What Can High School Students Do for the Rest of the Summer?

Even in August, high school students may still have time to explore online pre-college programs, build skills, and prepare for the school year ahead. If summer is winding down and your teen still has open weeks on the calendar, you're not alone in wondering what's left to do. High school students can still use late summer productively by exploring an online pre-college course, building study skills, or researching future majors.

Online programs, in particular, tend to be more flexible than in-person options. Some offer late-summer sessions or formats that can fit around family travel, part-time jobs, and the final weeks before school starts.

Key Points:

• High school students can still use late summer to explore academic interests or build college-ready skills.
• Online pre-college programs may offer more flexibility than in-person summer programs.
• Families should check each program’s current start dates, deadlines, format, and requirements before enrolling.
• The best late-summer option is usually one that fits the student’s interests, schedule, and readiness.

Why August Is a Great Time to Start

Late summer is a natural time to get ahead before the school year starts back up. An online pre-college course can:

• Give your teen a low-stakes preview of a subject they're curious about (medicine, law, business, AI, and more)
• Add something meaningful to a college application or resume
• Build independent study skills before the school year adds pressure
• Fill the schedule without requiring travel, a host family, or time away from home

Online pre-college programs often offer more flexibility than in-person summer camps or campus-based programs with fixed session dates. Some online programs offer multiple start dates, extended enrollment windows, or flexible pacing, which can make them easier to fit into the final weeks of summer.

Online Pre-College Programs to Consider

Prelum partners with a number of well-known universities that offer online pre-college programs for high school students. Specific course availability and start dates shift throughout the year, so it's worth checking each program's page directly for upcoming session dates, but here's a starting list of where to look:

• Georgetown University Pre-College Online Program: A robust catalog of enrichment and select college credit courses across a broad range of areas such as medicine, psychology, international relations, law, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, journalism, surgery, and more. 
• University of Notre Dame Pre-College Online Program: Courses for students interested in subjects such as business, psychology, law, biology, finance, and medical research. 
• Rice University Precollege Program: For students looking for options in areas such as STEM, business, law & government, and related fields.
• Harvard Medical School Pre-College Online Certificate Program: For teens with their sights set on medicine, online pre-college options include medicine, health, medical research, and related scientific topics. 
• Northwestern Pre-College Online Program: Courses in areas such as medicine, psychology, law, business, and artificial intelligence. 
• Dartmouth Precollege Online Program: Enrichment courses for students interested in STEM, artificial intelligence, business, and law.
• Wake Forest University Online Immersion Programs: Courses for students exploring pre-med, business, law, or psychology.
• William & Mary Pre-College Online Program: Options for teens drawn to government, law, medicine, and psychology.
• Parsons Paris Online Courses: For creatively-minded students looking to dive into the world of fashion with course offerings in fashion, design, branding, and sustainability.
• University of Rochester Pre-College Online Program: Enrichment course options for high school students curious about health, engineering, or video game design.
• Case Western Reserve Pre-College Program: Course options for students interested in engineering, neuroscience, entrepreneurship, and related fields. 

Explore Prelum’s guide to questions to ask before enrolling in a pre-college course and what students actually do in pre-college courses. 

What to Look for When Picking a Program This Late in Summer

If you're choosing a program with only a few weeks of summer left, prioritize:

1. Self-paced or asynchronous formats. These allow for flexibility and work around whatever is left on the family calendar.
2. Course length. Shorter, focused courses (rather than multi-month programs) are usually the better fit for late-summer enrollment.
3. Enrichment vs. credit. Some courses are enrichment-only, while others offer the option to earn college credit. Decide which matters more for your teen's goals before enrolling.
4. Subject fit over prestige. A course that genuinely matches your teen's interests will hold their attention longer than a big name that doesn't.

The Rest of Summer Doesn't Have to Be Wasted Time

Whether your teen has three weeks left or just one, an online pre-college course can help turn “what do I do now?” into something productive. It can give students a way to explore a possible major, build application material, or stay intellectually engaged before the new school year starts.

Explore the full list of university partners offering online courses on Prelum's Online Programs page, or browse courses by subject area to find the right fit for your student.

FAQs About Late-Summer Options for High Schoolers

What can high school students do in August before school starts?
High school students can use August to explore an online pre-college course, review academic interests, build study skills, and research possible majors.

Are pre-college programs still available in August?
Some pre-college programs may still offer August start dates. Online pre-college courses or programs with rolling enrollment may be more likely to offer late-summer or year-round options, but availability varies by program. Families should check each program’s official page for current dates, deadlines, and requirements.

Are online pre-college programs a good option late in the summer?
Online pre-college programs can be a good late-summer option because they may offer more flexibility around travel, work, family schedules, and back-to-school preparation than in-person programs.

What should parents look for in a late-summer pre-college program?
Parents should look for program format, start dates, course length, workload, subject fit, credit options, and whether the student can realistically complete the course before or during the school year.

Can a late-summer pre-college course help with college preparation?
A late-summer pre-college course may help students explore academic interests, practice independent learning, build confidence, and identify possible subjects to study further in high school or college.

Last reviewed by Ashley Simmons on 8/4/2026.