The programs and test-out methods listed below are geared for GATE students.  They are divided into four categories - summer programs, distance learning, local concurrent enrollment, and substituting for / testing out of classes.  Some summer programs are designed for commuters, while some are residential in various parts of the country.   They cover a wide variety of interests from astronomy to foreign language to digital logic to pre-law.

Keep in mind that most have strict entrance requirements that often require taking a standardized test, submitting a portfolio, or teacher recommendation.  All have VERY EARLY deadlines, so plan ahead.  All expensive programs offer scholarships to low-income students and a few are free to all participants.  Usually the high schools will grant credit for taking these classes.  

For more information, email Sue Kayton kayton@alum.mit.edu or call (650) 853-1711.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

Two fairly comprehensive list of academic summer programs around the country (and around the world) appears on the Johns Hopkins summer programs website  http://www.jhu.edu/gifted/imagine/linkA2.htm and MIT maintains a list of math/science oriented summer programs and term-time programs.  The list below contains other summer programs in addition to those on the above lists (some are duplicated)

• A Summer of Excellence, The Honors College, The University of Arizona.  A pre-college program which provides high school sophomores and juniors with a fun and intellectually challenging summer. Earn transferable college credit and participate in extracurricular activities.  http://www.honors.arizona.edu/SOE.html
• Academic Connections University of California, San Diego (UCSD) provides summer residential and distance learning classes throughout the year. Our goal is to help young students (grades 9-12) to touch the future by exposing them to some of the most exciting fields of research.  http://academicConnections.ucsd.edu
• Academy of Art College in San Francisco - Summer Art Experience and during-the-school-year Saturday Art Experience.  Students pay only an application fee and material fee, and tuition is free to high school students.  Students do not need to submit a portfolio - classes are open to everyone.  Six week summer program, either residential or commuter.  http://www.academyart.edu
• Astronomy Camps, Steward Observatory, Tuscon Arizona.   A hands-on exploration camp where students use research telescopes at the observatory site and work with professional atronomers. 
• Arizona State University Math-Science Honors Program.  Five or Eight-week session.   http://mshp.asu.edu
• Brown Pre-College program in Rhode Island.  http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Continuing_Studies/pc/index.php
• California Association for the Gifted has a wealth of resources for parents, educators and teachers. http://www.cagifted.org
• California Science Center in Los Angeles. One-week sessions during summer break.  No dormitories since it is designed for commuters.   http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/
  
• California State Summer School for the Arts Free one-month summer residential program for which you must submit a portfolio by Feb 28.  Its purpose is to provide a training ground for future artists who wish to pursue careers in the arts and entertainment industries in California. CSSSA is a state agency funded through a unique public-private partnership.  http://www.csssa.org
• California State Summer School in Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) held at UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Cruz.  A academic four-week residential program for talented and motivated students who are completing grades 8-12. The COSMOS course clusters address topics not traditionally taught in high schools. Course topics include astronomy, computer science, wetlands ecology, ocean science, robotics, neuroscience, cognitive science, game  theory.  Half the students receive scholarships. http://www.ucop.edu/cosmos
• Cambridge College Summer Program in Cambridge, England phone 800-922-3552
  http://www.petersons.com/summerop/sites/inc/018465so.html
• The Cambridge Tradition, Oxbridge Academic Programs.  Intensive academic/cultural pre-college program in Cambridge University (Grades10-12). Small classes, active learning. Superb faculty; varied courses including Economics, Latin, Medicine & Brain, Videojournalism. Excursions and activities. http://www.oxbridgeprograms.com
• Cañada College - You can attend evening classes, daytime classes, or summer school while still in high school by filling out a form with your guidance advisor, then registering online. http://canadacollege.net
• Carnegie-Mellon summer program in Pittsburgh in architecture, art, design, drama or music.  Six-week program for juniors or seniors.   http://www.cmu.edu/enrollment/pre-college
• Center for Creative Youth, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.  Talented high school students. Five weeks intensive study on the campus of Wesleyan University. Classes daily in eight art disciplines. Guest Artists. Performances, concerts. Scholarships. http://www.crec.org/ccy
• College of San Mateo - permits high school students to take summer classes.  Steve Morehouse (morehouse@smccd.net) 574-6161  http://gocsm.net
• Colorado College summer session.  Several different 3-week blocks.  http://www.coloradocollege.edu/summerprograms/summersession
• Concordia Language Villages ages 7-18  in Minnesota provide summer residential intensive language/cultural immersion for students at all levels in Chinese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish and Swedish. http://www.cord.edu/dept/clv
• Congressional Page.  Spend a year in Washington D.C. as a page for a congressperson or senator.
• Cornell Summer School in Ithaca, New York.  Residential programs of 3 and 6 weeks for students currently in sophomore through senior years.  http://www.summercollege.cornell.edu
• DeAnza College take regular classes while still in high school - in the evening, during the summer, or as an online (distance learning) class.  http://www.fhda.edu
• Education Unlimited.  Residential and day camp programs for students in grades 4-12.  Various locations around the country. Programs include art, pre-law, science, writing, acting, and more.  http://www.educationunlimited.com
• EPGY is Stanford's distance learning program and residential summer school.  Students can take a wide variety of classes online ranging from elementary school through university level.  Students must qualify with SAT, PSAT or STAR test scores.   http://epgy.stanford.edu
• Flute Camp  Hidden Valley Music runs a flute camp in the summer. Entry is by audition.  http://hiddenvalleymusic.org/flute.htm
• Foothill College take regular classes while still in high school, in the evening, in the summer, or as a distance learning (online) class. Get a form from your high school guidance advisor, then sign up online.  http://www.fhda.edu
• George Washington University in Washington DC.  One-week residential journalism camp for minorities.  Current 9th, 10th and 11th graders.  
• Georgetown University summer college for high school juniors.  Washington DC.  http://www.georgetown.edu
• Great Books Summer Program taught at Amherst and Stanford, but not run by those schools.  
  http://www.greatbookssummer.com
• Harvard Summer School 8-week long residential program in Cambridge, Mass where students take classes alongside the regular Harvard Summer School students.  Student must apply with a transcript and standardized test scores.   http://www.summer.harvard.edu
• ID Tech camps  Commuter and residential summer programs for kids ages 7-17 interested in computers and technology.  Some programs held on college campuses.   http://www.internaldrive.com/
• Illinois State University - do you like math?  Learn about careers as an actuary - compute how much insurance companies should charge.  One-week program for minorities who like math and science.  http://katie.cob.ilstu.edu/outreach/minoritybrochure.shtml
  Johns Hopkins CTY Civic Leadership Institute for students in grades 10-12.  Residential program in Washington DC  http://www.jhu.edu/gifted/ctysummer/leadership/curriculum.html
• International Cooperative Education.  Paid summer internships for students currently in college who have the maturity to live abroad for a paid summer job or a job for one or two semesters.  Internships are available in many foreign countries.  http://www.icemenlo.com
• Johns Hopkins University Pre-College Program eight-week residential program for students currently in 9th -12th grades, located in Baltimore, Maryland.  Students attend the regular JHU summer session classes with regular JHU students, but are housed separately in dormitories just for high school students.  Includes social program, field trips, etc. in addition to classes.  Most high schools and colleges will give transfer credit.  Students apply based on transcript and standardized test scores.  http://www.jhu.edu/~sumprog
• Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (entering grades 7-11) 3-week residential programs where students study one subject in great depth.  Wide variety of classes (enrichment or academic) including math, fossils, leadership, Shakespeare, and essay writing.  Held on various college campuses around the country including Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Baltimore, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York.  Includes social program and field trips in addition to classes.  Most high schools will give credit.  Students MUST take the SAT (not the PSAT) no later than January and get a minimum score which varies by the student's age.  http://cty.jhu.edu/
• Language Studies Abroad Learn a language & live it with cultural immersion in 16+ countries & 60+ cities around the world with small, specialized classes for all ages. Programs abroad from 1 week to 1 year in many countries including home stays, classes and excursions.  Many receive high school or college credit. http://www.languagestudiesabroad.com
• MIT Research Science Institute - six week residential program at MIT.  Attend classes and work on research projects.  
• MIT Minority Introduction to Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Science program - six-week residential program. http://web.mit.edu/mites/www
• MIT Women's Technology Program - four week residential program for girls between their junior and senior years of high school, to explore possible careers in electrical engineering and computer science.  Designed for girls with excellent academic records in math and science.   http://wtp.mit.edu
• Musiker Discovery - educational summer trips for teens, pre-college enrichment programs held at UC Santa Barbara, U of Connecticut, U of Michigan, Georgetown, U of Vermont and Cambridge University in England. http://www.summerfun.com
• The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) posts summer programs, enrichment programs and special schools on its web site. This resource is updated regularly and provides valuable information for teachers and parents.  http://www.nagc.org
• National Student Leadership Conference  residential program for students currently in grades 10-12.  various locations around the country including Stanford and Washington D.C. 2-3 week programs on: Mastering Leadership, Law & Advocacy, Medicine & Health Care, International Diplomacy, Business & Technology.  Includes social program, dances and field trips.  http://www.nslcleaders.org
• National Wildlife Federation Environmental Science Summer Programs in Boulder Colorado.  Rocky Mountain ecology, water quality, mammalogy, botany, environmental issues, leadership, sustainability, backpacking, rock climbing taught in wilderness camp setting for ages 9 to 17.  http://www.weiprograms.org
• Northwestern University College Preparation Program in suburban Chicago.  6-8 week program where you take classes alongside regularly-enrolled Northwestern students. http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/collegeprep
• Occidental College Marine Biology Program in Los Angeles.  This 5 week summer program provides a solid background in marine biology, the opportunity to work aboard an 85' oceanographic vessel, and taste of college life.  http://www.oxy.edu/marinebiology
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Science Camps One to three week summer camps in geology, paleontology, marine biology, astronomy and ecology in residential and field settings in Oregon, Washington, and California.  http://www.omsi.edu
• Otis College of Art and Design summer of art program.  Four weeks for students age 15 and up. Located in west Los Angeles.   http://www.otis.edu/gmenu2.php?hed=72
• Peterson's lists many summer programs, some of which are suitable for GATE students.  http://www.petersons.com/summerop and http://www.petersons.com/college-search/study-summer-abroad.aspx
• Quest Scholars - five week leadership and science program based at Stanford for low-income talented youth to help prepare them to succeed at a four-year college.  
• Rassias Program, French and Spanish language immersion, family stays, and travel - for students currently in 9th, 10th and 11th grades. Four and five week summer sessions in France and Spain.  http://www.rassias.com
• Rhode Island School of Design.  Residential 6-week program for students ages 16-18 in art and design.  http://www.risd.edu/precollege_overview.cfm
• Robotics Camp - seven week program jointly sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University and NASA.  Build a robot, program it, and take it home.  Located at NASA Ames in Mountain View. http://www.cmu.edu/silicon-valley/specialPrograms/robocamp/index.htm
  
• San Francisco Art Institute Pre-college program.  Four weeks long for students ages 16-18.   (also Young Artist program for younger students) 
• San Diego State summer enrichment program  6-week residential program for current high school freshmen who are first in their families to go to college, interested in math and science.
• Smith College  Summer Science and Engineering Program.  Residential program for girls entering grades 9-12. http://www.smith.edu/summerprograms
• St. Cloud State Scientific Discovery Program in Minnesota for 9-th and 10-th grade students under-represented in scientific fields 
• St. Cloud State Advanced Program in Technology and Science Minnesota for 11-th and 12-th grade students under-represented in scientific fields. 
• Stanford Summer College eight-week summer quarter for academically excellent sophomores,  juniors and seniors where students take regular Stanford classes.  http://summersession.stanford.edu
• Stanford Discovery Institute three week residential programs in Philosophy, Environmental Studies, Creative Writing and Theater for students in their sophomore, junior or senior years.  http://summerinstitutes.stanford.edu
• Stanford University Mathematics Camp 4-week residential program for mathematically talented high school sophomores and juniors
• Stanford Upward Bound  Stanford Upward Bound is a local branch of a federally-funded academic program that prepares and motivates students from traditionally non-college backgrounds to pursue higher education. The program offers comprehensive guidance and academic support year-round to help students meet their goals, and features a six-week summer residential program on the Stanford campus.
• Stanford Medical Youth Science Program High School sophomores and juniors with low incomes who want to learn more about professions in the health care field.  5-week residential program.
• Summer Architecture Academy at the University of Oregon.  Six week program.  http://architecture.uoregon.edu/programs/summer-acad
• Summer Scholars at Pacific Lutheran University, July/August
  http://www.plu.edu, or call 800.756.1563, 253.535.8549
• Summer Seminar Program, The Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation, Colorado Springs, CO.  Scholarship program available to artistically gifted high school juniors. Institute to offer an intensive visual art studio program. College-level drawing and painting classes.  http://www.sharpeartfdn.org/summer.htm
• Traveling School.  Academic semester abroad for girls ages 15-18 in places such as Africa. http://www.travelingschool.com
• U.C. Berkeley Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) six-week residential program for students in grades 7-11.  Wide variety of classes including English, architecture, engineering, law, German, statistics and cosmic catastrophes.   http://www-atdp.berkeley.edu or call 510.642.8308.
• U. C. Irvine summer programs 
  High School:  The summer residential programs are designed to provide participants with a head start in understanding the college preparation process, academic rigors of the university, and residential life. Participants will take part in lectures, laboratories, field trips, and college / career exploration workshops through the duration of the program. This combination of activities not only helps to expose students to college level academics, but also to life at the college level.   Requires minimum GPA and on track for graduation. http://www2.cfep.uci.edu/eaop/summerprograms/index.html
  Middle School:  Summer Gifted Students Academies offer gifted middle school students an opportunity to experience a taste of University life early on either as a resident or a commuter student. Middle school students presently in grades 5 through 9 self-select courses of their special interest from some 24 offerings. Offerings are in each of the major disciplines of mathematics, science, language arts, social studies and the arts.  
• UC San Diego variety of summer programs for grades 9-12.  http:www.ucsd.edu
• University of Wisconsin Women in Engineering Career Exploration camp for girls grades 9-12. 
• University of Wisconsin Engineering summer program for minorities and women. 7 weeks long. http://studentservices.engr.wisc.edu/diversity/esp/
• USC Summer Production Workshop for entering high school seniors who want to learn about television production. 
• Washington and Lee University Summer Scholars Program.  Four-week residential program for students entering their senior year of high school.  Programs offered: American Politics, Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Businesses and Economics in Contemporary America, Environmental Issues, Humanities, Journalism, Law and Society, and Premedical Studies.  Scholarships available.  Lexington, Virginia.  http://www.wlu.edu/x2700.xml
  
• Washington University (St. Louis) Pre-College five-week program for high school seniors.   http://ucollege.wustl.edu/programs/highschool