15 Biology Internships for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Jul 29, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: Apr 14
If you are a high school student interested in biology, adding an internship to your portfolio would be valuable for college applications. Internships showcase your ability to apply concepts learned in high school in practical situations, a skill admissions officers value!
In this blog, we have curated a list of 15 great biology (and medical) internships that you can consider pursuing. We have covered internships in medical sciences, marine biology, and even conservation sciences! Each program on this list will allow you to interact with industry leaders, conduct research, or participate in conservation projects nationwide. If you are interested in research opportunities and competitions in biology and research opportunities in medicine, you can look at our other pieces!
Why do a biology internship in high school?
Biology is a diverse subject with multiple career opportunities, from life sciences to conservation sciences. Therefore, an internship can help you narrow future study paths and potential careers. Moreover, internships allow you to gain real-world experience in your field, which supplements your theoretical knowledge! You can network with peers and mentors, learning from their expertise and making connections for letters of recommendation or future job prospects.
Lastly, doing an internship while in high school showcases your commitment to your subject since it involves dedicating time outside school. Mentioning this on your resume can help increase your chances of acceptance to your dream school!
Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
2. HiSTEP
Conducted by the National Institute of Health, the HiSTEP program offers internships in biomedical engineering and healthcare. The program aims to expand the pipeline of students interested in biomedical and healthcare careers. Spanning over 5 weeks in Bethesda, MD, the program delves into scientific enterprise and the importance of biomedical research and other STEM-M careers. Sessions in the HiSTEP program have previously included basic science skills used in laboratory settings through experiments, current topics in Health Science through case studies and group projects, and career readiness and leadership development. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: No cost + stipend ($2,150) and public transport benefits provided
Location: National Institute of Health Campus (Bethesda, MD)
Application Deadline (Summer): 1st February
Program Dates: July 5th - August 3rd.
Selection Rates: Selective
Eligibility: Must be a high school sophomore or junior/ rising sophomore (turn 17 by June 15th for Summer program), be a U.S. citizen or hold permanent resident status, maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher, attend a school where 30% or more of the student body participated in the Federal Free/ Reduced Lunch Program, and have their primary residence in Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, DC (within 40 miles of the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD).
Are you seeking an internship opportunity to conduct research in biomedicine? With the HS-SIP program, conducted at NIH facilities, you can carry out research under the guidance of researchers. HS-SIP is extremely competitive, with only around 15% of candidates being accepted. The program length is 8 weeks and offers a stipend of $2,080 per month. As part of the internship, you are required to complete an orientation program before starting your research.
Cost: Fully funded, stipend provided.
Location: NIH campus, as well as labs in Baltimore and Frederick, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Hamilton, MT; Framingham, MA; and Phoenix, AZ.
Application Deadline: February 1
Program Dates: May 18 to August 4
Eligibility: All high school juniors and seniors who live within 40 miles of the NIH campus on which they will intern can apply.
This prestigious program selects 100 students each year from over 2,000 applicants. If selected, you must spend 10 weeks as a biomedical intern and will be given a $4,000 stipend. Alongside attending seminars and laboratory sessions with the staff, you can create your own research biomedical project under the mentorship of the City of Hope facilitators. The curriculum ends with the completion of a research paper, which is then presented at the end of the program. To learn more about this internship, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: Fully funded, stipend provided
Location: City of Hope Medical Center
Application Deadline: March 16
Program Dates: TBA
Eligibility: Students must be 16 years old before their first day on campus and have completed chemistry and biology classes in high school before applying.
This is a highly competitive, 8-week-long summer program for high school students. As a HOPP participant, you will engage in independent research projects under the mentorship of a postdoctoral fellow, graduate student, or research technician. At the end of the program, you will be expected to present your research in a poster presentation session. You will also be required to attend tours and training sessions by experts in the field. In order to apply, you must submit your resumé, a copy of your school transcript, as well as 2 letters of recommendation. You can check out HOPP alumni talking about the program and their takeaways and learnings from it here. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: None; stipend provided after the successful completion of the program
Location: Main Campus of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Manhattan
Application Deadline: February 10
Program Dates: June 28 to August 23
Eligibility: Students must be in their sophomore year or higher and must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Harvard University’s Medical School hosts this summer internship program for students from underrepresented and/or disadvantaged backgrounds interested in pursuing biomedical careers. The program involves a summer internship and educational opportunities, including placements, mentorship, seminars, field visits, and skill training. As part of the summer internship, you will participate in research under mentorship at the lab(s) at Harvard Med School. The final component of the program is application mentorship, where students are guided through the process of applying to college. The program is very prestigious since it is fully funded.
Cost: None, stipend provided after the successful completion of the program.
Location: Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Application Deadline: February 13
Program Dates: Last week of June to August 18 (8 weeks)
Eligibility: Students who are at least 16 years of age, reside in Boston or Cambridge, Massachusetts, and are from a racial or ethnic background underrepresented in medicine and/or from a disadvantaged background are encouraged to apply.
The Fred Hutch Summer High School Internship is an 8-week-long, full-time internship for rising high school seniors. The program is designed for students from underrepresented communities who are interested in biomedical science. Along with receiving training on laboratory safety techniques and skills, you will participate in research education seminars, attend professional development workshops, and receive mentorship from Fred Hutch research groups. The program offers a $1,000 stipend.
Cost: None; stipend provided
Location: Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle
Application Deadline: March 31
Program Dates: June 26 - August 18
Eligibility: Rising 12th graders can apply
Internships at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BSI) are conducted alongside Cornell University and the USDA. This 7-week internship allows you to gain research experience within plant science and computational biology. As an intern, you will be paired with a research mentor (typically a graduate student or a postdoctoral researcher) and a faculty mentor. You will work alongside your mentors on a predetermined project. Apart from conducting research, you can join undergraduate researchers for professional development lectures and discussions. The program culminates in a symposium in August, where you can present your findings through a scientific poster.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($4,000 for 7 weeks)
Location: Cornell University Campus, Ithaca, New York
Application Deadline (Summer): March 31st
Program Dates: June 27th - August 11th
Eligibility: Students must be 16 years or older by the end of June and currently reside in the Ithaca region. You cannot be a graduating senior.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers federal internships through its Pathways Internship Program. This program provides year-round, paid work experiences for degree-seeking high school students. You will have the choice of working through the summer, fall, spring, or year-round. Your job role is entirely dependent on the position you apply for; however, you can expect to participate in Forest Service functions, develop a foundation for more specialized applications of natural sciences, and receive training in the more functional Biological Sciences or Natural Resource Management areas.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided.
Location: Varies based on position.
Application Deadline (Summer): January 27th
Program Dates: Varies based on position; expect it to be during summer.
Selection Rates: Highly selective
Eligibility: Must be 16 years of age and meet education requirements, be in good academic standing, and be a U.S. Citizen or National at the time of internship. Check the program website for further eligibility criteria. Note: There are some specialized requirements for the Pathways Internship, which you can find here!
The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an 8-week paid summer internship and mentoring program sponsored by the American Fisheries Society. The program stimulates interest in fisheries and aquatic science, especially among underrepresented groups. As a Hutton Scholar, you will be mentored by a fisheries professional in your local area. You will gain fisheries science experience in marine or freshwater, conducting laboratory and field research. You will participate in resource conservation and management projects. Possible activities include electrofishing, examining specimens, data processing, establishing aquatic vegetation and fish habitats, and more! An added benefit is an all-expense paid trip to the Hutton Scholars Summit conducted at the University of Arkansas. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($3,000 for 8 weeks)
Location: Based on your locality (Hutton aims to match students within a 45-minute commute of your home)
Application Deadline (Summer): February 14th
Program Dates: June to August (It depends on the Scholar's schedule)
Selection Rates: Selective (For their past cohort, they had a 12% acceptance rate)
Eligibility: High school students who live and have residency in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The Student Conservation Association (SCA) provides environmental conservation programs for youth and adults. Their National Conservation Crews allow high schoolers to participate in conservation projects nationwide. In SCA, you will complete trail maintenance and restoration projects (either in national, regional, state, or local parks), learn about local wildlife and help preserve vital habitats, learn practical outdoor skills, and work with other high school students. If you are interested in conservation biology (or zoology and herbology), we encourage you to explore SCA as an option, as you can explore various fields in biology!
Cost: No cost
Location: Based on allotment by SCA
Application Deadline (Summer): March 3rd
Program Dates: July 10th - August 16th (Note. 2 programs will run between these dates)
Selection Rates: Highly Selective
Eligibility: Current high school students between 15-19 years on the internship's start date.
SUNY Oneonta offers 9-week summer research internships for New York State residents. SUNY Oneonta internships are highly selective, with only 1-3 positions available for high school students (with one place awarded to a resident of Otsego County, NY). In the internship, you will aid faculty and staff at the BFS central lab with their research projects or work on your own research projects. Through the summer, you will experience a mix of fieldwork, laboratory analyses, data analysis, and writing. You can view previous publications here! The program concludes with you producing a poster to display your research findings to your mentor, BSF faculty, and other interns.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: SUNY Oneonta campus, Buffalo, New York
Application Deadline (Summer): March 10th
Program Dates: Late May through August
Selection Rates: Highly selective
Eligibility: Open to all high school students with an academic background in environmental or natural sciences.
The Aspirnaut program is an internship offered by the University of Michigan. You will spend 6 weeks on the U-M Ann Arbor campus, working alongside a team of researchers to conduct your own life science research project. U-M aims to expand interest in basic science research so students are recruited from select communities across Michigan, including rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Through this program, you will be able to contribute to research conducted at a leading university. Moreover, U-M offers professional development and enrichment opportunities alongside networking events through cultural and social activities.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: University of Michigan Ann Arbor Campus
Application Deadline (Summer): There is no specific date mentioned; however, expect it to be 3-4 months before the start of the program.
Program Dates: June 12th to July 21st
Selection Rates: Highly selective
Eligibility: Rising seniors in the state of Michigan who will be 16 years of age or older by the start of the program.
The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center was established with funding from the National Science Foundation. They aim to use marine technology to challenge students to apply STEM to real-world problems in the marine world. MATE has a variety of internships for high school students, from helping with turtle conservation to working alongside the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies. Each internship will give you experience in careers in marine science, and you will be able to network with industry experts in various fields. Note. MATE has a database for internships that includes external opportunities!
Cost: No cost
Location: Varies based on position
Application Deadline (Summer): Varies; the standard deadline is April.
Program Dates: Varies based on position
Eligibility: Open to all high school students. Note: Certain programs have specific eligibility criteria.
Wave Hill (a public horticulture garden and cultural center) conducts a Forest Project to engage New York City youth in ecological restoration and urban ecology. Through the program, interns will form small crews and develop restoration plans for their assigned woodland sites. You will be assigned to a team under an experienced crew leader to participate in woodland restoration and research. Previous work conducted by interns includes removing invasive species, shoring up eroded slopes, and documenting the restoration process of disturbed woodland. Interns also take a college course on restoring New York City’s Natural Areas and work on group projects involving data collection and field research, which contribute to their coursework.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($2,275)
Location: New York City
Application Deadline (Summer): The deadline is yet to be specified; however, applications open in January.
Program Dates: July to August.
Eligibility: Must be enrolled in high school at the time of application, 16 years old by July 5th (for Summer), a New York City resident, and eligible to work in the US.
Bonus - Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are interested in doing university-level research in biology, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students that I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source: Fred Hutch SHIP cohort photograph
