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.
