15 Computer Science Summer Programs for High School Students (2023)

FAQs

What are the most competitive summer programs for high schoolers? ›

Stanford High School Summer College

High School Summer College allows high-achieving students between 16-19 years to access undergraduate courses at Stanford University. This eight- or nine-week experience provides academic, social, and intellectual opportunities not found in a high school classroom.

If you believe the summer program will increase your chance of getting into Stanford, it's not worth it because it won't. If you want to take some challenging courses with good faculties while experiencing college life in a beautiful campus, it's definitely worth it.

Principal areas of study and careers within computer science include artificial intelligence, computer systems and networks, security, database systems, human-computer interaction, vision and graphics, numerical analysis, programming languages, software engineering, bioinformatics, and theory of computing.

Did you know summer activities can push your college application to the “yes” pile? Colleges want to see that you are committed to extracurriculars throughout the school year, but they also love it when you are making the effort to expand and stretch yourself over summer vacation.

Yes, summer programs are definitely worth it! They present a perfect opportunity to explore your field of interest in greater depth, develop relevant skills, meet like-minded students, and – perhaps most importantly – increase your chances of getting into the Ivies.

Less selective schools may just take your GPA/Grades at face value, but, assuming you're planning on applying to top schools like Princeton and Stanford, you shouldn't have to worry about freshman year grades, as these schools will go through a more rigorous process of figuring out the story behind your grades ...

For students studying in the United States, or pursuing an American curriculum abroad, an official transcript (grades 9–12) is required. For students pursuing an international curriculum (e.g., A-Level, national curriculum, or IB Diploma outside the US), academic results and predictions are required if available.

Harvard Summer School is open to anyone seeking to use their summer to learn something new!

Is the Harvard Summer School selective? ›

The Harvard Summer School study abroad programs seek motivated, independent students who are eager for a unique academic challenge. All programs are selective and have limited enrollment.

However, attending Harvard Summer School and performing well will strengthen your application to any college or university. Additionally, the Pre-College Program offers many opportunities designed to help you navigate the college application process and enhance your performance in a college setting.

Computer science is a broad field, so if you're looking to get your computer science degree, the kind of math you'll need to know will depend on your specific program and career path. But generally speaking, most degree programs require a basic understanding of calculus, algebra, discrete mathematics, and statistics.

Computer Science is Not Just Coding

It is about how we use such tools, and what we find out when we do. The solution of many computer science problems may not even require the use of computers -- just pencil and paper.

The short answer is “yes.” Search any list of majors to study, and you'll likely find that computer science tops the list as one of the most challenging disciplines to learn. Compared to other fields of study, pursuing a career in computer science requires both technical and analytical skill sets.

Raise Their GPA

While letting an elective class go and not retaking it is an option, summer school grades replace the failing grade already earned. That will raise your teen's GPA.

Another advantage of summer programs is that they look great on college applications—they demonstrate a love of learning and show a student's desire to immerse themselves in interesting subjects. Keep reading to learn about some of the best summer programs for high school students in California.

Take Summer Classes

Taking summer classes may seem like a drag, but it is one of the best things you can do to boost your GPA. When you retake a course during the summer, you are likely to be in a smaller class.

Selectivity: The program is selective, with around 16% of applicants being admitted. Students are required to complete an online application, including three essays.

How many high school students get invited to Stanford Summer Session? ›

Program Overview

Stanford welcomes nearly 650 high school students each summer – approximately 500 residential and 150 commuters.

Stanford and the University of California system are perfect examples of appropriately evaluating prospective students. They do not count freshman grades at all in admissions decisions, and instead recalculate applicants' grade-point averages without them.

There is no minimum GPA or test score, nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript in order to have your application reviewed or be admitted to Stanford.

In the United States, ninth grade is usually the first year in high school. In this system, ninth graders are also often referred to as freshmen. It can also be the last year of junior high school. The typical age for U.S. 9th grade students is 14 to 15 years.

To receive a Credit (CR) or a Satisfactory (S) grade, you must receive the equivalent of a C- or better. Otherwise, you will receive a No Credit (NC). Note that in the Letter grade system, a passing grade is normally a D- or better.

A transcript with a mix of A-s and B+s will produce a grade point average in the range of 3.5, which is an important cutoff for many colleges. In general, admissions officers want to see more As than Bs, so having an unweighted GPA of above 3.5 can make a big difference.

Most students admitted to Harvard have an unweighted GPA of 4.18 or above, so you'll need to have at least a 4.2 to be seriously evaluated. To meet the Harvard requirements, you'll have to score primarily A's on your high school courses.

Students must be 15 years of age at time of registration. Graduate credit. To register for graduate credit, students must be 18 years of age and ordinarily, possess an undergraduate degree from an accredited US institution or the international equivalent. Students must be 18 years of age at time of registration.

Nationwide, these are the three top schools with the most graduates who registered at Harvard, Princeton or MIT from 2015-18: Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia: 96; Stuyvesant High School in New York City: 94; and Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire: 87.

Which style is closest to Harvard? ›

APA (American Psychological Association)

APA referencing is a variant on Harvard style. Many of the conventions are the same, with brief author-date citations in brackets in the body of the text and full citations in the reference list.

The Big Three is a historical term used in the United States to refer to Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University.

Cornell University

The easiest Ivy to get into based on acceptance rate, Cornell offers over 4,000 courses through its seven undergraduate schools, meaning that students are sure to find a subject of interest to study.

Princeton Admission Statistics

Princeton University is one of the hardest schools to get into and has one of the lowest acceptance rates of any college in the world. Some might argue it's the hardest Ivy to get into, even though its current acceptance rate is not quite as low as Columbia or Harvard.

A study actually found that students are 45% more likely to get into a highly selective college if they're considered primary legacy. This includes universities like Harvard, whose recent incoming 2021 class had 29% of students qualify for legacy status.

Summer schools are definitely worth it. The chance to have high-quality teaching in subjects you might not encounter at school, and accelerate your confidence and skills in a challenging setting, offer huge positives for the future. The summer school you choose depends on the experience you're looking for.

Let's cut to the chase: you can afford Harvard. Our application process is entirely need-blind, which means that applying for financial aid will have no impact on your admissions decision.

The Stanford Summer High School College Program isn't really selective; anyone who are willing to pay the cost of $15,000 (for just 8 weeks) can get in.

If you plan to earn a computer science degree to work in computer programming, artificial intelligence, or machine learning, you need aptitude in discrete mathematics and linear algebra.

Binary mathematics is the heart of the computer and an essential math field for computer programming. For all mathematical concepts, the binary number system uses only two digits, 0 and 1. It simplifies the coding process and is essential for low-level instructions used in hardware programming.

Do computer engineers get paid well? ›

According to Payscale data from August 2022, the average computer engineer salary for entry-level workers is around $76,000. Early-career wages after 1-4 years rise to an average $82,250, while the long-term professional's average salary is around $102,000.

While some people are able to succeed in teaching themselves computer science completely on their own, it's a very tricky and complex subject to master without any guidance.

Coding, at the bottom line, is math. In order to write a line of code that works well, and that is completely bug-free, coders need to strengthen their algorithmic thinking and computational thinking. And what are these two ways of thinking in their deepest essence: Math.

For computer science scholars, the workload can be slightly heavier than other majors. While the average student spends about 17 hours per week on outside study, computer science students clock in at 18.23 hours a week. At the end of the day, it's as manageable as other majors.

A recent survey from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), revealed that among universities, Computer Science has the highest dropout rate – 9.8%.

What are the best classes to take over the summer? ›

Restaurants, retail stores, libraries, hotels, warehouses, and movie theaters are some of the common places that hire 16-year-olds. Golf caddy, babysitter, tutor, and dog walker are some of the best jobs for 16-year-olds that pay well.

The best majors for creative introverts are those in the liberal arts, graphic design, web development, animation, and marketing. What are the best majors for analytical introverts? The best majors for analytical introverts include cyber security, computer science, computer programming, and engineering majors.

Yes, it can be hard to get an internship.

The reason internships can be hard to get is because they are designed to benefit the intern with extra mentorship, valuable, relevant experience and networking opportunities. Make sure to research the company you are trying to land an internship with.

At What Age Can You Be an Intern? While it's possible to get an internship at as young as 14 years old, many employers will likely have their own age restrictions set at 16 years old or above. This is because there are laws regulating the number of hours and type of work children below 16 can do.

Internships for 10th Pass Students Overview. Internships for 10th pass students are available both in the private and government sectors. They provide an opportunity for students to explore their areas of interest and gain insight for better career choices.

Do summer classes boost your GPA? ›

Raise Their GPA

While letting an elective class go and not retaking it is an option, summer school grades replace the failing grade already earned. That will raise your teen's GPA.

As mentioned previously, I would recommend not taking more than two 8-week or 10-week courses and limiting yourself to one Maymester (2-week) or one 4-week course. However, you can mix and match your summer courses to fit in 3 or even 4 college classes without burning yourself out.