STEM programs

You might think math and science are serious fun, but you aren’t sure what activities are out there! There are many programs that can challenge your imagination and powers of analysis, connect you with other young people who dare to enjoy nerdy things, and help you prepare for the rigor and excitement of a college like MIT. 

Here’s an incomplete list of some remarkable programs, organizations, and websites that many of our students find to be exciting resources for their growth—though your local community may have some great programs, too!

To be clear, we understand that students come from a wide variety of contexts and may not be able to access these activities. We don’t expect or require applicants to participate in specific STEM programs at MIT or otherwise.

Programs hosted by MIT

For students across the US:

For students near (or who are able to travel to) MIT’s campus in Cambridge, MA:

For (some) international students:

Science & invention programs

If you enjoy pure science research, hands-on projects, or the thrill of invention, you may want to set your sights on these fairs and competitions (in alphabetical order):

Robotics & computing programs

Many budding engineers have gotten their start tinkering with robots. You may enjoy these robotics programs (in alphabetical order):

Makerspaces & resources to build things

Sometimes you have an idea for something really cool that you just need to build. Looking for inspiration? You might find some in these physical or virtual spaces (in alphabetical order):

International Science Olympiads & qualifying competitions

Every year, secondary school students from around the world compete in international Olympiad competitions in math and science. Ultimately, each country fields a team of its top 4-6 students in each field. Here’s a list of the major Olympiads that the United States competes in, along with their qualifying competitions for Americans⁠01 If you don’t live in the United States, you can investigate the qualifying competitions, training camps, or other programs available to your region or country. Typically, national qualifying competitions are linked by country on the international sites below. (in alphabetical order):

  1. If you don’t live in the United States, you can investigate the qualifying competitions, training camps, or other programs available to your region or country. Typically, national qualifying competitions are linked by country on the international sites below.⁠ ↑

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