§ PA

Research programs in Pennsylvania.

41 local programs run in Pennsylvania, 14 of them free or paid, and 2 explicitly prioritize under-resourced or first-generation students. Plus 46 nationwide programs open to anyone in the US.

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Local to Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University
Actors Institute
Theater, acting pre-college institute.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
Community College of Philadelphia
Advance at College
Earn college credits while still enrolled in high school.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Community College of Philadelphia
Advance College Experience — ACE
Summer credit-bearing college classes for motivated Philadelphia high-school students.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Carnegie Mellon University
AI Scholars
Artificial intelligence, computer science and societal applications.
🎓 Grade 12
Moderate
Pennsylvania 4-H
Allen L. & Richard H. Baker 4-H Scholarship
Postsecondary scholarship for qualifying PA 4-H youth.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Carnegie Mellon University
Architecture
Pre-College Architecture program at Carnegie Mellon University.
📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Temple University
Architecture Institute
College-level architecture/design experience.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Carnegie Mellon University
Art
Pre-College Art program at Carnegie Mellon University.
📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Automotive Technology
High-school summer camp, automotive engineering/repair.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Aviation
High-school summer camp, aircraft and aviation careers.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
Temple University
B4USoar
Free Temple college classes and mentoring for Philadelphia students.
🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Drexel University
BIOMED Summer Academy
Biomedical engineering, medicine and laboratory activities.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
University of Pennsylvania
Biomedical Research Academy
The Biomedical Research Academy, for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, provides an unparalleled opportunity to conduct high-level research in the life sciences. Students receive intensive laboratory training by immersing themselves in one of three areas of concentration: Molecular Biosciences, Neuroscience, or Cancer Biology.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Highly Selective
Bucknell University
Bucknell Academy Summer Experience — BASE
Interdisciplinary one-week residential pre-college experience.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
Gettysburg College
Camp Psych
Residential psychology institute involving experiments, research and college-level psychology.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon AI Scholars
Free three-week residential AI program for underrepresented students.
⏱ 3 weeks📅 March🎓 Grades 10–11
Selective
Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon SAMS
Free six-week residential STEM program for underrepresented students.
⏱ 6 weeks📅 February🎓 Grade 11
Selective
Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon Summer Pre-College Programs
Six-week pre-college programs in architecture, art, design, drama, CS, music, and more.
⏱ 6 weeks📅 Spring🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museum of Art Youth Art Initiative
Student-driven high-school internship connecting Pittsburgh teens with museum staff, contemporary art and public programming.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museum Teen Volunteer Assistants
Teen placements across Carnegie Museum of Art, Natural History and Powdermill programs.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Selective
Temple University
Cecil B. Moore Scholarship Pathway
Selected North Philadelphia students can progress from free dual enrollment to full tuition at Temple.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
University of Pennsylvania
Chemistry Research Academy
Delve into modern chemistry through a blend of classroom instruction and hands-on laboratory experience. Work on research projects under the guidance of Penn faculty and graduate students.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Selective
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
CHOP-RISES
Multi-summer research pipeline pairing Philadelphia students with CHOP scientists and mentors.
🎓 Grade 11
Moderate
Susquehanna University
Choral Institute
Vocal music pre-college institute.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
Penn State Extension / 4-H
Citizenship Washington Focus — PA
Civic-engagement experience in Washington with government, leadership and policy activities.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
CMNH Teen Advisory Board
Teens advise museum staff and help shape youth programming.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Selective
Carnegie Mellon University
Computational Biology
Pre-College Computational Biology program at Carnegie Mellon University.
📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Temple University
Creative Scholars
Year-long full-scholarship Saturday art/design program for Philadelphia students with financial need.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Selective
Carnegie Mellon University
CS Scholars
Pre-College CS Scholars program at Carnegie Mellon University.
📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Dairy Excellence Foundation
Dairy Excellence Foundation Student Leader Scholarship
Recent award $3,000 for Pennsylvania students pursuing dairy/agriculture-related fields.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation
Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship
Two recent $3,000 awards for graduating students completing qualifying dairy curriculum.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
UPenn Wharton Global Youth
Data Science Academy
On-campus academy focused on data science principles and applications.
📅 January🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
DVSF
Delaware Valley Science Fairs
ISEF-affiliated research competition with awards/scholarships.
🎓 Grades 9, 12
Moderate
Carnegie Mellon University
Design
Pre-College Design program at Carnegie Mellon University.
📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Highly Selective
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Design, Build & Grow
High-school summer camp, landscape/horticulture.
🎓 Grades 9, 12
Moderate
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Diesel Truck & Heavy Equipment
High-school summer camp, diesel/heavy machinery.
🎓 Grades 10, 12
Moderate
Wilkes University
Discover Pharmacy
Two-day pharmacy-career and hands-on lab program.
🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
Drexel University
Dornsife Public Health Summer Institute
Epidemiology, health policy and public-health careers.
🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
Carnegie Mellon University
Drama
Conservatory-style acting/theatre training.
🎓 Eligibility not confirmed
Moderate
Penn State
Dual Enrollment
Take PSU undergraduate courses before high-school graduation; up to eight credits per semester in standard framework.
🎓 Grades 11–12
Moderate
Penn State
Early College Enrollment
Early college enrollment pathway after grade 11 for students ready for university study.
🎓 Grade 12
Highly Selective

Nationwide programs open to Pennsylvania students

Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP)
AEOP High School Apprenticeship Program
Students work alongside Army scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research projects in world-class laboratories.
⏱ 8 weeks📅 Early March🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
AFSA National High School Essay Contest
An essay contest designed to engage students in thinking about peace and conflict resolution.
📅 February 15🎓 Grades 11–12
Selective
Carnegie Mellon University
AI Scholars at CMU
Free AI-focused summer program for rising seniors underrepresented in computing.
⏱ 4 weeks (summer)📅 February🎓 Grade 11
Selective
AI4ALL
AI4ALL Open Learning
Girls in grades 6-12 learn AI and Python through interactive virtual classes.
⏱ 2 weeks📅 March 1🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Mathematical Association of America
AIME
Invitational round for top AMC scorers. 15-question, 3-hour exam that gates the USAMO. No fee for invited students.
⏱ 3 hours📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Freedom Forum
Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
An all-expenses-paid journalism conference for one student from every US state and DC.
⏱ 1 week📅 February 15🎓 Grade 11
Selective
Amazon
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Scholarship for high school seniors planning to study computer science in college.
⏱ 4 years scholarship📅 December 1🎓 Grade 12
Selective
Mathematical Association of America
AMC 10/12
The entry-level American Mathematics Competition. Top scorers qualify for AIME and the path to the USAMO. Open to all US high schoolers; school registration required.
⏱ 75 minutes📅 November🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
ACSL
American Computer Science League (ACSL)
A multi-division computer science competition covering both theory and programming.
⏱ School year📅 November 30🎓 Grades 9–12
Moderate
Amgen Foundation
Amgen Scholars Future Track
Free online biotech simulations and pipeline programs preparing high schoolers for biomedical research.
⏱ Self-paced📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Apple Inc.
Apple Swift Student Challenge
Swift coding competition hosted by Apple to showcase creativity and app development skills.
⏱ 1 month📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Berklee College of Music
Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive
The world's premier summer performance program for contemporary music, including jazz, rock, and pop.
⏱ 5 weeks📅 March 1🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
NCWIT
Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC)
Award for girls and non-binary students in computing, providing recognition and a cash prize.
⏱ One-time📅 April 15🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Bard College at Simon's Rock
Bard College at Simon's Rock Young Writers Workshop
A 3-week residential program where students engage in creative and analytical thinking through literature and history.
⏱ 3 weeks📅 April 1🎓 Grades 10–12
Moderate
MIT Lincoln Lab
Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Free MIT-led project-based courses in AI, robotics, cybersecurity.
⏱ 4 weeks (summer)📅 Early February🎓 Grade 11
Selective
ELASH / Bebras US
Bebras Computing Challenge (US)
An international computational thinking and informatics competition. Students can take the test remotely or through a local school coordinator.
⏱ 45 minutes📅 Early February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Bennington College
Bennington Young Writers Awards
A prestigious creative writing competition for students to win cash prizes and publication.
📅 January 12🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Black Girls CODE
Black Girls CODE Workshops
Program that provides coding workshops and tech exposure to young girls of color.
⏱ Varies📅 Rolling🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Blue Ocean Strategy / various
Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneurship Competition
Free global pitch competition with cash prizes. Teams pitch a novel business idea via video; finalists present live.
⏱ 3 months📅 February🎓 Grades 9–12
Selective
Breakthrough
Breakthrough Collaborative
Free summer and school-year academic program for first-generation, low-income middle schoolers; high schoolers can serve as teaching fellows.
⏱ Multi-year📅 Spring🎓 Grades 6–12
Selective

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