Start exploring Arts summer programs for middle schoolers
Explore Summer helps you find programs based on what actually matters to you: interests, location, dates, grade, budget, and more.
The programs below match the starting criteria All these programs match the starting criteria Arts & Performing Arts and grades 6–8.Refine these results further (e.g. by dates, length, budget, etc.) or start a different search.
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Arts & Performing Arts
241 programs to compare
236 updated for 2027 · 5 pending
241 programs is a lot to scan. Find the ones most relevant to you.
Arts & Performing ArtsApplicationPending 2027 refresh
BU Tanglewood Institute: Complete Musician Workshop
Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI)
Dates:
Not confirmed for 2027
Length:
2 weeks
Cost:
$4,055
Location:
BU Tanglewood Institute, Lenox, MA
Ages:
14–19 (completed grades 8–12)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority · Jan 15, 2027
Credit:
Boston University transferable credit
A 2-week residential music program at Boston University's summer campus in the Berkshires, next to Tanglewood, where students prepare orchestral players for professional life through mock auditions, masterclasses, lessons, practice strategies and performing under pressure.
14–20 (college freshmen and sophomores may attend; some tracks high-school only) (completed grades 8–12)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority · Jan 15, 2027
Credit:
Boston University transferable credit
A 2-week residential music intensive at Boston University's summer campus in the Berkshires, next to Tanglewood. Students focus on one studio track through lessons, masterclasses, ensemble work and performance, with access to the Tanglewood campus.
BU Tanglewood Institute: Young Artists Piano Program
Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI)
Dates:
2 sessions between Jul 4–Aug 14, 2027 (3 weeks options)
Length:
3 weeks
Cost:
$5,665
Location:
BU Tanglewood Institute, Lenox, MA
Ages:
14–19 (high school students not yet in full-time college) (completed grades 8–12)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority · Jan 15, 2027
Credit:
Boston University transferable credit
A 3-week residential music program at Boston University's summer campus in the Berkshires, next to Tanglewood, where students take individual lessons, masterclasses and seminars on performance practice and repertoire in a small, highly competitive class.
3 sessions between Jun 27–Aug 8, 2027 (3 weeks and 6 weeks options)
Length:
3 weeks–6 weeks
Cost:
$7,550–$10,500
Location:
Interlochen, MI
Grades:
6-8
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Jan 15, 2027
Middle-school students live in cabins on Interlochen's campus and spend the session in one arts focus, with daily instruction and time for camp activities.
BU Tanglewood Institute: Young Artists Wind Ensemble
Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI)
Dates:
Jul 4 – Aug 1, 2027
Length:
4 weeks
Cost:
$6,995
Location:
BU Tanglewood Institute, Lenox, MA
Ages:
14–19 (high school students not yet in full-time college) (completed grades 8–12)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority · Jan 15, 2027
Credit:
Boston University transferable credit
A 4-week residential music program at Boston University's summer campus in the Berkshires, next to Tanglewood, where students rehearse daily and perform two concerts in Seiji Ozawa Hall, with weekly lessons, chamber music and masterclasses.
14–19 (high school students not yet in full-time college) (completed grades 8–12)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority · Jan 15, 2027
Credit:
Boston University transferable credit
A 6-week residential Young Artists program at Boston University's summer campus in the Berkshires, next to Tanglewood. Students follow a conservatory-style schedule of lessons or rehearsals, concerts in Seiji Ozawa Hall, and access to BSO and Tanglewood performances.
Columbia University School of Professional Studies
Dates:
4 sessions between Jun 21–Aug 6, 2027 (1 week and 3 weeks options)
Length:
1 week–3 weeks
Cost:
$2,883–$6,381
Location:
New York, NY (Columbia Morningside campus)
Grades:
Rising 9th graders through graduating seniors (completed grades 8–12)
Format:
Commuter
Deadline:
Early registration Feb 1, 2027 · Final Apr 1, 2027
Students take one intensive non-credit course at Columbia's Morningside campus, choosing from courses across art and architecture, business and economics, creative writing, humanities and philosophy, journalism, law, marketing, mathematics, neuroscience, physical sciences, politics, science and medicine, social impact, psychology, and technology.
Columbia University School of Professional Studies
Dates:
3 sessions between Jun 21–Aug 6, 2027 (1 week and 2 weeks options)
Length:
1 week–2 weeks
Cost:
$2,868–$4,018
Location:
Online
Grades:
Rising 9th graders through graduating seniors (completed grades 8–12)
Format:
Online
Deadline:
Early registration Feb 1, 2027 · Final Apr 1, 2027
Students take a live, small-group online course taught by Columbia instructors on weekdays, with discussions, debates, simulations and projects, plus online student-life workshops. Course areas include art and architecture, business and economics, creative writing, humanities and philosophy, journalism, law, marketing, mathematics, neuroscience, physical sciences, politics, science and medicine, social impact, psychology, and technology.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jul 11–17, 2027
Length:
1 week
Cost:
$1,990
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Weeklong clarinet institute for high school students at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, with daily classes and instruction from Michigan faculty, living on campus with room and board included.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
2 sessions between Jun 20–Jul 3, 2027 (1 week and 2 weeks options)
Length:
1 week–2 weeks
Cost:
$1,990–$3,900
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
High school students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Composition institute for high school composers at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, with sessions on the creative process, contemporary concert music, and instrumentation and orchestration, and the chance to workshop their own pieces with live performers.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jun 27–Jul 3, 2027
Length:
1 week
Cost:
$1,990
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Weeklong flute institute for high school students at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, with daily classes and instruction from Michigan faculty, living on campus with room and board included.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jul 25–31, 2027
Length:
1 week
Cost:
$1,990
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Weeklong horn institute for high school students at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, with private lessons, chamber music, horn ensemble, and group classes on fundamentals, orchestral repertoire, and college-audition preparation. Room and board are included. New to MPulse in 2027.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jun 27–Jul 3, 2027
Length:
1 week
Cost:
$1,990
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Weeklong percussion institute for high school students at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, with daily classes and instruction from Michigan faculty, living on campus with room and board included.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jul 4–10, 2027
Length:
1 week
Cost:
$1,990
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Weeklong tuba and euphonium institute for high school students at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, with daily classes and instruction from Michigan faculty, living on campus with room and board included.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jul 25–31, 2027
Length:
1 week
Cost:
$1,590–$1,990
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Weeklong vocal arts institute for high school students at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, with daily classes and instruction from Michigan faculty, living on campus with room and board included.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jul 11–24, 2027
Length:
2 weeks
Cost:
$4,425
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Two-week dance institute for high school students at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, with daily classes and instruction from Michigan faculty, living on campus with room and board included.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jul 4–17, 2027
Length:
2 weeks
Cost:
$4,425
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Grades:
High school students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Two-week saxophone institute for serious high school players at the University of Michigan, with classes on technique, reeds, aural skills, and music history, saxophone quartet and ensemble, daily masterclasses, and preparation for college auditions.
Writing & HumanitiesArts & Performing ArtsApplicationGirls only
Smith Precollege Creative Writing Workshop
Smith College Precollege Programs
Dates:
Jul 3–16, 2027
Length:
2 weeks
Cost:
$4,985
Location:
Smith College, Northampton, MA
Grades:
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027 · Tuition assistance Mar 1, 2027 · Final May 1, 2027
Two-week residential creative writing program at Smith College where students take one morning and one afternoon workshop in forms such as fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, journalism, and science fiction, using a multidraft approach, and leave with the start of a writing portfolio.
Students entering grades 9–12 in fall 2027 (completed grades 8–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027 · Tuition assistance Mar 1, 2027 · Final May 1, 2027
Two-week residential theatre program at Smith College where students train in acting, voice, movement, improvisation, and scene study with theatre professionals and finish with a final production at the Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Dates:
Jun 20 – Jul 17, 2027
Length:
4 weeks
Cost:
$6,250
Location:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Ages:
13–26 (high school students ages 13–17 live in residence halls) (completed grades 7–11)
Format:
Residential
Deadline:
Priority Feb 1, 2027
Four-week classical string institute at the University of Michigan for serious violin, viola, cello, and bass students, with two private lessons a week, daily technique class, string quartet coaching and public recitals, masterclasses, and college audition preparation.
