Art, music and design programs for high school students.
Juried competitions and summer programs for artists, musicians, designers and future architects.
15 opportunities, 4 free · Links and programs checked October 18, 2026 · By Lokesh Pampatti, founder of Clarity Prep
15 of 15 shown
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Davidson Institute
Scholarships for students 18 and under who have completed a significant piece of work in their field.
Our take: $10,000 to $50,000 for a significant completed project. Only worth it if you have graduate-level work; if you do, few things read better.
ProgramUnder $1kValencia, CA
California State Summer School for the Arts
CSSSA
Four-week arts intensive at CalArts across seven disciplines.
Our take: State-subsidized for California residents and very competitive. Out-of-state students can attend at full cost.
ProgramUnder $1kNew York State campuses
New York State Summer School of the Arts
NYSSSA
New York's subsidized summer arts schools.
Our take: State-funded, audition-based, for New York residents. Ballet, orchestra, choral, dance, theatre, media, visual arts.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
Awards in 28 categories of art and writing for grades 7–12. Fee waivers available.
Our take: The oldest and most recognized award for teen artists and writers. A Gold Key at the regional level is worth listing; a national medal is a headline.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
National YoungArts Foundation YoungArts
National YoungArts Foundation
National competition across ten artistic disciplines.
Our take: The top arts award for ages 15–18, and the only path to the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. If you are a serious artist, this is the one.
ProgramOver $5kInterlochen, MI
Interlochen Arts Camp
Interlochen Center for the Arts
The largest and best-known summer arts program in the country.
Our take: For serious musicians, actors, dancers, writers, and visual artists this is a known name. Audition or portfolio required.
ProgramOver $5kLenox, MA
Tanglewood Institute
Boston University
Classical music intensive alongside the Tanglewood Music Festival.
Our take: The Boston Symphony's summer home. If you are a classical musician aiming at conservatories, this is a real line.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Live Más Scholarship
Taco Bell Foundation
Video-based scholarship for ages 16–26.
Our take: A two-minute video about your passion, no grades or essays. $5,000 to $25,000; unusual because it rewards students the traditional forms miss.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Ocean Awareness Contest
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs
Annual creative competition for ages 11–18.
Our take: Art, writing, film, music, or poetry about the ocean and climate, with real scholarship awards. Good for a creative student who cares about the environment.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Student Contests
The New York Times Learning Network
Rotating contests in editorial writing, reviews, podcasts, photo essays, and more.
Our take: Free, frequent, and winners get published by The New York Times. The editorial, review, and STEM writing contests are the most useful.
ProgramOver $5kBoston, MA
Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive
Berklee College of Music
Berklee's flagship summer program for performers, songwriters, and producers.
Our take: Contemporary music at scale. Audition-based scholarships can cover a lot; it doubles as a Berklee audition.
ProgramOver $5kProvidence, RI + online
Rhode Island School of Design Pre-College
Rhode Island School of Design
Six-week studio program modeled on RISD's freshman foundation year.
Our take: You leave with a portfolio, which is the point for art and architecture applicants. Costly.
ProgramOver $5kPittsburgh, PA
Carnegie Mellon University Pre-College Programs
Carnegie Mellon University
Six-week pre-college programs, several of which produce portfolio work for arts applications.
Our take: The portfolio tracks (architecture, design, drama, art, music) are worth it for the work you leave with. The academic tracks are expensive classes.
Competition$1k–5kRochester, NY
GENIUS Olympiad
Terra Science and Education
International environmental-themed project fair with high finalist and medal rates.
Our take: You pay to attend after a light screening. Readers who know it weigh it well below ISEF or Regeneron.
ProgramOver $5kNew York, NY + online
School of The New York Times Summer Academy
School of The New York Times
Two-week courses taught by journalists and industry professionals.
Our take: Brand name, open enrollment, high price. Fun; not a signal.
“Helps an application” is our read on how much an admissions reader is likely to weigh it: Strong means getting in or placing is a real achievement, Solid means it shows real interest and effort, and Light usually means most students who apply and pay can attend. It’s our opinion, not a ranking from any college, and a light one can still be a great summer.
Want a list picked for you?
Clarity Prep members get opportunities matched to their grade, interests and state in the app, plus a mentor who helps them decide what’s worth applying to and checks in every week until the applications are in.
Free tools: GPA calculator · chances calculator · college acceptance rates · essay grader
Every program here is real and links to its own official site. Dates, costs and rules change every year, so check the official page before you apply. Deadlines are shown as the months they usually close. Spot something out of date? Email sessions@joinclarityprep.com.