8 MIT Summer Programs for High School Students in 2023
Consistently ranked as one of the top, if not the top, universities in the world, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has several of the leading STEM departments for college and graduate-level students. For high school students seeking to attend MIT or another premier institution, getting exposure to the people and resources at the university can be invaluable to their academic and career development as well as their college applications.
This blog post will cover 8 different MIT-affiliated summer programs for high school students across a range of disciplines. Many of these programs take place on MIT campus so that high schoolers can gain a sense of college life, but a couple remote programs are also included for students for whom traveling to Cambridge is a significant barrier.
Often in these programs, high schoolers will meet current or former MIT students, with whom they are encouraged to interact and hear their perspectives. Students and alumni from MIT can potentially serve as mentors for sincere and motivated high school students, as they look to share their experiences and wisdom with proactive mentees.
Ultimately, the value of an MIT summer program is not reducible to a credential or certificate (though these are often offered) but is rather an opportunity for high school students to explore their academic interests, form lasting connections, and begin to reflect on the type of college experience that they would like. With all these factors in mind, read on to learn about 8 MIT summer programs for high school students.
8 MIT Summer Programs for High School Students
1. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Location: MIT Campus
Dates: 6/25-8/5
Application Timeline: 12/2 Deadline
Eligibility: 11th grade, 740+ PSAT Math/700+ PSAT Reading & Writing recommended
Selectivity: 80 students selected
Spearheaded by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), RSI brings together 80 of the world’s most accomplished high school students for a summer science & engineering program combining on-campus coursework in scientific theory with off-campus coursework in science and technology. Participants experience the entire research cycle from start to finish and deliver oral and written reports of their findings. The heart of RSI is a five-week research internship during which students conduct individual research projects under the guidance of faculty and staff mentors.
2. Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Location: Remote/MIT Campus
Dates: 2/1 online course begins; 7/10-8/6 in-person course
Application Timeline: 3/1-3/31 for summer institute; must be enrolled in online course to receive application
Eligibility: 9th-11th grade; registered in prerequisite online course
Selectivity: Unknown
The 2023 BWSI course catalog includes such topics as Autonomous Racecar Grand Prix, Embedded Security and Hardware Hacking, UAS Synthetic Aperture Radar, Data Science for Health & Medicine, and Quantum Software. Students participate in one of these courses for four weeks on campus over the summer after completing their prerequisite online course in the spring.
3. Women’s Technology Program (WTP)
Location: MIT Campus
Dates: 6/24-7/21
Application Timeline: 1/15 Deadline
Eligibility: 11th grade, female U.S. resident
Selectivity: 20 students selected from ~380 applications
The goal of WTP is to spark interest in engineering among rising high school seniors through a rigorous four-week summer academic experience introducing students to engineering through lab experience and team-based projects. In 2023, WTP will only be running its mechanical engineering track, while the electrical engineering and computer science track is on hiatus. No prior background in engineering is necessary.
4. Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) SUMMER
Location: MIT Campus
Dates: Late June through Early August (exact dates vary)
Application Timeline: 2/1 Deadline
Eligibility: 11th grade, U.S. citizen
Selectivity: Unknown
Recently renamed and revamped, MITES Summer immerses high school students from across the country in life at MIT. Enrolled high schoolers will take five rigorous math, science, and humanities courses in addition to participating in lab tours, social events, and college admissions counseling. The program gives students first-hand insight into the value of a STEM degree and prepares them for careers in STEM.
5. AI Scholars Program
Location: Remote
Dates: 6/5-6/16, 6/19-6/30, 7/3-7/14, 7/17-7/28, 7/31-8/11
Application Timeline: Rolling
Eligibility: 9th-12th grade
Selectivity: Application-based
Taught by several top-performing MIT alumni, the AI Scholars Program at InspiritAI is an intensive two-week project-based learning experience in computer science and artificial intelligence. Students will begin by learning the fundamentals of computer programming in Python before applying concepts of artificial intelligence to their topic of choice in small group projects. Previous project subjects have included COVID-19 genomics, criminal justice, autonomous driving, mental health, and algorithmic training.
6. Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers (LLRISE)
Location: MIT Campus
Dates: Late June to Mid-July
Application Timeline: Early March through Late April
Eligibility: 11th grade, U.S. citizen
Selectivity: Unknown
LLRISE students will gain in-depth experience building radar systems. Participants will be challenged to build a Doppler and range radar using creative problem-solving strategies. During the process, high schoolers will work with talented scientists and engineers.
7. Summer Springboard Fundamentals of Engineering at MIT
Location: MIT Campus
Dates: 6/25-7/7, 7/9-7/21
Application Timeline: Rolling
Eligibility: 9th-12th grade
Selectivity: 25 students per session
In this course, high school students are introduced to MATLAB computer programming and learn about the fundamentals of mechanical, civil, and biomechanical engineering through hands-on projects and simulations. The course is taught by a lecturer and design education practitioner at MIT.
8. Summer Science Program (SSP)
Location: New Mexico Tech; UC Boulder; UNC Chapel Hill; Purdue University; Indiana University
Dates: mid-June through end of July
Application Timeline: 12/15-3/3 (2/3 for international applicants)
Eligibility: 11th grade, age 15-19
Selectivity: 36 students per program
Sponsored by MIT, SSP forms a supportive “living and learning community” for high school students as they complete research projects in groups of three. In 2022, SSP ran programs in astrophysics, biochemistry, and genomics. 2023 dates, locations, and research topics will be announced in December.
