10 Extracurricular Humanities Programs for High School Students
Winter is upon us, which means it’s time for school break and holiday festivities and, most importantly, preparation for spring. Now is the time to apply to programs and universities that will send out admissions decisions in March, April, and May. Are you ready? Do you know which colleges you’ll be applying to, which campuses you’ll be touring, or which extracurricular activities you plan to add to your resume?
As the days get shorter and colder, goal-oriented and college-bound students everywhere are hunkered down and dedicating laser focus to test prep and deadline prioritization. You should be, too. Things start speeding up when spring admissions season hits, and you need to be ready to hit the ground running. So, if you’re planning to pursue a degree in law, psychology, visual arts, theatre, journalism, or any of the humanities subjects, take a look at some of these extracurricular opportunities. Participating in one of these programs might be just what your academic resume needs to help you stand out amidst a sea of similarly qualified college applicants.
Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)
PSJP is a year-long college prep and journalism program for high school juniors from limited-income backgrounds. During the summer, students complete a virtual, rigorous summer intensive to study how journalism is linked to current events and world affairs. The program, which is led by Princeton professors and includes many lectures and workshops, is capped off at the end of summer with a 10-day on-campus residential experience.
While participating in PSJP, students have the added benefit of being paired with a personal college advisor who is responsible for helping them build a list of schools to apply to, write college application essays, submit applications, and make final decisions.
This hybrid program is free of charge, and the application deadline is February 24, 2025. Apply today.
Harvard University’s Pre-College Summer School Program
This two-week, on-campus program is designed to introduce high school students to college life and help them explore their passions. Participants of the Pre-College Summer School Program get immersed in Ivy League life by taking a college-level course that’s meant to challenge them intellectually. There are nearly 30 courses for students to choose from, all of which fall under the topics of:
Speech, writing, and literature
Psychology, medicine, and public health
Law, politics, philosophy, and history
Business and leadership
Race, gender, and ethics
Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM)
The best part? Students can learn for learning’s sake without the pressure of competitive academia since the courses aren’t graded.B etween classes, program participants can participate in creative and social activities as they explore Harvard’s grounds and discover new interests. They’ll also brush up on skills like time management, school-life balance, and healthy, diplomatic debating as they engage in college-level discussions in class.
The program offers three sessions during the summer, from late June to early August. The early decision application deadline is January 8, 2025, and regular applications are due by February 12. You can submit late applications until April 9, but financial aid won’t be available by then. Apply today.
Stanford Summer Humanities Institute
Rising high school juniors and seniors can holistically explore big questions at the heart of the humanities by participating in the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute, a three-week residential program held on campus. Students can follow the lead of Stanford professors as they explore collegiate philosophical questions and pursue exciting research topics during the week, while the weekends are reserved for field trips and fun organized activities.
While the available courses for summer 2025 haven’t been publicly declared yet, students can nevertheless look forward to intense academic and creative exploration, profound conversations with fellow students from morning to night, meeting people from all around the globe, and independent research. Applications will open in mid-December of this year, and the deadline to apply is February 3, 2025.
University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Arts and Sciences High School Summer Academies
UPenn offers a multitude of different extracurricular opportunities for 9th to 11th grade high school students in the form of summer academies and pre-college programs. Humanities students interested in residential, non-credit programs can explore one of two summer academies: Global Culture and Media or Social Justice Research. Each one is a three-week, residential, non-credit program led by UPenn faculty.
The university also holds residential and online pre-college programs during the summer, and students can choose from courses like World Film History, Experimental Psychology, Law and Society, and more. Applications for summer 2025 will open soon, and you can sign up to be notified when they do.
Scholar Launch's "Social Injustice in Modern America: Understanding the Historical, Cultural, Economic, and Legal Factors" Advanced Research Program
We offer a 12-week virtual research program that explores the complexities of modern America through a historical, cultural, economic, and social lens. The program’s Faculty Advisor–a professor of African American and African Studies, Francophone Studies, and Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan–takes a multimedia and interdisciplinary approach as she guides students through explorations of American marginalization, oppression, and social justice.
Our Faculty Advisors instruct all students on college-level research methodology while our Teaching Assistants help students write–and sometimes pursue publication of–their research papers. Many Scholar Launch alums have even earned letters of recommendation from their FAs upon completing the cohort. All high school students are welcome to apply, and this program is available year-round. The deadline for winter research applications, however, is December 31, 2024. Apply today.
Carnegie Mellon University’s Pre-College Programs
Carnegie Mellon offers many programs to high school juniors and seniors who want to get a glimpse of the undergraduate, on-campus experience while exploring their passions. Students are housed in dormitories typically reserved for college freshmen, and most are paired with a roommate. The university offers many humanities programs for participants to choose from, including:
The application deadline for early decision and international students is February 1, 2025, and the regular decision deadline is March 1. Apply today.
Boston University’s Visual Arts Summer Institute (VASI)
Boston University’s College of Fine Arts’s VASI is an intensive visual arts program designed to help high school students develop high-quality portfolios while they immerse themselves in art school on a university level. For four weeks, students participate in classes and workshops that cover drawing, painting, sculpture, and printmaking. VASI participants are expected to engage in lively art discussions with other students, faculty, and staff, thus furthering their appreciation and understanding of the many disciplines of visual arts. And each year, students can attend special workshops like photography, graphic design, or community art projects.
Applications are open now and will be considered on a rolling basis until March 15, 2025. Apply today.
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Pre-College Programs
FIT offers 10-day classes in the Fall, Spring, and Summer for high school students who plan to study art and design in college. Participants can choose from courses in portraiture, fashion styling, sewing, and 2D animation. Whether they choose a remote or in-person program, students can learn new technical skills, experience a college environment, create a competitive portfolio, and craft college application essays.
The deadline for spring courses is February 12, 2025, and the deadline for summer is June 10, 2025. Apply today.
University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Carey Law Pre-College Academy
This program allows high school students to experience law school via a three-week academy that’s designed to expose students to a variety of specialized law fields, including:
Corporate law
Business & entrepreneurship law
Environmental law
Administrative law
Human rights and immigration law
Technology, privacy, and intellectual property law
While in the Penn Carey Law Pre-College Academy, program participants engage in rigorous coursework, interact with legal experts, and visit courtrooms, law firms, and different legal departments throughout reputable institutions. Students of this program have the enviable privilege of experiencing an accelerated version of first-year law school at an Ivy League university while honing their communication, writing, analytical, logical reasoning, and leadership skills critical for future success in law.
Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2025. Apply today.
Carleton College Summer Liberal Arts Institute (SLAI)
Carleton College’s Humanities pre-college program, “Modes of Knowing, Sites of Encounter: Exploring the Human Through Text, Image, and Performance,” invites students to explore how humans have, over time, leaned on literature, history, maps, and the arts to make sense of and control their worlds. College faculty will teach students how to use different research, interpretation, and presentation techniques to delve deeper into humanistic research.
Program participants have four topics to choose from, including:
History and philosophy
Literature, theatre, and art
Art history
History of maps and mapmaking
SLAI also offers pre-college programs in Storytelling–which includes courses in cognitive psychology, screenwriting, and film music–and the Science of Emotions–which includes courses in literary and cultural studies, cognitive science, and psychology. High school students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade are welcome to apply.
Applications open on December 15, 2024. First-round applicants have until February 3, while second-round applicants have until March 3. Apply today.
If you’re a student interested in pursuing the humanities, you have the world at your fingertips. These are just 10 extracurricular programs for high school students, but there are countless more that could be perfect for you. Apply soon, because these deadlines are coming up fast.
