The Ultimate Guide to the NASA and UT Austin SEES Internship
Updated: 7 days ago
Updated October 2026
TL;DR
SEES (STEM Enhancement in Earth Science) is a summer internship for high school sophomores and juniors, funded by NASA and run by UT Austin's Center for Space Research. You work on projects using real NASA data, either from home or on-site in Austin for two weeks. You need to be a U.S. citizen and 16 by the start of the on-site program. The virtual track is free, and the on-site track costs $2,000, with scholarships available. In 2024, about 2,000 students applied and 215 got in. If you'd like to research a space or Earth science question of your own with a PhD mentor, you can apply to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.
If you’re interested in space, climate, or engineering, high school is a great time to find out what working with real NASA data is actually like. The SEES internship at UT Austin’s Center for Space Research gives sophomores and juniors that chance. Some interns spend the summer tracking how Earth’s water moves using gravity satellites. Others help design a rover mission to Mars or search telescope images for planets around other stars. You can join from home or spend two weeks on site in Austin. This guide covers how SEES works, what it costs, who can apply, and how to make your application stand out. If you want to compare it with similar programs, see our list of aerospace engineering summer programs for high school students.
What is the NASA and UT Austin SEES internship?
SEES is a summer internship hosted by the UT Austin Center for Space Research (CSR) and funded by NASA through its Science Activation program. It started as a national program in 2016, though CSR has been running high school internships since 2010.
During the internship, you work alongside NASA, university, and industry experts on projects built around real mission data. The topics are pretty wide: aerospace, astronomy, planetary science, remote sensing, microgravity research, and space geodesy (basically, measuring Earth's shape and gravity from space). You'll pick up skills in data analysis and engineering design, and you'll get plenty of practice explaining your work to other people.
One thing worth knowing up front: CSR says the program's future depends on continued funding. If you're planning ahead, keep checking the official page for updates.
Is the NASA SEES internship prestigious?
Yes. In a recent cohort, SEES received about 2,000 applications and accepted 215 students, which works out to an acceptance rate of roughly 11%. That makes it highly selective.
A few other things add to its reputation. It's funded by NASA. It's hosted by one of the top space research centers in the country. And at the end of the summer, every intern presents their research to NASA experts and scientists at a virtual symposium.
Internship details, structure, and timeline
SEES starts online in late spring and ends with a research symposium in July. Here's how the most recent program was set up.
Program structure
Online learning modules (May 15 to July 1): Everyone completes an Earth and Space Science module. Some projects also need a Python module, and it's optional for everyone else.
SEES Speaker Series (June): Talks every Tuesday and Thursday.
Remote project work (June to July 3): Your project mentors meet with your team online to kick off the research.
On-site internship (July 5 to 18): Two weeks at UT Austin with daytime research, evening sessions, weekend events, and field trips, including one to NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Virtual projects (June to July 21): If you're in a virtual project, you work from home on a schedule set by your project.
SEES Virtual Science Symposium (July 20 to 21): Every intern, on-site or virtual, presents their research to NASA experts, scientists, families, and guests.
On-site interns stay in UT Austin dorms (double rooms), get three meals a day plus snacks, and get daily transportation to CSR's research facility. Teachers and graduate students serve as chaperones.
SEES at a glance
Detail | What you need to know |
Program | |
Host | UT Austin Center for Space Research, funded by NASA |
Location | Virtual, or on-site at UT Austin |
Cost | Virtual: free. On-site: $2,000 (meals, housing, tours, and local travel), with scholarships available |
Acceptance rate/cohort size | About 11% in 2024 (215 accepted out of about 2,000 applicants) |
Program Dates | TBA (previous cohort: online modules May 15 to July 1; on-site July 5 to 18; symposium July 20 to 21, 2026) |
Application Deadline | TBA (previous cohort: February 22, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. PT) |
Eligibility | U.S. citizens who are current sophomores or juniors and 16 by the on-site start date |
Application timeline
Here's what the 2026 timeline looked like. The 2027 dates haven't been posted yet, but past deadlines have fallen in late February.
Application deadline: February 22, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. PT (no late applications)
Recommendation forms due: March 1, 2026
Decisions sent: Around May 1, 2026
How much does SEES cost?
It depends on your track:
Virtual project: Free
On-site, paying tuition: $2,000, which covers meals, housing, tours, and local travel. Getting to Austin is on you.
On-site, with a scholarship: Tuition, meals, housing, tours, and local travel are covered. You pay for travel to Austin.
On-site, with a scholarship and travel support: Everything is covered, including getting to Austin.
You say on the application whether you need a scholarship. SEES evaluates every applicant the same way, so asking for help doesn't hurt your chances.
Project themes
The projects change every year, but they're always tied to NASA missions and real data. Here are a few from the last lineup:
Astronaut Photography: Observing Earth from Space: Tracking how places on Earth change over time using photos taken from the International Space Station
Weighing Where the Water Goes: Working with data from the GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites, which measure tiny changes in Earth's gravity to figure out where water is moving
Mars Rover Resource Utilization: Picking a landing site, choosing instruments, and planning a route for a hypothetical Mars rover
Moon and Moon-2-Mars Habitat & Science: Designing a research base at the Moon's south pole
Planetary Glider Project: Building a glider that folds up to fit inside a rocket, with a mission concept for Mars or Venus
Exoplanet Transits: Analyzing hundreds of telescope images to spot planets passing in front of their stars
That last one is especially fun if you like data. Positive detections from the project get submitted to the NASA Exoplanet Archive, where other researchers can use them.
Eligibility and selection process
You can apply to SEES if you:
Are a current high school sophomore or junior
Will be 16 by the first day of the on-site program (July 5 last year, and they don't make exceptions)
Are a U.S. citizen
Have a strong interest in STEM
Can finish the online modules before the on-site program starts
Haven't done SEES before
Seniors can't apply, and you can only be a SEES intern once. Alumni can come back as program ambassadors, though.
You apply through the SEES application portal. Last year, the application had four parts:
Online application with essays: You can write about STEM experiences in school, like classes or science fairs, or outside school, like coding a game, stargazing, building robots, or even cooking (yes, really, they list it as an example of the scientific process).
Introduction video: Three to five minutes about who you are, where you're from, and why you want to be a NASA intern. Upload it as an unlisted video on YouTube or Vimeo, and skip copyrighted music.
Transcript: An unofficial transcript or report card is fine.
Recommendation form: A teacher, counselor, youth leader, or principal fills out an official form. It isn't a letter, and it's due about a week after the main deadline.
Use your personal email when you apply. School email systems sometimes block messages from the program.
Pros and cons of the SEES internship
Pros
You get guidance from people who do this for a living: Your mentors are scientists and engineers working on NASA-related research. Learning how they approach a messy problem is one of the most useful parts of the program.
You build connections: You work closely with mentors and a team of other interns from across the country. Those relationships can lead to advice, recommendations, and friendships that last beyond the summer.
You get a clearer picture of STEM careers: Two weeks of mission design or satellite data analysis tells you a lot about whether you'd enjoy doing it in college and beyond.
You do actual research: Past projects have included studying air quality with low-cost sensors and NASA Langley, investigating urban heat islands in your own neighborhood, and searching for exoplanets in telescope images. All of it ends with a presentation at the SEES Virtual Science Symposium.
You have lots of topics to choose from: Whether you're into astronomy, engineering, Earth science, or human spaceflight, there's probably a project that fits.
You can join from home: If you can't spend two weeks in Austin, the virtual track is free and still lets you work on real NASA projects.
Cons
It's demanding: The online modules start in May, and the on-site program has full days, evening sessions, and weekend events. Full attendance is required, and SEES asks interns not to plan more than one internship over the summer.
Getting to Austin can cost money: On-site tuition is $2,000 unless you get a scholarship, and travel to Austin isn't covered without travel support.
Eligibility is narrow: You have to be a U.S. citizen, a sophomore or junior, and 16 by the on-site start date. Seniors and international students can't apply.
The program's future isn't guaranteed: CSR says SEES depends on continued funding, so check the official page before you plan your summer around it.
6 Tips to Stand Out in Your SEES Application
1. Write about what got you into STEM.
SEES says it looks for strong grades and essays that show teamwork, curiosity, and interest in STEM. So be specific. Maybe you got hooked on astronomy after spotting Saturn's rings through a cheap telescope, or you spent a weekend figuring out why your code kept crashing. Small, specific stories stick with readers way more than general statements about loving science.
2. Don't worry if your school doesn't offer much STEM
SEES looks at both aptitude and need, and it actively encourages students with limited STEM access to apply. If your school doesn't have a robotics team or science fair, explain that, and then talk about what you did on your own. Watching NASA launches, reading about Mars rovers, or teaching yourself Python all count.
3. Make your video feel like you.
The intro video is your chance to show your personality. Talk about where you're from and why NASA excites you. You don't need fancy editing. Just practice a few times so you feel comfortable, and keep it between three and five minutes.
4. Read the project themes before you apply.
Spend some time on the project themes page and figure out which ones you'd love to work on. Mentioning a specific project, like the GRACE water project or the exoplanet hunt, shows you've done your homework and know what SEES interns actually do.
5. Ask your recommender early.
The recommendation is a form, so make sure your recommender knows that. Give them plenty of notice, double-check that you typed their email correctly, and follow up a few days before it's due. The program will tell you when it's submitted, but making sure it gets done is on you.
6. Keep doing STEM outside of class.
Clubs, science fairs, coding projects, and engineering competitions all show that your interest goes beyond homework.
One more tip
Have a parent or teacher read your essays and watch your video before you submit. Be honest about where you are in your STEM journey. SEES takes students with lots of experience and students who are just getting started, so you don't need to sound like anyone else.
How does SEES compare with other selective programs?
Here's how SEES stacks up against two other highly selective summer research programs.
Program | Who can apply | Format/length | Cost | Deadline |
U.S. citizens who are current sophomores or juniors, 16 by the start date | Virtual, or two weeks on site in Austin, plus online modules | Virtual free;on-site $2,000, with scholarships | TBA (previous cohort: February 22, 2026) | |
High school juniors | Six weeks at MIT, plus a new Stanford site in 2027 | Free | December 11, 2026 | |
Juniors and seniors (classes of 2027 and 2028), 16+, U.S. citizens or permanent residents | Eight weeks, commuter, at Stanford Medicine | Free; $50 application fee, waivable | Late February 2027 (applications open December 18, 2026) |
SEES is the only one here that accepts sophomores, and its virtual track means you can join from anywhere in the U.S. If you're a junior, you could apply to RSI in December and SEES in February.
If you're in Texas, NASA's High School Aerospace Scholars program is worth a look too, and our guide to NASA's High School Aerospace Scholars walks you through it. Love the astronomy side of SEES? Check out our list of astronomy programs for high school students. For a broader search, our roundup of science research opportunities for high school students has lots more options.
If you're passionate about research in aerospace engineering, astronomy, or Earth science, you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.
What students often ask about the NASA SEES internship
1. Do I need to know Python before applying?
It depends on your project. Some projects require the Python module before the internship, and it’s optional for the rest. A few engineering and data projects also mention that basic Python experience helps, so it’s worth brushing up if those interest you.
2. Will I actually work at a NASA center?
No. The on-site internship is at UT Austin's Center for Space Research, and virtual interns work from home. You still work with NASA experts and data, and on-site interns visit NASA's Johnson Space Center on a field trip.
3. Can I do SEES along with a summer job or another program?
It's hard with the on-site track, since full attendance is required and SEES asks interns not to plan more than one internship. A virtual project can be easier to fit around other plans. To weigh your options, see our guide to summer research programs vs. summer internships.
4. Do I get college credit or a certificate?
You won't get course credit, but everyone who finishes the program gets a NASA certificate of completion. If you'd also like to leave the summer with your own research paper, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you with a PhD mentor to write one, fully online.