Best Summer Programs for Law, Political Science and International Relations
For future lawyers, political operators, and diplomats, high school is not always an easy time to find meaningful opportunities to gain experience in the field. Sure, during the school year, one can access activities like the debate team, Model UN, student government, and plethora of other relevant clubs, but the summer is not as conductive to such meaningful endeavors. As a solution, we recommend applying to a competitive summer program in one of these disciplines.
Our list of Best Summer Programs in Law, Political Science, and International Relations is comprised of 33 stellar programs that range in duration, cost, and eligibility criteria but all share the common trait of being respected by the academic community. Each of the aforementioned data points are provided for each school along with the location of the program, whether they offer a residential experience, and when the application window opens and closes. We also include the dates that applications become available, the deadlines, whether residential housing is offered, and the geographic location where the program takes place. Hopefully this list will help you locate the program that will lead to a meaningful summer experience and improved college admissions prospects down the road.
| Program | Location | Residential | Focus | Length | Costs | App. Opens | Deadline | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beloit Center for Language Studies | Beloit, WI | Yes | Foreign Langauge | 3.5, 7 weeks | $3050-6100 | Available | Rolling | Rising 12th + Graduates |
| Boston University High School Honors | Boston, MA | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 5 weeks | $6560+ | Dec 15 | May 29 | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Boston University High School Summer Term | Boston, MA | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 1, 2, 3 weeks | $1600-6675 | Dec 15 | Rolling | Rising 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Columbia Summer Programs | New York, NY | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 1, 3 weeks | $2810-12,354 | December | Feb 3 Early, Mar 3 | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th |
| Community of Scholars – American University | Washington, D.C. | Yes | Social Sciences | 3 weeks | $3300-5100 | Available | May 1 | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Cornell University International Debate Camp | Ithaca, NY | Yes | Speech & Debate | 1 week | $3,500 | Available | Rolling | 13-18 years old |
| Cornell University Summer College | Ithaca, NY | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 3-6 weeks | ~$6,750-$13,500 | mid-January | Rolling | Rising 11th and 12th |
| Davidson College July Experience | Davidson, NC | No Summer Program for 2022 | Liberal arts | |||||
| Emory National Debate Institute Summer Programs | Atlanta, GA (or online) | Yes | Debate | 1-2 weeks | ~$850-$1,700 | Available | Apr 1 Early, May 15 Regular | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| George Washington University Summer Pre-College | Washington, D.C. | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 1-6 weeks | ~$2,000-$11,629 | December | 15-May | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Georgetown International Relations Academy | Washington DC | Yes | International Relations | 1 week | $3,115 | Available | Jan 31 Early, May 15 Regular | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Gettysburg Summer Programs | Gettysburg, PA | Yes | History, Psychology | 1 week | $350-1350 | Available | Rolling, Jul 4 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Harvard Secondary School Program | Cambridge, MA & Online | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 2 or 7 weeks | $4000-$13,300 | Dec 1 | Jan 26 Early, Mar 2 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th (must be 15 by 12/2/21) |
| Marist Summer Pre-College | Poughkeepsie, NY | No | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 3 weeks | ~$1500 | January | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th | |
| Johns Hopkins Summer University Program | Baltimore, MD | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 2 weeks | $5512-6063 | Dec 15 | Rolling | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Miami University Summer Scholars | Oxford, OH | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 1 week | $1,080 | Late Winter | Rolling | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Notre Dame Leadership Seminars | Notre Dame, IN | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 2 weeks | $210 | Oct 18 | Jan 24 | Rising 12th |
| Notre Dame Summer Scholars Online | Online | No | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 3 Weeks | $1,900 | Oct 18 | Feb 21 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Notre Dame Summer Scholars | Notre Dame, IN | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 2 weeks | $4250-$4375 | Oct 18 | Feb 21 | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Skidmore Summer Pre-College Program | Online for 2022 | No | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 4 weeks | $3015-4040 | Early January | Apr 1 Priority, Rolling May 1 | Rising 11th, 12th + Graduates |
| Purdue University Courses ONLINE for High School Students | Online | No | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 4, 8, 12 Weeks | $350-$7200 | Dec 1 | May 1 | Age 16 or above |
| Purdue University Online Courses for High School Students | West Lafayette, IN | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 1, 4, 8 Weeks | $1800-$8700 | Dec 1 | May 1 | Age 16 and above |
| Smith College Precollege Programs | Northhampton, MA | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci) | 1, 2, 4 Weeks | $2425-4285+ | Jan 10 | Mar 1 Priority, Apr 15000 | Rising 11th, 12th (Women only) |
| Summer at Georgetown | Washington, DC | Washington DC | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 1-3 weeks | $2345-$6745 | Available | Jan 31 Early, May 15 Final | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Summer at Brown | Providence, RI | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 1-4 weeks | $2506-$9120 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 Priority, May 6 Regular | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Summer at Brown Online | Online | No | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 2-6 weeks | $2947-$5720 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 Priority, May 6 Regular | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Terp Young Scholars | College Park, MD | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 3 weeks | $1475-$4400 | Jan 10 | May 1 | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th + Graduates |
| The Clark Scholars Program (Texas Tech University) | Lubbock, TX | Yes | Multiple (Including Poli-Sci/IR) | 7 weeks | Free/Stipend | Jan 3 | Feb 16 | Rising 12th + Graduates |
| Tufts University Courses for High School Students | Medford, MA | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 2 weeks | $4000-5500 | Dec 1 | May 1 | Rising 11th, 12th + Graduates |
| UCLA Summer Institutes | Los Angeles, CA | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 1, 2, 3, 6 Weeks | $825-1170 | Available | Apr 1 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| University of Chicago Summer College | Chicago, IL | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 3 weeks | $7775-13,200 | Dec 15 | Jan 19 Priority, Mar 9 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| University of Washington Summer Quarter Online | Online | No | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 5 weeks | ~$1,200-$3,800 | 3-Feb | 28-Jun | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th |
| Wake Forest University Debate and Public Advocacy Institute | Winston-Salem, NC | Yes | Debate | 1 week | $1500-$2500 | Available | Rolling | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Wake Forest Summer Immersion Program | Winston-Salem, NC | Yes | Multiple (including Business) | 1 week | $1500-2700 | Available | Rolling, May | Rising 10th,11th, 12th + Graduates |
| Washington Youth Summit on the Environment | Fairfax, VA | Yes | Public Policy & Environment | 1 week | $2,300 | Available | Jan 24 | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Washington University in St. Louis Summer Programs | St. Louis, MO | Yes | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 5 weeks | $6925-10,465 | Nov 1 | Apr 1 Early, May 2 | Rising 12th |
| Wellesley Pre-College Honors Immersion | Wellesley, MA | Open to Wellesley Students only 2022 | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | |||||
| William & Mary Summer Program in Early American History | Wiliamsburg, VA | Yes | American History | 3 weeks | $2400-4700 | Nov 15 | Jan 15 Early, Jun 10 Regular | Rising 11th, 12th + Graduates |
| Yale Young Global Scholars | New Haven, CT | Online for 2022 | Multiple (including Poli-Sci/IR) | 2 weeks | $3500-$6500 | Available | Nov 3 Early, Jan 10 Regular | Must be 16 years old by 7/19/22 |
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