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 gap year programs after high school, 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. Also, check out our blog for community service ideas for teens.

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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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  What Your High School Senior Really Wants for the Holidays

  Dec. 15, 2018, 8 a.m. by Sonja Montiel

  Our children never outgrow wanting “stuff” for the holidays. Look at your teen’s gift list and you will see the usual items that sound like a foreign language, possibly with footnotes about their emotional dependency for each item. Go ahead, read it: I really need to have the-most-advanced-tech-thingy-that-you-don’t-know-how-to-use-or-pronounce, or everyone is wearing this piece-of-cloth-that’s-way-too-expensive-but-I’ll-die-without-it! As parents, we have been there, done that, and negotiated for years, right? However, if you have a high school senior, maybe you won’t read such a list this particular season. For most seniors, something extraordinary happens with their wish lists for the holidays. The concept ...

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  School of The New York Times: Ashley R.

  Dec. 12, 2018, 8 a.m. by TeenLife

  I came to The School of the New York Times to advance my knowledge of journalism and explore the continuously evolving city of New York. The dedicated staff emphasized journalism’s prevalence in society, and the passionate students contained my same drive for producing articles, photographs and videos that tell commonly untold stories. When these elements came together, us students thrived. On orientation day, one of the speakers said ‘Journalism is the first draft of history,’ and that statement continued to linger in my head during the course and made it apparent how the field of journalism is such an prevalent ...

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  Conservatory vs. College: What's the difference?

  Dec. 12, 2018, 8 a.m. by Laurie Higgins

  For students who want to major in the visual or performing arts, there are three choices: a music or art conservatory; a university or liberal arts college with a strong arts department; or a university with its own conservatory. Each option offers something slightly different, so it’s important to know your goals before you decide. “It really comes down to how serious you are about your craft,” said Abby Siegel, a college counselor based in New York City. “If this is something that you really want to pursue as your career, and you’re not interested in liberal arts and the ...

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  Summer Springboard: Adilene Marie Klink

  Dec. 10, 2018, 8 a.m. by TeenLife

  I’ve always wanted to participate in a summer program ever since I was young, but none of them seemed right for me. I felt like it was pointless for my mother to send me away for weeks to programs with no educational value whatsoever. So when I discovered Summer Springboard, I knew this was the summer program for me. It would allow me to delve deeper into a career I have always been interested in, medicine. I decided that I wanted to have an educational-based summer program. I wanted to learn and apply that education to my future. Through research ...

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