<p>Is it worth it to work as an unpaid intern (aka volunteer, a term i'm really not fond of) at NIH or is it better to find a internship that does offer students stipends? I live out of state and I am a High school junior.</p>
<p>I think NIH internships are considered quite good. But being out of state is an issue if you don’t live nearby, as they don’t provide housing. That is one reason my D is not applying for one (although she may in a year or two, as her sister will be living in the DC area). There aren’t a lot of paid internship opportunities for high schoolers that I have seen (and I have been digging), and housing is an issue at a lot of the internships. Not sure about your “volunteer” comment, I think a high school junior would typically not get a stipend/payment (there are exceptions). You gotta pay your dues, and unpaid internships are often part of the starting process (in any industry, including science).</p>
<p>Thanks for your advice! I’m trying to look at local scholarships/grants/sponsors since being accepted to NIH is absolutely rare in Idaho. Any other advices will be appreciated!</p>
<p>umm… if you like the position, and can afford to do it without pay, there is no reason not to take it.</p>
<p>Is it better to have a paying internship? Maybe… It is best to have the internship in the area that you want. The pay is nice, but especially for a high schooler, will be trivial in the big scheme of your life. You won’t look back in 10 years wishing you had a couple thousand dollars from a paying internship, but you might look back and wish you choose the internship that you really wanted, rather than taking one for the money.</p>