Students are finishing up the school year, and this summer will be a chance to finally get back to a few “normal” activities. We hear students saying they're looking forward to hanging out with friends and getting off the computer. And it makes sense—after almost a year and half of online or hybrid school, students are weary.

We love summer planning at College MatchPoint. It’s the best time of year for students of all ages to dig in and explore their interests and passions by trying on activities, volunteering, taking classes, or participating in a summer program. Though summer vacation is still a few months away, summer programs often fill up quickly, and deadlines are approaching. Below, we’ve rounded up 11 summer programs across all subjects that are also free! Read on for our summer program spotlight, and be sure to take note of any upcoming application deadlines!

Most high school students have no idea what career path or college major they might pursue. However, many colleges ask students to indicate their major on their application and some (like state flagships such as the University of Texas at Austin) actually evaluate their application based on their fit to that major. That means that students need to explore potential careers and majors in high school to be able to demonstrate their fit to major on their resume.

The summer before high school is the perfect time for students to continue exploring their interests (or trying new things) and taking their extracurricular pursuits to the next level. As you plan out your rising freshman’s upcoming summer break, you might want to consider specialized summer programs, which can help students learn new skills, gain independence, make new friends, and try out areas of interest they may not have the time to do during the school year.

The summer before 8th grade is the perfect time for students to start exploring their interests and taking their extracurricular pursuits to the next level. As you plan out your rising 8th grader’s upcoming break, specialized summer programs can be a great way to set up your student for an enriching and epic experience.

As students start thinking about summer planning, they might want to see if a summer class would help them achieve a specific goal.

Winter break is a time for family traditions, quality time together, and (we hope!) wonderful food. For students, it's also a gift of time—time where they're not totally focused on school. Here are six things high school students can do with this time to be in a better place when the new year rolls around.

For many of today’s college-bound high school students, summer is no longer nine weeks of total relaxation, but rather an opportunity to spend time actively working, learning new skills, or diving deeper into an area (or areas) of interest. Summer is the perfect time to take calculated risks that push students into unfamiliar situations that build skills and enrich life experiences. How do you find that experience? Planning — and knowing what types of opportunities to explore at each grade level throughout high school—is key.

As you sit down with your teen to plan summer opportunities, it’s important to keep in mind that some advice you hear floating around is not necessarily true. Here are 7 myths to consider as you’re researching and discussing different options.