10 Best Internships for High School Students
If you are an ambitious high school student, you should consider doing an internship. Internships in high school showcase your ability to supplement your theoretical knowledge with practical application—a skill that admission officers highly value!
We have curated a list of the 10 best internships for high schoolers across the board. Each of these internships is prestigious and will be a great addition to any college application. We have included internships in various subjects, from aerospace engineering to journalism and marine biology.
If you would like to know more about internships in a specific subject area, you can take a look at our other pieces, where we cover opportunities in biology, marine biology, architecture, law, and psychology!
Why should you consider an internship?
Internships, especially those associated with prestigious companies and universities (e.g., NASA, Bank of America, Princeton, etc.), can build your college admissions profile. Through an internship, you will benefit from real-world experience, and you can explore potential career trajectories! Additionally, pursuing an internship is a great opportunity to network with peers and mentors, which will be valuable for future opportunities and even letters of recommendation.
How did we choose the 10 best internships?
We have used 2 criteria to determine which internships are the best:
Prestige - How prestigious is the host organization? Internships associated with prestigious organizations such as NASA or Princeton are highly valued as they are more credible.
Selectivity - We have used selectivity as an important factor, as gaining admission into a highly selective program shows your academic capabilities. Attending these internships will set you apart from other college applicants!
Here are 10 of the best internships for high school students!
The AI Internship Program by Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the 8-week internship, students have the opportunity to work with VC-backed startups on real-world AI/ML projects. Students work directly with mentors from Harvard, Wharton, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and more. This program is a great opportunity for students who have prior experience with AI/ML and are looking to gain real-world exposure to a career in the field. Students get a chance to network with industry professionals, work closely with company leadership, and receive a letter of completion from the company at the end of the internship. You can learn more about the program here and apply here.
Cost: $2,490
Application Deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Internship Date: Multiple 8-week cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have prior experience with AI/ML or have completed a Veritas AI program
Location: Remote!
If you are interested in journalism, this year-long course at Princeton is a great option. The Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) offers high achievers from low-income families a free residential journalism and college preparation program. You will study politics and current affairs, learn from Princeton professors and journalists, and collaborate with a college advisor. The program includes weekly lectures and workshops led by program graduates and journalists from publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and CNN. This highly selective program has a three-round application process and a final cohort of up to 40 students.
Acceptance Rate: Below 5%
Cost: No cost
Location: Hybrid (Virtual + Princeton Campus)
Application Deadline: April 23
Program Dates: July 28 - August 7
Eligibility: High-achieving juniors in high school and low-income backgrounds
Conducted by the National Institute of Health, the HiSTEP program offers internships in biomedical engineering and healthcare. The program aims to expand the pipeline of students interested in biomedical and healthcare careers. Spanning 5 weeks in Bethesda, MD, the program focuses on the importance of biomedical research and other STEM-M careers. The HiSTEP program has previously included career readiness, leadership development, and college advising through resources that improve understanding of the college application process, aid in scholarship and mentor finding, and help with the transition to college.
Acceptance Rate: Below 10%
Cost: No Cost + stipend ($2150) and Public transport benefits provided
Location: National Institute of Health Campus (Bethesda, MD)
Application Deadline: 1st February
Program Dates: July 5th - August 3rd.
Eligibility:
Must be a high school sophomore or junior/rising sophomore (turn 17 by June 15th for the Summer program)
Must be a U.S. citizen or hold permanent resident status.
Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Attend a school where 30% or more of the student body participated in the Federal Free/ Reduced Lunch Program.
Have their primary residence in Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, DC (within 40 miles of the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD).
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagements provides internship opportunities at all their locations across America. If you live near a NASA facility, you can opt for an internship in a research facility near you! However, if you live away from one, NASA also conducts virtual internships. You can access their database on internships here (you will have to filter through the database to find opportunities open for high school students). Through this internship, you will explore real-world applications of aerospace engineering. This program is a great addition to your college applications because of its reputation and the prestige of working at NASA.
Acceptance Rate: Around 5%
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: Varies, different for each internship offered
Application Deadline: Varies from internship to internship
Program Dates: Varies from internship to internship, but should be in one of these three cohorts -
Fall - from late August/early September to mid-December (16 weeks)
Spring - from mid-January to early May (16 weeks)
Summer - from late May/early June to August (10 weeks)
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens and have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA
The NYC Office of the Mayor offers internships to high school students interested in the functioning of city government and policy. You can apply to the department of your choice.
You will work with full-time staff on various tasks, including conducting research, managing incoming inquiries, analyzing data, drafting briefings, staffing events, and more. Through the bi-weekly Speaker Series, you will learn more about the inner workings of the City government. Guest speakers include Deputy Mayors, Commissioners, Program Directors, and other senior staff. You will also get a chance to develop a service project with other interns! The goal is to design and execute a project to uplift New Yorkers in need.
Acceptance Rate: <30% for Summer
Cost: No cost; a salary of $15/hour is provided
Location: New York City
Application Deadline: Summer term - Mid-March, Fall-Spring Term - August 11th
Program Dates: Summer term – June through August, Fall/Spring terms - October 2nd - April 19th
Eligibility: Must be 16 years of age or older, must be enrolled in high school or accepted to an undergraduate degree program.
Note. For the Fall/Spring Term, you must be a New York City resident and be enrolled in high school.
Internships at the Treasury allow students to collect, analyze, and present policy data, conduct research, and summarize academic literature and news important for priority missions. This is a great program to build a foundation for a future career in international policy. Through these internships, you get the chance to gain management and organizational skills through interactions with Treasury colleagues and other U.S. government agencies. You can choose to work in any one of the several offices that make up the Treasury Departmental Offices (headquarters).
Acceptance Rate: Around 10-12%
Cost: Fully funded, no stipend provided
Location: Washington, D.C.
Application Deadline: Varies for all three Internship periods -
Spring Internship Period - Apply in October.
Summer Internship Period - Apply in December.
Fall Internship Period - Apply in June.
Program Dates: Treasury typically offers internship opportunities in the spring, summer, and fall:
Spring Internship Period (January-May)
Summer Internship Period (May-August)
Fall Internship Period (September-December)
Eligibility: Students must be U.S. citizens and must be enrolled or accepted at an accredited institution
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an 8-week paid summer internship and mentoring program sponsored by the American Fisheries Society. As a Hutton Scholar, you will be mentored by a fisheries professional in your local area. You will gain fisheries science experience in marine or freshwater areas, conducting laboratory and field research. You will participate in resource conservation and management projects. Potential activities include electrofishing, examining specimens, data processing, establishing aquatic vegetation and fish habitats, and more! An added benefit is an all-expense paid trip to the Hutton Scholars Summit conducted at the University of Arkansas.
Acceptance Rate: 12%
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($3,000 for 8 weeks)
Location: Based on your locality (Hutton aims to match students within a 45-minute commute of your home)
Application Deadline: February 14th
Program Dates: June to August (It depends on the Scholar's schedule)
Eligibility: High school students who live and have residency in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
This summer internship program is an opportunity for you to work alongside NASA subject matter experts. The program is centered around Earth and space research. As an intern, you will assist with analyzing and visualizing data in your respective area of research. You can expect to work on Earth and space research (either through astronaut photography or galaxy classification), climate research, mission design (through satellite design or Mars Rover resource utilization), and more. There is a virtual learning component to the program and then an onsite experience at the University of Texas, Austin. You will present your research at the program's concluding symposium.
Acceptance Rate: Approximately 3-4%
Cost: No cost
Location: University of Texas, Austin, TX
Application Deadline: February 20
Program Dates: June 25th - July 7th (remote), July 8th - July 22nd (onsite).
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors (at the time of the program) who are U.S. citizens
The SEAP Program allows high school students to conduct Naval research while being mentored by scientists and engineers at the DoN. Prospective students can choose between the 30 labs spread out over the country. Lab choices are based on interest (e.g., very few labs offer Marine Biology as a topic of interest, while Statistics and Engineering are more common among the labs). Some topics of research covered in the SEAP program are Submarine Life Support, Development of Ansys Fluent Workflow for Axial Fan Simulation and Flow Around Objects, and Catalytic Oxidation of Li-Ion Electrolyte. You can see past intern contributions here!
Acceptance Rate: Around 10-15%
Cost: No cost + stipend of $4,000 (new participants) or $4,500 (for returning participants)
Location: Varies depending on lab choice.
Application Deadline: 1st August
Program Dates: Varies from lab to lab (expect it to be conducted in the summer months).
Eligibility: Open to rising Juniors and Seniors (at the time of the program) who will have turned 16 years old by the start date of the program and are U.S. citizens
Note: Eligibility changes based on lab to lab (with some labs changing the grade and age minimum and others opening the program for permanent residents and dual citizens).
10. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
The Bank of America offers hundreds of high school students across the country an opportunity to engage with their communities in meaningful ways. Students are paired with a local nonprofit organization to participate in a paid eight-week internship. Popular participating nonprofits include Habitat for Humanity and The Boys and Girls Club. As part of the internship experience, students convene in Washington, D.C., at the National Student Leaders Summit, where they interact with professionals in a variety of fields ranging from business to governmental affairs. We've covered this opportunity in detail here!
Acceptance Rate: Between 5-8%
Cost: Fully funded, hourly stipend
Location: Washington D.C.
Application Deadline: TBD, applications open in October
Program Length: Eight weeks
Eligibility: Current junior or senior high school students who are legally authorized to work in the U.S
Another option -Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are interested in doing university-level research, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students that I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source: PSJP logo