The Leading Source for College Preparation:
Summer Programs, Gap Year Programs, Community Service and more.

13,000+ Experiences for Students in Grades 7-12.

Discover how spending time in the world outside the classroom can help teens do better in school, during the college admissions process and in their adult lives. Our mission is to connect students, parents and educators with the best experiential learning opportunities for middle- and high-school students.

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  Summer Programs

  Spend this summer expanding your pre-college horizons. Check out thousands of summer programs, from rocket science camps to musical theater classes to wilderness training courses.

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  Gap Year Programs

  Find out more about how a pre-college gap year or semester contributes to personal growth and builds the life skills you need to succeed in college. Check out TeenLife’s once-in-a-lifetime gap year programs, ranging from work internships to premed programs to adventure trips.

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  Volunteer Opportunities

  Volunteer for a community service program to expand your world view, make a difference and feel good. Community service may also be a graduation requirement! Check out these nonprofit organizations that could use your help or connect you with a community service project.

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  STEM Programs

  STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers are on the rise, and students can start learning skills in STEM as early as middle school. Browse topic specific STEM summer programs and colleges.

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  Performing & Visual Arts Programs

  Colleges, gap year programs, and summer programs all offer opportunities in the performing & visual arts. Pursue your passions and grow your strengths with a performing and/or visual arts program.

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  Colleges & Universities

  Begin your college search with our comprehensive college & university database. Or explore summer programs taking place on college campuses. College is a big investment. We can help you try before you buy.

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  Boarding Schools

  Ready to combine school with independence? We have more than 400 listings for boarding schools and semester schools in the United States and abroad. Discover how a learning community focused on college prep or a particular interest sparks success. Many offer postgraduate (PG) years.

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  Private Day Schools

  Looking for a private day school that has the classes, extracurricular activities and educational philosophy that match your needs? Explore our more than 1,000 listings and discover the advantages of private school, such as small classes and specialized approaches to learning.

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  Therapeutic Programs and Schools

  Are you a teen struggling with mental illness or substance abuse? Check out our listings of therapy programs and treatment centers to find the right path to a healthy and successful life.

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  Independent Advisors

  Choosing the right school, college or program can be overwhelming. A local independent advisor can help you navigate these important decisions. Find the best path for you and your personal goals, with their help.

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  Tutoring & Test Prep

  Boost your high-school grades and college admission test scores to smooth the way for the college application process. Our thousands of in-person or online tutoring and test prep resources fit a wide range of goals and budgets.

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  College Admissions Resources

  Learn everything you need to know about the college admissions process. With our college resources, teens can discover their dream school, find application help, and fund their undergraduate education.

Trending Posts on the TeenLife Blog.

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  Want to Get Started in the Arts? Become a Content Creator

  Aug. 14, 2018, 8 a.m. by Chanté Griffin

  Whether you’re into the performing or visual arts, adding “content creator” to your resumé expands your artistic practice from the privacy of your living room into the public sphere. Ryan Hayden, owner of the Los Angeles-based Ideal Talent Agency, says that content creation is key for artists who either lack industry connections or struggle to find success through the more traditional auditioning path. “Creating content is often the best method to getting noticed for them. Anyone who’s ever been on ‘SNL’ created their own content. If you look at Lena Dunham, she would have had a hard time making it ...

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  Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts: Clayton Mathews

  Aug. 11, 2018, 8 a.m. by TeenLife

  It is coming up on 10 years since I sang my first note. At that time, opera was never a field that I was ambitious about. The only thing that I knew about opera was hearing Elmer Fudd singing “Kill the Wabbit” about the cartoon character Bugs Bunny, and it turns out he’s singing Wagner. To this day I still don’t believe that this is the reality of my life. Being a baseball player for as long as l could breathe, you can only imagine the difficulty of transitioning to the life of an opera singer. It’s like transitioning from ...

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  What We Can Do To Help Teens Face Mental Health Issues

  Aug. 9, 2018, 8 a.m. by Stephen Gray Wallace

  First, the good news. A new Youth Risk Behavior Survey report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is partially meant to focus the nation on behaviors among young people that cause the most serious health problems, and to assess how those risk behaviors change over time. This will help to foster critical prevention strategies for parents and professionals. And, new data analysis published by The New York Times reveals that, compared to survey results from 10 years ago, fewer kids report having had sex, drinking alcohol or using a host of other drugs. One in seven high school ...

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  Parents: How to Support Your Clean and Sober Teen

  Aug. 8, 2018, 9 a.m. by Laurie Higgins

  Becoming clean and sober is only the beginning of a lifelong journey for teenagers who have abused drugs and/or alcohol. By the time most teenagers struggling with addiction reach sobriety, their parents have suffered through sleepless nights, had countless arguments and spent plenty of money. They are invested in helping their child continue to do well, but many don’t know exactly what to do. We asked two addiction specialists who work with teenagers for their best advice on how to support your sober teen. Studies show that teens whose parents are vocal about their disapproval of substance abuse do better ...

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