How to Find (and Land) a High School Internship

Author: ExtracurricularHub Editorial Team (Editorial Team) · Reviewed by Parker, Founder — editorial policy

Article Summary

How to find and land a high school internship: where to look, how to cold-email a lab or business, and how to turn a no into a real position.

Full Article

Here's the thing career centers won't tell you: most high school internships are never advertised. They exist because a student emailed someone and asked. Once you understand that, "finding" an internship becomes two clear paths. ## Path 1 — Structured programs that accept high schoolers These are competitive but real, and they hand you a named role plus mentorship. Deadlines cluster in winter and spring for summer positions, so start in the fall. A few that take high schoolers directly: - **[Naval Research Enterprise (SEAP)](/extracurriculars/naval-research-enterprise-seap)** — paid research placements in Navy labs. - **[AEOP High School Apprenticeship (HSAP)](/extracurriculars/aeop-high-school-apprenticeship-program-hsap)** — apprenticeships in university and Army research labs. - **[NASA SEES Summer Intern Program](/extracurriculars/nasa-sees-high-school-summer-intern-program)** — earth-science and data internships. - **[MSK HOPP Summer Student Program](/extracurriculars/msk-hopp-summer-student-program)** — biomedical research at a major cancer center. Browse the full [internships hub](/extracurriculars/internships) and, for lab-based roles, our [research listings](/extracurriculars/research). ## Path 2 — Create your own This is where most teen internships actually come from, and it's a skill worth learning early. **Where to look:** university labs near you (faculty pages list exactly what each lab studies), local startups and small businesses, nonprofits, your town or city offices, and any adult in your network doing work you find interesting. Proximity beats prestige — a local lab that answers is worth more than a famous one that doesn't. **The cold email that works** (keep it under ~150 words): 1. One line: who you are (grade, school). 2. Two lines: why *their specific* work interests you — reference an actual project or paper. Generic emails get deleted. 3. One line: what you could concretely help with (data entry, literature search, testing, social media — offer to be useful, not just to "learn"). 4. A low-friction ask: a 15-minute call, not "will you give me an internship." Attach a one-page resume. Send 10–20, not 2 — this is a numbers game. Follow up once, politely, after a week. **Turn a "no" into a "later."** Ask anyone who declines whether they know someone who might say yes, and whether you can check back in a few months. Referrals and reopenings are how most of these actually close. ## Make it count Whatever you land, aim for one checkable result — data you collected, a tool you built, a project you can name. Pair the internship with a [career-exploration](/extracurriculars/career-exploration) path, and if no one's hiring, [start your own project](/blog/passion-project-ideas-high-school) instead: self-created work is evidence of exactly the initiative that gets you the next internship.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do high school students find internships?

Two ways: apply to structured programs that accept high schoolers (like [SEAP](/extracurriculars/naval-research-enterprise-seap) or the [AEOP apprenticeship](/extracurriculars/aeop-high-school-apprenticeship-program-hsap)), and create your own by cold-emailing local labs, startups, and offices. Most teen internships come from the second path.

Can a 15-year-old get an internship?

Yes. Many research and government programs start at 15 or 16, and small businesses and university labs can often take a motivated younger student informally. Labor rules vary by state and by paid-versus-unpaid, so confirm eligibility on each listing.

How do I write a cold email for an internship?

Keep it under 150 words: one line on who you are, two lines on why *their* specific work interests you, one concrete offer of what you'd help with, and a low-friction ask (a 15-minute call). Attach a short resume, be specific, and follow up once after a week.

Do internships help with college applications?

Yes — especially self-created ones, which double as evidence of initiative. A named position with real responsibilities and a result (data you collected, a project you shipped) is a strong, verifiable line that most applicants don't have.

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