High School Research Internships
Are you looking for a way to pursue a passion, stand out to colleges, and gain relevant professional experience? If so, applying to a high school research internship would be the perfect opportunity for you. This blog post will cover the what, why, and how of high school research internships as well as offer a few examples of popular research internship programs available for high schoolers.
What is a High School Research Internship?
A high school research internship is a program that allows students to receive hands-on experience in a professional setting and learn skills from mentors. Most high school research internships involve a STEM profession, like research in biology, medicine, etc. What sets internships apart from other high school programs is their high degree of immersion in a specific field. During a research internship, high school students often shadow professionals to learn how to complete research and are often given tasks that enable high schoolers to experience what it would be like working in a professional environment. For example, students might start off cleaning lab equipment and inputting data and eventually be given more research responsibilities, thus allowing students to partake in research on a multitude of levels to see what working in that domain would likely entail.
Why Should I Pursue a High School Research Internship?
There are a multitude of reasons why high schoolers should participate in research internships. High school research internships offer high schoolers the valuable opportunity of working in a professional environment, getting guidance from knowledgeable mentors, and standing out in college applications.
EXPERIENCE WORKING IN A SPECIFIC FIELD
Since high school research internships focus on giving high schoolers the opportunity to truly experience what it would be like to work in a specific domain, students gain a lot of professional expertise. For example, students will have to learn how certain machinery operates, how to communicate as a team, and how to complete tasks similar to what a real researcher would have to complete. The invaluable experience of not only learning more about a subject that you’re interested in but also being able to interact with the subject matter and contribute to meaningful research makes pursuing a high school research internship extremely worthwhile.
Additionally, it could help give you insight into whether or not you would like to continue working in that field. For example, you may realize that the job is not as engaging as you had believed it to be, or you may realize that your interests lie elsewhere. On the other hand, it could also help spark your interest in a field you might’ve not considered before.
GUIDANCE FROM KNOWLEDGEABLE MENTORS
In addition to providing real work experience to high schoolers, high school research internships also allow high schoolers to work alongside experts in the field of their choice. Since professors and other researchers are often busy conducting their own work, it can be difficult to get in touch with them; however, internships allow you to work directly with these experts and ask them for advice. For instance, they could help direct you on how to formulate research questions, where to find data, how to write a research paper, and more. You can also ask them more specific questions about their own work to help you learn more about the topics that you are interested in. Being able to have direct communication and direction from a professional can truly help you learn about both technical skills as well as better understand a field you might want to work in.
IMPROVING YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS
Research internships are also a great way to excel in your college applications. Most high schoolers do not have a lot of real research experience, so being able to say that you not only have worked in a laboratory but have successfully worked with professionals and meaningfully contributed to research can really help you stand out. You can also emphasize the skills you learned such as professional communication, time management, and data analysis or research paper writing skills. Universities look for applicants who demonstrate that they are capable of thriving in an academic research setting---thus, illustrating that you already have experience in laboratories or working with professionals can help you improve your chances of getting accepted into a competitive STEM major compared to other equally exemplary students who have not conducted any research yet.
How do I Find High School Research Internship Opportunities?
There are a multitude of ways that you can find internship opportunities in their area or in the field in which you are interested, such as by reaching out to professors or colleges or conducting online research.
Emailing professors or colleges is a great way to see if there are any opportunities to complete a research internship in a field in which you are interested. You can do a quick online search of professors conducting research and try emailing them. Make sure you personalize your emails and express not only why you want to complete an internship with that particular professor but also why you are qualified for an internship. Professors could always find undergraduate students who are also interested in completing laboratory research---what makes you a valuable asset for an internship? Furthermore, it would be beneficial to have read a few of the professors’ papers beforehand so that you can elaborate on what specific aspects of their research you are interested in pursuing. This helps personalize your email and make it more compelling for professors since it demonstrates your interest and commitment to their work.
Similarly, reaching out to colleges that are well-known for research in the field in which you are interested and asking them about what high school research internships they provide can be productive as well. Colleges often have websites that advertise their research internships, and if you have questions, you can always connect with a college representative.
Another way that you could find high school research internship opportunities available to you is by conducting online research. Searching up what high school internships are available in your region or at a certain university can help you find internship programs that you might not have known about beforehand. Here are some examples of high school research internship programs:
EXAMPLES OF HIGH SCHOOL RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS
The Keller Bigelow Laboratory Orders of Magnitude (BLOOM) Program in Ocean Science
What: hands-on research in local marine environments
Where: Maine
Application deadline: typically early April
What: competitive six-week-long summer STEM internship
Where: Fermilab in Illinois
Application deadline: typically early February
What: five-week-long medical internship
Where: Stanford in California
Application deadline: TBD 2024
What: work on a specific project that varies depending on the center and session
Where: NASA facility near you
Application deadline: different based on the program for which you apply
What: 6-week summer program to work on research with a UCSD researcher
Where: Online
Application deadline: Depends on the session
What: 10-week course about interdisciplinary AI revolving around AI projects
Where: Online
Application deadline: Depends on the session
Conclusion
High school research internships can be extremely valuable for high schoolers who want to experience what it is like to complete research in a specific domain. They can learn technical skills, receive guidance from professional mentors, and stand out in college applications. High school research internships are a great way to demonstrate academic dedication and rigor outside of the classroom and continue to investigate topics that interest you.
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
