7 Finance Internships for High School Students in Chicago
- Estelle Reardon
- Feb 18
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 30
Topics We Cover:
Why Do Internships in High School?
How to Find Finance Internships for High School Students in Chicago
7 Finance Internships for High School Students in Chicago
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Finance Internships
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you’re a Windy City teen dreaming of a career in financial analysis, investment banking, trading, or wealth management, a finance internship for high school students in Chicago can set you on the path to your dream job.
Why Do Internships in High School?
A finance internship for high school students in Chicago allows Second City teens to begin building the skills, experience, and network needed to succeed in banking and investment. High school internships also make it easier to gain admission to the best colleges and universities by helping you stand out in competitive application pools.
PRISM, a student-run consultancy at the University of Chicago, found that nearly three-quarters of students at U.S. News Top 50 universities completed at least one high school internship. Working a high school internship demonstrates ambition, curiosity, and follow-through—showing that students have explored the fields that excite them outside of school, verified their interests with real-world experience, and taken a step forward on their academic and career paths.
High school internships also make it easier to secure future opportunities, such as college internships and admissions to finance-focused groups and societies, including investment and venture capital clubs, finance societies, and affinity groups like women in business.
How to Find Finance Internships for High School Students in Chicago
Online search tools and curated lists are great for discovering finance internships for high school students in Chicago, but one resource stands above the rest: StandOutSearch—the largest free online database of high school internships. Featuring a variety of filters, including location and format (in-person, virtual, or hybrid), StandOutSearch allows teens to refine their search and find internships ideally suited to their interests and goals. MIT Admissions has also collected a helpful list of summer internships.
The challenge of official internship programs is that they’re typically ultra-competitive. Because of this, students intent on securing an internship will want to form a cold outreach strategy—a plan for contacting professionals about potential internship opportunities. It’s common for students to find cold outreach unnerving, but the guide and tips at the end of the article simplify the process and ease anxiety.
7 Finance Internships for High School Students in Chicago
Because the demand from students far outweighs the number of available slots, most finance internships in Chicago admit fewer than one in five applicants. Since these programs are exceptionally competitive, we suggest applying to at least five different opportunities to improve your odds.
If a particular position stands out, make sure to note the application deadline in your calendar immediately so you don’t miss your window.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program that helps match gifted high school students with online internships in their industry of interest. Potential sectors include finance, STEM, medicine, law, arts, and more. StandOut Connect is funded by StandOutSearch, the largest free database for high school internships. The program has been featured in Forbes and was created with the help of investment from The University of Chicago's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Ages: Sophomores and Juniors
Location: Chicago, IL
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 31
Chicago Business Institute provides a six-week paid internship program to Chicago high school students each summer. These internships take place at various banks, law firms, and accounting and engineering firms throughout the Loop and business districts. In conjunction with a 24-hour workweek, students attend half-day classroom seminars and workshops each week where they learn about financial markets, attend seminars given by successful business executives, and participate in team-building programs.
Ages: Seniors
Location: Chicago, IL
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: TBD
Genesys Works helps students launch their careers in business and technology—building professional and technical skills, a network of mentors, and a standout resume through work experience. Participants complete skills training, engage in a paid internship, and receive college and career coaching.
Not only are participants given the tools and support needed to meet their academic and professional goals, but they can also earn between $10,000 and $12,000 over the course of the program.
Ages: Freshmen-Seniors
Location: Chicago, IL
Timeline: Winter/Spring, Summer, and Fall
Deadline:
Winter/Spring: December 1
Summer: April 15
Fall August 1
CAIR-Chicago offers a professional work experience grounded in social advocacy. Interns can gain hands-on experience in fields such as law, media, and public policy, developing valuable skills while defending civil rights. The program provides an ideal environment for growth and networking within a diverse community and also allows students to earn school credit or community service hours.
Ages: Juniors and Seniors
Location: Chicago, IL
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Participants in this summer internship program receive career readiness training, complete an assignment for a Chicago-area company or nonprofit, and have the opportunity to secure up to a $2,5000 college award. Students leave the program having developed their skills, grown their professional network, and built work experience.
Ages: Seniors
Location: Chicago, IL
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 9
Students in this prestigious summer program engage in a paid six-week internship, then attend an all-expenses-paid leadership conference in Washington, D.C. Interns are placed at local nonprofits where they’ll serve their community, build professional skills, and learn about how the public and private sectors work together to meet the needs of the community.
Ages: Freshmen-Seniors
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: January 12
This online program, designed for low-income urban and rural students, provides firsthand experience with startup expenses. Participants work with entrepreneurs to bring their business ideas to life while connecting with like-minded peers, building skills, and forming meaningful connections in the business and tech world.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Finance Internships
If none of the above finance internships for high school students in Chicago are the right fit for you, the next step to finding a position is to launch a cold outreach strategy. Below you’ll find tips and templates that make cold outreach considerably easier.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Use LinkedIn to discover small firms, brokerages, banks, businesses, and startups, which are excellent targets for high school internships—they’re often understaffed and more likely to welcome a teen to their team to assist with tasks like data entry, customer service, reporting, and research.
When reaching out to potential internship providers, try to forge personal connections. This could be something specific, like bonding over a shared favorite investing podcast, or something more general, such as coming from the same hometown.
Use caution when contacting professionals you don’t know and schedule meetings and interviews virtually, which is safer than in-person.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can find professors to contact about research positions using online university directories. Unfortunately, remote research opportunities are the exception, not the rule. Most professors rely on teens for help with hands-on jobs and rarely have remote openings for high schoolers.
Computational research is the exception, as it typically requires at least basic coding skills. If you can code, you’re in luck. If not, you can teach yourself Python or R for free in just a few months using resources like Coursera’s Python for Everybody and R Programming, opening up opportunities ranging from manual lab work to remote-friendly data analysis.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
We suggest contacting at least 50 potential internship providers about possible opportunities. When emailing, be sure to include a Google link to your resume—ensuring its settings allow anyone with the link to view its contents. Links work better than PDFs and Docs, which can trigger spam filters and cause delivery issues.
Cold outreach requires a polished resume. Our resume guide and template have everything you need to know—whether you’re writing your first resume or fine-tuning an existing one—to craft an internship-winning resume. The University of Chicago’s resume toolkit is another helpful resource.
Also, make sure to highlight any relevant experience or work you’ve done when making internship inquiries. Prior experience with basic accounting, preparing spreadsheets, conducting research, or performing data entry might open the door to an opportunity.
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 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
Perseverance is a valuable asset when looking for finance internships in Chicago. Whether you’re pursuing established programs or engaging in cold outreach, the path is challenging, but the professional payoff is massive.
If you found these tips helpful, save this post or share it with someone else interested in an internship. Good luck on your internship journey!
