer science skills and helping them gain confidence in their ability to partake in other relevant computer science activities. A fun and engaging way to do this is through collaborative sessions where students can interact with each other and work on coding challenges and projects. It enhances their problem solving and critical thinking skills, while giving you a chance to refine your skill sets as you teach them to other students.
Moreover, something like this adds so much value to your college applications because not only does it showcase your computer science skills, but also your passion to give back to the community!
9. Build a Website or an App
Coding Experience Required: Proficient to advanced
Average Cost: Free
As a high school student interested in computer science, it’s super important to be able to showcase your skills and work on unique projects. One exciting way to do this? Build your own website or application! It is a practical demonstration of your coding skills, creativity and innovation, and project management skills.
Creating a website or an app pushes you to think creatively and explore different ideas. Specifically, how to optimize the user experience, add interactive features, and personalize the user’s experience.
No app-building project is challenge-free, but these bumps encourage you to think on your feet and solve problems, debug codes, troubleshoot errors, and find solutions through experimentation.
Building an app or a website shows great professional development and serves as a unique, valuable addition to your portfolio. A well-executed project is indicative of your talent and also your willingness to take initiative and go the extra mile to hone your skills. It also requires you to understand a core problem in another discipline and apply computer science to it - greatly enhancing the impact you make with computer science!
10. Enroll in a Computer Science Summer School Program
Coding Experience Required: Little to none
Average Cost: Some are free, the others have cost between $3000 - $7000 (for the programs mentioned below)
If you’re looking to build a career in the computer science field, the best starting point is enrolling in computer science summer school programs.Participating in a summer school program offers you an immersive learning experience, guidance from experts in the field, networking opportunities, and college preparation.
There are some incredible summer school programs out there for you to pick from! These include programs at Harvard, MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, Oxford, and more.
As a participant at a summer program, you will get the chance to dive deep into computer science topics and explore advanced concepts like artificial intelligence and machine learning that they would not otherwise be able to do! It creates a solid foundation in computer science and introduces students to all the new innovations and cutting edge technologies in the field.
Participating in a computer science summer school program is also beneficial for college applications. It highlights your ability to commit to extracurricular activities while focusing on your academics. Additionally, it highlights your passion and dedication to computer science. A big incentive is also the certificates, recommendation letters, and in some cases college credit you receive from these courses!
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!