Summer Camps for STEM Students: A Guide for Sophomores and Juniors

Are you deciding what to do for your summer after sophomore or junior year? Are you looking to gain valuable experience in STEM fields? Summer camps is a great way for you to research independently, learn new and exciting topics, and connect with students and mentors. If you’re passionate about engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, or other STEM disciplines, this resource page is for you! Remember, attending a summer program shows that you’re willing to explore outside of the classroom.

These programs provide the chance to:

Gain Research Experience through Projects: Work on innovative projects, solve complex problems, and build skills that will be valuable in college and beyond.
Network with Peers, Experts and Mentors: Meet mentors who can guide your future major choices, and connect with other highschool students who share similar interests as you.
Enhance Your College Application: Being selected for a competitive program shows commitment, initiative, and a passion for the subject. It can make you an attractive candidate for college admissions.

Below is a list of top STEM summer camps. Start planning your upcoming summer toward a successful future in STEM.

1. UC Santa Barbara Summer Research Academies (SRA)

Duration: 4 weeks

Website: https://www.summer.ucsb.edu/programs/summer-research-academies/overview

Application Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis)

This program offers project-based, directed research in STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences fields. Students will take a 4-unit university course in which they choose and develop a research topic specific to the track they select, under the direction of an instructor who is conducting active research in that field.

2. MIT Women's Technology Program (WTP)

Duration: 4 weeks

Website: https://web.mit.edu/wtp/

Application Deadline: Typically January/February

This program is designed for young women interested in engineering and computer science, offering hands-on projects, exposure to MIT’s cutting-edge research, and mentorship from female professionals in STEM.

3. Engineering Summer Academy at Penn

Duration: 3 weeks

Website: https://esap.seas.upenn.educ

Application Deadline: March 1st, 2025

The Academy’s intensive, three-week programs combine sophisticated theory with hands-on practical experience in cutting-edge technologies. Work with leading faculty while earning college credit, live on Penn’s historic campus, and connect with new friends from around the world.

4. UCLA SCI | ART LAB + STUDIO Summer Institute

Duration: 2 weeks per session

Website: https://summer.ucla.edu/program/sciart-lab-studio-summer-institute/#sciart-overview

Application Deadline: June 6, 2025 (Session A); June 13, 2025 (Session B & C) | Enrollment deadline: June 13, 2025 (Session A); June 27, 2025 (Session B); July 12, 2025 (Session C)

During this intensive two-week program, students make connections between cutting-edge scientific research, popular culture, and contemporary arts. Through historical retrospectives, surveys of current art-science collaborations, and science fiction movie screenings, students are exposed to the interface of science, art, and culture with a focus on multidisciplinary collaborations.

5. UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program (RMP)

Duration: 7 weeks

Website: https://www.summer.ucsb.edu/programs/research-mentorship-program/overview

Application Deadline: March 17, 2025

Students will be paired with a mentor (graduate student, postdoc, or faculty) and choose a research project from a long list of disciplines offered by the program each year. Along with their mentor, students will learn about research techniques, gain insight into professional research-based opportunities, and mature their academic goals. The GRIT talks lecture series will connect students to some of the best minds within the UC Santa Barbara research community

6. Tufts Pre-College : Engineering Investigations (EI)

Duration: 2 weeks per session

Website: https://universitycollege.tufts.edu/pre-college/browse/engineering-investigations#Program-Outcomes

Application Deadline: May 1, 2025

The Engineering Investigations (EI) program is designed to provide an introduction to various different disciplines within the broad field of engineering. Many of the significant challenges facing society involve engineering -- from clean water, to renewable energy, to personalized medicine. The set of Engineering Investigations (EI) activities throughout the two weeks balance presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities to keep the students actively engaged in understanding the fields of engineering while simultaneously getting their own exposure and experiences in doing engineering themselves.

7. JHU Engineering Innovation Pre-College Program

Duration: Varies from 2 - 4 weeks

Website: https://ei.jhu.edu

Application Deadline: Window open from February to May 2025

Summer 2025 applications are open for:

Explore Engineering Innovation
Sustainable Energy Engineering
Biomedical Engineering Innovation
Intro to Python

8. Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP)

Duration: 2 weeks per session

Website: https://www.smith.edu/academics/precollege-programs/summer-science-engineering

Application Deadline: Until May 2025

SSEP courses emphasize asking questions and learning by doing, not only by listening and watching. Students choose two-week courses; in these, groups of up to 17 students work alongside Smith faculty members, assisted by undergraduate interns. Informal lectures in the lab and out in the field encourage students to ask questions, and they learn to conduct actual experiments.

Most of the work is carried out as a cooperative team effort, with ample opportunities for individual contributions. SSEP participants learn how scientists and engineers formulate questions, work on sophisticated scientific instruments and develop valuable critical thinking and analytical skills.

Courses include:

Chemistry of Herbal Medicine
Designing Intelligent Robots
Global Young Women’s Health
Novel Bacteriophage Discovery
Understanding and Conserving Plant Biodiversity

And more!

9. Frontiers at WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts)

Duration: 2 weeks per session

Website: https://www.wpi.edu/academics/pre-collegiate/summer-programs/frontiers

Application Deadline: April 30, 2025

Program-at-a Glance

Two-week in-person, non-credit bearing residential program
Explore a STEM major with a humanities, arts, or business minor
Connect with peers from around the world who share your passion for STEM
Engage in college preparation workshops and social activities
Learn in tandem with your peers right here on WPI's campus

10. Bentley University - Wolfram High School Summer Research Program

Duration: 2.5 weeks

Website: https://education.wolfram.com/summer-research-high-school/

Application Deadline: January 15 2025 for ED deadline and April 15 2025 for Regular deadline

Through a curriculum of active-learning activities, hands-on workshops and lectures, students explore the power of modern computation and deep dive into STEM fields while gaining mastery of Wolfram Language, computational thinking and research skills.

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