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. The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students and is held annually in a different country. The first IMO was held in 1959 in… Read more
  2. ​​Founded in 2003, IIMIF has been lauded as an exceptional summer solo and chamber music program for string players and pianists. ​With a maximum enrollment of 35 students each year, we offer a… Read more
  3. The International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) is an annual international informatics competition for individual contestants from various invited countries, accompanied by social and cultural… Read more
  4. SeaPerch is an innovative underwater robotics program that equips teachers and students with the resources they need to build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in an in-school or out-of-… Read more
  5. The ISSYP is an exciting and challenging two-week program for Canadian and international high school students who have a keen interest in theoretical physics and intend to pursue physics studies at… Read more
  6. The International Thespian Festival is a week-long immersion in the theatre arts specially for high-achieving middle and high school drama students and their teachers. Setting the standard for… Read more
  7. THESPIAN FILMWORKS nurtures original student-created films from the page to the screen through “run and gun” filmmaking. The program staff will choose up to two projects to be developed at the… Read more
  8. THESPIAN MUSICALWORKS nurtures original student-written musicals from the page to the stage. The program staff will choose up to two works to be developed at the International Thespian Festival,… Read more
  9. THESPIAN CRITICWORKS nurtures original student-written arts journalism. The pro-gram staff will choose up to six writers to attend the International Thespian Festival. Professional critics will help… Read more
  10. THESPIAN PLAYWORKS nurtures original student-written plays from the page to the stage. The program staff will choose up to four plays to be developed at the Inter-national Thespian Festival,… Read more
  11. As the Midwest Torrance Center, we subscribe to creativity as the “highest form of mental functioning.” This framework was initiated and developed by E. Paul Torrance, known as the father of… Read more
  12. Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) is a nonprofit that offers in-depth mindfulness programs for youth and the parents and professionals who support them. The iBme curriculum guides teens and… Read more
  13. The George Washington Carver Summer Research Internship Program has been impacting and engaging the minds of high school and undergraduate student program participants for over 25 years. The… Read more
  14. The Irish Way (A Program of the Irish American Cultural Institute) is a 25-day cultural academic program offered to American and Canadian high school students. The High School Program consists of a… Read more
  15. The Ithaca Writers Institute, a noncredit summer program for high school students, offers two weeks of intensive writing workshops on the campus of Ithaca College in the Finger Lakes region of… Read more
  16. In Ithaca College's residential pre-college summer program, high school students experience college life and college-level courses while living in a safe environment. The Summer College for High… Read more
  17. Jackson Hole Writers is once again partnering with the Teton County Library to offer writing sessions for middle-graders (10-13), though older students are always welcome to attend. A young open… Read more
  18. The Summer Student Program is designed for students who want to immerse themselves in genetics and genomics research. It emphasizes laboratory discovery, communication of knowledge, and professional… Read more
  19. JMU hosts a wide variety of youth programs including day-long coding programs, dual enrollment programs, courses in physics, robotics, and may more. See the website for the full array of youth camps… Read more
  20. Come and explore the amazing properties of waves as scientists use them in music, nanotechnology, astronomy, and nuclear physics. JMU Physics and Astronomy presents an educational event series… Read more
  21. The Arboretum Explorer Camp is the perfect place for budding naturalists, animal lovers, and young outdoor enthusiasts. Join us on the beautiful grounds of the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum as we learn… Read more
  22. College for Kids is an enrichment program for children in grades 1-8. Children will work with James Madison University faculty and graduate students, as well as experts from the community and… Read more
  23. Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) is a one-day math and science conference for girls in grades 6-9. The girls participate in exciting, hands-on workshops organized by JMU faculty, attend science… Read more
  24. This exciting robotics camp is an advanced program designed for middle school students who want to push robots to the limits. We’ll be using the latest EV3 robot from LEGO. This platform is a… Read more
  25. Using JMU’s unique facilities such as the John C. Wells Planetarium and Science on a Sphere- camp-goers will get a perspective of Earth and other planets like an astronaut would. We seek to inspire… Read more
  26. The JMU Summer Honors Institute is a unique week-long program where talented rising high school juniors and seniors get a first-hand look at life in a dynamic university and its Honors college. As a… Read more
  27. The Japan Bowl® is a Japanese language competition created by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC in 1992. The Japan Bowl tests the achievements of Japanese learners throughout the US and… Read more
  28. Jazz at Lincoln Center's Summer Jazz Academy is the premier high school program for advanced high school jazz students. This two-week program, designed and instructed by a select team of faculty,… Read more
  29. The Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program is intended for mature and motivated students who are interested in academic careers requiring mathematics, science, or engineering-based coursework and… Read more
  30. The Joffrey Ballet School is the only ballet school in New York City that offers a well-rounded dance curriculum that includes serious training in both classical ballet (technique, pointe, variations… Read more
  31. Our summer program for high school students (ages 15 to 18) is modeled after St. John’s discussion-based, interdisciplinary method of teaching the great books. A hands-on introduction to college life… Read more
  32. The ASPIRE program at APL is the opportunity for juniors and seniors in high school to get hands-on experience in STEM and to explore career opportunities before committing to an area of study in… Read more
  33. With approximately 2,000 students passing through its doors every week, the Peabody Preparatory is Baltimore’s premier community school for the performing arts. It is open to students of all ages and… Read more
  34. The CCB internship program provides students with hands-on research experience as part of ongoing projects supervised by faculty in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science,… Read more
  35. The world leader in gifted education since 1979, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth is a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and developing the talents of academically advanced pre-college… Read more
  36. Engineering Innovation is an exciting, college-level, summer program for motivated high school students with an aptitude in math and science and an interest in (or curiosity about) engineering. This… Read more
  37. In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. These leaders demonstrated political courage by… Read more
  38. During the summer before your junior or senior year, explore a variety of careers in the fields of culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, criminal justice, science, hospitality or fashion at one of… Read more
  39. The Pre-College Division offers a comprehensive conservatory-style music program for students 8 - 18 years old who exhibit the talent, potential and ambition to pursue serious music study at the… Read more
  40. The Junior Academy at the New York Academy of Sciences is an elite group of problem solvers made up of talented students, STEM experts, and companies around the world dedicated to designing… Read more
  41. The Junior Science and Humanities Symposia (JSHS) Program is a tri-service – U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force – sponsored STEM competition which promotes original research and experimentation in the… Read more
  42. The Junior State of America (JSA) was created by and for young people interested in what happens around them – from politics, to how government works, and contributing to their community. Since its… Read more
  43. The Half-Day non-residential (grades 3 - 8) JSMC is held at San Marcos High School in San Marcos, Texas: The program is open enrollment. There is no selection process for the Half-Day JSMC. We… Read more
  44. Through KP LAUNCH, Kaiser Permanente offers young adults a variety of paid internship opportunities in the Oakland headquarters and medical offices across Northern California. Iinterns have the… Read more
  45. High school courses are offered year-round at the Kansas City Art Institute. All classes give fine art instruction while working with any skill level. Courses align with the KCAI Foundation Year and… Read more
  46. Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED) is SWE-KC's signature and award-winning outreach program. SWE-KC introduces middle school and high school to various engineering disciplines with a keynote… Read more
  47. he purpose of this annual writing contest, named in honor of Willamette Writer’s founder, Kay Snow, is to help writers reach professional goals in writing in a broad array of categories and to… Read more
  48. The Continuing Studies Department at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) offers non-credit classes for youth. Classes include: drawing, painting, photography, digital… Read more
  49. The Kennedy Center Ballet Class Series offers advanced high school students the unique opportunity to learn from nationally and internationally recognized ballet companies performing this season at… Read more
  50. This three-week summer residency offers intermediate to advanced-level ballet dancers, ages 14-18, an opportunity to study exclusively with one of the most important ballerinas of the 20th century,… Read more