9 Paid Summer Internships for High School Students
- Jessica Zhou
- Jun 14, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: May 21
If you're a high school student looking to have a productive summer, consider pursuing a summer internship. Whether you are interested in science, technology, the arts, or business, these internships will help you build a strong foundation for your future career. Internships can also significantly enhance your college applications! Admissions committees like applicants who have demonstrated initiative and a proactive approach to their education.
These experiences can set you apart from other candidates by highlighting your commitment to personal growth and your readiness to tackle challenges. The insights you will gain during your internship can be helpful for your college essays. The compensation you receive is an additional bonus!
In this blog, we will go over 9 paid summer internships for high schoolers!
Cost: Free for all accepted participants, stipend provided.
Location: Columbia University, New York City
Application Deadline: While the deadline is not stated, applications open in October.
Program Dates: 5 weeks during the summer.
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 10-12 residing in New York City, with preference given to those in Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx.
BRAINYAC is a great opportunity if you are interested in a pre-med track and neuroscience. This program matches you with a Columbia neuroscientist who serves as a mentor, guiding you through a research project. Over a five-week period, which includes weekend training sessions followed by a full-time summer internship, you will gain experience in laboratory research. The application process commences each fall and is distributed through partner institutions. You’ll have opportunities to receive a paid Merit Fellowship for continued work in your mentor’s lab at Columbia and a position as a paid intern in future BRAINYAC cohorts.
Cost: No cost; a stipend of $15/hour is provided.
Location: New York City
Application Deadline: March 31
Program Dates: June 10 - August 9
Eligibility: Must be 16 years of age or older, 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 enrolled in high school.
The New York City Office of the Mayor offers internships to high school students interested in the operation of city government and policy. You can apply to the department of your choice. You can expect to collaborate with full-time staff and work on various projects, including conducting research, managing incoming inquiries, analyzing data, drafting briefings, staffing events, etc. 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 develop a service project with other interns for New Yorkers in need. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: Free (stipend of $1,200)
Application deadline: February 9
Program dates: June 27 - August 22
Eligibility: Students must complete at least the 9th grade by June, be 14 or older by June 27, and have a 3.5 GPA in science subjects
In the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), you will explore biomedical and computational research. This program focuses on laboratory or computational-based research projects and includes postdoctoral-led journal clubs. It also offers PI luncheons, laboratory tours, and social networking sessions. As a participant in the program, you’ll be matched with a mentor, usually a postdoctoral fellow, graduate student, or research technician. This program concludes with a presentation of your research project at a poster session. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: NASA centers across the country
Stipend: Awarded based on academic level and session duration
Program dates: Spring session (Mid January - Early May), Summer session (Late May - August), Fall session (Late August - Mid December)
Application Deadline: May 26 (Fall), August 30 (Spring), October 20 (Summer)
Eligibility: Be a U.S. citizen, have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), be a full-time student, and be a minimum of 16 years of age at the time of application
The NASA OSTEM (Office of STEM Engagement) High School Internship Program is an excellent opportunity for those interested in technology and space exploration. These internship programs allow you to engage with the technologies used in space exploration, satellite communication, and aerospace engineering. Whether you're fascinated by robotics, software development, or the mechanisms behind spacecraft, these internships allow you to apply your theoretical knowledge to various challenges. You will have access to NASA's modern facilities and resources. Check out this guide to learn more about NASA internships!
Location: NYU Langone Health, New York, NY
Cost: Free (paid)
Application deadline: TBA
Program dates: July 8-19
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
If you're a high school junior or senior interested in healthcare, social justice, or public policy, the High School Bioethics Project's internship is an excellent opportunity for you. It fosters an understanding of ethical considerations in the healthcare sector. During this internship, you'll engage with professionals from public health, healthcare, biotech, patient advocacy, and law, which could lead to mentor relationships beyond the program. You will spend 10-15 hours per week reading and discussing relevant articles, contributing to discussions, and writing reflection papers. Additionally, you will conclude your internship by submitting a short paper on a topic covered during your experience.
Location: New York, New York
Stipend: A stipend commensurate with the New York State minimum wage
Program dates: January-June (school year) and July-August (summer)
Eligibility: Students who are two to three years from graduating high school (in grades 10 and 11) or obtaining their High School Equivalency degree and who reside in or attend a high school or home school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut
The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers internship opportunities to allow students to explore art, museums, and creative professions. Whether your interest lies in editorial work, marketing, social media, education, scientific research, conservation, or another area, the program provides an opportunity to connect with museum professionals in these sectors. You'll engage with these experts one-on-one or in small cohorts. The Met seeks students from diverse backgrounds and with varied interests. Students belonging to groups historically underrepresented in these fields are strongly encouraged to apply. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: New York, New York
Stipend: Interns who attend a Title 1 School or are eligible for free or reduced lunch will be offered a stipend to participate. Other students will have the option to receive community service hours or school credit.
Program dates: October - June
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10, 11, or 12. Applicants must live in and attend school in the New York City metro area (includes the five boroughs of New York City, as well as areas of New York State, Connecticut, and New Jersey).
If you’re interested in history and digital media, the Student Historian Internship program at the New York Historical Society is a great program. You'll engage in research using the resources of the New York Historical Society and share your scholarship through creative digital projects. You'll meet with professional staff to learn about various aspects of the museum, library, digital humanities, and history fields. You will also work alongside fellow students to develop your thinking, communication, and digital media skills. The program focuses on the theme "Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America." To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: Free (paid)
Application deadline: March 3
Program dates: July 1- August 9
Eligibility: Demonstrated interest in biomedical sciences, must attend NYC public school or charter school, must be an under-represented minority and/or economically disadvantaged
If you're a high school student interested in the pre-med track in college, this program will expose you to a cross-section of health and medical careers while enhancing your knowledge in cellular and molecular biology. Through weekly rotations, you will engage with various laboratories and clinical departments within the Mount Sinai Health System. Each department showcases the applications of scientific concepts, with activities including virtual lab tours, case studies, and discussions. You will participate in live video sessions that include an introduction to health disparities, leadership development activities, and college readiness training.
Location: New York
Stipend: $2,500
Program Dates: August - June
Eligibility: You must be in the 10th or 11th grade and have passed your classes for the last three or more semesters. You must ALSO meet at least one requirement from the list below: a) Complete a course in the Science and Nature Program, the Science Alliance Middle School Program or Science Alliance High School Program OR b) Attend one of the partner high schools or partner programs
The Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) at the American Museum of Natural History allows you to engage in a year-long scientific research project alongside Museum scientists. Projects cover a diverse range of topics, from the genetic basis of foraging in ogre-faced spiders to ancient Maya diets. You'll work with your peers and scientist mentors twice each week throughout the school year, for a total of four hours a week. You are not expected to have any prior experience in research. You'll develop new skills, including working with DNA in the lab, analyzing data from space-based telescopes, reading scientific articles, and coding and data analysis using programming languages like Python and R. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Bonus
Although the following internship doesn't pay students a stipend, we've included it for the tangible project it allows you to complete and the range of industries you can intern in.
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Jessica attends Harvard University where she studies Neuroscience and Computer Science as a Coca-Cola, Elks, and Albert Shankar Scholar. She is passionate about educational equity and hopes to one day combine this with her academic interests via social entrepreneurship. Outside of academics, she enjoys taking walks, listening to music, and running her jewelry business!
Image Source: Columbia University logo