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 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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  University of Wisconsin LaCrosse: Violet Englebert

  June 23, 2018, 8 a.m. by TeenLife

  Violet Englebert is studying musical theater at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. What made you decide to study musical theater? When I was a senior in high school I did not think that I would ever end up a musical theater major. I loved singing and I had been in every production at my school since sixth grade, but when I thought about what my future was going to look like, no matter how much I loved theater and the arts it just didn’t seem like a viable option for me. What attracted you to the University of Wisconsin ...

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  How Colleges Are Turning Computer Sciences Into A Girl Thing

  June 22, 2018, 8 a.m. by Bill O'Neill

  Far more men than women major in the computer sciences, and Gloria Childress Townsend, professor of computer science at DePauw University in Indiana, thinks she knows why. “Ask a young girl to draw a computer scientist, and she draws a male caricature dressed in a white coat and wearing thick glasses,” she said. “There isn’t a clear, accurate picture in the media of the types of IT careers one can have that involve people and engaging ideas.” Women miss out when they don’t consider majoring in computer science, she said. “Young women can take any interest – art, business, health ...

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  How to Avoid Making The College Essay A Battleground

  June 19, 2018, 8 a.m. by Sara Nolan

  The notorious college essay can become a battleground of underlying stress and tension for parents and teens. They both care about the outcome, but (or because of this) communication about it easily goes haywire. Every parent-child relationship is different, and you have your own complex history that this post cannot address fully enough. Certain struggles, however, are common. From my years as a college-essay coach, I offer these suggestions for effective intra-family communication to help you navigate the college essay writing process productively, skillfully and with your relationship intact. Teens and parents have said these made all the difference! Why ...

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  Norwich University of the Arts: Kyra Vergho

  June 18, 2018, 8 a.m. by TeenLife

  How did you discover your passion for games design? You know those kids you see in Facebook videos? The ones who’ve drawn on the walls and are smeared with paint and marker because they were left alone for 10 minutes? I was that kid. I ended up in every art class my parents could find, hoping to keep my scribbles on paper instead of on the curtains. I’d never really thought of art as a career though until I started high school at Orange County School of the Arts. I went in wielding a sketchbook full of ideas and emerged ...

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