Finding a meaningful summer internship as a high school student can be challenging but incredibly rewarding. A well-crafted internship experience not only enhances your college applications but also helps you explore potential career paths and develop valuable professional skills. Here’s our comprehensive guide to help you secure that perfect summer opportunity.
Summer internships serve two primary purposes:
Regardless of your goal, internships provide:
Begin by identifying what truly excites you. Consider the "Ikigai framework" which examines the intersection of:
This reflection helps narrow down fields that might be a good fit for your internship search.
Once you've identified areas of interest, categorize potential opportunities into four different "buckets":
For example, if you're interested in music, your options might include:
Your network is larger than you think! Start by listing:
This is your "warm outreach" network—people who already know you or can be easily introduced to you. Next, research organizations and individuals in your interest areas for "cold outreach."
Pro Tip: Aim to contact at least 50 people or organizations to maximize your chances of success. This is a numbers game!
Before reaching out, craft your personal brand by:
Remember: You're not exaggerating or lying—you're framing your experiences to showcase their relevance and impact.
When describing experiences on your resume, avoid simply listing tasks. Instead, highlight:
Personalize every outreach message to show you've done your research:
Don't take silence personally—people are busy, and your email might get lost in a crowded inbox. If you don't hear back:
Interviews come in two forms:
Formal interviews:
Informal/informational interviews:
For either type, always:
Once you've secured your internship, make the most of it:
Countless students have secured meaningful internships that shaped their future paths:
Josh's Story: Passionate about clubfoot, Josh worked with his Curious Cardinals mentor to identify relevant nonprofits, research contacts, prepare for outreach, and secure an internship with a nonprofit in the field. During his internship, he wrote blog posts, traveled to Rwanda, and developed professional skills that strengthened his college applications—ultimately helping him gain admission to the University of Pennsylvania.
Aaron's Story: With a passion for electronics and climate change, Aaron reached out to 30-40 startups working at the intersection of these fields. His persistence paid off when he secured an internship with a wave energy startup where he helped validate their accelerometer data. This experience confirmed his passion for electrical engineering and climate tech, strengthening his application to Duke University.
Shula's Story: Initially interested in medicine, Shula secured a lab internship at Northwestern through her network. Although she discovered that medicine wasn't her true calling, the experience was invaluable—she contributed to research that was published in an Oxford journal and gained clarity about her actual interests in education and social impact, which ultimately led her to Vanderbilt University.
Finding and securing a high school internship requires effort, persistence, and strategy—but the rewards are well worth it. Beyond strengthening your college applications, you'll develop invaluable professional skills and gain clarity about your future path.
Don't navigate this journey alone. Curious Cardinals' specialized 10-session internship program pairs you with a dedicated mentor who will guide you through each step of this process, from defining your interests to maximizing your internship experience.
Get matched with a Curious Cardinals mentor who can help you secure your dream internship. Our personalized approach ensures you'll have professional guidance and accountability every step of the way—polishing your resume, crafting compelling outreach emails, preparing for interviews, and strategizing how to make the most of your experience.