Extracurriculars & Programs in North Carolina for High School Students

North Carolina's Research Triangle — Duke, UNC, and NC State — anchors one of the strongest program clusters in the South, from university research placements to biotech exposure.

20 verified programs match this page; 11 of the featured listings are completely free; 1 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 20+ curated programs for high school students:

• Robertson Scholars Leadership Program — Duke University / UNC Chapel Hill: Full-ride leadership program for high school seniors combining hands-on experience, college application boosts, and access to Duke & UNC resources. Ap
• Morehead-Cain Scholarship — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Earn a full-ride scholarship while developing leadership skills through the hybrid Morehead-Cain program. Perfect for college-bound high school senior
• 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.
• National High School Ethics Bowl — University of North Carolina Parr Center for Ethics: Enhance ethical reasoning and debate skills in the National High School Ethics Bowl. Free competition for grades 9-12, perfect for college application
• Wake Forest University Pre-College Program — Wake Forest University: Pre-college online immersion program at Wake Forest University for students ages 13 and up.
• Guilford College Pre-College Program — Guilford College: Pre-college program at Guilford College for high school students.
• Elon University Pre-College Program — Elon University: Pre-college summer experience at Elon University for high school students to explore campus life and academics.
• UNCSA Drama Summer Intensive — University of North Carolina School of the Arts: Three-week residential actor training at UNC School of the Arts for ages 15-18, taught by UNCSA School of Drama faculty. Admission by video audition;
• Saturday Data Science Academy — UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education: Semester-long academy at UNC Charlotte where 25 high school students spend six Saturdays (plus two virtual evenings) on data analysis, visualization,
• Park Scholarships — NC State University: NC State's full-ride merit scholarship for incoming first-year students, covering the full cost of attendance for four years plus enrichment grants. A
• NC State Design Camp — NC State College of Design: Residential design immersion at NC State's College of Design in Raleigh: rising 11th and 12th graders complete a portfolio-quality studio project acro
• Museum of Life and Science Youth Volunteers — Museum of Life and Science: Teens ages 14-17 volunteer full camp days at Durham's Museum of Life and Science summer camps, helping educators run hands-on science activities for y
• Brevard Music Center High School Orchestral Studies — Brevard Music Center: Six-week orchestral residency (ages 14-18) at Brevard Music Center's summer institute in North Carolina: two student orchestras, weekly chamber coachi
• Appalachian State STARTALK Chinese Program — Appalachian State University: A fully NSA-funded three-week residential Chinese program at Appalachian State for rising 9th-12th graders with little or no Chinese; 18 spots, all co
• Wake Forest Summer Immersion: Business Institute — Wake Forest University: Week-long residential business bootcamp at Wake Forest ($3,500) covering finance, marketing, management, and operations, ending with a team pitch - op
• Duke Summer Academy — Duke University: Pre-college program at Duke University for high school students focusing on stem.
• National Ethics Bowl Champion — Parr Center for Ethics: Teams analyze and discuss ethical cases. Regional and national competition.
• Wake Forest University Summer Immersion — Wake Forest University: Academic immersion programs at Wake Forest. Pre-professional and academic exploration.
• North Carolina Governor's School — NC DNCR: Free 6-week residential program. Arts, humanities, sciences, math.
• Duke Young Writers' Camp — Duke University: Immerse yourself in a residential summer program for high school writers in grades 10-12. Hone creative writing skills, build portfolios, and boost co

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