Medical/Innovation Research/Music/Study Abroad Summer Programs [Looking for less selective, free]

Pre-College Topics Summer Programs
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Hi there! I’m a junior (HS class of '26) looking for summer programs to apply to specifically internships/research in BME, Public Health, or Oncology or a music camp for piano or flute or study abroad (CIEE or Amigos is too expensive :pensive:).

tl/dr; junior looking for less competitive, free medical summer programs in IL, virtual w/ research mentor, or to fly out w/ room & food for free. or free music/large need-based or merit aid for study abroad for spanish or global health

(and some q’s: Would it also work if I tried to cold email professors at universities near me? How to write the “best” cold emails? Or ask the hospital I volunteer at to work with professors or researchers? And if all doesn’t work out, how can I do independent research?)

Most of this info below is more specifics and why I want to do research.

I’m wondering if there are any that are less competitive (above 10-20% acceptance rate) and free (because my family isn’t rich). My GPA isn’t very high (3.75 UW/5.0 W) for most competitive programs and there have already been quite a few programs that already have passed deadlines. There are definitely LOTS of research/internship programs like EYES, MITES, RSI, etc. but those are likely out of reach.

Specifically searching for programs with opportunity to do some research that are in IL, virtual with a mentor, or can fly out and provide room and food for free.

My gpa isn’t as great as it could be but the reason I want to conduct research is personal and solid (imo) and I don’t want my opportunities to be limited because of a few grades that have slipped in previous years.

So it’s not just to get into college, med school, or to get a PhD though yes, research would help me gain more experience and can, in a way, help me know if med school or PhD path is truly for me. I also know that what I want to do can change as I get older with more experiences.

Don’t want to make this as a sob story but I don’t really want a boring summer so if I don’t end up getting into any programs I’ll apply for, I will continue my part time job, volunteer at the hospital, lifeguard at the beach, and try to get my driver’s license.

Will appreciate any suggestions and advice! Thanks in advanced!

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If you are international, I’m not sure of your eligibility and where would you stay nor any non competitive ones.

I appreciate your hunger as an 11th grader but you would likely do as well with a summer job. Good luck.

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I don’t know of any programs abroad, but a domestic language program is Concordia Language Villages. There are lots of different languages, and it is immersion, so everyone does their best to speak the target language 24/7. There are always lots of native speakers as staff, so it really can feel international. There are scholarships:Scholarships | Concordia Language Villages
You can also go work there for the summer (for example as a cook) but you have to be at least 18.

For the medical part, I tell every high school student considering becoming a doctor to work in a nursing home or assisted living. Around here at least, you can work in a nursing home starting at age 16. It is not always easy work, but you learn a lot, even with a job cleaning and serving meals, because you will interact a lot with the residents. I know you would rather do research, but if you don’t find anything (or even if you do) I suggest the nursing home. It’s what I did in high school, as did a number of my doctor colleagues. Even highly selective colleges look favorably on a nursing home job.

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@springbreakers is a U.S. citizen. They are not international.


springbreakers

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9d

Female C/O 2026
US Citizen
Top Ranked Public High School (According to USNews)
No Hooks

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Sorry. Confused with the other looking for a free ride in Brazil. Hopefully those links have some ideas that might resonate. Couldn’t find non competitive.

They might check local hospitals and universities too.

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I’m a neuroscience research professor and my spouse is also a science professor. I’ve been a premed advisor in the past. Of course you can try, but we and most of the other profs we know don’t answer most cold emails, and none from high schoolers.

Your “backup” plan sounds perfect and is similar to what our kids do/did during their high school summers. One of our kids was contemplating med school and we suggested he apply to open positions for volunteering at our local hospital, or working for pay at a nearby nursing home. He ended up working at a grocery store and in food service and that experience helped him land his first (engineering) internship in college.

Specialized experience can wait until college. When you get to college, you can hit the ground running and if you’re proactive you should be able to do undergrad research. That will help you figure out your interests and aptitude.

If you really want experience now, I’d follow the upthread suggestion to get a job in a nursing home. We know teens that worked in food service in nursing homes, which is kind of a nice hybrid.

You could of course do summer camps for music or for something academic at a college. Those can get really expensive, depending on where you go and for how long. It sounds like your finances are a big constraint for this. Doing 1-2 weeks is a great idea – my kid did that just to explore his interests and it was valuable, but even that was pricey.

My advice is to enjoy being a teenager, earn some money (!!!), do some volunteering, look into a short term camp if affordable, and get that license!

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