Virtual & Online Programs for High School Students

Discover remote and online extracurricular opportunities you can do from anywhere, including virtual internships, online courses, and remote competitions.

Virtual Opportunity Types

  • Online summer programs and pre-college courses
  • Virtual internships and research programs
  • Online competitions and hackathons
  • Remote volunteering opportunities
  • Virtual mentorship and tutoring
  • Online STEM and coding bootcamps

Current virtual program listings

458 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.
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognition — Forbes Magazine: Gain national recognition as a high school entrepreneur with Forbes 30 Under 30. Boost college applications and showcase your achievements in business
  • QuestBridge National College Match — QuestBridge: National college-prep program connecting talented high school seniors with full scholarships to top universities. Boost college applications and secur
  • Nonprofit Founder (501(c)(3)) — IRS / State Government: Launch your own 501(c)(3) nonprofit and gain leadership, entrepreneurship, and hands-on experience. Boost college applications while making a real-wor
  • U.S. Presidential Scholars Program — U.S. Department of Education: Earn national recognition as a U.S. Presidential Scholar, the highest honor for top high school seniors. Boost college applications and showcase leade
  • Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship — Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Secure up to $55k/year with this elite, need-based scholarship for high-achieving seniors. Boost college applications and unlock opportunities for aca
  • Stamps Leadership Scholars — Stamps Foundation: Earn a full-ride scholarship plus enrichment funds at top colleges while building leadership skills. Perfect for high school seniors aiming to stand o
  • Mathematical Olympiad for Girls — Mathematical Olympiad Foundation: Elite math competition for high school girls to tackle USAMO-level problems. Boosts problem-solving skills, stands out on college applications, and in
  • Ron Brown Scholar Program — Ron Brown Scholar Fund: Elite scholarship for Black high school seniors excelling in academics and leadership. Earn $40k to fund college while building leadership skills for
  • Knowledge Matters Virtual Business Challenge — Knowledge Matters: Join this free virtual business competition for high schoolers to manage retail, sports, or restaurant simulations. Build entrepreneurial skills and b
  • Boettcher Scholarship — Boettcher Foundation: Earn a full-ride scholarship to any Colorado college! This prestigious opportunity helps high school seniors stand out on college applications and bui
  • Posse Foundation Scholarship — Posse Foundation: Earn a full-tuition scholarship to top colleges through this virtual leadership program. Build skills, join a supportive cohort, and strengthen your c

View all virtual programs in the directory

Frequently Asked Questions

Are virtual extracurriculars taken seriously by colleges?

Yes. Top colleges — including Ivy League schools — have explicitly stated that virtual and online extracurriculars are viewed the same as in-person activities. Admissions officers evaluate commitment, rigor, and impact, not location. A virtual research program at a top university is just as impressive as an in-person one. The shift to remote opportunities has also expanded access, which colleges recognize and value.

What are the best online extracurricular programs for high school students?

Top virtual programs include MIT PRIMES (online math and CS research), USACO (competitive programming, conducted online), RSI at MIT (partially virtual), many university online research programs, online creative writing workshops (Iowa Young Writers' Studio offers a virtual session), Khan Academy tutoring, and various online competitions. Many programs that were previously in-person now offer hybrid or fully virtual options.

Can I do multiple virtual programs at once?

Potentially — but be careful about overcommitting. Unlike in-person programs, virtual ones eliminate travel time but still require focused attention and participation. Two concurrent programs can work if they have different time requirements (one intensive, one ongoing). Three or more programs running simultaneously often results in shallow engagement with each, which is less impressive than deep commitment to fewer activities.

How do I make virtual extracurriculars stand out on college applications?

Demonstrate depth and outcomes. For a virtual research program, highlight publications, presentations, or specific discoveries. For online competitions, highlight results — placing in top percentiles, qualifying for finals. For virtual volunteering, document concrete impact numbers. Letters of recommendation from supervisors or mentors who observed your virtual work can powerfully validate your engagement level.

What virtual extracurriculars are available for students in rural areas?

Virtual programs are particularly transformative for students in rural areas, eliminating the geographic disadvantage. Online competitions (USACO, AMC, NSDA online tournaments), university virtual research programs, remote internships, online creative writing programs, virtual Model UN conferences, and online courses from platforms like Coursera and edX are all accessible regardless of location.