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 gap year or semester before college 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 community service 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 Summer 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.

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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 list 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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  Residential Treatment Centers

  Are you a teen or parent of a teen who is struggling with mental illness or substance abuse? Check out our listings of residential treatment centers that serve students under 18 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.

Trending Posts on the TeenLife Blog.

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  How To Be Smarter About Online Scholarship Searches

  Jan. 16, 2019, 8 a.m. by Monica Matthews

  Why? Because there are thousands upon thousands of scholarship opportunities available to students, but unfortunately a great majority of them are drawings or contests designed to gather personal information and use it to promote student loans and sell student data. Once students have signed up and agreed to have scholarships emailed to them, their inboxes will be inundated with offers, and wading through them to find legitimate or traditional scholarships can take precious time away from genuine scholarship work. First, they need to ignore the thought that signing-up at as many sites as possible will give them the best possible ...

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  No College Early Decision? It Will Be OK

  Jan. 14, 2019, 8 a.m. by Suzanne Shaffer

  By late December, the Early Decision answers have come in. If you were blessed, your student will be on cloud nine being accepted to their first-choice college. If you are like many parents and students, the lack of an admissions offer will be devastating. A friend of mine experienced the bad news last year right before Christmas. It rocked her world because her son was a legacy and had impeccable test scores and grades. But it was a competitive college and the ED applicant pool was huge and filled with candidates just as good or better than her son. They ...

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  Wake Forest University: Lydia Richard

  Jan. 12, 2019, 8 a.m. by TeenLife

  When I saw the information on this camp, I knew that it would broaden my knowledge about the things I love. The things I love include watching sports, playing sports, and meeting new people. I also wanted to be a part of something where I would meet new people and make new friendships. Friendships allow you to make memories and learn the experiences of others throughout everyone’s lives. I have always been involved and interested in learning about the “other side” of sports my whole life, so knowing that I had the opportunity to attend a sports marketing program like ...

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  TeenLife’s 2019 Guide to Overnight Summer Programs for Teens

  Jan. 9, 2019, 8 a.m. by Marie Schwartz

  How to be a good friend. How to have confidence. How to take positive risks. How to pay attention to the present. How to ignore ridicule. How to advocate for yourself. How to have empathy for others. It’s nice think that parents teach many of those “soft” skills. But, as parents we are often painfully aware that we are the last people on earth our teens want to hear from now. So where can middle- and high-school students pick up these very important abilities? Research shows that one place is an overnight summer program. Whether your child decides to find ...

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