High school is a key time to explore your interests and prepare for your academic and career path. Internships are a great way into mathematics, especially when they let you do real research in the field. They build skills you’ll use for the rest of your career. Here are the benefits of a math internship and how to land one as a high school student.
What are the Benefits of a Math Internship?
Math is foundational across many industries, with applications in physics, engineering, and finance, and it’s a rich intellectual pursuit in its own right. Here’s what you gain from a math internship:
- Hands-on learning: apply what you’ve learned in class and see how math is used in the real world.
- Career exploration: experience the environment mathematicians work in, which helps you decide whether to pursue it.
- Networking: connect with people in your group, which can lead to future mentorship and jobs.
- Resume building: a good internship shows initiative and demonstrates your skills to future employers.
- College readiness: it helps you decide whether to study math in college and shows schools you’re skilled in your intended field.
How to Get a Math Internship
There are a few ways to find a math experience:
- Apply to a formal research program that teaches you how to conduct research in the field.
- Cold-email labs to explain your interest and ask for a research opportunity.
- Apply online to companies with roles for high school students that involve a lot of math. These are rarer and often overlooked in favor of academia, but fields like finance, engineering, and data science use plenty of math.
Research Programs
This is the hardest of the three, since the most prestigious research programs are highly competitive. Most look at the following when deciding whether to accept you:
High school academic record: maintain a competitive GPA and strong performance in math, science, and engineering courses. You’ll submit a transcript as proof, which you can request from your counselor.
Standardized test scores: many programs review your standardized test scores, including the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams. The most competitive programs look for high scores. For example, the Research Science Institute (RSI) recommends scores around:
- PSAT: 700 Reading & Writing, 740 Math
- ACT: 34 English/Science/Writing, 33 Math
Extracurriculars and awards: many programs ask you to outline your major activities or awards. These can range from winning math olympiads to publishing in science journals, and even leadership in STEM clubs or hackathons counts. They want to see you’ve taken initiative toward your passions.
They also want to see you’re more than just STEM. Some applications include a section for non-STEM extracurriculars, from sports teams to poetry clubs.
Letters of recommendation: most programs require recommendations from teachers or research supervisors. It helps to have others vouch for you, which is why building strong relationships with your teachers matters.
Essays: essays let you show who you are. They also assess your writing, since scientists need to communicate their results clearly.
Cold-Email
To cold-email a lab, identify a mathematics professor or department you’re interested in, then email them in the hope they’ll take you on to help with their research. I wrote a detailed guide on how to do this, linked below.
Conclusion
An internship is a great stepping stone to decide whether math is for you, and it looks strong on applications. Our Ultimate STEM Student Guide lists 50+ competitions and opportunities, free for anyone, plus tips and cold-email templates to help you secure an opportunity this summer.
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