Career Exploration in High School: The 5 Best Programs for High School Students
Career Exploration in High School: The 5 Best Programs for High School Students
Dec 5, 2025
Author: George Gatsios
As a high school student, it can be challenging to know what career options are available to you and what might be a good fit. While you may be aware of your interests, strengths, and weaknesses, understanding how they align with future academic and professional opportunities isn’t always straightforward.
What is Career Exploration in High School?
Career exploration in high school is the process of helping students identify their strengths and interests and bridge the gap between interests and long-term career paths. Through structured programs, hands-on experiences, and mentorship, you get the chance to explore different industries, build new skills, and gain clarity about what you enjoy – helping you make a more informed decision about your future.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of five great career exploration programs for high school students.
Discover is a 4-week, cohort-based, career exploration program designed to help high school students gain exposure to various industries and career fields. Through live industry masterclasses, guided reflections, and small-group discussions, you are introduced to a range of fields – from law and finance to technology, health, and creative industries. You will take part in self-assessments with expert guidance to understand your strengths, personality traits, and values; build your employability portfolio; define your career purpose; and explore education and career pathways.
By the end of the program, you will have explored different career options and created a clear, personalized roadmap for university and your career. The final week is dedicated to helping you tie it all together by mastering job/internship applications, conduct informational interviews, and improve professional communication. You can learn more about the program here.
Cost: $2,000
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions. You can schedule a call to learn more here.
Program Dates: Throughout the year
The NSLC runs different pre-college programs for high school students to choose a career concentration and engage in an immersive program at a university campus (Duke, UCLA, Georgetown, Columbia, Oxford, and more). As part of the program, you will gain a deeper understanding of concepts in your chosen field (e.g. AI, biology, business) through hands-on experience.
You get to interact with like-minded peers, gain confidence and independence through leadership workshops, make better-informed decisions by test-driving your potential career, and feel more prepared for college. This program is great for students who are passionate about a particular subject and want to dive deeper into and understand what a career in the field looks like. You can find more information about the available fields of study here.
Cost: $3,095 - $6,395 (based on program selected)
Location: Varies depending on selected subject/university
Application Deadline: Varies depending on selected subject/university
Program Dates: Varies depending on selected subject/university (usually in June-July). You can find all program dates here.
Envision programs are designed to empower, engage, and equip high school students through hands-on career exploration, simulations, and diverse experiences. You can pick a field you are passionate about – from medicine and healthcare to business and law – and dive deep into the subject over 1–4 weeks.
The programs take place at different university campuses across the U.S. like Yale, Berkeley, Stanford, and more. Each program has a tailored curriculum, hands-on training experiences guided by experts, and simulations that allow you to put your theoretical knowledge to the test in real-world scenarios.
Cost: $3,999 - $6,999 (based on program selected)
Location: Varies depending on selected subject/university
Application Deadline: Varies depending on selected subject/university
Program Dates: Varies depending on selected subject/university (usually in June-July). You can find all program dates here.
Brown University offers a range of pre-college programs to high school students interested in exploring different fields of study before applying to university. Students can pick from a variety of different subjects, from biology and natural science to engineering and technology. The programs span in-person summer sessions, online classes, leadership programs, research experiences, and experiential learning.
Brown’s pre-college programs, while not a traditional career exploration program, are a great way for you to get involved in interdisciplinary learning, experience college life, learn from subject matter experts, and build a network of like-minded people.
Cost: $3,748 - $10,858 (based on program selected)
Location: Virtual, hybrid, or on campus (Brown University, Rhode Island)
Application Deadline: May 8
Program Dates: June - July (varies based on program selected). You can find all program dates here.
The Dartmouth pre-college programs are designed to help high school students explore college-level courses online. The different programs allow you to engage in lectures, activities, and mentorship from top instructors. Students can pick from different programs based on their area of interest:
Biology
Entrepreneurship
Finance
Law
Psychology
Regenerative Medicine
The courses are available year-round, allowing you to explore college life early on. Each course concludes with a final capstone project where you present what you’ve learned and get feedback from mentors. Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion – a great addition to your college applications.
Cost: $1,895
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Program Dates: Throughout the year
Author: George Gatsios
As a high school student, it can be challenging to know what career options are available to you and what might be a good fit. While you may be aware of your interests, strengths, and weaknesses, understanding how they align with future academic and professional opportunities isn’t always straightforward.
What is Career Exploration in High School?
Career exploration in high school is the process of helping students identify their strengths and interests and bridge the gap between interests and long-term career paths. Through structured programs, hands-on experiences, and mentorship, you get the chance to explore different industries, build new skills, and gain clarity about what you enjoy – helping you make a more informed decision about your future.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of five great career exploration programs for high school students.
Discover is a 4-week, cohort-based, career exploration program designed to help high school students gain exposure to various industries and career fields. Through live industry masterclasses, guided reflections, and small-group discussions, you are introduced to a range of fields – from law and finance to technology, health, and creative industries. You will take part in self-assessments with expert guidance to understand your strengths, personality traits, and values; build your employability portfolio; define your career purpose; and explore education and career pathways.
By the end of the program, you will have explored different career options and created a clear, personalized roadmap for university and your career. The final week is dedicated to helping you tie it all together by mastering job/internship applications, conduct informational interviews, and improve professional communication. You can learn more about the program here.
Cost: $2,000
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions. You can schedule a call to learn more here.
Program Dates: Throughout the year
The NSLC runs different pre-college programs for high school students to choose a career concentration and engage in an immersive program at a university campus (Duke, UCLA, Georgetown, Columbia, Oxford, and more). As part of the program, you will gain a deeper understanding of concepts in your chosen field (e.g. AI, biology, business) through hands-on experience.
You get to interact with like-minded peers, gain confidence and independence through leadership workshops, make better-informed decisions by test-driving your potential career, and feel more prepared for college. This program is great for students who are passionate about a particular subject and want to dive deeper into and understand what a career in the field looks like. You can find more information about the available fields of study here.
Cost: $3,095 - $6,395 (based on program selected)
Location: Varies depending on selected subject/university
Application Deadline: Varies depending on selected subject/university
Program Dates: Varies depending on selected subject/university (usually in June-July). You can find all program dates here.
Envision programs are designed to empower, engage, and equip high school students through hands-on career exploration, simulations, and diverse experiences. You can pick a field you are passionate about – from medicine and healthcare to business and law – and dive deep into the subject over 1–4 weeks.
The programs take place at different university campuses across the U.S. like Yale, Berkeley, Stanford, and more. Each program has a tailored curriculum, hands-on training experiences guided by experts, and simulations that allow you to put your theoretical knowledge to the test in real-world scenarios.
Cost: $3,999 - $6,999 (based on program selected)
Location: Varies depending on selected subject/university
Application Deadline: Varies depending on selected subject/university
Program Dates: Varies depending on selected subject/university (usually in June-July). You can find all program dates here.
Brown University offers a range of pre-college programs to high school students interested in exploring different fields of study before applying to university. Students can pick from a variety of different subjects, from biology and natural science to engineering and technology. The programs span in-person summer sessions, online classes, leadership programs, research experiences, and experiential learning.
Brown’s pre-college programs, while not a traditional career exploration program, are a great way for you to get involved in interdisciplinary learning, experience college life, learn from subject matter experts, and build a network of like-minded people.
Cost: $3,748 - $10,858 (based on program selected)
Location: Virtual, hybrid, or on campus (Brown University, Rhode Island)
Application Deadline: May 8
Program Dates: June - July (varies based on program selected). You can find all program dates here.
The Dartmouth pre-college programs are designed to help high school students explore college-level courses online. The different programs allow you to engage in lectures, activities, and mentorship from top instructors. Students can pick from different programs based on their area of interest:
Biology
Entrepreneurship
Finance
Law
Psychology
Regenerative Medicine
The courses are available year-round, allowing you to explore college life early on. Each course concludes with a final capstone project where you present what you’ve learned and get feedback from mentors. Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a certificate of completion – a great addition to your college applications.
Cost: $1,895
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Program Dates: Throughout the year
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