By 14, many students begin wondering what lies beyond their usual school subjects. Summer programs for 14 year olds offer a low-pressure way to explore interests such as coding, medicine, law, engineering, creative writing, or psychology without the demands of grades or regular homework.

You might attend workshops on a university campus, meet students from different countries, or complete a project with guidance from an experienced mentor. Small seminars and focused activities also give you time to explore unfamiliar subjects and discover what genuinely holds your attention.

The experience can influence more than your summer plans. You may return with a clearer idea of which classes to take, which clubs to join, and what you might want to study as university decisions draw closer.

How do you choose the right summer program for a 14-year-old?

At 14, you’re not searching for the one program that sets your whole path. You’re looking for something that gets you curious, willing to try new things, and genuinely interested in exploring a subject. Some students find something they love. Others just figure out what isn’t for them. Both count as a win.

Pay close attention to what you’ll actually be doing each day. Programs centered on workshops, projects, discussion, and mentorship tend to give you a lot more than those that are mostly lecture-based. The more you participate, the more you’ll actually take from it.

To help you explore your options, we’ve compiled a list of 15 summer programs for 14 year olds!

Key takeaways

• Phillips Exeter Academy Summer costs $11,250 for boarding or $6,850 for day students, using the school’s signature Harkness discussion method across a five week program.
• Immerse Education’s Academic Insights Programme spans six locations, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Boston, with small classes of seven to 10 students open to students aged 13 to 18.
• COSMOS at UCLA restricts eligibility to California residents only, admitting students with an average unweighted GPA around 3.8 for a four week STEM immersion costing $5,518.
• The Ross Mathematics Program is a six week residential experience hosted across two campuses, focused entirely on learning mathematics by doing original problem-solving rather than following a set curriculum.
• Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics has run for more than five decades and costs $7,208 for six weeks, balancing structured classes with open afternoons for independent exploration.
• Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes cost $3,200 per online course plus a $65 application fee, with small classes of about 16 students studying one subject in depth over two weeks.
• The NOLS Wyoming Backpacking Adventure costs $5,350 and is restricted specifically to ages 14 to 15, building wilderness leadership skills through a hike across Wyoming’s Wind River Range.
• Program costs for 14 year olds range from Interlochen Arts Camp’s unspecified but variable pricing to over $11,250 for Phillips Exeter Academy’s boarding option.

15 Summer Programs for 14 Year Olds

1. Phillips Exeter Academy Summer

Location: Exeter, New Hampshire
Cost: $11,250 (boarding) / $6,850 (day) for Upper School; $11,500 (boarding) / $8,000 (day) for Access Exeter
Program Dates: July 6th – August 6th
Deadline: Application closes April 15th
Eligibility: Grades 7-12; international students are welcome to apply

Phillips Exeter Academy Summer gives you five weeks to experience life at one of the country’s most prestigious boarding schools while taking three academic courses of your choice. Classes follow Exeter’s signature Harkness method, where discussions replace traditional lectures and every student is expected to contribute around an oval seminar table.

Outside the classroom, you’ll have access to the academy’s 673-acre campus and can spend afternoons participating in athletics, visual arts, music, theatre, or other recreational activities. The combination of rigorous academics and campus life offers a realistic introduction to the pace and independence of a residential school.

Why it stands out: Every class is built around the Harkness table, where discussion drives learning, making your ideas and participation central to every lesson.

2. Immerse Education’s Pre-University Summer School

Location: Cambridge, London, Oxford, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts; rolling admissions
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students worldwide aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school

The Academic Insights Program lets high school students experience university life firsthand. You will live on campus and study in small groups of 7–10, learning from tutors from top universities like Oxford and Cambridge. You can explore over 20 subjects, including Architecture, AI, Business Management, Computer Science, Economics, Medicine, Philosophy, and more.

The courses are experiential and hands-on — you may find yourself conducting dissections in medicine, designing a robotic arm in engineering, participating in a moot court for law, or building creative writing portfolios and business case studies. By the end of the program, you’ll complete a personal project, receive written feedback, and receive a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.

Why it stands out: You’ll study under expert academics, be guided daily by a university student mentor, complete a project you can show in future applications, and experience genuine university college life — with other campuses worldwide as alternatives.

3. Choate Rosemary Hall Summer Programs

Location: Wallingford, Connecticut
Cost: Varies by duration and academic track
Program Dates: June 28th – July 31st | June 28th – July 24th | June 28th – July 10th | July 12th – July 24th
Deadline: Priority deadline of January 31st, followed by rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students worldwide; middle school options also available

Choate Rosemary Hall Summer Programs offer flexible two- to five-week sessions that let you explore academic and creative interests on the campus of one of the United States’ leading boarding schools. The course catalogue covers everything from robotics, economics, and government to oil painting, theatre, and writing, allowing you to build a schedule that matches your interests.

You can also apply to specialized institutes that focus on subjects such as public policy, theatre arts, or mathematics. Between classes, you’ll take part in residential activities and experience daily life on Choate’s historic campus.

Why it stands out: The program’s unusually broad course catalogue lets you combine subjects that rarely appear together, from engineering and economics to performing arts and government.

4. Center for Talented Youth

Location: Multiple US campuses
Cost: Ranges from $6,717 to $7,801
Program Dates: 3-week residential sessions
Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Grades 5-12 for residential programs; grades 2-12 for day and online programs; international students are welcome to apply

Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) brings together academically advanced students for residential, day, and online programs that explore subjects well beyond the standard school curriculum. During the residential sessions, you’ll spend three weeks studying a single subject in depth while living on campus with students who share similar academic interests.

Courses cover topics that are often unavailable in high school, encouraging discussion, critical thinking, and intellectual curiosity rather than memorization. Outside class, you’ll join a close-knit residential community where conversations, activities, and shared interests continue long after the academic day ends.

Why it stands out: CTY has built one of the world’s longest-running communities for academically advanced students, making the peer learning experience just as memorable as the coursework itself.

5. Duke Pre-College Programs

Location: Durham, North Carolina
Cost: $6,050 (residential) / $3,950 (commuter, middle school only)
Program Dates: June 13-24; June 28th – July 9th; July 13-24
Deadline: April 2nd
Eligibility: Grades 6-12; high school students must be at least 14 years old by the session start date and must have completed at least one year of high school; minimum 3.0 GPA recommended; international students are welcome to apply

Among the campus-based summer programs for 14 year olds, Duke Pre-College Programs offer a 12-day residential experience focused on advanced academic subjects and university life. Classes are taught by Duke faculty, PhD candidates, and graduate students, while teaching assistants lead simulations, experiments, and practical activities throughout the day.

The academic schedule is complemented by guest speakers, leadership workshops, college preparation sessions, community service activities, and evening events that help you connect with other participants. Living on campus also allows you to experience the rhythm of student life at a major research university.

Why it stands out: Beyond the classroom, the program blends academics with leadership training, research-focused activities, and campus life, giving you a broader picture of the undergraduate experience at Duke.

6. Northwestern Center for Talent Development (CTD)

Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Cost: Residential: $5,430; Commuter: $3,025
Program Dates: 3-week residential sessions
Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Grades 6-12 for residential camps; grades 7-12 for online summer courses; international students can apply

Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) offers three-week residential programs that let you explore advanced subjects while living on Northwestern’s Evanston campus. Depending on your interests, you can enroll in enrichment classes, honors-level courses, Advanced Placement subjects, or even college-level coursework.

Beyond academics, CTD also offers leadership and service-learning pathways, giving you opportunities to build skills outside the classroom. The residential setting encourages independence, with a schedule that closely reflects daily life at a university through campus living, academic responsibilities, and community activities.

Why it stands out: CTD gives you unusual flexibility to choose between enrichment, AP, honors, leadership, and even college-level courses within the same residential program.

7. Vanderbilt Summer Academy (VSA)

Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Cost: Depends on the grade
Dates: Multiple dates
Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students worldwide in grades 7-12

Vanderbilt Summer Academy (VSA) is a one-week residential program where you’ll spend each day immersed in a single academic subject through intensive classes taught by Vanderbilt faculty and scholars from across Nashville. You’ll focus on one topic for up to six hours each day, exploring areas such as nanotechnology, biomedical ethics, philosophy, or the history of medicine.

Many courses extend beyond the classroom with visits to laboratories, libraries, museums, or archives that connect directly to the subject you’re studying. Evening activities and residential programming provide opportunities to relax and get to know other academically motivated students after classes end.

Why it stands out: Every course is built as a deep dive into one subject, allowing you to spend an entire week exploring it through lectures, discussions, and visits to Vanderbilt’s academic facilities.

8. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes

Location: Online
Cost: $3,200 per online course, plus a $65 non-refundable application fee and up to $100 in course materials
Dates: Session 1: June 15-26; Session 2: July 6-17
Deadline: March 13th
Eligibility: Students from all nationalities who are in grades 8-11; must be older than 13 and younger than 19 during program dates

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes brings together academically motivated students from around the world for two weeks of live online learning in a subject of their choice. You can select from more than 75 courses covering topics such as artificial intelligence, engineering, mathematics, philosophy, creative writing, and the humanities.

Classes are intentionally small, with roughly 16 students, making discussion and participation a central part of every session. Since you take only one course each summer, you’ll have the opportunity to study it in depth while completing readings, assignments, and collaborative activities between daily live classes.

Why it stands out: Instead of sampling several subjects, you spend two weeks fully immersed in one course while learning in a small international classroom with live daily discussions.

9. Ross Mathematics Program

Location: Otterbein University, Columbus, Ohio / Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana
Cost: Not specified
Program Dates: June 14th – July 24th
Deadline: Check website for future cycles
Eligibility: Pre-college students from around the world with a strong motivation to explore mathematics

The Ross Mathematics Program is a six-week residential experience built for students who want to explore mathematics far beyond the high school curriculum. Hosted at both Otterbein University in Ohio and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana, the program revolves around one central idea: learning mathematics by doing it. You’ll spend weeks investigating a single area through challenging problem sets, proofs, discussions, and independent exploration.

Days are filled with collaborative work, lectures, and long stretches of mathematical thinking, creating an environment where curiosity matters more than memorization. Because everyone arrives with a genuine interest in mathematics, conversations often continue well beyond the classroom into meals, evenings, and residence halls.

Why it stands out: Ross encourages you to spend six weeks thinking deeply about one branch of mathematics, the same way professional mathematicians approach new problems.

10. Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics

Location: Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts
Cost: $7,208
Dates: June 28th – August 8th
Deadline: Applications closed April 17th
Eligibility: Talented and highly motivated high school students from around the world

For more than five decades, Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics (HCSSiM) has brought together mathematically curious students for six weeks of intensive residential learning. The schedule balances structured instruction with plenty of time for independent discovery. Mornings are devoted to classes, afternoons are intentionally left open for reading, informal collaboration, or tackling difficult problems with friends, and evenings feature problem sessions followed by the program’s long-running “Prime Time Theorem.”

Faculty remain deeply involved throughout the day, whether during class, meals, or conversations around campus, making it easy to ask questions and exchange ideas outside formal instruction. The result is a close-knit mathematical community where learning continues long after lectures end.

Why it stands out: The daily “Prime Time Theorem” tradition and the unusually close interaction with faculty create a culture where mathematics naturally becomes part of everyday conversation.

11. COSMOS at UCLA

Location: UCLA campus, Los Angeles, California
Cost: $5,518 tuition
Dates: July 5th – August 1st
Deadline: February 6th
Eligibility: California residents only; rising 8th graders (entering 9th grade in fall) through rising 11th graders (entering 12th grade in fall); average applicant GPA ~3.8 unweighted

If you’re a California student looking for an academically challenging summer, COSMOS at UCLA offers an opportunity to spend four weeks immersed in STEM on a major research university campus. You’ll join a specialized academic “cluster” centered on a particular scientific or mathematical theme. Your schedule blends university lectures with laboratory work, research activities, field experiences, and collaborative projects led by faculty, researchers, and experienced educators.

Study sessions, evening programming, and supervised weekend excursions round out the residential experience, giving you a realistic taste of life on a college campus while working alongside other high-achieving students from across California.

Why it stands out: The cluster system lets you dive deeply into one STEM field instead of sampling unrelated subjects, making the experience feel much closer to participating in a university research community.

12. Interlochen Arts Camp

Location: Interlochen, Michigan
Cost: Not Specified
Dates: 3-week sessions: June 28th – July 18th | July 19th – Aug 9th; 6-week session: June 28th – Aug 9th | 1-week intensives for grades 9-12: June 20-26
Deadline: Check the website for the latest information
Eligibility: Grades 6-12 (3-week and 6-week programs); grades 9-12 (1-week intensives); international students are welcome to apply

Interlochen Arts Camp is a residential summer arts program where you’ll spend two to six weeks focused entirely on one of seven arts disciplines: music, theatre, visual arts, creative writing, dance, film and new media, or interdisciplinary arts. You’ll attend classes, rehearsals, and performances during the day with instruction from faculty who work seriously in their fields, while also getting the cabin activities, outdoor time, and summer camp experience that makes it feel like more than just an academic program.

For high school students in grades 9 through 12, one-week intensive options are also available, making it accessible even if your summer schedule doesn’t allow for a longer commitment. The program draws students from across the country and around the world, so the artistic community you’re part of is genuinely varied.

Why it stands out: Seven disciplines, session lengths from one to six weeks, and one of the most well-regarded arts communities a high school student can be part of. Interlochen has been doing this for a long time, and the friendships and artistic growth it produces tend to last well beyond the summer.

13. NOLS Wyoming Backpacking Adventure for Teens

Location: Wind River Range, Lander, Wyoming
Cost: $5,350
Dates: June 22nd – July 5th
Deadline: Check website for latest updates
Eligibility: Ages 14-15; domestic and international students are welcome

The NOLS Wyoming Backpacking Adventure is a wilderness expedition through the granite peaks of Wyoming’s Wind River Range, built specifically for 14 and 15-year-olds. You’ll hike through elevations ranging from 7,000 to 13,000 feet over high mountain passes, through wildflower meadows, and across boulder fields while learning the core skills of backcountry travel: camping, cooking, Leave No Trace principles, off-trail navigation, and decision-making.

As the course progresses, you’re given more responsibility rather than less, and by the end, you may travel in student-led groups without instructors for up to a full day. Leadership is built into every part of the program. By the time you finish, you’ll have led a peak ascent, managed a long hiking day, and cooked dinner for your tent group from scratch.

Why it stands out: Most summer programs build skills in a classroom; this one builds them at 13,000 feet, where natural consequences, not instructors, do the teaching.

14. Brown University’s STEM for Rising 9th and 10th Graders

Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Cost: $6,052 (boarding) plus $80 application fee 
Program Dates: July 12th – July 24th 
Deadline: May 15th (Admissions decisions begin January 19th) 
Eligibility: Students worldwide completing grades 8 to 9, ages 13-15 by June 14th  

Brown University’s STEM for Rising 9th and 10th Graders (STEM 9/10) gives you two weeks to experience life on an Ivy League campus while diving deeply into hands-on research and design-build challenges. Living in the university’s residence halls, you’ll work in small, collaborative cohorts on projects co-taught by faculty, researchers, and graduate students, culminating in a final presentation to your family, instructors, and peers.

Because this program is designed specifically for early high schoolers, the student life team provides a highly structured and supportive environment, including Resident Assistant mentorship and mandatory group activities, making it the ideal first step for younger students looking to build their academic independence. Outside the lab, you will enjoy campus-life events and explore the historic, high-energy streets of Providence.  

Why it stands out: Tailored specifically for the transitional rising 9th and 10th-grade bracket, this program provides Ivy League academic challenge coupled with a highly supportive, supervised residential community.  

15. Lehigh University Pre-College Programs

Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Cost: $1,750 (boarding) 
Program Dates: July 12th – July 17th 
Deadline: Rolling admissions until courses fill 
Eligibility: Rising 9th through 12th graders from around the globe

Lehigh University Pre-College Programs offer a highly focused, one-week residential introduction to college life on a scenic Pennsylvania campus. Rather than being taught by graduate students, every interactive course is led directly by Lehigh’s regular university faculty, ensuring high-quality instruction in intimate classroom settings.

You’ll choose one academic pathway to explore in-depth, such as building and analyzing sensor-equipped race cars in engineering labs, investigating climate and environmental challenges in the field, or learning journalism and storytelling. Between lab sessions and workshops, you’ll live in the university’s residence halls, eat in campus dining halls, participate in guided campus tours, and attend specialized college admissions seminars.  

Why it stands out: Every specialized track is taught directly by Lehigh’s full-time faculty, giving early high schoolers a rare opportunity to engage with world-class scholars in intimate, hands-on seminars.

Frequently asked questions: Summer programs for 14 year olds

Are summer programs for 14 year olds open to international students?

Most programs welcome international students, including Choate Rosemary Hall Summer Programs, Interlochen Arts Camp, and Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. COSMOS at UCLA is a notable exception, restricted strictly to California residents. Immerse Education’s Academic Insights Programme is also open globally to students aged 13 to 18 across six locations, making it accessible regardless of citizenship.

How much do summer programs for 14 year olds cost?

Costs vary considerably by program length and prestige. Shorter, one-week options like Lehigh University’s Pre-College Programs cost $1,750, while longer, more intensive programs like Phillips Exeter Academy Summer cost $11,250 for a full five weeks with boarding. Mid-range options include Duke Pre-College Programs at $6,050 and Brown’s STEM for Rising 9th and 10th Graders at $6,052. Financial aid is available for several programs, though not universally advertised.

What is the difference between a boarding school summer program and a university-hosted program for 14 year olds?

Boarding school programs, like Phillips Exeter Academy Summer or Choate Rosemary Hall, place you in a residential secondary school environment with faculty who teach year-round at that institution, often using distinctive teaching methods like the Harkness table. University-hosted programs, like COSMOS at UCLA or Duke Pre-College Programs, instead place you on an actual college campus with access to university labs, faculty, and graduate student mentors. If you want a preview of college life specifically, a university-hosted program offers that more directly.

How selective are summer programs for 14 year olds?

Selectivity varies considerably. COSMOS at UCLA is quite competitive, with an average applicant GPA around 3.8, while Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth uses eligibility-based admission tied to standardized test scores rather than a holistic review. Programs like Interlochen Arts Camp may require an audition or portfolio for certain disciplines but not others. Regardless of selectivity, meeting age and grade-level requirements precisely matters, since many of these programs are narrowly targeted.

Is Immerse Education a good option for a 14 year old exploring academic interests?

Immerse Education’s Academic Insights Programme is well-suited to this age group, since it’s specifically designed for students aged 13 to 18 across six global locations, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Boston. You’ll study in small groups of seven to 10 students, working on hands-on projects like designing a robotic arm in engineering or building a creative writing portfolio. You’ll complete a personal project, receive written feedback, and earn a certificate of completion, offering a lower-pressure way to explore interests before committing to a longer-term academic direction.

Make Your First Academic Summer Count

Fourteen can be an ideal age to test unfamiliar subjects, practise independence, and discover which kinds of challenges genuinely hold your attention over the summer.

The 15 summer programs for 14 year olds in this guide range from mathematics and STEM to arts, leadership, and campus-based learning in meaningful ways.

Rather than chasing prestige, notice where you will question, create, experiment, and collaborate, since those moments often reveal how you learn best before making commitments.

For clearer next steps, explore our University Preparation blogs for practical advice on choosing subjects, building study habits, and planning confidently for university with purpose.