8 Chicago Summer Internships for High School Students
Chicago Summer internships for high school students offer invaluable opportunities to acquire practical skills, gain industry exposure, and establish meaningful professional connections, all without significant financial investment. Many esteemed colleges and organizations provide such programs, making them accessible and beneficial for students eager to explore various career paths.
Chicago summer internships for high school students can serve as a gateway to delve deeper into your chosen field, offering hands-on experience that classroom learning alone cannot provide. Recognizing the wealth of opportunities available, we've curated a list of the top eight Chicago summer internships for high school students for the summer of 2025. This selection encompasses both in-person and virtual programs, ensuring a range of options to suit diverse interests and circumstances.
1. CTA Internships for High School Students
Location: Chicago Transit Authority
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very competitive; 250 students
Application Deadline: April 18
Dates: June 23 – August 8
Stipend: $16.20/hour
Eligibility: Rising sophomores or seniors; 16-18 years old; 2.5 GPA or above; must submit a letter of recommendation; be eligible to work in the U.S.
The City of Chicago's One Summer Chicago (OSC) Program is one of the top Chicago summer internships for high school students. It seeks to create meaningful summer job possibilities for Chicago's younger population, especially high school students. The program’s main corporate partner, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), offers 250 high school students a paid internship that lasts seven weeks.
As an intern, you will engage in a comprehensive hybrid experience that incorporates a creative take on their signature program model of professional development, work experience, and mentoring from prominent figures in the transportation sector. You’ll also get to network with other students, attend workshops that focus on professional development, financial literacy, and career exploration, and more.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Application Deadline: Rolling. March 23 for the early admission deadline for the summer cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. The summer cohort starts in May.
Cost: $2,290 for the 10-week AI Scholars program | $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase | $6,900 for both. Need-based financial aid is available for AI Scholars. You can apply here.
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or have experience with AI concepts or Python.
Veritas AI is a program for high school students that’s founded and run by Harvard graduate students. If you’re passionate about artificial intelligence and are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science, then you would benefit from the AI Scholars program. It is a 10-session boot camp where you will be introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and also get a chance to work on real-world projects.
The AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase program, on the other hand, is for more advanced students. During this program, you will get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. Additionally, you will have access to the in-house publication team, which will help you secure publications in high school research journals. You can also see some past projects here.
3. After School Matters
Location: Chicago, IL
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Application Deadline: Opens in April
Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year; Summer cohort: June 24 – August 2 (as per 2024 dates)
Stipend: Paid (details here)
Eligibility: Chicago high school students ages 14-19 years old
After School Matters is one of those Chicago summer internships for high school students that gives you the chance to participate in an apprenticeship or internship in an industry of your choice. You can choose from fields like STEM, athletics, leadership, the arts, and communications. The program offers practical learning experiences under the supervision of professionals as well as the chance to work on independent and team-based projects. Depending on your dedication and the duration of the program, you’ll be able to explore possible career routes, learn new skills, and receive stipends.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Acceptance Rate: Moderately selective
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. The priority admission for the summer cohort is March 9
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. The summer cohort starts on June 2
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 10-20 hours/week (for 8-12 weeks)
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! During the program, you’ll get to work with high-growth start-ups on internships that range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can find all the options here on the application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies that, on average, raise over a million dollars. During the program, you’ll work closely with your managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects, eventually presenting your work to the company. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
5. Rush MedSTEM Pathways
Location: Rush University Medical Centre, Chicago
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Application Deadline: February 28
Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year. The summer session: June 16 – August 1
Stipend: Paid
Eligibility: Chicago rising juniors by summer; minimum 2.5 weighted GPA; 80% attendance record
MedSTEM Pathways is a paid internship program for rising high school juniors and recent high school graduates. As a participant, you will get to intern in departments within Rush University Medical Centre and several other partner organizations, obtaining work-based learning skills for up to 12 hours per week. You’ll also take academic and professional development workshops one day a week during the summer session to improve your life skills and college readiness. This program gives you the chance to earn industry-recognized credentials and employability skills in fields like ECG Tech, nursing, IT, and more.
6. UChicago Medicine’s Summer Healthcare Experience in Oncology
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Application Deadline: March 3
Dates: 2 weeks in the second half of July
Stipend: $500 taxable stipend
Eligibility: Full-time high school student at the time of application; a strong interest in a career in scientific research or medicine; Able to commit to the full program. Applicants from underrepresented communities in biomedicine are encouraged to apply.
Summer Healthcare Experience (SHE) in Oncology is a virtual, multi-institutional program for high school students interested in science and medicine. As one of the top Chicago summer internships for high school students, its goal is to enable women and other under-represented individuals in the sciences to pursue careers in biomedicine, particularly in the field of cancer. As a participant, you will work on a genetics-based research project and a patient case study project to investigate important aspects of cancer science and care. Additionally, you’ll take part in skill-building workshops, panel discussions, and daily faculty lectures to gain information and connections for your future biomedical career choices.
7. UChicago Medicine’s ResearcHStart
Location: University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Application Deadline: January 20
Dates: The second full week of June to the first week of August
Stipend: $3,000 (taxable)
Eligibility: High school junior or senior at the time of application; at least 16 years of age at the start of the program
ResearcHStart is another one of the top Chicago summer internships for high school students and a multi-institutional program that encourages high school students from Chicago and Urbana-Champaign to pursue fascinating careers in cancer research. To obtain practical experience in cutting-edge fields such as cancer immunology, bioengineering, experimental cancer therapies, cancer disparities, and more, you will work full-time in the labs of seasoned cancer researchers. You’ll also benefit from a network of faculty and peer mentors committed to your success, a series of faculty lectures on cancer, and seminars for career development and skill-building. At the end of the program, you’ll participate in a research symposium for friends, family, and members of the scientific community.
8. DSI Summer Lab
Location: UChicago Campus
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Application Deadline: January 12
Dates: June 16 – August 8
Stipend: $4,800
Eligibility: High school or college students able to commute comfortably to the UChicago Hyde Park Campus
The DSI Summer Lab at the University of Chicago provides an 8-week, paid summer research experience specifically designed for undergraduate and high school students who are passionate about applied, interdisciplinary data science research. As a participant, you will gain knowledge of key data science methods and be trained in your chosen domains—data science, social science, climate and energy policy, public policy, biomedical research, and more. During the program, you will develop research skills through hands-on projects, interactions with mentors and peers, and solving complex problems.
The program ends with the final video presentations of each student's research findings. The presentations are in the format of a professional conference, allowing you to interact with your peers, answer questions about their projects, and receive feedback.
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