15 Programs for High School Students in Cambridge, Massachusetts
If you're a high school student looking to build practical skills and gain exposure to a field before committing to it in college, a structured program can be a valuable way to explore your interests. Many of these programs are run by universities, research institutions, and established organizations, giving you access to mentorship, project work, and tools you might not encounter in a typical classroom. Whether your interests lie in the sciences, technology, business, or the humanities, these programs can help you test out a field and build skills that extend beyond the classroom.
Why should you attend a program in Cambridge, Massachusetts?
Cambridge is home to institutions like MIT and Harvard, both of which offer programs spanning research, engineering, mathematics, business, and biomedical sciences. You could conduct mentored research in a university lab, work through an engineering design challenge, or take a college-level course in a subject you're curious about. Some programs are geared toward Massachusetts residents or students within commuting distance of Boston, while others welcome applicants from anywhere in the U.S. or abroad.
To help you compare your options, we’ve selected 15 programs for high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These 15 programs span scientific research, mathematics, engineering, artificial intelligence, biomedical sciences, and business, so students with a wide range of academic interests can find a relevant option in or near Cambridge.
Several programs are free or offer stipends, including RSI, Mathroots, MITES Summer, MIT PRIMES, MIT THINK, Harvard Medical School Project Success, and Broad Summer Scholars Program ($3,600 stipend), making competitive research experiences accessible without tuition costs.
Many programs prioritize underrepresented students in STEM, including MIT's Women's Technology Program, MITES Summer, and Harvard Medical School Project Success, which specifically targets students from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds.
Programs vary significantly in length and format, from week-long introductory tracks (Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy) to year-long research commitments (MIT PRIMES), so students can choose based on their availability and depth of interest.
Application deadlines for the most selective programs fall early, including RSI (December 10), MIT PRIMES (December 1), MIT THINK (January 1), and Broad Summer Scholars Program (January 21), so students should begin preparing materials in the fall.
1. Research Science Institute
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~3–5%; 100 students/year
Dates: June 28 – August 8
Application Deadline: December 10
Eligibility: High school juniors worldwide
This program brings together highly accomplished high school students for an intensive summer experience focused on advanced scientific research. You begin with rigorous coursework led by university faculty, giving you exposure to current ideas across science, engineering, and mathematics. After this academic foundation, you transition into a mentored research placement where you work closely with scientists on an original project. Seminars and discussions throughout the program introduce you to emerging research areas and possible STEM pathways. By the end, you will have prepared a written paper and oral presentation, giving you practice communicating research in a formal academic setting.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application deadline: Rolling. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students looking to get started in AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and have the opportunity to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students have the opportunity to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals. You can also check out some examples of past projects here and read about a student’s experience in the program here.
3. √Mathroots @ MIT
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 1 – 15
Application Deadline: March 3
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or attending high school in the U.S. (before the last year of high school) who are between the ages of 14 and 18
Mathroots at MIT is designed for students who enjoy mathematical reasoning, creative problem-solving, and ideas that go beyond the standard high school curriculum. Over the course of the program, you participate in lectures, workshops, and collaborative problem-solving sessions led by instructors and mentors with experience in research and competition math. The curriculum introduces you to advanced but accessible topics, including mathematical proof, elegant problem-solving strategies, and abstract reasoning. Group activities encourage you to compare approaches, explain your thinking, and learn from peers who share a strong interest in mathematics. Guest lectures provide a broader context by showing how mathematicians approach discovery and research.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute
Location: Virtual and in-person at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost: None for students belonging to families earning under $150,000; $2,350 for others
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Online courses: Early February – mid-June | In-person/online summer program: Early July – early August
Application Deadline: Typically, the end of March
Eligibility: High school students entering their senior year who are U.S. citizens
MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute introduces high school students to engineering and computer science through a mix of online preparation and intensive project-based learning. Before the summer session, you complete preparatory coursework that lays the foundation in programming, technical reasoning, and course-specific concepts. During the main program, you choose a specialized track in areas such as robotics, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, satellites, or radar. Team-based projects make up a major part of the experience, asking you to design, test, debug, and improve technical systems under the guidance of mentors. Most tracks in this program for high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts, conclude with a capstone project or competition where you demonstrate the system or solution your team developed.
6. MITES Summer
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; national cohort of ~60–80 students
Dates: Late June – early August (six weeks)
Application Deadline: Early February; Applications open in the fall
Eligibility: Students in their junior year of high school who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
MITES Summer offers high school students a demanding residential experience centered on college-level STEM and humanities coursework. Across the program, you take rigorous classes that strengthen your quantitative reasoning, scientific thinking, writing, and discussion skills. The curriculum also includes electives in applied areas such as machine learning, genomics, electronics, and architecture, allowing you to explore subjects that may not be available in your high school. Beyond the classroom, lab tours, seminars, and workshops help you understand how STEM connects to research, technology, and society. College admissions guidance and community programming add another layer of support as you think about future academic pathways.
7. MIT PRIMES
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Year-long program which begins in January and ends in the following December/January
Application Deadline: December 1
Eligibility: High school students living in the Greater Boston area
MIT PRIMES is a year-long research program for students ready to engage with mathematics at a serious, open-ended level. The experience begins with an advanced reading phase, where you work through mentor-assigned material and build the background needed for your project. As the year progresses, you investigate problems in areas such as combinatorics, geometry, number theory, theoretical computer science, or computational biology. Regular mentor meetings help you learn how to approach difficult questions, test ideas, organize your reasoning, and communicate progress clearly. You eventually prepare a written report, final paper, and presentation for the PRIMES conference, making the program especially valuable if you want early exposure to mathematical research.
8. MIT Think Scholars Program
Location: Virtual and MIT campus, Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: February–June
Application Deadline: January 1
Eligibility: High school students with permanent residence in the U.S.
The MIT THINK Scholars Program is built around student-designed research proposals, making it a strong option if you have a promising STEM idea but need support to carry it out. You’re required to submit a detailed plan that explains your research question, background, timeline, and implementation strategy. Selected students receive mentorship from MIT undergraduates, who help refine methods, troubleshoot challenges, and keep the project moving through regular check-ins. Funding support can also help you access materials or tools needed to complete the work. By the end, you develop a formal paper and presentation that document your process, findings, and technical growth.
9. MIT’s Women’s Technology Program (WTP): Mechanical Engineering
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free for students with a family income of under $120,000; tiered pricing starts at $2,000 for other applicants. You can check the details here
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 20 students/year out of 300+ applications
Dates: June 27 – July 25
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors with strong math/science ability, little to no prior engineering experience; women and underrepresented students in STEM are encouraged to apply
MIT’s engineering program for high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts, introduces you to core engineering concepts through a fast-paced combination of classes, labs, and design projects. The curriculum covers topics such as thermodynamics, materials science, fluid mechanics, circuits, and mechanical design, with instruction from MIT graduate and undergraduate mentors. Hands-on work is central to the program, so you may build structures, assemble circuits, use CAD tools, and test design ideas through practical tasks. Team projects help you apply theoretical concepts while developing technical communication, collaboration, and iterative problem-solving skills. Workshops in fabrication, electronics, and design also show how engineering ideas move from concept to physical prototype.
10. Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard’s Broad Summer Scholars Program (BSSP)
Location: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
Stipend: $3,600
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 21
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors attending a Massachusetts high school within commuting distance to the Broad Institute; applicants must have a grade of B or better in science and math classes. U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or work authorization is required.
The Broad Summer Scholars Program places high school students inside active research groups at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. You work alongside scientists and graduate researchers on projects in areas such as cancer biology, chemical biology, psychiatric disease, infectious disease, computational biology, and genomics. Daily lab or computational work introduces you to research methods, data analysis, and the process of turning scientific questions into structured investigations. Alongside your project, lectures and workshops help you build skills in scientific communication, poster design, and interpretation of research findings. The program also exposes you to different biomedical career paths through talks, community events, and interactions with researchers across the institute. At the end, you present your work in a scientific poster session.
11. Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $1,800 (80% need-based financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Week-long sessions from June to August
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12, age 14+ at the time of the program
Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy gives high school students a focused introduction to business through week-long tracks in entrepreneurship or management and strategy. In the entrepreneurship track, you work through startup fundamentals such as market research, financial literacy, product-market fit, business planning, and pitch development. The management and strategy track takes a consulting-style approach, asking you to analyze business data, financial statements, pricing decisions, profitability, and operational challenges. Both tracks emphasize applied thinking, so you are expected to interpret information, make recommendations, and communicate ideas clearly. Case-based exercises and presentation work help you understand how business concepts are used in practical decision-making.
12. Harvard Pre-College Summer School Program
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $6,100 + $75 application fee; Limited scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 15 students per class
Dates: Session I: June 21 – July 2 | Session II: July 5 – 17 | Session III: July 19 – 31
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old by June 21 and will not turn 19 years old before July 31
Harvard’s Pre-College Program gives high school students a two-week introduction to university-level academic life through one focused, non-credit course. You choose a subject that interests you and study it through discussion-based classes, analytical assignments, and a pace designed to reflect undergraduate expectations. Because the course is non-credit, the emphasis stays on intellectual exploration rather than grades or GPA pressure. Outside class, co-curricular activities such as lectures, workshops, debates, and social programming round out the campus experience. At the end of this program for high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts, you receive a written evaluation that reflects your engagement and progress in the course.
13. Harvard Secondary School Program
Location: Virtual or on-campus at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $4,180 – $15,735 + $75 application fee; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 12 – August 8 (residential) | June 20 – August 8 (residential/online/commuter)
Application Deadline: January 7 (early); February 11 (regular); April 1 (late)
Eligibility: High school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, ages 16 – 18
Harvard’s Secondary School Program allows high school students to enroll in college-level summer courses for credit across a wide range of academic areas. You can choose from subjects such as psychology, neuroscience, computer science, writing, humanities, social sciences, and more, depending on your interests. Courses are designed to reflect the expectations of undergraduate study, with assignments, discussions, and academic responsibility built into the experience. College-readiness workshops and optional activities can also help you adjust to the independence expected in university environments. Completing the program gives you official college credit and a Harvard transcript.
14. Harvard Medical School – Project Success
Location: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (15 mins from Cambridge)
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive, 13 students
Dates: June 30 – August 15
Application Deadline: February 3
Eligibility: Boston/Cambridge high school juniors and seniors who will be over 16 years of age by June 30, are from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds, have a GPA of 2.7+, and have completed courses in biology, algebra, and chemistry.
Project Success at Harvard Medical School offers eligible Boston and Cambridge high school students the opportunity to participate in biomedical research in Harvard-affiliated labs. You work under the guidance of science professionals on projects connected to disease, treatment, or broader biomedical questions. The experience introduces you to lab techniques, research ethics, data analysis, and the communication skills needed to explain scientific work clearly. Seminars with researchers and physicians add context by showing how lab-based discoveries connect to medicine, public health, and healthcare careers. Site visits to hospitals and biotechnology organizations further broaden your understanding of science in practice.
15. Northeastern University’s Young Scholars Program (YSP)
Location: Northeastern University, Boston, MA (15 mins from Cambridge)
Stipend: Availability varies by year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified; cohort size varies by year
Dates: June 22 – July 30
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who are permanent residents of Massachusetts and are U.S. citizens/permanent residents
Northeastern University’s Young Scholars Program gives high school students hands-on research experience in university labs across engineering, science, and health-related fields. You work with faculty, graduate students, or research mentors on projects that may involve simulations, data analysis, coding, machine learning, laboratory experiments, or applied engineering problems. The program helps you see how mathematical and scientific tools are used to investigate real technical questions. A seminar series introduces you to different engineering disciplines, including areas such as chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, and industrial engineering. Field trips and career sessions add another layer by showing how research skills connect to work in industry, government, and universities. The experience concludes with a poster presentation.
Frequently asked questions
1. What programs are available for high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts?
Options include research programs, such as RSI, MIT PRIMES, MIT THINK, and Broad Summer Scholars Program, engineering and STEM intensives, such as MIT Beaver Works and MITES Summer, mathematics programs, such as Mathroots, AI and data science programs, such as Veritas AI and Lumiere, and university courses, such as Harvard Pre-College and Harvard Secondary School Program.
2. Are there free programs for high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts?
Yes, several programs are free to attend, including RSI, Mathroots, MITES Summer, MIT PRIMES, MIT THINK Scholars, and Harvard Medical School Project Success. MIT Beaver Works and MIT's Women's Technology Program are also free for students from families earning below a specified income threshold.
3. Which Cambridge programs are best for students interested in research?
Students interested in research might consider RSI for broad STEM research, MIT PRIMES for mathematics, Broad Summer Scholars Program for biomedical and genomics research, Harvard Medical School Project Success for lab-based medical research, and Veritas AI or Lumiere for independent research in AI or other academic fields.
4. What is the most selective program for high school students in Cambridge?
RSI is among the most selective, with an acceptance rate of roughly 3 to 5 percent and a cohort of only 100 students per year. MIT's Women's Technology Program accepts around 20 students from over 300 applications, and Harvard Medical School Project Success admits only 13 students annually.
5. Are there programs in Cambridge for students interested in business or non-STEM subjects?
Yes, Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy offers week-long tracks in entrepreneurship and management and strategy, and Harvard Pre-College and Harvard Secondary School Programs offer courses across a wide range of subjects, including humanities, social sciences, psychology, and writing.
6. When should I apply to programs for high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts?
The most selective programs have the earliest deadlines, including MIT PRIMES (December 1), RSI (December 10), MIT THINK (January 1), and Broad Summer Scholars Program (January 21). Others, such as Harvard Pre-College (April 1) and Harvard Student Agencies Business Academy (rolling), allow more time, but students should begin researching options in the fall to stay on track.
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
With Veritas AI, which was founded by Harvard graduate students, you can work 1-on-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we have had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. Check out a past student’s experience in the program here. You can apply here!