12 Computer Science Summer Research Programs for High School Students
If you’re planning to pursue a career in computer science, you should definitely consider joining a summer research program. These programs provide an immersive environment where students can delve into advanced topics, collaborate on cutting-edge projects, and gain hands-on experience. Such experiences go beyond high school curricula and can prepare you for higher-level education. Since computer science is a fairly expansive field, we have compiled a list of 12 research programs that span its various subfields from AI to data science.
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Application deadline: Four cohorts throughout the year, applications due in February, May, September, and December, apply here.
Eligibility: All high school students
Program dates: There are four cohorts throughout the year in spring, summer, fall, and winter
Location: Virtual
Fee: $2800 (12 week program), $5400 (16-20 week program), $8900 (6-12 month program).
The Lumiere Research Scholars Program, established by researchers from Harvard and Oxford, caters to high school students with a passion for research. The program pairs students with accomplished PhD mentors, providing personalized 1-1 coaching to guide them through university-level research projects. Computer science is one of the available areas of research. The program involves rigorous research work but is flexible, offering tracks of various durations from which students can choose what works best for them.
You can find out more about the Lumiere Research Program here!
Application deadline: February 25, 2024 for the spring cohort
Eligibility: High school students who have completed the Veritas AI Scholars program or have previous experience with AI/Python
Program dates: Rolling. The program runs for 12-15 weeks.
Location: Online
Fee: $4,900
If you’re looking to build a strong foundation in artificial intelligence while also completing a research project in the field, check out the Veritas AI Fellowship program. Through this program, you will work one-on-one with a PhD mentor from a university like Harvard or Stanford and develop a novel AI model or research paper.
Previous projects have included subjects like predictive models of college decisions or detecting tweets related to natural disasters. Some of the concepts you could learn about include neural networks, image classification, sentiment analysis, coding and more. You can check out more past projects here!
3. Carnegie Mellon’s CS Scholars Program
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Eligibility: Current sophomores who are at least 16 years of age
Program dates: June 22, 2024 – July 20, 2024
Location: Carnegie Mellon University
Fee: Free
Carnegie Mellon University’s CS Scholars program is a free initiative designed specifically for financially underprivileged students. During this four-week residential program, participants will learn the elements of programming and problem solving in Python including algorithmic components and problem-solving techniques. You will then work on a group project where you will use these skills to solve real-world challenges. At the end of the program, you will present this project at a symposium.
Additionally, the program includes workshops, academic tours and field trips. This is a good fit for those who are interested in doing a deep-dive into programming but might not be able to afford more expensive programs.
4. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
Application deadline: February 15, 2024
Location: Texas Tech University
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors who are at least 17 years of age
Program dates: June 16, 2024 – August 1, 2024
Stipend: $750
This highly selective program is an opportunity for 12 exceptionally accomplished students to delve into in-depth, university-level research. Computer science is one of the program’s seven research areas that explores topics like virtual and augmented reality, data-intensive computing, computer architectures, systems software and more.
Recognized for its academic excellence and featuring an acceptance rate of less than 3%, the Clark Scholars Program is one of the most prestigious research programs in the country. Attending it will definitely give your college applications a boost. You can read more about the benefits of this program here.
5. Berkeley Summer Computer Science Academy
Application deadline: March 11, 2024
Eligibility: Rising juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years of age and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (international students can apply too)
Program dates: June 16, 2024 – June 28, 2024
Location: University of California, Berkeley
Fee: $5,060
Financial assistance: Scholarships are available
The highlight of this summer program is that its curriculum is based on the Beauty and Joy of Computing (BJC) Curriculum, a part of the undergraduate course taught at Berkeley. As a participant, you will be assigned to one of two groups based on your prior coding experience (novices can also take part).
You will get an introduction to computing by engaging in coding challenges using a visual programming language named Snap! and then move on to pursue a project of your own. Through the program, you will study topics like abstraction, Boolean logic and conditionals, recursion, higher order functions and more. At the end of the program, you will present your project to peers and faculty.
6. University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute Summer Lab
Application deadline: January 16, 2024
Eligibility: High school students located in Chicago (familiarity with at least one programming language is preferred)
Program dates: June 10, 2024 – August 2, 2024
Location: University of Chicago
Stipend: $4,800
If you’re looking to explore data science and its intersection with other fields of research, consider this program. This summer lab is a commuter program that pairs participants with mentors across diverse domains such as computer science, social science, climate and energy policy, public policy, materials science, and biomedical research.
You will get an immersive experience in research labs, learn science methodologies, and summarize your findings in a video. At the end of the program, you get to present your research project at a symposium.
7. UC Santa Barbara’s Research Mentorship Program
Application deadline: March 18, 2024
Eligibility: Open to 10th and 11th grade students who have a minimum GPA of 3.8
Program dates: June 17, 2024 – August 2, 2024
Location: UC Santa Barbara, featuring commuter and residential options
Fee: $4,975 for the commuter track, $11,874 for the residential track
Financial assistance: Limited scholarships available based on need and qualifications
If your aim is to have a completed research project on your resume, consider the Research Mentorship Program. This program has a heavy focus on research wherein you will be paired with a mentor and engage in field work and data collection. Your work will culminate in a research paper which you will present at a symposium.
Computer science is one of the research areas offered and you can choose your project focus, making this an ideal choice if you have a specific topic you would like to pursue. Due to the university-level research, the 4-6% acceptance rate, and the promising trajectory of past students, the RMP is considered a prestigious program in spite of its high cost. Click here to know more about it!
8. Stony Brook University’s Computer Science and Informatics Summer Research Experience Program (CSIRE)
Application deadline: March 17, 2024
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 14 years of age and have prior programming knowledge
Program dates: July 1, 2024 – August 9, 2024
Location: Remote, commuter and residential options are available
Fee: $3,300 (not including housing costs)
Best suited for students who are already familiar with programming, this program offers students the opportunity to work on a mentored research project in the field. You will work in a lab and be mentored by a faculty or a Ph.D. student. Research areas include topics like biomedical informatics, data science, human-computer interaction, visualization, IoT, database systems, security, computer graphics, and more.
The curriculum also includes lab visits and seminars on computer science and informatics, providing an immersive experience in cutting-edge research. You will present your work to your classmates in the middle as well as at the end of the program.
9. Stanford’s SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers and Community College Students
Application deadline: February 23, 2024
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors who are at least 14 years of age (international students can also apply)
Program dates: June 17, 2024 – August 9, 2024
Location: Virtual (for 2024)
Stipend: Unpaid (A $50 application fee is required but fee waivers are also available)
Organized by the Stanford Compression Forum, this program offers an annual summer internship that is focused on research. Interns virtually collaborate in groups, gaining exposure to multidisciplinary research and various research tools. Computer science is one of the several research areas available and previous projects have included topics like “Bridging the Gap in Generative A.I. for Audio Generation” and “Behavior Cloning (BC) of Human Policy via Logged Data”.
The program’s research tends to have a multidisciplinary approach, making this an ideal option for students who want to study the intersection of computer science with other fields. You can also check out other computer science courses at Stanford for high school students here!
10. Simons Summer Research Program
Application deadline: February 1, 2024
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who are at least 16 years of age
Program dates: July 1, 2024 – August 9, 2024
Location: Stony Brook University, featuring commuter and residential options.
Fee: Free, although students are responsible for their own transportation and residential costs. At the program’s closing symposium, students receive a stipend award
The Simons Summer Research Program is another program that entirely revolves around completing a specific research project. While applying, you must select three preferences from a list of available mentors and their respective projects. The 2024 list includes several computer science mentors looking at AI, software engineering, programming, cyber security, and more.
Some projects may have specific prerequisites so keep an eye out for that. While you don’t get to pick your own project topic, you will still finish the program with a completed research abstract or a research poster. Additionally, the program is very selective, has an esteemed reputation, and will give your resume a boost.
11. Smith College’s Summer Science & Engineering Program (SSEP): Designing Intelligent Robots
Application deadline: May 2024
Eligibility: All high school students who identify as female
Program dates: Session 1 from July 6, 2024 – July 19, 2024, Session 2 from July 21, 2024 – August 3, 2024
Location: Smith College
Fee: $4,745 for one session, $8,082 for both
Financial assistance: Financial aid is available for limited participants
The SSEP is another option that offers hands-on research in specific areas. Students will work in groups of 17 with Smith faculty mentors and engage in lectures as well as field/lab work. You can choose one of five course options in each session with the Designing Intelligent Robots course being the perfect choice for computer science.
During this course, each team will be tasked with building a robot and will learn about programming techniques and engineering design in the process. You will have full reign to decide the robot’s specific function. This is a great option for those who want to learn programming in the field of robotics.
Application deadline: March 1, 2024
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors who are residents of New York City
Program dates: June 3, 2024 – August 9, 2024
Location: New York University
Stipend: $750
ARISE is a seven-week program that focuses on high-level research in STEM fields. The program includes two weeks of workshops and college-level coursework followed by five weeks of hands-on research in NYU faculty labs. Computer Science and Engineering is one of the available research areas, which include topics such as developing machine learning methods to detect emerging disease outbreaks or incorporating ethical norms into data science cycles.
At the end of the program, you will present your findings at the final colloquium. As a free program and one that is organized by NYU, ARISE is a fairly prestigious opportunity and would give your profile a definite boost!
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