Extracurriculars & Programs in Illinois for High School Students

Illinois is anchored by UChicago and Northwestern pre-college programs, Fermilab and Argonne research exposure, and Chicago's business and civic internship ecosystem.

36 verified programs match this page; 13 of the featured listings are completely free; 1 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Northwestern National High School Institute (Cherubs) - Journalism — Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University: Immerse yourself in a free summer program at Medill School of Journalism, mastering writing, editing, and multimedia skills. Boost your college applic
• Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) — IMSA: Transform your high school journey with a free, residential STEM program in Illinois. Gain hands-on experience, boost college applications, and develo
• Glenbrooks Debate Tournament — Glenbrook Schools: Compete in the Glenbrooks Debate Tournament, a top national-circuit competition for high schoolers. Build critical thinking skills and boost your coll
• Chicago International Model United Nations (CIMUN) — Chicago International Model United Nations: Immersive MUN conference in downtown Chicago using realistic crisis simulation and continuous negotiation. Known for its innovative format that goes b
• Fermilab Saturday Morning Physics — Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Free Saturday physics lectures at Fermilab. Learn particle physics from working scientists.
• Booth School of Business Summer Business Scholars — University of Chicago Booth: Business program at UChicago Booth. Analytical approach to business with Booth faculty.
• Fermilab TARGET Summer Research Program — Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Summer research at America's premier particle physics laboratory. Work with world-class physicists on cutting-edge experiments. Paid internship.
• UChicago Summer Session — University of Chicago: Intensive academic summer at University of Chicago. College courses with UChicago faculty.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago Early College — School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Art program at SAIC with access to world-class museum. Studio courses and critiques at leading art school.
• FAA High School Competition — University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts: Engage in a dynamic arts competition for high schoolers in grades 9-11. Explore architecture, music, and design while boosting college applications. F
• Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS) — University of Chicago Summer Session: Explore a four-week summer program in molecular biology with hands-on lab research at UChicago. Build skills, boost college applications, and dive int
• Stones and Bones — The University of Chicago & Field Museum: Explore paleontology in this summer program with lab research in Chicago and fieldwork in Wyoming. Gain hands-on experience and boost your college app
• Northwestern Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute (Cherubs) - Writing & Reporting — Northwestern Medill: Develop journalism, writing, and media ethics skills in this prestigious summer program for high school juniors. Gain hands-on experience to stand out
• University of Chicago Pre-College Programs — University of Chicago: Pre-college and enrichment programs at the University of Chicago with rigorous intellectual inquiry.
• IIT Pre-College STEM Program — Illinois Institute of Technology: STEM-focused pre-college program at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago for high school students.
• University of Chicago Young Scholars Program — University of Chicago Department of Mathematics: Selective four-week summer math day camp at the University of Chicago for Chicago-area students in grades 7-12, split into 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12 cohort
• Steppenwolf Young Adult Council — Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Free year-long council at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre: 30 high school students meet weekly, see 30+ plays, work with professional artists, and curat
• Project Soapbox — Mikva Challenge: Mikva Challenge's national civic public-speaking program: students write and deliver a two-minute speech on the most pressing issue facing young peopl
• Math Circles of Chicago — Math Circles of Chicago (MC2): Citywide math enrichment for Chicago students in grades 3-12 across seven neighborhood hubs, plus a student Symposium and College Pathways. Fees are t
• Summer Intensive Volunteer Program — Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago: Competitive learn-and-serve summer volunteer cohort at Lurie Children's in Chicago for students 16 and older who are new to the hospital's volunteer p
• Summer Legal Institute — Just The Beginning - A Pipeline Organization: Free five-day legal immersion for grades 9-12 run by Just The Beginning in Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Seattle, taught by sitt
• CineYouth Festival — Cinema/Chicago: The Chicago International Film Festival's annual showcase of short films by directors 22 and younger: selected films screen in Chicago and stream worl
• CAA High School Field School — Center for American Archeology: Four-week archaeological field school in Kampsville, Illinois for students 13-17: real excavation at a Late Woodland habitation site, lab analysis, an
• Argonne Exemplary Student Research Program — Argonne National Laboratory: Year-long research program in which Chicago-area high school teams of 4-8 students and their teacher run a real experiment at Argonne's Advanced Photo
• American Junior Academy of Science — National Association of Academies of Science: The national honor society for high school researchers: state academies of science nominate their top student researchers as AJAS delegates, who prese
• MCA Chicago Teen Creative Agency — Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: The MCA's cultural leadership program for Chicago-area teens: weekly Saturday sessions from September to June making art and producing public events,
• Fermilab Program for Research, Innovation, and STEM Mentorship (PRISM) — Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Fermilab's four-week paid summer program ($500/week) for Illinois high school seniors and new graduates, combining hands-on STEM projects and mentorsh
• Northwestern Center for Talent Development — Northwestern University: Advanced academic programs at Northwestern for gifted learners. Saturday, summer, and online enrichment options.
• University of Chicago Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS) — University of Chicago: Intensive biology research program at UChicago. Conduct original research in molecular and cellular biology.
• UChicago Research in the Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience — University of Chicago Summer Session: College-level neuroscience with labs and data analysis.

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