15 Marketing Programs in New York State for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in business, marketing is one of the most important areas to understand early. Every company, startup, or organization relies on marketing to reach people, build its brand, and grow. Exploring marketing while you’re still in high school can help you understand how businesses communicate their ideas and attract customers.
What do marketing programs involve?
Marketing programs allow you to explore topics like branding, market research, advertising strategy, and digital marketing. In many programs, you may work on small marketing projects, analyze real campaigns, or learn how companies study customer behavior before launching a product. These experiences help you see how marketing decisions are actually made.
Why pursue marketing programs in New York State as a high school student?
New York State offers many opportunities for students interested in marketing. The state is home to major media companies, startups, advertising agencies, and universities that host programs focused on marketing and business strategy. Participating in these programs can help you learn valuable, applicable marketing skills that you can use to market your business or build a marketing business.
To get a better grasp of marketing and its implementation, you should check out marketing tools for running a business. To apply your skills and understand how marketing operates in work settings, consider applying for marketing internships in New York.
With that, here are 15 marketing programs in New York State for high school students!
15 Marketing Programs in New York State for High School Students
NYU SPS High School Academy Integrated Marketing
Location: New York University SPS High School Academy, New York, NY
Cost: $2,579
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 4-day sessions offered from July to August
Application Deadline: International Student Deadline (Non-US Citizen/Resident): March 14; Residential Student Deadline (living on campus): April 29; Commuter Student Deadline (living off campus/own arrangements): June 12
Eligibility: High school students who have completed grades 9, 10, or 11
The Integrated Marketing Program is designed for students looking to understand how to build creative marketing campaigns that fit within a brand's larger communication plan. The program features a mix of classroom lectures, site visits, and guest speakers from industry who will guide you through the field of integrated marketing, the industry's relevant practices, and the possibilities within it. You will gain hands-on experience by working on innovative marketing plans, understanding the role of interactive marketing, and learning how to build a measurable communication strategy. The course gives you an overview of marketing and various practices through relevant examples and case studies across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, fashion, entertainment, and financial services, among others.
Young Founders Lab
Location: 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshop
Cost: Varies according to program. There is need-based financial aid
Program Dates: Varies by the cohort
Application Deadline: There are 3 application deadlines that you can choose from; more details here.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The Young Founder’s Lab is a real-world start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a real-world problem, whether as a for-profit company or a non-profit. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X. Apart from building the start-up itself, you will participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideation. Through live, interactive workshops, you learn how to conduct customer discovery, test value propositions, analyze competitors, and refine your messaging. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
Columbia Pre-College - Marketing
Location: Morningside Heights campus, Columbia University, New York, NY
Cost: $12,837
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 29 – July 17; July 21 – August 7; June 29 – August 7
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions (priority deadlines apply)
Eligibility: Students in grades 8–12; at least 15 by program start and 16 by December 31 of the attendance year
Columbia offers pre-college courses where you will learn about marketing through lectures and engage after class through college prep workshops, community-building activities, and wellness programs. The marketing course options offered cover advertising, public relations, digital media, sports marketing, the role of AI, and influential writing, among others. These courses offer an overview of various marketing tools, such as advertising and public relations. You will dive into the actual use cases by analyzing marketing case studies and hands-on projects to gain practical experience. You'll also explore pathways in marketing, advertising, and public relations.
Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; Financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 10%; 70-100 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 8-12 weeks
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for high school students interested in gaining experience with fast-growing start-ups. Thestart-ups offering internships span various fields, including finance, tech/deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies backed by leading accelerators such as Y Combinator and have raised an average of over $1 million in funding. These programs are often led by founders who bring experience from major organizations such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. Depending on your placement, you may assist with market research, social media strategy, content creation, customer outreach, analytics, or growth experiments. Beyond project work, the program includes one-on-one training in communication and time management, as well as group learning sessions with other interns.
Cornell Pre-College (Marketing Course Options Available)
Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Cost: Tuition $1,940/ per credit; Residential fee $3,287 (3-week) or $6,595 (6-week)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple 3-week and 6-week sessions offered between June-August (exact dates vary based on program)
Application Deadline: Session 1- April 28; Session 2- May 5; Session 3 - June 2
Eligibility: Completed at least sophomore year; ages 15–19 depending on track (online), 16–19 (commuter), 16–18 (residential); must be under 18 if graduated; academically motivated.
Cornell's pre-college program offers insight into business-related subjects through college-level academics, where you will be taught by Cornell instructors, explore potential majors, earn college credit, and receive a Cornell transcript. The marketing course options offer an insight into fundamental marketing concepts such as pricing, distribution, positioning, and targeting. The courses also delve into marketing management and data analytics, where you’ll learn how to work with qualitative and quantitative tools and conduct marketing research. You will study marketing strategy through case studies of various brands and analyze them through case discussions and field projects.
Manhattan University Pre-College Introduction to Marketing
Location: Manhattan University Campus, New York City, NY
Cost: Tuition $6,000; optional residential room & board ~$1,000/week ($7,000 total)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 22–July 31 (one week in-person July 13–17 + online portion)
Application Deadline: International – March 16; Domestic – May 30; acceptances by March 31 (int’l) and June 15 (domestic)
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in business, leadership, innovation, or entrepreneurship
Manhattan University offers the Introduction to Marketing course, where you will understand marketing practices and learn about fundamental topics such as market segmentation, product positioning, and buyer behavior. Through case studies and simulations, you'll also gain insight into marketing mixed decisions, brand philosophies, and learn about competitor advantage. The course includes learning through lectures, guest speeches by industry professionals, career exploration, and college preparation workshops. You'll also earn college credits, which will go towards your undergraduate degree.
Fashion Institute of Technology Digital Influencer Marketing
Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, Center for Continuing & Professional Studies, New York, NY
Cost: $430
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Vary by session, offered in summer and spring
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High School students entering grades 9 through 12
The Fashion Institute of Technology offers a digital influencer marketing program for students interested in learning how fashion and beauty brands are utilizing influencer marketing. Through a mix of case studies, projects, and workshops, you will learn how brands are integrating influencer marketing into their social media strategy and building campaigns. The course is designed to give you insight into how influencers work within social media platforms, build communities, and create creative content that resonates with their audience. You will work on your own influencer marketing strategy that will include planning, building, and executing the campaign while tracking results.
New York Tech School of Management High School Business Bootcamp
Location: Virtual and in-person at New York Institute of Technology, NYC/Long Island campus
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Held monthly (typically one Tuesday per month) from March through December
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students interested in business fundamentals and professional skills
The New York Tech School of Management offers various workshops focused on different areas of business, including management, marketing, and finance. Marketing-focused workshops cover the art of communicating in an organization, building your voice and marketing plan using social media and digital tools, and marketing in the context of entrepreneurship. The workshops include lectures by faculty where you engage in marketing concepts and practices through case studies and industry examples. These workshops offer a starting point if you want to start exploring marketing, while also receiving a certificate on completion.
Vogue Summer School: Fashion Business
Location: Vogue College of Art and Design, Lexington Ave, New York, NY
Cost: Residential Program: $7,695; Day Program: $6,195
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple 2 sessions over the summer (Between June and July)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-12 and graduating Seniors; must be 15 at program start
The Vogue Summer School offers insight into how business operates in the fashion industry. During the course, you will explore the fundamentals of how fashion businesses work on their marketing, branding, and promotion strategy and how it connects to their overall business plan. You will explore how fashion brands stand out in a competitive marketplace, build their brand identity, and gain insight into their audience. The course includes field visits to fashion exhibitions, networking with industry professionals, insight into career pathways, and key industry trends.
Syracuse University Creative Advertising Art Direction & Copywriting
Location: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Cost: Residential: $4,995; Commuter: $4,024
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 19 – July 31
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, or high school graduates
This course offers insight into the creative side of marketing, where you will step into the shoes of advertising art directors and copywriters to work on your own ideas. The program goes over advertising, where you will learn how to work with creative ideas, and understand what goes into making a compelling ad campaign, designing ads, conceptualizing ideas, and writing effective ads. You’ll go over case studies of ad campaigns and understand the strategy behind print ads, outdoor ads, and digital advertising. You will work on the strategy behind these ads, write the copy, and then design visuals using software, including InDesign, Photoshop, and Firefly.
Adelphi University Business and Leadership Academy
Location: Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Cost: $1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 20–24
Application Deadline: June 12
Eligibility: Rising 9th–12th graders
The Business and Leadership Academy offers insight into building your own business and covers fundamental business topics, including market research, branding, strategic planning, and product design. The program takes place over one week, when you will work alongside peers, engage in discussions with professional mentors, and visit local companies to witness how businesses actually function. Through projects, case discussions, and activities, you'll have the chance to work on your professional skills, and by the end of the week, present a collaborative business concept.
Future Ready NYC Business Pathway
Location: York College, Jamaica, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderate
Dates: Fall and spring academic year (varies)
Application Deadline: Applications processed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students in NYC DOE partner schools; committed to career readiness experiences
Future training NYC offers business pathways that explore fundamental concepts in business, business finance, and marketing. The introduction to marketing course offers insight into how businesses build a strategy and use marketing to connect with customers. You will go over fundamental marketing topics, including advertising, market research, sales management, distribution channels, and marketing strategies. We will earn three credits for this course and also explore pathways in marketing while understanding the roles of professionals such as operations managers, digital marketing specialists, and acting coordinators.
New York University Future Business Leaders
Location: Virtual
Cost: $350
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: August 9 - 30
Application Deadline: July 1
Eligibility: High school students
The Future Business Leaders is a webinar series that covers fundamental business topics, career exploration, and offers insights into the fields through industry professionals. You will gain insight into various areas of business, such as finance, management, and marketing, along with a grasp of industries such as sports, entertainment, and fashion. The marketing module covers the role of marketing in a business's strategy and how it works towards achieving revenue and profit goals. You will go over various marketing strategies, learn how to conduct market research, and learn how strategy changes for different channels. You will also understand how professional marketers use consumer needs to build successful marketing campaigns that result in profitability.
Athena Summer Innovation Institute
Location: Barnard College, New York, NY
Cost: Residential $10,771; Commuter $8,160
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 29 – July 17
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
The Athena Summer Innovation Institute is a three-week summer experience for students interested in building their own business and learning about fundamental concepts in entrepreneurship. During the course, you will explore what it takes to build a business and cover topics including branding, finance, operations, marketing, customer research, product ideation, and startup finances, among others. The program includes site visits to startups and existing companies to help you understand real-life business operations. You will gain practical experience over the summer by working on a team project where you will work on an idea, and then design a business plan in which you present a pitch in front of faculty and peers.
NYU Precollege
Location: New York University campus, New York, NY
Cost: Tuition varies depending on credits; additional costs for room and board
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer term typically runs from early July to mid-August
Application Deadline: International – March 13; Domestic – June 12
Eligibility: Rising 11th and 12th graders
NYU pre-college offers insight into subjects through an undergraduate curriculum taught by NYU faculty while allowing you to experience college life and earn college credit. Business-related courses offered cover marketing, accounting, statistics, business organizations, and business management. Marketing courses offered cover fundamental concepts, including market research, customer motivation, and product design, where you will go over marketing research and marketing management. You will understand how marketing functions and apply theories to work on case studies and projects that stimulate current marketing practices.