Topics We Cover:
Why Do Internships in High School?
How to Find Remote Internships for High School Students
10 Online Internships for High School Students
Cold Outreach Strategy for Remote High School Internships
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
Why do internships in high school?
Before we jump into a long list of online internships for high school students, 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 Remote Internships for High School Students
The best way to find official programs to apply to 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 both in-person and online High School Internships, as does the Collegevine blog.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, and few are offered remotely, so if you are serious about finding an online 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 remote 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 Online Internships for High School Students
Most of the high school internship opportunities 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 (especially when it comes to remote high school internships). 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 The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation that matches high school students with internships. 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: 16-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: School Year or Summer
Deadline: Various Deadlines
What do cutting edge research, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and unparalleled access to professional scientists and engineers have in common? The AEOP High School Apprenticeship. Spend your summer in a university research lab or in one of the U.S. Army Research Laboratories and Centers through this unique apprenticeship opportunity. All participants must be current high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents. Additional eligibility requirements vary by location.
Ages: 13-17
Location: Remote
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: July 2025
Each year, the New York Academy of Sciences selects an international cohort of passionate high school students (ages 13-17) to become part of The Junior Academy, who join a dynamic global network of like-minded peers and mentors. Students work together on Launchpad, the Academy’s unique, online platform. Launchpad enables students and STEM professionals to collaborate virtually as they compete in project-based challenges focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Varies by Position
The Smithsonian Office of Internships provides high school students the opportunity to gain experience in the world’s largest museum, education, and research institution. There are a variety of virtual, hybrid, and in-person internship opportunities across the various different museums such as the National Museum of Natural History, National Portrait Museum, and National Museum of the American Indian, and a variety of others.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Varies by Position
FPRI offers internships for students during the Summer, Fall, and Spring terms. Interns have the opportunity to connect with members of the foreign relations community and gain experience working for a prestigious think tank. Each intern is paired with a scholar or professional in the field who will work with them to develop industry-specific skills as well as sharpen general skills that come from working in a professional environment such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and time management. Summer interns have the opportunity to attend weekly foreign policy and career-focused seminars with guest speakers. Additionally, interns have the opportunity to work on a research paper to be considered for publication on FPRI’s Intern Corner.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Rolling
Medicine Encompassed is a completely student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that accepts high school students (grades 9-12) from all backgrounds, both on a national and international scale, to be a member! They seek members with a true fervor for STEAM, biology, and the branches of medicine, as they believe that it is critical to grant opportunities for every student with a prospective career in these fields.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Rolling
The PHC Group Summer Program offers talented high school rising/seniors an opportunity to go beyond the classroom to develop leadership skills and gain meaningful and tangible experience as part of a global team in a paid internship. Interns will participate in scheduled activities throughout the summer, engaging in team projects with senior leadership and exploring independent interests that support PHC Group’s mission.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Rolling
EnergyMag offers a limited number of virtual internships to both college and high school students who want to make the world a better place by increasing the share of renewable energy in the world, learn about the energy storage industry, and get work experience in an exciting and fast-moving environment.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 2025
Students gain the computer science skills they need to make an impact and prepare for tech careers in a free, virtual summer program. Summer program participants get exposure to tech jobs, meet leaders in tech careers, and find community in a supportive sisterhood.
Ages: 15-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Various Deadlines
During the summer, you can select from more than 100 regular undergraduate Cornell courses in Architecture and the Arts, Business and Hospitality, Health and Humanities, International Relations, Science and Technology, Social Change, Veterinary Medicine, and more. Online courses are also offered during the winter, spring, and fall. The grades and credits you earn will be recorded on an official Cornell transcript and are generally transferable toward a degree at Cornell or elsewhere.
Cold Outreach Strategy for Remote High School Internships
If the opportunities listed above don’t turn out to be a fit, the next step to finding an online high school internship 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. However, 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 remotely 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!