Extracurriculars & Programs in New York for High School Students

New York's extracurricular scene is anchored by Columbia, Cornell, and NYU pre-college programs, Wall Street finance exposure, and one of the country's densest internship markets for high schoolers.

123 verified programs match this page; 20 of the featured listings are completely free.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• 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
• 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
• National High School Musical Theatre Awards (Jimmy Awards) — Broadway League: Compete in a prestigious national musical theatre competition in NYC! Showcase your talent, gain performance skills, and boost your college applicatio
• CSAW High School Forensics Competition — NYU Tandon: Compete in a free high school cybersecurity competition! Analyze digital evidence, develop forensic skills, and boost your college application. Hybrid
• Garcia SUMMER at Stony Brook — Stony Brook: Explore materials science in a hands-on summer program for high school juniors and seniors. Conduct research in nanotechnology and boost your college
• 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
• Goldman Sachs Possibilities Summit — Goldman Sachs: Selective multi-day career exploration program at Goldman Sachs headquarters for high school juniors from underrepresented groups interested in financ
• Weill Cornell Medicine Gateway to Medicine Program — Weill Cornell Medicine: Prestigious summer clinical immersion program at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City for high school students exploring medicine, including hospit
• Hamilton College Fly-In Program — Hamilton College Fly-in Program: Free campus visit program for high school seniors at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.
• Columbia University PreCollege Programs — Columbia University: Pre-college program at Columbia University for high school students focusing on real world experience in variety of classes at ivy league.
• Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) National Competition — YEA!: National pitch competition for YEA! entrepreneurs. Students compete with businesses launched through YEA! program.
• Brookhaven National Lab Science Associates Program — Brookhaven National Laboratory: Summer research internship at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory. Work with scientists on physics, chemistry, and biology research.
• Youth Assembly at the United Nations — Friendship Ambassadors Foundation: Bi-annual gathering at UN headquarters with delegates from 70+ countries. Address global challenges with diplomatic solutions. Shows global citizenshi
• Carnegie Hall NYO2 — Carnegie Hall: National training ensemble (ages 14-16) with full scholarship and residency.
• Virtual Enterprise International Business Plan Competition — Virtual Enterprises International: Business plan competition culminating at international finals. Students run simulated companies and pitch to real business judges.
• National High School Model UN Conference (NHSMUN) — IMUNA: World's largest Model UN conference with 5,000+ delegates. Held at UN Headquarters and Hilton Midtown in NYC.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge — NFTE: National pitch competition. Winners receive seed funding and mentorship.
• Columbia Business School Summer Immersion — Columbia Business School: Business immersion program at Columbia in NYC. Finance, marketing, and management fundamentals.
• Morgan Stanley Early Insights Program — Morgan Stanley: Selective program introducing underrepresented students to investment banking. Workshops, networking, and mentorship. Strong pathway to finance career
• Garcia Summer Scholars Program — Stony Brook University: Residential research program at Stony Brook University.
• Summer Cancer Research Experience Program — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center: Paid 8-week in-person cancer research internship for WNY high school juniors and seniors at Roswell Park.
• Euro Challenge — W!se & Delegation of the European Union to the U.S.: Compete in a hybrid high school competition focused on the euro area economy and EU policy. Build global affairs skills, boost college applications, a
• NYU Tisch School of the Arts Summer Programs — New York University: Discover hands-on summer programs in film, theater, and dance for high schoolers in grades 10-12. Build skills, gain college-ready experience, and pur
• WCS High School Internship Program — Wildlife Conservation Society: Explore a paid summer internship at the Bronx Zoo or New York Aquarium! Gain hands-on biology and conservation experience to boost skills and strength
• AMNH Science Research Mentoring Program — American Museum of Natural History: Explore hands-on biology research through a free, year-long high school mentorship program at AMNH. Build STEM skills and boost your college applicati
• Garcia Research Scholars Program — Stony Brook University: Hands-on summer program for high school juniors and seniors to conduct STEM research with university professors. Gain skills, boost college applicatio
• 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
• Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Camp — Stagedoor Manor: Dive into theater at this premier summer program for grades 10-18. Build performance skills, gain hands-on experience, and enhance college application
• Youth America Grand Prix — YAGP: Compete in the world’s largest student ballet competition! Showcase your talent, earn scholarships, and boost your college applications. Open to grade
• Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Awards — Columbia University: Gain national recognition in journalism and publishing! This high school competition develops writing skills, boosts college applications, and honors

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