I’m an incoming freshman interested in computer science. I have been programming since I was a little kid, and have now breached more advanced topics such as deep learning and big data. I’m interested in doing something with my interest in computers over the next four years of high school. My question is this: is it better to seek an internship at a company, try and find a research position at a university, or do neither and try to start a business? All three are possibilities I’ve looked into, and I’m ready to do each one of them. I know that computer science research at universities is even worse for high schoolers than biology(in terms of acceptance), but at the same time, I would really like to do research. I am in the Chicago area and primarily looking for something there, although if push comes to shove I could probably go to another city for a month or two over the summer. Any ideas?
It’s great that you are motivated to build your CS skills. The most successful CS applicants for colleges and internships can demonstrate their abilities through projects they have helped with or created on their own. As a freshman, or sophomore, I have to say that it is unlikely you would get an internship. You would be competing against high school seniors and perhaps college students who have years of programming experience. However, that does not mean that you can’t apply to programs, as long as you meet the stated age and grade requirements.
For the next couple of years, I recommend that you develop projects on your own that will help you build your skills. Anything you create will enhance your resume for potential employers, such as creating an App. Your best bet for an internship in the next couple of years would be with a professor who can use research help. Some of the big companies such as Google and Microsoft will also have internship programs for high school students you can look into. Do an internet search on computer science internships for high school students and see what comes up. Realize that you might not get an internship in the exact area you want, but whatever internship you get will help you make connections and learn skills.
You should also consider competitive summer science programs for high school students such as COSMOS, which is available at several UC campuses. Northwestern and Univ of Chicago probably have similar programs, although they can be costly.
Good Luck!