Opportunity Guide I Summer, Enrichment & Activities Guide

Versed Opportunity Guide is a comprehensive pre-college enrichment program listing that details the vast array of US-based academic and extracurricular programs that provides opportunities for students to explore and pursue their interests and passions.  All entries are curated and many are recommended by our Parent Advisors.

The purpose of the guide is to educate parents and students about the best opportunities available at each age and academic level. These programs maximize learning opportunities and allow students to pursue their interests at the highest levels throughout their school years, which may give them an edge when applying to college.

How to use this guide:

The guide lists educational programs, camps, contests, competitions and other activities, both online and onsite, available to students that are categorized by academic and extracurricular interest. Additionally, the platform allows parents and students to search based on age, school year, location, and general search terms.

To begin, start with a broad interest category that pertains to your child and familiarize yourself with the activity path and how children interested in the same areas have successfully engaged in the variety of activities and programs listed in the guide. As you click on narrower categories, you will get a sense for many of the ways that highly engaged students follow their interests to the highest levels. At the same time, feel free to explore adjacent categories to find related areas as interests change and evolve over time.



  1. Founded in 2002 by internationally acclaimed author Dave Eggers and award-winning educator Nínive Calegari, 826 Valencia inspired a network of creative writing and tutoring centers now eight cities… Read more
  2. The German Summer Study Program for High School Students provides a three-week homestay and school experience. Students attend classes at a Gymnasium, live with the family of a host brother or sister… Read more
  3. Want to put your brain to the test in glorious competition? The Academic Games Leagues of America National Tournament, known by competitors simply as “Nationals,” tests students’ understanding and… Read more
  4. The Pre-College Art Experience (PCAE) is a dual-scholarship program available to only current high school students. The program provides classes for students to take at no tuition charge as well as… Read more
  5. The Academy's Conservatory for Young Actors (ACYA) is a four-week summer intensive for students ages 12-16. The program is taught by the same professional and encouraging instructors who oversee The… Read more
  6. The Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago is a nationally recognized training center for highly gifted pre-college pianists and string players. The Academy provides a comprehensive musical… Read more
  7. The Academy at Rutgers for Girls in Engineering and Technology (TARGET) is a summer program designed for middle- and high school girls to increase awareness about career opportunities in engineering… Read more
  8. AIO introduces young people to the exciting world of marine science through a unique hands-on curriculum that combines biological, physical and chemical oceanography with field, classroom, offshore,… Read more
  9. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) sponsors this writing contest for high school juniors to publicly recognize the best student writers in the nation. Nominated by their school’s… Read more
  10. Act out and dream big! At our Tony Award–winning conservatory, students ages 8 to 19 develop their talents, perform in professional-caliber productions, and gain the confidence to succeed—all in a… Read more
  11. Help kids save the planet! For 14 years, Action for Nature has been honoring Eco-Heroes: 8-16 year olds who have completed a substantial project to help sustain our planet. Eco-Heroes have gone onto… Read more
  12. The Ada Long Creative Writing Workshop is a 3-week workshop that offers a rare opportunity for high school students to learn from published authors. Every day, students will work closely with… Read more
  13. Adopt-a-Physicist connects high school physics students to real physics graduates who are eager to share their stories. Working in areas ranging from particle physics research to freelance writing,… Read more
  14. The Adroit Prizes are awarded annually to two students of secondary or undergraduate status whose written work inspires the masses to believe. In other words, we strive to receive the absolute best… Read more
  15. The Advantage Testing Foundation Math Prize for Girls is the largest math prize for girls in the world. Each fall at MIT, nearly 300 young female mathematicians compete in our challenging test of… Read more
  16. Live with a new family in another country. Enjoy different traditions. Take time to appreciate, value and deepen your insights about other perspectives, cultures, religions and important world issues… Read more
  17. AgDiscovery is a summer outreach program to help teenagers explore careers in plant and animal science, wildlife management, agribusiness, and much more! The program allows students to live on a… Read more
  18. The AgriTREK/SciTREK Summer Institute is a two-week residential program. During the summer of 2004, the College of Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Sciences (CAENS) in collaboration with the… Read more
  19. AI4All believes that some of the best ideas come from the voices you don’t often hear. Its supportive and rigorous summer education programs are an entry point into artificial intelligence and… Read more
  20. The Ailey School is the official school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and offers world-class dance training to students ages 2-25 in the heart of New York City's theater district. The school… Read more
  21. The Alabama Governor’s School is a summer residential honors program funded by Samford University, the State of Alabama and private sources. The program was established in 1987 as the Alabama Honors… Read more
  22. Montefiore Health Opportunities Program (Monte-HOP) promotes, educates and encourages underserved youth to pursue careers within the health fields. Students will gain valuable knowledge and… Read more
  23. This co-ed, overnight summer camp is designed for campers entering grades 11-12 who love astronomy and want to spend time learning more about this fascinating subject with others who share their… Read more
  24. This is a great opportunity to learn about ceramic and glass engineering, to sample life on a college campus and to meet other campers with similar interests and academic ability. The emphasis is on… Read more
  25. This co-ed, overnight summer camp offers computing experiences for both basic and advanced students concentrating on essential computing concepts, programming and web development. Students will be… Read more
  26. Each year Alfred University welcomes students from all over the country to our beautiful camps to take part in popular academic camps and institutes. These programs provide a great opportunity to… Read more
  27. Residential camps covering topics such as: video, traditional and experimental print media, and large format digital print media. During the first morning of each of these camps, there will be an… Read more
  28. This dynamic, co-ed, overnight summer camp is based on the VEX Robotics System which offers high school students an exciting platform for learning about areas rich with career opportunities spanning… Read more
  29. Alfred University welcomes high school students to our beautiful campus each year to take part in this popular co-ed, overnight summer camp. The emphasis is on having fun and enjoying our beautiful… Read more
  30. Alfred University welcomes high school students to our beautiful campus each year to take part in this exciting overnight summer camp. This two-week program, for students interested in learning more… Read more
  31. The NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE) represent the top performing high school musicians in the United States. So much more than a musical ensemble, it is a comprehensive, musical and… Read more
  32. Each guest will spend two to three days at the workshop. We’re looking for enthusiastic, talented young writers who have a strong interest in science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror. Students from… Read more
  33. The AASM Foundation hosts an annual High School Video Contest, which focuses on themes meant to motivate teens to prioritize the importance of sleep in their lives. The contest is open for video… Read more
  34. This award is designed to encourage high school students to explore the world of the brain and nervous system through laboratory research, identify and reward those students whose scientific skill… Read more
  35. Are you a high school student looking for adventure in Germany? Are you a parent looking to provide your child a summer study opportunity with a proven track record? Are you a teacher looking for a… Read more
  36. The National German Exam is administered each year to over 26,000 high school students of German. The Exam, now in its 58th year, provides individual diagnostic feedback, rewards students through an… Read more
  37. The National Spanish Examinations are a motivational contest to recognize student achievement in the study of Spanish and to stimulate further interest in the teaching and learning of Spanish. The… Read more
  38. The American Association of Teachers of Italian is a professional organization of scholars worldwide who contribute to the multi-disciplinary field of Italian Studies through teaching, research, and… Read more
  39. Each year, the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) Poster Contest provides an opportunity for students to creatively express ideas and understandings of language and… Read more
  40. The curriculum of the ABT Summer Intensive includes advanced technique classes and critical lecture courses to contribute to the development of a complete dancer. ABT’s teaching philosophy is to… Read more
  41. More than 350 institutions have sponsored more than 11,000 high school students since Project SEEDs inception almost 50 years ago. Since 1968, Project SEED has helped more than 11,000 economically… Read more
  42. These exams, covering topics such as Introduction to Greek, Beginning and Intermediate Attic, Homeric Greek- Odyssey and Greek Tragedy are available to teachers only. See the website for information… Read more
  43. Computer enthusiasts! The American Computer Science League (ACSL) holds competitions each year in which students grades 3-12 are challenged with solving computer programming problems. Competitors are… Read more
  44. Launched in the late 1960s, the ACTR Olympiada of Spoken Russian is the oldest of ACTR’s secondary school activities. Drawing on the long-established practice of oral exams and competitions within… Read more
  45. Greek Summer is 4-week service learning and cultural immersion program, where young men and women ages 15-18 years old come together to discover and engage in an impactful service learning activity… Read more
  46. The American Foreign Service Association is the professional association and labor union for America's diplomats as they serve their country all over the world The American Foreign Service… Read more
  47. The American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) is the second exam in the series of exams used to challenge bright students on the path toward choosing the team that represents the United… Read more
  48. The American Legion Auxiliary’s marquee Girls State program, first presented in 1937, is one of the most respected and coveted experiential learning programs presented in the United States. The… Read more
  49. American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high school students. A participatory program in which students become… Read more
  50. The American Legion Oratorical Contest exists to develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students. Since 1938, the program has presented participants… Read more