Chemistry Programs for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 59 chemistry programs for high school students. Of these, 40 are free to participate in and 15 offer virtual participation. Examples include ACS ChemClub, ACS National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp, and ACS Project SEED - Northern California Sites.
- 59
- listed
- 40
- free
- 15
- virtual
- 59
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are chemistry programs for high school students?
- Chemistry Programs for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in chemistry. Each listing includes eligibility, cost, and deadline details where known, so you can compare options and find the right fit for your college application profile.
- Are any of these programs free?
- Yes — 40 of the 59 programs listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 15 of the 59 programs listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are chemistry programs good for a college application?
- Yes — chemistry programs are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in chemistry on college applications.
Related Categories
59 activities found·Browse by category
ACS ChemClub
American Chemical Society's national program supporting extracurricular high school chemistry clubs, offering hands-on activities, career exploration, and scholarship eligibility.
ACS National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp
Invitation-only training camp for top USNCO performers preparing for International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).
ACS Project SEED - Northern California Sites
National, highly structured chemistry internship placing low-income HS students into real chemistry labs; many placements in Bay Area universities and companies.
ACS U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)
The premier national chemistry exam; progression from local section to national camp and possible IChO team. Requires deep problem-solving and independent study.
ASDRP - Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program
Nonprofit research institute where HS students work on year-round or summer research projects (chemistry, materials, bio, etc.), often publishing or presenting at conferences.
ASDRP - Summer Research Fellowship
Formalized summer fellowship branch of ASDRP where students conduct intensive research in chemistry, materials, or related fields and often present or publish.
Berkeley Lab ALSP Chemistry Programs
Summer research opportunities at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab for high school students interested in chemistry, materials science, and energy research.
Brookhaven National Laboratory High School Research Program (HSRP)
A competitive six-week commuter research program at Brookhaven National Lab where students who have completed 11th grade work directly with scientific and engineering staff on real DOE-mission research projects.
California Academy of Sciences - Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program
Multi-year, paid internship where students do authentic research or environmental projects and science communication; very selective for SF youth.
Chapman University Pharmacy Summer Research Program
Hybrid summer research program where small cohorts of high schoolers work with pharmacy faculty advisors on health-science/chemistry research projects.
Chemistry-Focused Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP)
Intensive research program described as a 9-month remote mentorship plus 4-week on-site summer internship in chemistry/biochem/materials; very structured and rigorous.
ChemMatters Magazine Student Writing Contest
Annual writing contest by ACS where students explain chemistry concepts and their real-world applications, with winners published in ChemMatters magazine.
Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge
Entrepreneurship and innovation competition where students create products addressing global challenges, with mentorship from NASA and industry experts.
COSMOS (California State Summer School for Math & Science)
A 4-week residential STEM program at four UC campuses. Students enroll in specific clusters – some are chemistry-focused (e.g. Nanochemistry, Chemical Engineering).
Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Prestigious scholarship recognizing extraordinary young people who have completed significant projects in STEM, including chemistry research, with awards up to $50,000.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science – Teen Science Scholars
Selective paid internship that places 20 high schoolers from underserved or underrepresented backgrounds into the Museum's Science Division each year, doing real scientific work alongside Museum scientists and exploring museum and STEM careers. Includes a stipend of about $1,800 per session plus professional development in public speaking and college planning.
ExploraVision
Science competition where students envision future technology by researching current science and extrapolating 20 years into the future, sponsored by Toshiba.
GRIPS at Stanford
GRIPS is a roughly 8-week research-intensive program placing HS students in Stanford labs; similar rigor to SIP/SIMR.
iCLEM (Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology)
6-8 week paid biotech internship in Emeryville labs, heavy wet-lab work (chemistry + microbiology + biofuels); very selective and supports low-income students.
International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
Elite international chemistry competition for top 4 USNCO performers representing the USA, featuring experimental and theoretical chemistry challenges.
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
World's largest pre-college STEM competition where students present original research projects, with winners earning scholarships and recognition.
ISC3 Innovation Challenge in Sustainable Chemistry
Design challenge where students develop sustainable chemistry solutions to real-world problems, focusing on green chemistry principles and innovation.
JHU CTY Fast-Paced High School Chemistry
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth's advanced three-week residential chemistry course covering roughly a year of high school chemistry through lab-based instruction.
JPH Chemistry Olympiad Summer Camp
Intensive chemistry Olympiad training program (organic chemistry classes and hands-on lab camps) run by a coach whose students have repeatedly medaled at IChO.
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) - Northern California Region
Selective research paper and presentation competition; NorCal regional winners advance to nationals; strong chemistry category.
Lamar University ChemE Summer Camp
Free week-long day camp introducing students who've completed chemistry and Algebra II to chemical engineering through labs, plant tours, and the ChemE Car competition.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab - Experiences in Research (EinR)
6-week, selective internship placing students in LBNL research groups (chemistry, materials, energy, etc.) with a weekly stipend.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - Biotech Summer Experience
Two-week intensive biotech/experimental biology program with substantial lab work and molecular techniques, drawing on chemistry fundamentals.
MIT MITES Summer
Free, six-week residential STEM program at MIT for rising high school seniors (11th graders) from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds. Students take rigorous math, science, and humanities courses, complete a project, and live in MIT dorms. Highly selective; all costs covered.
NASA Ames (Moffett Field) - OSTEM High School Internships
Competitive NASA internships in research areas including materials and atmospheric science, which are chemistry-heavy; located in Silicon Valley.
National Science Bowl
Fast-paced academic competition testing knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics, math, and earth/space science with regional and national tournaments.
National Science Bowl - Bay Area Regional
DOE-run, fast-paced quiz competition with heavy chemistry content; NorCal teams compete at regional site then nationals.
NIST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Prestigious federal research internship where high school juniors/seniors near NIST's Boulder, CO or Gaithersburg, MD campuses conduct hands-on chemistry research.
Northern California Science Olympiad - Chem Events
Team-based competition with specific chemistry events (Chem Lab, Forensics, etc.); high-level teams train intensively all year.
Ohio State Marion STEM Summer Camp
Affordable week-long day camp combining hands-on chemistry and biology experiments with other STEM activities.
Penn Summer Science Initiative (PSSI)
Free, four-week materials-science-and-chemistry research course at the University of Pennsylvania's NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.
Project SEED ACS Summer Research
Paid summer research program by American Chemical Society placing economically disadvantaged students in university and industry chemistry labs nationwide.
Quinnipiac Forensic Sciences: Crime Scene Investigation
Pre-college program where high schoolers learn forensic chemistry, fingerprint analysis, and evidence collection through mock crime scene investigations.
Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
Widely considered the top U.S. science research competition for high school seniors; requires a completed original research paper, including chem/biochem.
Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research - Molecular Medicine Workshops
One- to two-week intensive camps (e.g., Cancer, Molecular Neuroscience) held at UC Berkeley and other sites; substantial biochemistry/molecular biology and journal-level content.
RSI - Research Science Institute (MIT)
One of the most selective global research programs; 6-week residential at MIT with original research in many fields including chemistry.
SAGE Camp - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Science Accelerating Girls Engagement (SAGE) is a free, 1-week residential camp at LLNL for NorCal public high-school girls with rigorous STEM exposure.
Saint Francis High School Summer Chemistry
Intensive summer chemistry course at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View covering honors or AP chemistry in compressed format for credit.
Sandia National Laboratories High School Internships - Livermore
Highly selective paid internships in engineering, physics, chemistry and related fields at Sandia's California site.
Simons Summer Research Program
A highly selective six-week residential research program at Stony Brook University pairing rising high school seniors with faculty mentors for hands-on original research in science, math, or engineering, culminating in a poster symposium.
Stanford Chemistry IFSS Summer Research
Intensive 8-week research program where high school students work in Stanford chemistry labs on cutting-edge research projects with graduate student mentors.
Stanford IFSS - Inspiring Future Scientists Through Shadowing (Dept. of Chemistry)
Two-week, intensive program shadowing Stanford chemistry researchers; includes lab tours, seminars, and small projects, considered quite rigorous for short duration.
Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
8-week full-time biomedical/chem research internship with Stanford faculty; extremely competitive, strong track record for top colleges.
SUMMET – Summer Mines Engineering and Training
Free residential program at Colorado School of Mines for rising high school seniors who are prospective first-generation college students, providing a college-life preview through engineering, science, and technology workshops on the Mines campus in Golden, Colorado.
Synopsys Championship - Santa Clara Valley Science & Engineering Fair
Very competitive ISEF-affiliated fair for Santa Clara County; many high-level chemistry projects.
Tilden Preparatory School Summer AP Chemistry
Fast-paced AP Chemistry course at Tilden Prep in Walnut Creek designed to prepare students for AP exam and advanced college chemistry.
U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)
Premier national chemistry competition organized by ACS with local, national, and international levels, testing conceptual understanding and laboratory skills.
UC Santa Barbara Summer Research Academies
Four-week university-credit research program where high schoolers choose a discipline-specific track, including chemistry, to design and complete an independent research project.
UC Santa Cruz Science Internship Program (SIP)
10-week mentored research placement in UCSC labs; many projects in chemistry, biochemistry, materials, or related fields.
UCSF CURE High School Internship
Summer research internship at UCSF where students work on biomedical and chemistry research projects in university labs with faculty mentorship.
UCSF High School Intern Program (HIP)
Selective 8-week program at UCSF labs via Science & Health Education Partnership; includes bench research and seminars.
UW ASM Materials Camp
Free day camp at the University of Washington introducing Seattle-area rising juniors to materials science and chemistry through hands-on lab work and field trips.
WVU Forensic Science Summer Camp
Residential camp at West Virginia University where students entering 11th-12th grade study forensic chemistry, biology, and crime scene investigation.
You Be The Chemist Challenge
National academic competition for grades 5-8 testing chemistry knowledge through multiple-choice questions, with regional and national finals.
ECFinder provides links to outside extracurricular opportunities for informational purposes only. Students and families should research each program before applying. ECFinder does not operate or control the listed organizations and is not responsible for their actions or policies.