20 Internships for High School Students in New Jersey
- Estelle Reardon
- Jun 11, 2025
- 11 min read
Updated: Jun 12, 2025
High school internships provide significant advantages for college-bound students in New Jersey and nationwide. The consultancy PRISM reports that 70% of students attending a top 50 U.S. university (as ranked by U.S. News) completed at least one internship during high school. High school internships help students stand out in college admissions by showcasing their initiative, developing real-world skills, and exploring potential career paths. Another benefit for high schoolers participating in internships is that they often find it easier to secure internships in college and join competitive pre-professional organizations, like finance and law clubs.
Keep reading to learn about the more notable internships for high schoolers in New Jersey, as well as some tips for finding your own internship opportunity.
How to Find Internships for High School Students in New Jersey
How to Find Internships for High School Students in New Jersey
Online searches and lists are excellent places to start your search for internships in NJ. StandOutSearch stands apart from other tools—it’s a comprehensive collection of almost every internship available to high schoolers and is searchable using numerous filters, including location, area of interest, and paid vs. unpaid. The MIT Admissions list of high school internships and the CollegeVine blog are other helpful resources for high school internship opportunities.
High school internships are typically extremely competitive and feature an abundance of highly qualified applicants vying for just a few coveted spots. Another option for high schoolers seeking internships is to contact local businesses and organizations and inquire about potential opportunities. At the bottom of this article, we offer some valuable tips, best practices, and email templates for developing a cold outreach strategy—helping make the prospect of finding an internship or research position less overwhelming.
20 Internships for High School Students in New Jersey
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, spring, fall, or winter
Deadline: Various
StandOut Connect matches talented high school students with virtual internships aligned with their interests. Opportunities span a wide range of fields, including finance, STEM, medicine, law, the arts, and more. The program is powered by StandOutSearch—the largest free internship database for high school students—and has been featured in Forbes. It was launched with support from the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Ages: 15-18
Location: Newark and Camden, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer, spring, fall, or winter
Deadline: Various
Congressman Cory Booker provides internships to high schoolers in both his Newark and Camden offices. Internships are offered in three sessions: spring, summer, and fall. Interns gain firsthand experience working for one of the nation’s most influential members of Congress while assisting with general office work and constituent-focused tasks like attending local events, tracking opinions on issues, and conducting research.
Ages: Rising Senior
Location: New Brunswick, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 10
Although the Governor’s School of New Jersey in Engineering & Technology isn’t an internship per se, ambitious high schoolers will want to check out this free, residential, approximately four-week program held at Rutgers University School of Engineering. Participants take academic courses, engage in research and design projects, present a paper at a symposium, and visit local corporations. Students also explore potential career paths, connect with other talented and highly motivated high schoolers and mentors, and develop skills ranging from teamwork to entrepreneurship.
This is an extremely competitive program, with only 15% to 25% of applicants offered admission.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Toms River, New Jersey
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: Rolling
Strictly speaking, the Ocean County Historical Society High School Community Service Program isn’t a high school internship. That said, this extracurricular activity is a great opportunity for New Jersey high schoolers interested in history and giving back to their communities. Students engaged in this volunteer position assist with a variety of tasks related to the museum’s day-to-day operation. Volunteers also undertake service projects like inventory and record keeping, assist with programs, and exhibit and display research.
Ultimately, student volunteers build a number of valuable skills and gain a deeper understanding of the career paths available in the “study of history.”
Ages: 15-19
Location: Trenton, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April 12
The Mercer County Student Internship Program is open to high schoolers who live or attend school in Mercer County, NJ. Interns take part in a variety of activities that teach new skills, develop existing knowledge and abilities, and explore potential career paths in the public sector.
Interns leave the program having gained practical, hands-on, real-world experience, built career readiness, and earned some money—interns are paid.
Ages: Freshman
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Timeline: Sophomore through senior year
Deadline: Students are selected to apply during the spring of their freshman year of high school
Princeton University Preparatory Program (PUPP) Scholars are nurtured throughout their high school career—scholars receive academic support, are challenged to work diligently and at an exemplary level, and are guided through the college admissions and financial aid process. Scholars participate in academic enrichment sessions and cultural excursions during the school year; over the summer, they complete intensive six-and-a-half-week summer institutes at Princeton University.
Ages: Junior
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
The Princeton Summer Journalism Program is a free program for students from low-income backgrounds interested in pursuing a degree in journalism. Participants explore the connection between journalism and critical social and political events, receive college preparation, and help publish the program’s annual newspaper, The Princeton Summer Journal.
Ages: 16-19
Location: Newark, New Jersey
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: December 1
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School provides high schoolers the opportunity to intern for a faculty member. Students must arrange the internship position themselves—contacting faculty members, proposing a research project, and securing a commitment from a mentor.
Ages: 17-19
Location: Camden, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: May 15
Coriell Summer Experience for Students is a four-week program that allows students to participate in day-to-day research activities, receive support from mentors, and gain firsthand experience working with cutting-edge equipment and technology. Participants will pursue a production laboratory experience, exploring fundamental techniques of generating, freezing, and distributing the samples.
Participants are also invited to scientific seminars and presentations, as well as engage in career-readiness programming, learning about resume building, interviewing, and potential career paths.
Ages: Rising Junior or Senior
Location: Various
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
Partners in Science pairs high schoolers with demonstrated potential in STEM with mentors in the science, health, and medical fields. While not an internship in name, participants gain hands-on experience in a college or university lab, immersing themselves in research, growing their network, and developing their science and communication skills.
Participants receive a stipend upon successfully completing the program.
Ages: Rising Junior or Senior
Location: New Brunswick, New Jersey
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: March 8
The RUYES program introduces New Jersey high school students to the biomedical sciences and ultimately careers in cancer research and healthcare. This is a two-year program in which participants receive professional training during the school year and engage in cutting-edge cancer research in mentor-supervised labs over the summer. The program culminates with students presenting a poster and a 10-minute talk detailing their research experience.
Students are paid for their time and may be compensated for other expenses.
Ages: Rising Junior or Senior
Location: Newark, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 27
This competitive six-week summer research program provided by the New Jersey Institute of Technology introduces high schoolers to discovery and innovation—ultimately encouraging them to pursue careers in science. Students work under the supervision of faculty and receive mentoring from graduate and undergraduate students while exploring one of five research areas:
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Intelligence, and Robotics
Bioscience and Bioengineering
Data Science and Management
Environment and Sustainability
Material Science and Engineering
Admission to this summer program is competitive—applicants should have a minimum 3.75 GPA and are required to submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Newark, New Jersey
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: June 15
The Newark Museum of Art’s Explorers Teen Program helps high schoolers build college, career, and life readiness through the museum’s collections, resources, and staff. The internship program lasts three to four years, with interns committing to 6 hours a week after school during the academic year and 25 hours per week over the summer. They must also devote 60 hours to community service annually.
Participants in this NJ program reap a number of benefits, including attending workshops in fields ranging from STEM to financial literacy, receiving SAT prep, going on field trips and college tours, and attending a gala at the museum. Students are paid for their participation.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Newark, New Jersey
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: May 9
The Science Medicine and Related Topics (SMART) program is aimed at increasing the interest of economically and educationally disadvantaged students in health-related professions. Students build the skills needed to advance their knowledge of science while being led by NJ-certified science teachers, New Jersey Medical School Faculty, and medical, dental, and graduate students. The SMART program follows a hybrid schedule with sessions held both on Zoom and in person.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Hackensack, NewJersey
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: Rolling
The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Student Internship provides high schoolers with a chance to gain real work experience in law enforcement. Students work in a variety of settings, gaining broad exposure to the day-to-day workings of a law enforcement agency and building their skills. Students must be residents of Bergen County to participate in the program.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Ewing Township, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: May 9
The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications and Integration Cell (NJCCIC) offers high schoolers the opportunity to participate in a summer internship. Two tiers of internships are available: a basic internship program for students with an interest in cybersecurity and an advanced program for students with prior cybersecurity experience and an interest in further exploring the field.
Ages: Junior
Location: Madison, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 10
The Governor’s School of New Jersey Program in the Sciences (GSNJS) is a prestigious three-week residential program for NJ students with an aptitude for and interest in science. The program is held on the campus of Drew University, where participants engage in college-level research, broaden their scientific knowledge, and are exposed to potential career paths in the sciences—kind of like a summer internship as a college science major.
High school students interested in science internships will also want to check out NASA’s high school internships.
Ages: Junior or Senior
Location: Various
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 15
The Bank of America Student Leaders is a prestigous summer program offering high schoolers the chance to participate in eight-week paid internships. Participants are paired with nonprofits like Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Habitat for Humanity, where they gain hands-on experience and learn valuable civic, social, and business leadership skills. The program culminates with an all-expenses-paid trip to a one-week, in-person summit in Washington, D.C., where students gather to further develop their leadership abilities.
The Bank of America Student Leaders program is offered in nearly 100 communities nationwide, including several in New Jersey.
Ages: 16-19
Location: Piscataway, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
WISE is a two-week, non-residential program that provides high school students the chance to engage in an authentic research project in molecular biology and bioinformatics. Under the guidance of Rutgers faculty, students participate in seminars, conduct lab work to purify and analyze DNA fragments, analyze gene sequences, and submit their vetted DNA sequence analysis for publication on GenBank—the international repository of DNA sequences.
Ages: Graduating Senior
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 1
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) provides a limited number of summer internships to graduating high school seniors. Interns work on a project with research or engineering staff for eight to ten weeks. The program is aimed at highly motivated students and it’s recommended that applicants have taken courses in physics, chemistry, advanced math, and engineering, along with having experience in computer languages such as Python and Java.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If none of the internships above appeal to you, the next step is to create a cold outreach strategy—that is, an approach for contacting professionals you have no connection with the aim of securing an internship. While some students may find this process daunting, the guide below offers simple steps to make it more approachable and less stressful.
It’s important to be cautious when contacting professionals you haven’t met. Opt for virtual meetings and interviews whenever possible for added safety.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Compared to their larger counterparts, small companies are often understaffed and under-resourced, making them more likely to take on a high school intern. LinkedIn is a great resource for finding internships with small NJ companies. Students can use LinkedIn to learn about the company or organization, see if they share any connections, and reach out to decision makers about potential internships.
If you’re new to using LinkedIn, our ultimate guide has all the information needed to create an attention-grabbing profile, manage your account, and ultimately leverage it to secure an internship.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
Online university staff directories are a valuable resource for high school students seeking research opportunities with professors. High school research opportunities are typically in-person, as high schoolers often assist with practical lab tasks, such as cleaning beakers or operating equipment.
Remote research positions are more prevalent in certain fields, most notably computational research. These positions generally require a basic knowledge of Python or R. Fortunately, free resources such as Coursera’s R Programming Course and Python for Everybody enable students to independently learn Python or R in just a few months.
Email Templates for Finding a High School Internship
If you’re unsure how to format your outreach emails for potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can tailor to fit your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you’re having a wonderful day! My name is [Your Name], and I am a rising [grade/year] at [your school] in New Jersey. I came across your company on LinkedIn and found your work interesting, especially in [specific aspect of the company’s work that interests you]. I’m passionate about [your area of interest] and think I can be a valuable asset to your company. For example, [briefly explain how their work relates to your interests or experience].
I wanted to inquire if you are currently offering any internship opportunities. I know I could learn a great deal working with you, and I am eager to contribute in any way I can. I’ve attached my resume for your reference. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you’re having a great day! My name is [Your Name], and I am a rising [grade/year] at [Your School] in New Jersey. I recently came across your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was particularly intrigued by [specific aspect of the paper].
I was wondering if you might have any summer internship opportunities. I’m passionate about [field/subject], have experience in [briefly mention skills, projects, or coursework], and am eager to learn more.
I have attached my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Persistence is a valuable quality when trying to secure a high school internship or research opportunity, no matter if it’s an established position or pursuing a cold outreach strategy. Obtaining these positions is challenging, but the rewards are substantial—bolstering college admissions odds and kickstarting a career.
If you found this article helpful, bookmark it for future reference or share it with a friend in NJ who might also benefit from it. Best of luck in your internship search!
well. Best of luck in your internship search!