A high school internship is a great way to experience what real life is like in a specific career. Find tips and resources on how to find internships for high school students, how to get an internship in high school and read about a boarding school offering an internship program through Stanford University.
What is the best way to find high school internships? Before you do internet searches and begin looking over lists, check with your public or private school counseling department to see if they offer internships for high school students. They typically know about various types of internships, including some of these popular choices:
- Business internships for high school students
- Science internships for high school students
- Computer science internships for high school students
- Aviation internships for high school students
- Hospitality internships for high school students
Where can I find lists of high school internships? If speaking with a school counselor does not result in the specific type of internship you have in mind, then do a search under the keyword phrase, “internships for high school students.”
If you do not find the type you are looking for on the general internship lists below, then do more specific searches under your area of interest (e.g. business internships, science internships, computer science internships, aviation internships, hospitality internships, nonprofit internships).
Using the resources below, you will find lists of high school internships:
- US News – This list provides some guidance on how to find some of the best internships for high school students. The list includes: Bank of America, BrainYAC, Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution.
- College Vine – This list of internships has everything from the Secret Service, Air Force Research Library Scholar Program, to the Microsoft High School Internship. These internships are more focused on ways to enhance college applications through high school internships.
- Aralia – This list is well organized and broken down into categories including: STEM, Computer Science, the Arts, and nonprofits.
- Additional Resources – There are also internship lists available from IvyWise, Crimson Education, Transizion, and even high school internship openings posted on Indeed.
Commonly Asked Questions about High School Internships
What is a high school internship? Basically, an internship for high schoolers provides a chance to be introduced to a certain profession. Internships in high school can be with a company or organization. An internship during high school may be part-time or full-time. It could be paid or unpaid and last a few weeks to a year. Similar to entry level employees, interns report to a supervisor. They also sometimes go through special training like regular employees.
Why are high school internships important? Benefits of internships include the chance to explore a career direction, develop real-world skills, enhance college applications, build your resume for your future career, make a meaningful contribution, and even find a mentor in a field of interest.
Are there internships geared just for high schoolers? As high school students seek to gain real-world skills and apply academic knowledge, there has been an increasing interest in internships during high school and a growing number of organizations that offer them.
Do some private schools offer internships for students?
Many top private schools offer internship programs for high school students.. Some internship programs will pre-qualify and guarantee selected private high schools a specific number of internships and this could give you a competitive edge. Of course, the process is still competitive within the respective school and students must go through the defined internship application steps.
What are some of the top internship programs?
For a short list compiled by Scholarship 360, you can get an idea from their list of recommendations. Their list of the top 15 internships for high school students, includes: NASA Internships, Met High School Internship, Indiana University Summer Research Program, Microsoft High School Internship, Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI), KP Launch Internship, Geosciences Bridge Program, The Intern Group Global Internship Program and many others.
Where can you find private schools that have internship partners?
If you are looking to transfer to a new private school, it is best to reach out to admission offices based on a full list of preferences. There are many criteria for finding the right private school and internships are just one of the many things you may be seeking.
For instance, if you are looking for an all-boys college prep boarding school, check out Army and Navy Academy. They offer a summer internship through the Stanford University Cardiovascular Institute Program.
How Does an Internship Work?
To better understand how internships work, let’s take the Stanford University Cardiovascular Institute Program as an example. This is a very interactive hands-on internship, where the whole point is to really provide an immersive medical and surgical experience.
After going through this internship, some high school students will be wholly committed to becoming doctors or surgeons. However, keep in mind, every internship is unique in offering professional skills aligned with your particular area of interest.
How to Get an Internship in High School?
Before you try to get an internship or even apply, take a step back and think about the following questions:
- What are you really interested in learning in a high school internship?
- Do you know anyone who has had an internship in high school?
- Have you checked in with your public or private school guidance counselors to find out about any internship programs for high school students?
- Have you reviewed internship lists to see if any of them pique your interest?
- Do you understand the high school internship application requirements and do you meet the criteria?
- Are you committed to following the internship application steps and deadlines?
- How many high school internship applications do you plan to submit?
- Have you weighed the pros and cons of an internship vs. summer jobs?
- Do you want to do a local internship or are you open to going somewhere out-of-state or even outside the U.S.?
- Are your high school internship choices in sync with your interests for college in terms of a college major or minor?
Internships in high school can be transformative experiences and lead you on a path that will expose you to a chosen profession or simply be an eye-opening experience to the work world.
Whether you are looking for a business Internship, interested in delving into science or the arts, or wanting to give back through a nonprofit internship, internships will take you to a whole new level.
