Why do internships in high school?
Before we jump into a long list of neuroscience internships for high school students in San Francisco, it is important to understand why these opportunities could matter for your future. According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a US News top 50 University have completed at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities serve as a way to distinguish yourself in the admissions process by showing that you have gone out and verified your future goals through experience. Doing internships will help you enter college with a clearer idea of the professional environments you enjoy or don’t enjoy, which will make it easier for you to recruit into a job you love after graduation. Students who have done at least one internship in high school also typically have an easier time recruiting into college internships and pre-professional organizations such as finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Neuroscience Internships for High School Students in San Francisco
The best way to find neuroscience internships for high school students in San Francisco is through online search tools and lists. The StandOutSearch database provides the largest free resource that lists almost every internship program for the high school age group and allows you to search by interest area. MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of High School Internships.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, so if you are serious about finding a summer internship in high school, you should also prepare a cold outreach strategy. You can read more about how to form a cold outreach strategy to find a high school internship at the end of this article. We also include email templates to make finding an internship or research position through cold outreach less daunting.
10 Neuroscience Internships for High School Students in San Francisco
Most of the neuroscience internships for high school students in San Francisco below have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower, given that there are many more high school students looking for internships relative to official programs that provide them. We recommend choosing at least five opportunities to apply to. If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program created thanks to investment from UChicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation that matches high school students with internships in their interest area. Students interview with potential mentors who are leaders and innovators within their area of interest until they are hired for a two-month internship. Many students then receive optional return offers to continue with their internship for as long as they would like.
Ages: 16 - 17
Location: San Francisco, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February
Conduct biomedical science research alongside a scientist who is your day-to-day mentor and teacher. Examples of past research topics include: infectious disease, neuroscience, molecular biology, immunology, cancer, stem cell research, and developmental biology. Develop science communication skills. Build your professional network through interactions with scientists and others at UCSF Build community with a cohort of 25 High School Interns Participate in College Counseling supports including: Writing workshops to develop a personal statement for use in college applications. Individual meetings with our college counselor to review transcripts and learn about colleges.
Ages: 16 - 19
Location: Multiple locations
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: December
Through KP LAUNCH, Kaiser Permanente offers young adults a variety of paid internship opportunities in our Oakland headquarters and medical offices across Northern California. Our interns have the opportunity to work for an industry leader on projects that matter. Interns are provided with work experience that exposes them to administrative and supporting careers in health care environments.
Ages: 16 - 19
Location: Stanford, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February
The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) is an eight-week program in which high school students from diverse backgrounds are invited to perform basic research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and researchers on a medically-oriented project. The goals of the program include increasing interest in biological sciences and medicine in high school students, helping students to understand how scientific research is performed, and increasing diversity of students and researchers in the sciences.
Ages: 16 - 18
Location: San Francisco, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February
This summer program provides a one-on-one mentorship with health care providers and researchers, along with access to unique workshops, seminars, trainings, simulations, and networking opportunities. The program culminates in a formal research symposium in which each student presents their project findings to the scientific community, many of which continue on as future grants, publications, and advances in healthcare. The overall goal of the program is to stimulate interest in health sciences for under-represented students, arming them with professional skills and confidence, thereby improving their likelihood of success in STEM careers.
Ages: 16 - 17
Location: Stanford, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March
The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP) is an academic enrichment program for students from low-income, underrepresented backgrounds. Over five weeks, participants engage in faculty lectures, professional development workshops, Stanford Medicine networking events, and a public health disparities research project.
Ages: 16 and over
Location: Greenbrae, CA
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: None
High School Volunteer Program, S.M.I.L.E. Cart is for high school students age 16 and over with only ten spots available in the entire program. Best time to apply is between January – March each year. This highly competitive year-long program is geared for students who are seriously considering a career in the medical field, and demonstrate reliability and commitment level in their application. Interns will be assigned one of the following permanent 2-hour shifts per week: Monday - Friday, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm.
Ages: 15 - 18
Location: San Francisco, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Until filled
Explainers help visitors engage with the Exploratorium’s exhibits, lead daily demonstrations, and help run the museum’s operations. Increasingly, Explainers also provide multilingual explanations and support for visitors. Sometimes, experienced Explainers participate in specialized internships, and some work in study groups.
Ages: 14 - 18
Location: San Francisco, California
Timeline: February
Deadline: Summer
Designed for students interested in health and medical careers. Students will work a minimum of 20 hours per week, for six weeks at UCSF, or a local senior home. Students will also participate in weekly Work Based Learning seminars.
Ages: Freshman - Senior
Location: San Francisco, California
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: April
On Saturdays during the school year and weekdays in the summer, all interns conduct fieldwork outdoors and facilitate learning experiences for Academy visitors on the public floor. Interns also attend interactive training sessions twice a month to develop science communication skills, learn about careers from practicing STEM professionals, and receive guidance on topics like financial literacy and the college application process. In addition, interns attend college tours, present at STEM conferences and festivals, and help inform the design of Academy exhibits and educational materials. As interns advance through the program, they'll participate in project groups, in which small groups of students work on a science research or environmental action project led by an Academy researcher or partner. Interns will also serve on the CiS Leadership Council and are eligible for individualized mentorships with Academy experts.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If the opportunities listed above don’t turn out to be a fit, the next step to finding neuroscience internships for high school students in San Francisco is to launch a cold outreach strategy. This may seem intimidating at first, but the guide below should make it much more simple. As an added note, please exercise caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know. It is always safest to interview or meet virtually.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Use LinkedIn to find small companies where you can help with skills such as social media, coding, content/grant writing, or graphic design. Smaller companies that need more hands on deck will be the most likely to hire high-school-aged students. Try to find personal connections with the professionals you reach out to, such as being from the same state originally or liking the same sports team.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can use online university staff directories to find professors to reach out to for research positions. Note that if you are looking for a remote research position with a professor, you should be aware that these opportunities tend to be harder to come by. Professors typically have high school students help with more manual laboratory tasks such as washing beakers or running equipment and usually do not have very much use for interns at a high school education level within a remote setting. The exception is if you are doing computational research, which generally requires introductory knowledge of Python or R to parse large datasets. You should be able to learn Python or R on your own for free within a few months using resources such as Coursera’s R Programming Course or Python for Everybody.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to potential internship providers. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which should be no more than one page while you are in high school. UChicago provides a helpful free resume template and guide. We recommend including your resume as a Google Drive link because including it as a PDF will sometimes negatively impact the deliverability of your email. However, be sure to check that the sharing settings on the document allow anyone with the link to view its contents. It can also be a good idea to include work samples in your resume, such as the link to a website you designed, a social media account you manage, or your GitHub profile.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you are unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can customize to your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I read about your company on LinkedIn and found the concept quite interesting. For context, [briefly state how the company relates to your interests or experience].
I was wondering if you might be looking for interns. I know I would have a great deal to learn from working with you, and I would love to contribute in any way I can. I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I recently read your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was quite intrigued by [part you found interesting]. I was wondering if I might be able to intern for you over this summer. [Elaborate on your relevant skills and experience and why you are passionate about the field].
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Whether you are applying to established programs or launching a cold outreach strategy, the name of the game when looking for a high school internship or research position is perseverance. These opportunities can be extremely difficult to secure, but most high school students find it worth it in the end to get a head start on building their careers. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to save it for later or share it with a friend. Good luck on your internship search journey!