Why do internships in high school?
Before we jump into a long list of computer science internships for high school students in Boston, it is important to understand why these opportunities could matter for your future. According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a US News top 50 University have completed at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities serve as a way to distinguish yourself in the admissions process by showing that you have gone out and verified your future goals through experience. Doing internships will help you enter college with a clearer idea of the professional environments you enjoy or don’t enjoy, which will make it easier for you to recruit into a job you love after graduation. Students who have done at least one internship in high school also typically have an easier time recruiting into college internships and pre-professional organizations such as finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Computer Science Internships for High School Students in Boston
The best way to find computer science internships for high school students in Boston is through online search tools and lists. The StandOutSearch database provides the largest free resource that lists almost every internship program for the high school age group and allows you to search by interest area. MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of High School Internships.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, so if you are serious about finding a summer internship in high school, you should also prepare a cold outreach strategy. You can read more about how to form a cold outreach strategy to find a high school internship at the end of this article. We also include email templates to make finding an internship or research position through cold outreach less daunting.
7 Computer Science Internships for High School Students in Boston
Most of the computer science internships for high school students in Boston below have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower, given that there are many more high school students looking for internships relative to official programs that provide them. We recommend choosing at least five opportunities to apply to. If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program created thanks to investment from UChicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation that matches high school students with internships in their interest area. Students interview with potential mentors who are leaders and innovators within their area of interest until they are hired for a two-month internship. Many students then receive optional return offers to continue with their internship for as long as they would like.
Ages: 15-18
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 31
The Leaders through Education, Action and Hope (LEAH) Project is a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), college access, and career readiness program for Boston area youth typically underrepresented in STEM fields (low-income youth, youth of color, first generation college youth) with the vision of increasing representation of Black and Latinx individuals in STEM professions.
Ages: 16-17
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 1
Join MITES Summer (formerly MITES) for our six-week, on-campus program that immerses students from across the country in life at MIT. You’ll take five rigorous, rewarding math, science, and humanities courses—and discover all you can achieve. You’ll also participate in lab tours and social events, and benefit from college admissions counseling. This national program gives you firsthand insights into the value and reward of STEM degrees and careers, while also developing the academic and personal skills you need for success.
Ages: 16 - 18
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 7
The Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers (LLRISE) program is a summer workshop teaching students how to build small radar systems. This summer STEM program is a FREE two-week project-based enrichment program for outstanding students currently in their junior year in high school. This workshop is typically held at the end of July.
Ages: 16-17
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 15
The MIT Women's Technology Program (WTP) is a rigorous four-week summer academic experience to introduce high school students to engineering through hands-on classes, labs, and team-based projects in the summer after 11th grade.
WTP is designed for students who are excited about learning, have demonstrated their ability to excel at math and science in their high school classes, and who have no prior background (or very little) in engineering, with few opportunities to explore these fields.
Ages: 14-16
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: May 1
Codebreakers, now in its 6th year at at Boston University, is a program for young women who are currently in their freshmen or sophomore year of high school girls and wish to learn more about computer and information security. Students will learn about this lucrative field by attending classes, hearing from speakers, and taking virtual field trips via zoom.
Ages: 14 - 16
Location: Boston, MA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: May 1
Boston University AI4ALL is a program promoting greater diversity and inclusion in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Young women, or those who identify as female, currently in their sophomore or junior year of high school in the Boston area are welcome to apply. During the 3-week program, participants will explore the field of AI through team projects, industry field trips, and presentations from guest speakers. The program will conclude with a small group research project and a presentation for friends and family. BU AI4ALL does not charge an application fee or tuition, however all students accepted into the online program pay a $100 non-refundable registration fee.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If the opportunities listed above don’t turn out to be a fit, the next step to finding computer science internships for high school students in Boston is to launch a cold outreach strategy. This may seem intimidating at first, but the guide below should make it much more simple. As an added note, please exercise caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know. It is always safest to interview or meet virtually.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Use LinkedIn to find small companies where you can help with skills such as social media, coding, content/grant writing, or graphic design. Smaller companies that need more hands on deck will be the most likely to hire high-school-aged students. Try to find personal connections with the professionals you reach out to, such as being from the same state originally or liking the same sports team.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can use online university staff directories to find professors to reach out to for research positions. Note that if you are looking for a remote research position with a professor, you should be aware that these opportunities tend to be harder to come by. Professors typically have high school students help with more manual laboratory tasks such as washing beakers or running equipment and usually do not have very much use for interns at a high school education level within a remote setting. The exception is if you are doing computational research, which generally requires introductory knowledge of Python or R to parse large datasets. You should be able to learn Python or R on your own for free within a few months using resources such as Coursera’s R Programming Course or Python for Everybody.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to potential internship providers. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which should be no more than one page while you are in high school. Harvard provides a helpful free resume template and guide. We recommend including your resume as a Google Drive link because including it as a PDF will sometimes negatively impact the deliverability of your email. However, be sure to check that the sharing settings on the document allow anyone with the link to view its contents. It can also be a good idea to include work samples in your resume, such as the link to a website you designed, a social media account you manage, or your GitHub profile.
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
Whether you are applying to established programs or launching a cold outreach strategy, the name of the game when looking for computer science internships for high school students in Boston is perseverance. These opportunities can be extremely difficult to secure, but most high school students find it worth it in the end to get a head start on building their careers. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to save it for later or share it with a friend. Good luck on your internship search journey!