9 Data Science Internships for High School Students in Massachusetts
If you're an ambitious high school student considering a trajectory in data science, you may want to consider data science internships before applying to college. An internship showcases your passion and determination to go beyond your classroom curriculum and learn and engage with the subject.
In this blog, we have compiled a comprehensive list of 9 data science internships in Massachusetts for high school students. While some of these programs are not internships, we chose to include them as these programs are an opportunity to gain real-world experience in data science and data science research. Moreover, these programs are a mix of virtual and in-person opportunities!
Cost: $1990 (Financial Aid Available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Upcoming summer cohort deadline is may 12, 2024
Program Dates: 8 weeks, June to August
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates and gap year students.
Ladder Internship is a selective program for high school students to work with start-ups on data science-related topics. The program is run by Harvard alumni and you get a chance to work with companies from places like the YCombinator and Stanford.
Ladder Startups work in fields including machine learning and AI, technology, finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, media and journalism, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form.
As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project and present their work at the end of their internship. Throughout the duration of the program, you will receive guidance and support from your managers who will either work with you 1-on-1 or in a group (depending on a project). They’ll help you navigate the ins and outs of your internship!
Note that as a Ladder Intern, you will engage in a coaching and work-based model - a component that sets it apart from most internships in this list. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long. To know more about Ladder Internships and whether it’s a good fit for you, check out this blog post!
2. The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging’s Summer Research Internship
Cost: No Cost
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: March 31 (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June 17 - June 28, 2024
Eligibility:
Summer Research interns must be high school students over the age of 14 by the start of the program.
Student leads must also be students over the age of 14 and may also be undergraduate students with a computer science background.
Student leads must be California residents. Student interns must reside in the U.S.
This 2-week virtual internship by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging is a solid opportunity if you’re interested in exploring the technical and clinical aspect of AI in healthcare.
The program is a combination of lectures on AI in healthcare fundamentals, hands-on research projects and mentoring activities with Stanford researchers. If you’re interested, you can even opt for an extended independent research internship opportunity.
While you can apply as a regular intern, you can additionally apply for the ’Student Lead’ role where you can also assist with project leadership along with an AIMI mentor!
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: Varies, different for each internship offered
Application Deadline: Varies from internship to internship
Program Dates: Varies from internship to internship, but should be in one of these three cohorts -
Fall - from late August/early September to mid-December (16 weeks)
Spring - from mid-January to early May (16 weeks)
Summer - from late May/early June to August (10 weeks)
Eligibility:
High School Students
Must be a U.S. Citizen
Have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagements provides internship opportunities at all their locations around America. If you’re located near a NASA facility, you can opt for an internship in a research facility near you. However, if you live away from one, NASA now conducts virtual internships as well! You can filter through their database for opportunities open to high school students.
If you’re looking for an internship in Massachusetts, you can look for internships in their Electronics Research Center which works to develop electronics for their space program and improve communication between universities and other facilities that NASA interacts with.
If you’re interested in NASA Internships, check out this ultimate guide!
4. Building-U High School Internship
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines, it is recommended that you apply as soon as possible.
Program Dates: Usually 3 months from June to August. If the intern is keen, the internship can be extended!
Eligibility: All high school students can apply.
The Building-U High School Internship is oriented around its mission to compile a comprehensive database of opportunities including internships, scholarships, contests, and educational programs specifically tailored for high school students. The organization is looking for interns to assist in the administrative/business aspect of the organization.
Once selected as an intern, you join one of their teams – these include R&D roles, student ambassador roles, Business Development roles, and others that you can read about here. These teams might concentrate on areas like digital marketing, content writing, web development, or data analytics. This structure not only allows interns to work in areas that align with their interests and skills but also promotes teamwork, leadership, and project management skills.
5. Veritas AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Cost: $4,900
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Upcoming summer cohort deadline is May 19, 2024
Program Dates: summer cohort - June 3, 2024
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible. Students must have completed the Veritas AI Scholars program or have prior Python knowledge.
The Veritas AI Fellowship, while not an internship, is a great opportunity for you if you are enthusiastic about exploring the fields of machine learning, data science, and artificial intelligence. This program, designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni, provides a stimulating environment for students through project development, and personalized 1-on-1 mentorship.
Over 12–15 weeks, students enrolled in the AI Fellowship engage in an independent AI research project, combining AI with a field of their choice. Veritas AI also provides publication support to high-school level journals! The program is structured in phases to optimize learning and project development. Students work intensively on their projects, utilizing one-on-one mentorship to address challenges in coding and further develop their ideas.
Check out past student projects here!
6. MIT’s Research Science Institute
Cost: No Cost
Location: MIT Campus, Cambridge MA
Application Deadline (based on previous year’s dates):
January 15th, 2024 (U.S. Citizens)
March 15th, 2024 (International Students)
Program Dates: June 25th to August 5th, 2024 (based on previous year’s dates)
Eligibility:
Students who are rising seniors (you will have to apply in the middle of your junior year). High school seniors are not eligible to apply.
It is recommended that PSAT Math Scores be at least 740 (or higher) and Evidence-Based Reading/ Writing Scores be 700 (or higher). ACT math scores should be at least 33, and verbal scores should be at least 34. However, you can offset lower scores through recommendations, high school grades, and science activities.
While not a traditional internship, RSI is a 6-week, fully-funded program, where you can conduct independent research in computer science (or other STEM subjects) and take college-level coursework.
Within the first week, you will have the opportunity to experience extensive STEM Classes by accomplished faculty. However, the main section of RSI is the 5-week research internship, where you can choose to pursue projects in computer science under the mentorship of experienced scientists and researchers. The program culminates with delivering your research in conference-stye oral and written reports.
Note. There are different application processes for U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents and International Applicants. You can look here for specific details!
Here is everything you need to know about RSI!
7. American Collegiate Adventures Internship Program
Cost: $1995 to $6495
Location: Boston or New York
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Program Dates: June to July
Eligibility: Students must be enrolled in a US high school
At American Collegiate Adventures (ACA), you have the option to apply for internships in over 20 industries that take place in either Boston or New York. You can read more about summer in New York and Boston here.
Through the four-week program, you can expect to be provided with an opportunity to upskill within the field of data science and take part in other activities with peers and mentors. For participants in the program, ACA also organizes weekend excursions and activities, making for a holistic learning opportunity for the students.
To encourage students to learn as much as they can through their interactions, ACA maintains a 10:1 student-to-staff ratio, unlike most other internship programs available. Students can expect to work on their internship projects for 30 hours each week.
Cost: No cost
Location: Johns Hopkins University Campus, Baltimore, MD/ Virtually
Application Deadline: February 15 (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June 27th to August 18th, 2024
Eligibility:
High-school juniors and seniors residing in the Washington-Baltimore Metro area.
A minimum GPA of 2.8 is required.
Must be 15 years by June 15th, 2024 (For Summer 2024 session)
Only U.S. Citizens are eligible to apply.
The ASPIRE program by Johns Hopkins is an internship that allows high school juniors and seniors to experience STEM Careers in a supportive and holistic environment. Each intern is paired with APL staff and participates in workshops, problem-solving in groups, mentorship sessions with top faculty, and hands-on projects.
We recommend that data science enthusiasts apply for the Mathematics & Data Analysis area of placement. Although the in-person internship is held in Baltimore, you can also opt to complete the internship virtually!
Cost: No Cost
Location: Remote
Application Deadline: February 1 (based on previous year’s dates)
Program Dates: June - December (based on previous year’s dates)
Eligibility:
All high school juniors who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents.
Strong academic record (While they have not specified a cutoff, you can expect similar expectations of RSI - PSAT Math Scores to be at least 740 (or higher) and Evidence-Based Reading/ Writing Scores to be 700 (or higher). ACT math scores should be at least 33, and verbal scores should be at least 34.)
Passion for science, technology, engineering, and math - which is demonstrated through extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation.
Note. MIT strongly encourages students from these backgrounds to apply:
underrepresented backgrounds
undeserving students (defined as those from low socioeconomic means)
families with an absence of science and engineering degrees
students who are potentially the first family member to attend college
and students from high schools with low admittance rates to top-tier colleges (especially from rural or predominantly minority high schools).
Another program by MIT, MITES Semester, is a 6-month hybrid STEM program where you can deep dive into science and engineering disciplines. In this program, you will choose one project-based course, followed by a supplemental core course, which can either be in data science, computer science, calculus, physics, science writing, or communication!
Through this program, you can delve into interdisciplinary subjects that involve computer science. For instance, past projects have included data analysis, computational biology, embedded systems, machine learning, robotics, thermodynamics, climate change, and more! This is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience conducting research within the field of data science.
Here is a guide on how to apply to MITES!
Note. At the end of the MITES program, you will receive a written evaluation from your instructor outlining your strengths and growth areas and highlighting your contributions to the class. This is a valuable supplement for any college application!
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
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