Hi,
I want to find a science internship possibly over the summer at a local lab/university lab, working under a professor/researcher. I am currently a sophomore in high school. I am interested in biology/chemistry but have no real intense passion for a certain subtopic; I just want to gain experience in a lab and do something that would be interesting and challenging (also I want to pursue pre-med and research seems like a good idea).
How should I email/contact/find people who would be willing to take a high schooler with no previous experience in a lab but is super enthusiastic and willing to learn?
Thanks so much for the help!
How old are you? I think there are many lab-based internships that require you to be 16, but it may vary. If you’re interested in Pre-Med, check out the CDC! https://www.cdc.gov/jobs/pathways.html#swep They have summer programs for high school students and you can learn about it on their website.
As for local programs, I would send something like this:
To whom it may concern,
I’m a rising high school student with a passion for science. So far, I have taken science classes at school. I found information about your research online, and I would love to be an unpaid intern over the summer months. My lab experience is limited, but I am a hard worker and willing to learn.
Note that this is very generic and I would definitely rework and add on to it.
I would start by talking to your guidance counselors and science teachers. They might know some professors that would be willing to let you intern. I would research different opportunities online and see if anything strikes you as interesting. The more interested you are, the more likely you will be able to convey a desire to research it!
@h8annah - have you worked at/volunteered for the CDC before? Do you have any tips/advice/experiences with it? Also, what kind of professors should I search for?
Thanks so much.
Unfortunately, I have not! It’s something I had looked into, but I wasn’t old enough at the time. It seems like a great opportunity, though.
I would search for professors at a research university. Usually, research schools have pages dedicated to the kind of research they’re doing and the professors involved. See what sounds interesting. You can always look into Rate My Professors and see how students view these professors to get an idea if it would be a good fit. Though, I have had experiences with professors that are SO much better than the students denote on that website.
Have you tried the obvious step of Googling? A few years back I was searching for summer programs for my D, and a simple “Summer program high school student Pittsburgh” turned up at least three programs at local university hospitals that I had never heard of. You may have to wade through several pages of results.
are there any good computer science internships?