The Microsoft Discovery Program is a prestigious four-week summer high school internship for rising seniors interested in STEM careers. This paid internship provides numerous valuable opportunities, including gaining hands-on project experience, developing career readiness, and receiving mentorship from Microsoft employees. Students also gain insight into tech professions and learn what it’s like to work at one of the world’s largest technology companies.
Microsoft Discovery High School Internship Overview
Over the internship’s four weeks, participants (known as Discoverers) are introduced to core computer science concepts, work on real-world projects, collaborate in small teams, and receive mentorship from Microsoft employees, ultimately preparing for a tech career. Projects cover a variety of disciplines and require no prior technical experience.
The Discovery Program emphasizes hands-on learning and offers a glimpse into a number of different roles such as Software Engineering, Product Management, and UX Design. Outside of their teams, Discoverers have the chance to attend discussions on different technologies, connect with other interns, and network with Microsoft employees.
What Qualifications are Required for a Microsoft Internship?
The Microsoft Discovery High School Internship is held in two locations: Redmond, Washington, and Atlanta, Georgia. The Redmond internship is open to students who live within 50 miles of Redmond and who are members or participants of one of the following organizations:
- Computing for All
- College Success Foundations
- Washington MESA
- Rainier Scholars
- Technology Access Foundation
- UW STEMsub Program
The Atlanta internship is available to students from:
- Atlanta Public Schools
- Clayton County School District
- Cobb County School District
- DeKalb County School District
- Fulton County School District
- Gwinnett County School District
Both the Redmond and Atlanta Microsoft internships require applicants to be at least 16 years old, graduating high school seniors, and have completed pre-calculus or an equivalent course by the start of the program.
Although the Microsoft high school internship is only open to graduating high school seniors, it’s a great opportunity for students to gain firsthand tech experience before their first year of college or to bolster a resume if taking a gap year.
Microsoft High School Internship Application
To apply for Microsoft’s Discovery Program, students must submit a list of the colleges or universities they have applied to or been accepted at, along with their intended major(s). Majoring in a STEM field isn’t required to participate in the internship program, however, students should possess an interest in STEM and a desire to explore tech careers. Applicants are also asked to share any extracurricular and academic organizations they belong to and a brief description of their involvement with them.
A growth mindset and spirit of collaboration are foundational principles of Microsoft’s culture. Applicants must demonstrate their eagerness to learn and an interest in discovering new things by composing an essay (500 words or less) about a time they collaborated on a school, group, or community project in an unfamiliar field. The essay should describe their actions, the outcome, and the lessons they learned from the experience.
Benefits of Participating in the Microsoft Discovery Program
The Microsoft Discovery Program is a paid internship, allowing students to earn money as they build real-world work experience and develop technical and soft skills that will benefit them in college and beyond. Interns will also learn how to transform their interest in tech into a career.
Participants in this internship program are also introduced to a group of like-minded peers and connected with professionals and mentors who can provide everything from information about potential opportunities to career guidance to letters of recommendation.
Lastly, the Microsoft Discovery Program is extremely prestigious. Participation in the program can open a variety of doors, make a resume stand out in a crowded field of applicants, and give a career in tech a huge boost.
Stand Out with a Microsoft High School Internship
The Microsoft Discovery Program offers high school students an opportunity typically reserved for college students. The experience gained through hands-on learning, professional mentorship, and exposure to the tech industry makes it an invaluable stepping stone toward a career in technology.
In the end, the Microsoft Discovery Program is an exceptional opportunity for high schoolers who are passionate about STEM and looking to get their foot in the door of the tech industry.
10 Exceptional High School STEM Internships
The Microsoft Discovery Program High School Internship is highly selective and has a tight application window. If you’re not selected or miss the application deadline, no worries, there are an abundance of other fantastic STEM internships open to high schoolers. Below are 10 high school internship opportunities worth exploring.
1. Naval STEM Interns | Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
- Ages: 16-18
- Location: Multiple Locations
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: November 30, 2026
SEAP is an eight-week summer internship—with the possibility of extending to 10 weeks—for academically talented high schoolers. This highly selective program places interns in one of 38 Department of Navy laboratories to participate in STEM-focused research projects. Students receive mentorship from scientists and engineers while exploring potential career paths. They also gain exposure to real science and technology and research and development opportunities.
SEAP is a paid internship. First-year interns receive a $4,000 stipend while returning participants are given a $4,500 stipend.
2. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program
- Ages: Juniors and Seniors
- Location: Multiple Locations
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: January 11, 2027
Through the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program, students spend the summer on research teams working with cutting-edge technology. High school juniors and seniors gain first-hand experience working hand in hand with professional scientists and engineers. Internships are in person at Air Force sites around the country and run full time, 40 hours per week, for at least eight weeks. This is a paid internship, and high school scholars most recently earned a weekly stipend of $506.80 at most sites. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 16 years old (18 for California sites), and willing to relocate temporarily and arrange their own transportation to the base.
3. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
- Ages: Juniors and Seniors
- Location: Multiple Locations
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: Not yet announced (January 25 in 2026)
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is a paid eight-week summer internship for high school juniors and seniors—interns receive a $3,000 stipend at the completion of the program. The program offers hands-on, research-based experiences in fisheries and aquatic sciences, inspiring students from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in the field.
Interns receive mentorship from fishery professionals, gaining work experience and a better understanding of career opportunities in the field. Interns also gain exposure to the pressing issues facing the field and the importance of healthy aquatic systems.
Internship opportunities are available in all 50 states, plus Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
4. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Summer Student Program (SSP)
- Ages: Juniors
- Location: New York, NY
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: February 5, 2027
The SSP at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center is an eight-week high school internship focused on biomedical or computational lab research. Interns work on self-directed projects under a mentor’s guidance, attend lab meetings and sessions, and network with professionals in the labs and the broader MSK community. Ultimately, students will complete the program with a deeper understanding of life as a professional scientist and have gained insight into the world of translational medicine and research.
The internship is open to students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut who live within 25 miles of the Main Campus of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This is a paid program and interns receive a $1,200 stipend.
5. Princeton University Laboratory Learning Program
- Ages: 16-18
- Location: Princeton, NJ
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: Not yet announced (March 15 in 2026)
The Laboratory Learning Program provides students local to Princeton University the chance to participate in a free, full-time research experience in natural science or engineering. Participants are included in ongoing research projects and supervised by Princeton faculty and research staff. Each internship opportunity has a unique schedule, but internships generally last between five and six weeks. Students must complete a two-page summary report—detailing the research question, methods, data, and conclusion—at the end of the program.
The Laboratory Learning Program is open to students who live locally to Princeton University—no housing or transportation is provided. Also, all internship opportunities are in-person, there are no virtual research or remote research experiences offered.
6. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
- Ages: Juniors and Seniors
- Location: Stanford, CA
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: Not yet announced (February 21 in 2026)
The SIMR Program is a free, eight-week, highly selective research opportunity—roughly 50 students are chosen to participate annually. Students perform basic research with Stanford faculty, post-doctoral fellows, researchers, and students on a medically oriented project while gaining firsthand knowledge of how scientific research is performed.
The majority of the SIMR program is focused on research, however, participants also receive lab training and attend lectures. They’ll also complete a research poster and present it to family, teachers, and the Stanford community at a poster session on the final day of the program.
A limited number of need-based stipends are available.
7. MITES Summer Program
- Ages: Juniors
- Location: Cambridge, MA
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: Not yet announced (February 1 in 2026)
MITES Summer is a free, six-week program that immerses students from across the country into college life at MIT—tackling challenging coursework, engaging labs, participating in social events, and receiving college admissions counseling.
This is an intense program that condenses a semester of college into just six weeks, covering high-level math and science, as well as STEM-focused electives in fields like Machine Learning and Genomics. Applicants should have a passion for STEM and a strong academic record. Most students find the program more challenging than high school and participants can anticipate spending seven hours a day in class and another six hours a day on homework.
Those up to the challenge will deepen their STEM knowledge, push themselves to realize their full potential, and build relationships with their peers. They’ll also gain firsthand insight into what it takes to succeed at one of the country’s top colleges.
8. Liberty Science Center Partners in Science
- Ages: Rising Juniors and Seniors
- Location: New Jersey and New York City
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: January 24, 2027
Liberty Science Center's Partners in Science pairs rising 11th and 12th graders with mentors in science, health and technical fields for a summer of genuine research, often at a college or university lab. The 2027 internship runs June 29 to August 21, and interns put in 35 to 40 hours weekly, mostly in person at their mentor's site in New Jersey or New York City. Along with lab work, students attend an orientation, professional development sessions at the Jersey City science center and a closing symposium where they present results. Students who meet every program requirement earn a $1,200 stipend. Applicants from outside the area are welcome but handle their own housing and travel. The program builds research and science communication skills that carry into any STEM field.
9. Aspirnaut Summer Research Internship Program
- Ages: Rising Senior
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: Not yet announced
The Aspirnaut Summer Research Internship Program is a paid, six-week, residential internship at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Interns work with a team of life science researchers and conduct their own research projects while learning about STEM careers. Participants are also exposed to the world of scientific research and gain direct experience with what it’s like to live and learn like a college student.
In addition to research, interns connect with mentors and are provided a variety of professional development and enrichment opportunities, including standardized test prep, college advising, and social activities.
The Aspirnaut Summer Research Internship Program is open to students who attend high school in Michigan and only a few students are offered positions—between just five and ten interns are selected annually.
10. Tufts University Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars (TUBERS)
- Ages: 16-19
- Location: Medford, MA
- Timeline: Summer
- Deadline: April 16, 2027
TUBERS is a free six-week program that engages students in biomedical research—investigating biomedical questions and developing new methods to study cells, tissues, and organs. Participants are exposed to a wide array of biomedical research techniques, discover firsthand how to carry out the scientific method, and learn how to present their findings. Students are encouraged to use the projects they work on during the program to compete in local and national science competitions.
TUBERS is open to students 16 and older who attend a Massachusetts vocational technical high school, a public high school in a Gateway City, a public high school where at least 25% of students are low income, or the METCO Program.
StandOut Connect Program
The StandOut Connect Program is another great option for students hoping to secure internship opportunities similar to the Microsoft Discovery Program high school internship. Participants in the program learn how to secure and excel in internships. They then gain hands-on experience through a two-month internship at a company. Many students take on leadership roles in their internships and it’s common for interns to receive offers to continue as long as they choose.
StandOutSearch also hosts a free database of high school internships, research opportunities, and summer programs. The database is searchable by a number of filters, including areas of interest (such as STEM), location, and season, making it a valuable resource for high schoolers on the search for internship opportunities.
Stand Out with High School Internships
Participating in a summer experience like a Microsoft high school internship is extremely valuable to students. Internships provide practical experience, help build critical skills, and develop professional networks. For high schoolers, internships also provide the chance to explore professions before setting off on academic or career paths. Plus, earning a prestigious position, like participating in the Microsoft Discovery Program, can bolster your odds of college admission—all of which are good reasons to begin your quest to secure an internship today!
