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. CIM offers lessons, classes and ensembles and music (both instrumental and voice) summer programs. In addition, for more serious young musicians: Young Artist Program: The Young Artist Program… Read more
  2. During the four-week program summer program for high school students, you become entrepreneurs-in-training by studying how music is recorded, produced, and distributed to consumers. To complement the… Read more
  3. For those students who know they want to pursue music training at the highest level, Colburn offers the Music Academy, a pre-college program for students ages 14 through 18.  Our comprehensive… Read more
  4. The Coleopterists Society, an international organization of professionals and hobbyists interested in the study of beetles, has established a program to recognize young people studying beetles. The… Read more
  5. This is not a “summer camp.” This is a college course taken for credit, compressed into two weeks. The program begins with an introduction to the ecology and culture of Downeast Maine at College of… Read more
  6. College of the Atlantic’s Summer Field Studies (SFS) is a day camp program designed for young people entering first through ninth grades. Learning in small groups of 10-12 lets us foster an… Read more
  7. This unique program offers students an opportunity to live and study at the College of William & Mary for three weeks during the summer. Students will earn four hours of transferable college… Read more
  8. Summer Intensive Program Under the direction of Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner, the Colorado Ballet Academy offers a Summer Intensive designed for dancers from the intermediate through pre-… Read more
  9. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE) at Colorado State University is offering a unique opportunity for high school and undergraduate students to participate in a summer internship… Read more
  10. The Young Authors Writing Competition is a national competition for high school writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry.
  11. Spring Convention The CSPA invites high school students and faculty advisers to attend and participate in CSPA’s 95th annual Spring Scholastic Convention. This national gathering of student editors… Read more
  12. Columbia University offers several summer programs for high school students, both in its home city of New York City, but also in foreign countries as well. For students that will be in New York, they… Read more
  13. The Crown Awards are given for student work on student publications. A panel of Crown Judges assembles each year at Columbia University to view all entrants, whether they are newspaper, magazines,… Read more
  14. The Columbia University Science Honors Program (SHP) is a highly selective program for high school students who have a strong interest in the sciences and mathematics. The SHP holds classes at… Read more
  15. TCR Summer Programs are intensive workshops in history, research, and writing that offer high school students an advisory structure in which to work on historical research projects on topics of their… Read more
  16. Coming to the Language Villages for a summer language immersion program is just like entering a new country. You’ll get your Village passport stamped at customs, receive your cabin assignment, and… Read more
  17. Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) is for motivated high school students who want to experience a culture and learn a language through a full immersion experience. Earn a competitive edge for… Read more
  18. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives host a district-wide Congressional App Challenges for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to… Read more
  19. Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since… Read more
  20. The Congressional Award is the United States Congress’ award for young Americans. It is non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive. The program is open to all youth regardless of ability,… Read more
  21. While there are many opportunities in the federal government for internships, fellowships, and other work experience, there is no comprehensive source to assist in locating these opportunities. This… Read more
  22. The Conrad Challenge is an annual, multi-phase innovation and entrepreneurial competition that encourages young adults to leave their mark on the world. Each year, teams of 2-5 students, ages 13-18,… Read more
  23. A one-semester residential school-year program with the mission of inspiring young people to environmental stewardship through academics and engagement with the forests, lakes, and wildlife of… Read more
  24. Get a head start on a future in design! Teens in New York City can apply to be a DesignPrep Scholar, a free program that features hands-on workshops with professional designers, design studio visits… Read more
  25. The Cooper Union announces a new Introduction to Architecture summer program for high school students. This five-week intensive is designed to familiarize students with architectural thinking and… Read more
  26. The Cooper Union Summer Art Intensive helps high school students prepare a portfolio for college applications, worthy of top undergraduate programs. Participants choose a two-day studio concentration… Read more
  27. The Summer STEM Program is a six-week intensive that immerses current high school sophomores and juniors in hands-on engineering design and problem-solving, thereby placing them on the right track… Read more
  28. The Coriell Summer Experience for Students is an opportunity for high school and college students to not only work alongside world-renowned scientists and researchers, but also gain insights into… Read more
  29. Curie Academy is a one-week residential program for high school girls who excel in math and science. The focus is on rising juniors and seniors who may not have had prior opportunities to explore… Read more
  30. The Cornell International Summer Debate Camp is a premier summer program where students learn and advance their argumentative, debating and public speaking skills. Boasting an expert coaching team… Read more
  31. Cornell University Summer College offers academically motivated high school students the chance to experience college life at a great Ivy League university, take regular college classes with Cornell… Read more
  32. The Cornell University Summer Session traces its roots to summer courses in geology, zoology, and entomology that were presented in the late 1870s. The University offered these courses in the summer… Read more
  33. Cornell biomedical scientists strive for excellence and use their knowledge to solve global problems and benefit society. During this innovative, intensive, and highly selective program, you will… Read more
  34. The National Personal Finance Challenge provides middle and high school students (gr. 6-12)* with an exciting and motivating opportunity to build, apply and showcase their knowledge of this important… Read more
  35. The CEE National Economics Challenge engages high school students in real-world problem solving and critical-thinking as they test their awareness of economic principles and current events.… Read more
  36. The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) is a world leader in genomic and bioinformatics research fueled by a team-centered, multidisciplinary approach to large research initiatives. JCVI has a long… Read more
  37. For two weeks every summer, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication brings top-performing high school students to ASU for two weeks of intensive, hands-on experiences in… Read more
  38. Our High School Volunteer Abroad programs are purpose-driven: teens who travel abroad with Cross-Cultural Solutions aren’t merely joining a tour group and observing another place; they engage in… Read more
  39. At Crow Canyon's archaeology camps, students age 12 to 18 dig at a real archaeological site in southwestern Colorado. These academic/science camps also include opportunities for teens to learn about… Read more
  40. C-Tech2 is designed to help you explore all the engineering options at Virginia Tech. You will be assigned to a small group of other young women during the day and participate in hands-on activities… Read more
  41. The Adventures in Veterinary Medicine Program is an engaging and fun way for students to learn more about the veterinary profession. This is your opportunity to dig into veterinary medicine through… Read more
  42. Young Artist Summer Program: Experience conservatory-style living with a rigorous musical schedule and opportunities to perform in an intimate, challenging, and supportive environment. The three-week… Read more
  43. The CBP Explorer Program offers opportunities in character building, good citizenship, and fitness for young men and women ages 14 through 21. CBP has Law Enforcement Explorer Posts, both at ports of… Read more
  44. CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program. At the center of CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. The competition puts teams of high school and middle… Read more
  45. The Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program introduces Massachusetts high school and college students from underrepresented populations to the world of cancer research by placing… Read more
  46. The Young Empowered Scientists for ContinUed Research Engagement (YES for CURE) Program is a three-year training initiative for highly motivated high school and undergraduate students interested in… Read more
  47. The advantages of the Debate Institutes at Dartmouth include: Small Classes Our classes are capped at 24 students with a 1:8 teacher-student ratio or better. Every member of the teaching staff is in… Read more
  48. The Marine Science Course is an intense 4-week academic class which introduces high school students to the marine environment. The course gives students a better understanding and appreciation of the… Read more
  49. The K-12 Academic Year Programs are available through Discovery Hall with a variety of field trips, labs, and lectures designed especially for students of those ages. These programs are available… Read more
  50. MISSION OF THE DAVID S. BARR CONTEST: This contest is for student journalists: To inspire a new generation of journalists by recognizing work that contributes to the pursuit of justice and… Read more