HIGH SCHOOL VIRTUAL INTERNSHIPS

Real Work. Real Mentors.
A Real Head Start.

Virtual internships where high school students complete a meaningful project for a real company, guided one-on-one by the people who run it and coordinated with your student's college plan.

A high school student at a desk on a video call with a startup founder mentor
Detailed three-circle diagram showing Student, Company Mentor, and Admissions Architect Strategy Consultant with process callouts; brand colors; no logo or watermark

A Coordinated Team, Built Around Your Student

Admissions Architect partners with Launch, a national network of vetted academic and career providers, to place high school students in mentored internships with growing companies and their leaders.

The company mentor guides the work. Your Admissions Architect strategy consultant makes sure it fits the plan: the right internship, the right timing, and an experience that strengthens your student's story in essays, activities and interviews.

PROGRAM DIFFERENTIATORS

What Makes Our Internships Different

Designed specifically for high schoolers to build real-world credibility, confidence, and career momentum without compromising academics.

No cold emails. No endless searching.

Students skip the guesswork of finding a company willing to take a high schooler. Placement is built in.

Real projects, not shadowing.

Students own a defined professional project, with deliverables they present to the company.

One-on-one professional mentorship.

Weekly meetings with a startup leader, or with the CEO or founder in our premium option.

Built around school.

Fully virtual at about 5-10 hours a week, so it fits a school semester, not just the summer.

Something to show for it.

A completed project, a certificate of completion and the opportunity to earn a professional reference.

The Best Way to Choose a Path Is to Try It

It's hard to know whether you love marketing, engineering or healthcare until you've done the work. An internship lets your student test a field before choosing a major, which can save time, stress and tuition later.

It also shows colleges something grades can't: initiative, professionalism and the ability to deliver real work for real people. Your student comes away with a genuine story for essays and interviews, and the confidence that comes from having done it.

"The classroom builds knowledge. Professional experience builds confidence."

High school student gaining real-world internship and career exploration experience

STUDENT FIT & ELIGIBILITY

Is an Internship Right
for Your Student?

No prior experience needed. Companies look for students who are hardworking, curious and excited about the field.

  • Proactive students in grades 9–11 who want to get ahead of the curve
  • Explorers curious about a few possible majors or careers
  • Specialists who already love a field and want real exposure
  • All-rounders, such as athletes, artists and leaders, who want professional credibility alongside their other strengths
  • Students aiming for selective colleges, honors programs or scholarships who want experience that sets them apart

Choose Your Internship

All options are fully virtual and project-based. They differ in mentorship level, length and how placement works.

Work Lab (in partnership with Polygence)

A short, focused taste of professional work

Investment: $2,495

  • About 5-6 weeks, roughly 8 hours a week
  • A group placement with a startup or nonprofit host organization
  • Professional-communication training in week one, then weekly meetings with a company manager
  • A final project presentation, a certificate and the opportunity to request a reference
  • Selective, ages 15+: students apply with a résumé and cover letter, then interview

Startup Internship

★ Most Popular

Deep, one-on-one professional mentorship

Investment: $6,999

  • 8 weeks: a weekly one-on-one meeting with a startup team leader, plus 5-10 hours of independent work
  • Matched with one of 200+ startups in fields like finance, tech, AI and machine learning, engineering, consulting, media, health tech, mental health, environmental science, fashion and nonprofits
  • Two defined deliverables and a final presentation to the company
  • A certificate of completion and the opportunity for a letter of recommendation
  • Placement guaranteed once enrolled. Matching usually takes 2-3 weeks.

CEO Internship ★ Premium

Work directly with a company's founder

Investment: $8,999

  • Everything in the Startup Internship, with the CEO or founder as your student's mentor
  • Executive-level mentorship and a front-row view of how a company is built and run

Example Projects:

  • A competitor analysis for a health-tech startup

  • A white paper for a mental-health nonprofit

  • A machine-learning model to predict customer churn

  • A marketing campaign for a growing media company

Start a CEO Internship

Example projects:

KEY DELIVERABLES & OUTCOMES

What Every Intern Receives

Matched Company & Project

A matched company and project precisely aligned with your student's unique academic interests and career goals.

Mentorship & Accountability

Weekly professional mentorship and structured 1-on-1 check-ins to ensure consistent progress and support.

Defined Measurable Outcomes

A structured deliverable with real-world quantitative impact, culminating in a professional final presentation.

Executive Skill-Building

Targeted mastery in professional communication, cross-functional collaboration, critical problem-solving, and leadership.

Certificate & Reference

An official certificate of completion with the earned opportunity to receive a glowing professional reference letter.

Admissions Strategy Guidance

Direct guidance from Admissions Architect consultants on translating this experience into standout essays and interview narratives.

How It Works

Free call. We talk through your student's interests and schedule, and choose the right option.

Placement. Your student completes a short interest form and call, then is matched with a company and mentor.

Define the project. In week one, the student and mentor set goals and deliverables.

Do the work. Weekly mentor meetings plus independent work, with a first deliverable at the midpoint.

Present the results. Your student presents the final project to the company.

Tell the story. We help your student turn the internship into material for their applications.

Timing tip: Summer is the most popular time, and families often plan it in February–April. Startup and CEO Internships also start in fall, winter and spring, so a school-year internship works too.

Six-step timeline: Free call, Placement, Define the project, Do the work, Present the results, Tell the story.

What Students Have Built

Cagla, Computer Science.

Worked directly with the CEO of a health-tech consulting company. She redesigned the company website, set up its customer-relationship system, added security features and supported its digital marketing.

Heram, Healthcare.

Worked with the CEO of a precision-medicine startup. He built a target product profile, demoed an AI tool and helped move the company's app to a new cloud environment.

Case studies shared by our internship partner. Results vary.

Not Sure Which Internship Fits?

We'll help you match the option to your student's interests, schedule and goals.

An Internship Is Stronger as Part of a Plan

An internship means the most when it connects to your student's courses, activities, college list and story. Many families pair an internship with:

  • Mentored research for academic depth alongside real-world experience
  • A right-fit college list and application strategy
  • Essay coaching that helps your student tell their story in their own words

Internships are also available as add-ons to our Foundation, Framework and Master Builder plans.

South Asian parent and teen reviewing a plan together at a kitchen table

COMMON INQUIRIES & LOGISTICS

Still Have Questions?

Clear answers to help you navigate logistics, eligibility, and program outcomes with confidence.

Who runs the internships?

Host companies and their leaders, through our national partner network. Your Admissions Architect consultant helps you choose the right option and use the experience in your student's applications.

Does my student need experience in the field?

No. Companies look for students who are hardworking, curious and eager to learn.

Is placement guaranteed?

Yes for Startup and CEO Internships, once your student enrolls. Work Lab is selective: students apply and interview, and spots are limited.

Is it only for STEM students?

Not at all. Fields include business, finance, marketing, media, fashion, policy, nonprofits and mental health, as well as tech, engineering and science.

Can my student do this during the school year?

Yes. It's virtual, takes about 5-10 hours a week, and mentor meetings are scheduled around school.

How long does it take to get started?

Most students are matched within 2-3 weeks of enrolling.

Will my student get a letter of recommendation?

Students have the opportunity to earn one. Like any reference, it depends on the quality of their work, so it can't be guaranteed.

What grade should my student be in?

Grades 9-11 are ideal. Work Lab requires students to be at least 15.

What does my student walk away with?

A completed professional project, a certificate, real-world skills, a possible professional reference and a clearer sense of what they want to study.

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