Best Summer Programs (+Other Extracurriculars) for High School Students: Business

LEAD

Morgan Stanley JumpStart Scholars in Finance is a 5-month virtual, immersive learning experience designed to develop a pipeline of ambitious high-school seniors into the world of finance.

LEADing for Life GSLI REEX  is a residential program that will focus on developing a Pipeline of high-achieving, students (current high school juniors) by providing an immersive learning opportunity and preparation in Commercial Real Estate.

Fordham University, Various Programs

• Exploring Entrepreneurship
• Finance Institute: Wall Street in the Classroom
• It’s a Small World: Global Finance & Trade in the 21st Century

The Young Women’s Institute (free!) introduces young women to the college experience and business career opportunities. Students are selected from around the country to spend a week at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. While at IU, students:

• Participate in workshops with top Kelley School of Business faculty
• Interact with Kelley alumni and current students
• Prepare a real-world business case project
• Build leadership and communication skills
• Connect with like-minded women interested in business

TCU Investor Challenge

Are you a high school student entering your senior year? Apply for the TCU High School Investor Challenge®. [not yet updated for 2024; keep checking back at their site!]

Free, six-day experiences focused on business and leadership that offer rising junior and senior high school students the chance to learn and interact with McCombs students, faculty, and corporate representatives. Outstanding African-American, Latino and Native American students, first-generation students, and students who have overcome social or economic hardship are strongly encouraged to apply. However, all students are welcome to apply.

BOSS is a two-week in-person program held on Penn State’s University Park campus for high school students interested in pursuing a business education in college. It’s an opportunity for these students to take college prep and business fundamentals courses taught by Penn State faculty.  Sample schedule of what the two weeks would be like.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania hosts tons of paid programs and they are NOT posted here. Many of Penn’s past “selective” programs, like LBW, are now run by Summer Discovery and are not selective. We suggest these lower-cost and free options!

Wharton Global High School Investment CompetitionWharton Connect

Non-“Program” Ideas We Love

Get a job!!! Wait tables, scoop ice cream, clean pools, landscape, construction, clean changeovers at hotels, grab a paper route — not glamorous, not always fun, but highly valuable.

Khan Academy Modules

• Econ and Finance

Free Online Classes from Top Colleges & Universities

• Coursera
• edX

JUV Consulting

• Gain experience with prototype testing and feedback, give your opinions and perspectives on trends, be a part of potential focus groups, contribute to school outreach programs, and participate in brand ambassadorship opportunities. Learn more here.

Learn Bloomberg and Financial Modeling via Excel

• Bloomberg Market Concepts: Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) is a 10-hour, self-paced e-learning course that provides an interactive introduction to the financial markets. You can sign up for BMC online access here.
• Wall Street Prep
• Udemy

Internships and Shadows

• Just about anything goes here, but getting one on your own might be preferred by some schools over shadowing a parent; getting a real job instead can also help balance this out!

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