Extracurriculars & Programs in Maryland for High School Students

Maryland punches above its weight through NIH, NASA Goddard, and Johns Hopkins programs — some of the most selective research placements available to high schoolers anywhere.

21 verified programs match this page; 14 of the featured listings are completely free.

Featured programs

Browse 21+ curated programs for high school students:

• 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
• Johns Hopkins Global Health Leaders Conference — Johns Hopkins University: Global health leadership conference at Johns Hopkins for high school students interested in medicine and public health.
• Johns Hopkins Pre-College Program — Johns Hopkins University: Pre-college programs at Johns Hopkins University for high school students in Baltimore.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Fellowship — Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Biomedical science fellowship from HHMI supporting exceptional young scientists and science educators.
• NIH Summer Internship Program — National Institutes of Health: Eight-week paid research internship at National Institutes of Health. Work alongside NIH scientists on biomedical research projects.
• U.S. Naval Academy Summer STEM Program — United States Naval Academy: Hands-on engineering and design camp on the USNA campus for grades 9-11.
• National History Day Special Prizes — National History Day / Various Organizations: Compete for special prizes at National History Day! Middle and high school students develop research skills, earn recognition, and boost college appli
• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internships — Smithsonian Institution: Explore hands-on high school research internships in environmental science at the Smithsonian. Build skills in ecology, boost college applications, an
• U.S. Naval Academy Summer Seminar — USNA: Explore leadership and military training at this free summer program for high school juniors. Build skills, gain hands-on experience, and strengthen c
• NIH High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP) — National Institutes of Health (OITE): Explore biomedical research through a paid summer internship at NIH labs. Gain hands-on STEM experience, boost college applications, and work with top
• National History Day (NHD) — National History Day: Explore history through research, writing, and creative projects in this hybrid competition. Build skills, enhance college applications, and showcase
• USNA Summer Seminar — United States Naval Academy: Explore leadership, engineering, and service skills in this immersive summer program. Boost college applications with hands-on teamwork and real-world
• McDaniel College Summer Science Academy — McDaniel College: Summer science academy at McDaniel College focused on kinesiology and exercise science for high school students.
• Summer Pre-Law Academy — University of Baltimore School of Law: Free one-week pre-law academy at the University of Baltimore School of Law for Baltimore City high schoolers, capped at 20 students, with a mock trial
• CompSciConnect — University of Maryland Computing Catalyst: Three-year summer academy at the University of Maryland where rising 6th-8th graders progress from Scratch to web development to 3D game design, with
• Youth Exhibit Guide Program — National Aquarium: National Aquarium's summer volunteer program in Baltimore for students rising into grade 10 and up: marine science training plus 12 guest-facing shift
• Meyerhoff Scholars Program — University of Maryland, Baltimore County: UMBC's nationally known STEM scholarship and cohort program for high school seniors planning a PhD or MD/PhD, worth $5,000-$22,000 per year for four y
• Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) — Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurology: Johns Hopkins neuroscience internship for high school juniors and seniors: an 8-week in-person summer research experience for Baltimore City students,
• St. John's College Summer Academy — St. John's College: Week-long great books seminars for students ages 15-18 on St. John's College's Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses; discussion classes of 20 or fewer led
• High School Scientific Training and Enrichment Program (HiSTEP) — National Institutes of Health: Five-week paid NIH summer program ($2,150 stipend) in Bethesda, MD for rising seniors from DC/MD/VA schools with 30%+ free-or-reduced-lunch enrollment
• Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP) — National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): Explore an exciting summer high school research internship in STEM! Gain hands-on experience in materials, cybersecurity, and metrology to boost colle

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