Extracurricular Deadlines in January — Programs to Apply to
January is peak season for summer-program applications — most selective summer research and pre-college programs close between now and March.
Most programs listed here run on annual cycles, so the January deadline pattern repeats every year — check each listing for the exact current date.
179 verified programs match this page; 19 of the featured listings are completely free; 11 can be done online.
Featured programs
Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:
- Ron Brown Scholar Program — Ron Brown Scholar Fund: Elite scholarship for Black high school seniors excelling in academics and leadership. Earn $40k to fund college while building leadership skills for
- Women's Technology Program at MIT — MIT: Empower your STEM journey with a free four-week summer program for high school women at MIT. Gain hands-on engineering skills and boost your college a
- National Japan Bowl — Japan-America Society of Washington DC: Compete in the National Japan Bowl to showcase your Japanese language and cultural knowledge. Build key skills, earn scholarships, and enhance your co
- Young Playwrights Festival — Young Playwrights Inc.: Showcase your talent in this free playwriting competition for high schoolers (Grades 10-12). Develop creative skills, gain theater experience, and boo
- EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship — Experimental Aircraft Association: Earn up to $12,000 for flight training toward a Private Pilot Certificate. Perfect for high school students seeking hands-on STEM experience and colle
- Microsoft AI for Good Challenge — Microsoft: Empower global impact by joining this free AI competition for high schoolers. Develop machine learning skills, boost college applications, and tackle
- Juilliard Pre-College — The Juilliard School: Elite music program for high schoolers in grades 10-12 offering hands-on performance training and skill development. Boosts college applications and a
- Harvard Business Conference — Harvard HBS: Elite in-person business competition for grades 10-12 at Harvard. Solve real-world cases, network with Fortune 500 leaders, and strengthen college app
- USA Physics Olympiad — AAPT: Compete in the elite USA Physics Olympiad to sharpen problem-solving skills, enhance college applications, and aim for the International Physics Olymp
- Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences — PA PGSS: Transform your STEM skills with this free, 5-week summer program at Carnegie Mellon. Gain hands-on experience and boost your college applications thro
- MIT THINK Scholars Program — MIT TechX: Empower your STEM journey with this free high school research program. Get grants, mentorship, and hands-on experience to elevate college applications
- UWC USA National Committee Selection — UWC USA: Compete for scholarships to study abroad at United World Colleges. Build global leadership skills, boost college applications, and earn an IB diploma.
- English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition — English-Speaking Union: Showcase your acting skills in a hybrid Shakespeare competition for grades 9-12. Gain performance experience, enhance college applications, and compet
- Yale Model Government — Yale University: Join a competitive high school government simulation to enhance debate, policy, and leadership skills. Perfect for college prep and hands-on civic exp
- Taco Bell Foundation Live Más Scholarship — Taco Bell Foundation: The Live Más Scholarship awards $5,000–$25,000 to young people ages 16–26 who are driven by a passion. Unlike traditional scholarships, this one focus
- North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Summer Ventures — NCSSM: Free summer research program at elite NCSSM. NC students conduct original research with faculty mentors.
- Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) Distinguished Honor Roll — Art of Problem Solving: Recognition for top performance in AoPS advanced math courses
- National Security Language Initiative for Youth Creative Content Fellowship — U.S. Department of State: Fellowship creating digital content about language learning experiences. Alumni of NSLI-Y eligible. Combines language skills with creative communicati
- Carnegie Mellon Informatics & Mathematics Competition (CMIMC) — Carnegie Mellon University: Challenging hybrid contest spanning math and computer science.
- Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association Essay Competition — Harvard College: International essay competition on economics topics. Winners published in Harvard Economic Review and receive prizes.
- St. Paul's School Advanced Studies Program — St. Paul's School: Advanced academic program at elite St. Paul's School in NH. Humanities and science intensive courses.
- Yale Young Global Scholars - Biology & Biomedical Sciences — Yale University: 2-week intensive in biology and biomedical sciences at Yale.
- Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship — Jackie Robinson Foundation: Transform your college applications with a 4-year scholarship and mentorship for minority high school seniors. Gain leadership skills and up to $30,00
- Yale Young Global Scholars - Application Portal — Yale University: Official application portal for YYGS residential sessions.
- DownBeat Student Music Awards — DownBeat Magazine: Showcase your jazz talent in this prestigious competition. Gain recognition, boost college applications, and enhance music skills with an affordable $
- Ross School of Business Summer Business Academy — University of Michigan Ross: Business program at Michigan Ross. Explore business disciplines with Ross faculty and business leaders.
- New Jersey Governor's School of Engineering & Technology — Rutgers University: NJ's premier engineering summer program at Rutgers. Hands-on projects and college-level coursework for NJ students.
- Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards — Helen Diller Family Foundation: Empowering Jewish high school teens to lead and innovate through community service. Win recognition and boost college applications with this prestigio
- New Jersey Governor's Schools — State of NJ: Elite summer program in New Jersey for high school sophomores and juniors. Build leadership skills, gain hands-on experience, and boost your college a
- TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics & Science) — Technology Student Association: Compete in a national STEM competition solving real engineering challenges. Build skills in math, design, and communication to boost college applicati
Frequently asked questions
How many january deadlines are listed for high school students?
ExtracurricularHub currently lists 179 verified programs with January deadlines for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link.
Are any of these january programs free?
Yes — 19 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early.
Which deadlines are coming up soonest?
The next deadlines: MIT THINK Scholars Program (January 1, 2027); UWC USA National Committee Selection (January 1, 2027); English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition (January 2, 2027). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site.
Do these deadlines repeat every year?
Most programs listed here run annual cycles, so their deadlines fall in January (or within a few weeks of it) each year. Use this page to plan ahead, then verify the exact current date on each program's official site.