Best Extracurriculars for High School Juniors

Junior year is critical for demonstrating leadership, achieving recognition, and preparing for college applications.

What Juniors Should Focus On

  • Apply to prestigious summer research programs (RSI, MOSTEC, SSP)
  • Pursue leadership roles and create impact
  • Compete at regional and national levels
  • Start independent projects
  • Build a compelling application narrative

Programs open to juniors right now

1765 matching programs are listed in the directory right now. The most recently added:

  • Khan Academy High School Volunteer Translation Program — Khan Academy: Translate educational content to make free learning accessible worldwide.
  • Free Rice High School Volunteer Program for Hunger Relief (World Fo — World Food Programme: Answer trivia questions to donate rice through the World Food Programme.
  • Missing Maps — Missing Maps / Red Cross: Map vulnerable areas to help humanitarian organizations respond to crises.
  • DoSomething.org High School Leadership and Community Service Program — DoSomething.org: Lead youth-driven social impact campaigns on issues you care about.
  • 7 Cups High School Emotional Support Volunteer Program — 7 Cups: Provide free emotional support through anonymous online chat conversations.
  • Be My Eyes Video Volunteer — Be My Eyes: Help blind and low-vision people with everyday tasks through video calls.
  • Presidential AI Challenge — White House Office of Science and Technology Policy: National K-12 AI competition where students build real-world AI solutions for community challenges, with finals at the White House.
  • Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP) — Stanford University: Explore medicine, public health, and research in this free, equity-focused summer program for high school juniors. Build skills and strengthen college
  • 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
  • PennApps Hackathon — University of Pennsylvania: Compete in the nation’s largest student-run hackathon for high schoolers. Build coding skills, innovate in tech, and boost your college applications.
  • Kaggle Data Science Competitions — Kaggle/Google: Join exciting online data science competitions for high school students! Build Python coding skills, explore AI, and strengthen your college applicati
  • Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition — Blue Ocean Global Network: Join the world’s largest virtual pitch competition for high school students. Build entrepreneurship skills, boost your college applications, and showc
  • 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
  • MIT Global AI Hackathon — MIT RAISE & App Inventor Foundation: Join a free virtual AI hackathon for high schoolers to develop apps tackling global challenges. Gain hands-on STEM experience and boost your college a
  • 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
  • NASA International Space Apps Challenge — NASA: Solve real-world space and climate challenges in NASA’s global hackathon. This free competition lets high schoolers build coding, data science, and te
  • International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) — IOAI Foundation: Compete in the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence to enhance AI and machine learning skills, boost college applications, and gain hands
  • World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY) — Ready AI: Join a global AI competition for grades 6-12 to solve real-world problems using artificial intelligence. Build STEM skills, boost college applications
  • National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA) — Carnegie Hall: Join a prestigious summer orchestra program for high school musicians in grades 10-12. Develop advanced music skills, perform at Carnegie Hall, and bo
  • Yau Science Awards (Asia) — Tsinghua University / Harvard University: Showcase your scientific research skills in this prestigious high school competition. Gain hands-on experience, boost college applications, and connec
  • 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
  • MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition — MIT: Compete in a premier entrepreneurship competition for high schoolers. Develop business skills, launch innovative ventures, and boost college applicati
  • Yale Summer Conservatory for Actors — Yale School of Drama: Develop advanced acting skills in Yale’s intensive summer program for high school students. Build confidence, gain hands-on experience, and stand out
  • Yale Entrepreneurial Society High School Fellowship — Yale Entrepreneurial Society: Master entrepreneurship skills in this free 8-week virtual fellowship for high school students. Build startups, strengthen college applications, and l

View all programs for 11th graders

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most prestigious programs for juniors?

For STEM students, RSI (Research Science Institute), SSP (Summer Science Program), TASP (Telluride Association Summer Program), and MOSTEC are among the most competitive and highly regarded. Acceptance to these programs is a significant credential. For humanities, programs like TASP, Exeter Summer, and Bank of America Student Leaders carry similar weight.

When should juniors apply to summer research programs?

Most elite programs have deadlines between December and February of junior year for the following summer. Start researching programs in fall, gather recommendations early, and polish application essays over winter break. Programs like RSI close in early January, so don't procrastinate.

How important is leadership for juniors?

Junior year is when leadership matters most. This is typically when students take on major roles—club president, team captain, editor-in-chief. Colleges want to see that you've risen to leadership through demonstrated commitment, not just a title grab. Focus on positions where you can make genuine impact.

Should juniors continue all activities from sophomore year?

Not necessarily. It's better to show deep commitment in 2-3 activities than surface-level participation in many. If an activity no longer aligns with your interests, it's okay to step back and double down on what matters. Colleges prefer authentic engagement over padding.

How do juniors balance extracurriculars with standardized tests?

Junior year is peak testing time (SAT, ACT, AP exams). Plan your test dates around major activity commitments. Many students reduce extracurricular hours during heavy test prep periods, then increase involvement after tests conclude. Your activities should complement, not conflict with, academic demands.

What if I didn't get into a prestigious summer program?

Not getting into RSI or SSP isn't the end of the world—these programs accept fewer than 5% of applicants. Instead, pursue research at local universities, meaningful internships, or intensive skill development. Independent projects with tangible outcomes can be just as impressive as program attendance.