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. Pre-College Music gives high school students the opportunity to improve as a musician and learn about life in a conservatory-style college curriculum. Throughout Pre-College Music, students gain… Read more
  2. Pre-College Design is a unique opportunity to begin a future student’s true college design experience. Classes are taught by undergraduate School of Design faculty and Pre-College Design students are… Read more
  3. Pre-College Drama introduces high school students to rigorous, conservatory style challenges. The length and depth of the summer conservatory-style program can lead to a stronger resolve to pursue a… Read more
  4. The Advanced Placement/Early Admission (AP/EA) Program provides talented, motivated high school students with the unique opportunity to take summer courses offered by Carnegie Mellon. Students earn… Read more
  5. Pre-College Architecture is an intensive and immersive summer program that engages high school students in the creative energy and speculative culture of the college-level experience, in studying the… Read more
  6. The Summer Engineering Experience (SEE) is a two-week non-residential summer experience for girls entering the 8th and 9th grades who are interested in math and science. SEE gives girls hands-on… Read more
  7. The National High School Game Academy (NHSGA) allows dedicated high school students to experience the modern video game development process and, in so doing, learn skills used in those processes.… Read more
  8. Biological and medical research have become fully-fledged computational disciplines. Tomorrow's life scientists will need deep knowledge of not only the laboratory techniques for generating… Read more
  9. Teen volunteer positions (for ages 16+) available at the Carnegie Museums: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Science Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center and Andy Warhol Museum. Link… Read more
  10. Pre-College Scholars Program High school students wishing to take regular university summer classes may apply to enroll through the Pre-College Scholars program. The Pre-College Scholars Program at… Read more
  11. The Experiences in Architecture program at The Catholic University of America is an intense three-week, pre-college workshop for students interested in architecture or other design-related fields.… Read more
  12. Our High School Field School is your opportunity to be an archaeologist. Join our summer field crew and participate in real archaeological research alongside professional archaeologists. With our… Read more
  13. Residential camp for rising high school sophomore, junior, senior, and graduating senior girls. Explore a variety of fine arts disciplines with outstanding Wesleyan College faculty. The one-week… Read more
  14. Each year the ION program kicks off with a Saturday workshop held in May. Then during a 1-week introductory curriculum at Emory University, ION Scholars learn about neuroscience through hands-on… Read more
  15. Since 1982, the Center for Bright Kids Regional Talent Center has offered summer programs for high-interest, high-ability students. Rooted in the talent development model, CBK summer programs offer… Read more
  16. The Center for Creative Youth (CCY) is a residential summer program in the arts at Wesleyan University. Every July for over 40 years, talented high school students have gathered together on campus to… Read more
  17. The Center for Infectious Disease Research (CID Research) is Seattle’s first global health organization—and the largest independent, non-profit organization devoted solely to infectious disease… Read more
  18. The STEM Summer Institute for Girls was created in 2011 as a model STEM summer program for girls. After 5 years as a program for rising 9th through 12th graders, we added rising 7th and 8th graders… Read more
  19. The Central Wisconsin Environmental Station (CWES) is a 200-acre teaching and learning center located 17 miles east of Stevens Point on glacial Sunset Lake. Since 1975, we have been an integral part… Read more
  20. Chabot Space & Science Center’s Galaxy Explorers program for high school students offers hands-on, fun, community service work. Explorers perform live public science demonstrations and explain… Read more
  21. Calling all young engineers, astronauts, explorers, makers, and problem solvers! Chabot Space and Science Center offers thematic science and engineering summer camps designed for students entering… Read more
  22. Engaging and mentoring students in studying the Holocaust and in grappling with its meaning and lessons for today is a vital part of the mission of the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education. In… Read more
  23. The International Foundation for Research in Experimental Economics (IFREE) has generously sponsored summer workshops for visiting graduate students, undergraduates and local high school students… Read more
  24. The Challenge is an academic competition for students in grades 5-8, where the excitement and value of chemistry takes center stage! By middle school, most U.S. students have not studied chemistry as… Read more
  25. 2 week debate camp for middle and high school students.
  26. The CHORI Summer Student Research Program is designed to provide an unsurpassed opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the world of basic and/or clinical research for three months during… Read more
  27. The mission of CMT San Jose is to train and educate today’s youth through musical theater to set and achieve high artistic and personal goals, and to inspire them to become exemplary artists, patrons… Read more
  28. The Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children's National Health System welcomes graduate, medical, undergraduate and advanced high school students into the Student… Read more
  29. The Children’s School of Science encourages a love and appreciation of science through inquiry-based learning. Frequent field trips and hands-on classroom study provide the opportunity to explore… Read more
  30. Residential summer camp programs in: academic enrichment, English language, immersion geometry, theater arts, documentary filmmaking, math, science, community service, oceanography, and writing.… Read more
  31. Residential summer camp programs in: academic enrichment, English language, Enviro-tech for girls, theater arts, writing, invention and design labs filmmaking, math, science, community service,… Read more
  32. Established to honor the memory of President Kennedy — a member of Choate’s Class of 1935 — The John F. Kennedy '35 Institute in Government is designed to stimulate your curiosity about public policy… Read more
  33. The Choate Young Artists Programs in Performing and Visual Arts seek to develop an appreciation for live theater and visual arts in all of our young artists. These are non-residential day camps and… Read more
  34. Our programs in France, Morocco, and Spain extend an invitation for students to immerse themselves in the language, daily routines, and cultural habits of another country. Your time abroad with… Read more
  35. CIA offers a summer internship program that is a financial needs based initiative. See detailed information on website for detailed summer program eligibility requirements. While working at the CIA,… Read more
  36. The Job Shadow Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides experiential learning opportunities designed to help individuals learn about health career options as well as the… Read more
  37. The Job Shadow Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides experiential learning opportunities designed to help individuals learn about health career options as well as the… Read more
  38. Housed in a state-of-the-art facility within an historic Manhattan neighborhood, The City College of New York, Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture (SSA) is now seeking applicants for its… Read more
  39. Housed in a state-of-the-art facility within an historic Manhattan neighborhood, The City College of New York, Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture (SSA) is now seeking applicants for its… Read more
  40. City of Hope's Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy gives curious and hardworking students the opportunity to learn about science by actually doing science work: Unlike traditional high… Read more
  41. The Civil War Institute Summer Conference at Gettysburg College is a five day program held annually in June. The conference includes lectures, battlefield tours, breakout sessions, and other special… Read more
  42. The Civil War Institute Summer Conference at Gettysburg College is a five day program held annually in June. The conference includes lectures, battlefield tours, breakout sessions, and other special… Read more
  43. The Civil War Institute Summer Conference at Gettysburg College is a five day program held annually in June. The conference includes lectures, battlefield tours, breakout sessions, and other special… Read more
  44. The Civil War Institute Summer Conference at Gettysburg College is a five day program held annually in June. The conference includes lectures, battlefield tours, breakout sessions, and other special… Read more
  45. Join us for an exciting week filled with learning, friendship, and the Clemson experience. Educational, recreational, and cultural activities allow participants to experience some of the amazing… Read more
  46. Educational, recreational, and cultural activities allow participants to experience some of the amazing opportunities Clemson University has to offer. Students will engage in hands-on, immersive… Read more
  47. Healthcare+ Pathways® is a summer experience for rising high school freshmen. Designed to increase the participation of under-represented groups within the clinical and non-clinical fields that have… Read more
  48. Launched in partnership with PNC Bank and supported by Effective Leadership Academy, this internship program honors Congressman Louis Stokes’ legacy of public service and his longstanding commitment… Read more
  49. This four-week internship program gives students the opportunity to learn about the sciences and scientific writing skills while working alongside professionals from Cleveland Clinic, Cuyahoga… Read more
  50. Summer internships in Applied Medicine, Creative Learning, Labratory Medicine, Nursing Care, Pharmacy, Public Health, Radiology, Respiratory Care and Translational Medicine.