As you walk into the college and career center, you are met with countless paths for your future. To help you decide, summer programs may be the place to start.
Caltech: Planetary Geology and Geophysics Undergraduate Research Program
As a child, you might have taken an interest in the stars and wondered if there was life in the other solar systems. Now, your dream can be fulfilled through this Caltech summer science research program for students interested in planetary geoscience. Funded by NASA, the program is an eight week research program where up to 12 qualified applicants work with NASA investigators to understand and protect Earth, explore the universe and inspire future generations of explorers.
NASA provides the travel and housing funds and pays students up to $1000 to present the results of their research at a national conference. NASA mentors select students based on their academic record, a personal statement, letters of reference and skill sets requested by the mentor. An application is available at http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~tgregg/pggurp_application.html
UPENN: Biomedical Research Academy
If your dream is to work in a laboratory as a scientist, then this summer program is for you. The Biomedical Research Academy’s aim is to introduce students to the experimental basis of biology and to answer the question: how do we know what we know?
Members of UPenn’s Department of Biology give daily morning lectures and students spend time in laboratories experimenting to get used to working with tools and techniques. Applications are due by June 1 and can be found at http://www.sas.upenn.edu/summer/programs/highschool/apply
Cornell University: Genius and Madness in Literature
Bookworms who find reading and writing a blissful adventure will enjoy Cornell’s summer literature program for advanced critical thinking, interpretive and literary analysis skills. For three weeks, students participate in lively discussion and consider texts from authors such as Poe and Plato. The staff expects students to read a minimum of 20 pages a night and write three to five page papers, but according to past student experiences, the work is fun.
Applicants must demonstrate academic ability and intellectual curiosity, as well as an application and letter(s) of recommendation to be eligible. The applications will be available at https://www.sce.cornell.edu/sc/apply/apply_online.php
UCLA: Summer Art Institute
Those who like to express themselves through art and doodle across their homework’s margins will surely adore UCLA’s program designed for motivated artists. The program consists of two-week sessions, each of which carry three units of UCLA college credit.
Students can choose from regular drawing, painting, photography or sculpture. UCLA provides them with the tools, facilities and curriculum to experiment and are challenged to express themselves in meaningful ways. Participants will also go on guided field trips to Los Angeles museums such as LACMA. The fee is $150 for regional students and the deadline is May 1. Registration will begin at the start of February and is available at https://r.summer.ucla.edu/institutes/register/institutes_register.cfm