Many high school programs advertise “hands-on experience,” but only a handful place you in settings where you can gain real-world experience. If you’re a high-achieving high school student, consider participating in an internship and adding that experience to your resume instead. One such example is the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) High School Internship Program.
The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) High School Internship Program is open to high school seniors in New Mexico and offers you the opportunity to contribute to mentor-led, ongoing projects across STEM, business, administration, operations support, technical services, and more. As an intern, you will receive guidance from LANL professionals and work on projects that are being actively done at the institution.
As a program that is competitive and has a mentor-driven selection process, it allows you to become an intern at one of the most influential research institutions in the USA. So if you are looking for an internship where you can expect mentorship, responsibility, and real-world relevance, the Los Alamos National Laboratory Internship might be for you.
You can also check out other online STEM internships here.
What is the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Internship Program?
This internship program, which is hosted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, gives high school seniors and rising seniors in New Mexico the chance to gain work experience across various fields, such as STEM, business, operations support, and more. The program offers both part-time and full-time opportunities. If you choose to work full-time, you will work nearly 40 hours per week for ten weeks during the summer. As a part-time intern, you’ll work 10-20 hours per week during the academic year.
What will you do as a participant?
When selected for the internship program, you will spend your time contributing to Los Alamos National Laboratory’s ongoing projects while simultaneously gaining real-world experience and developing different skills in the process. Given that the Los Alamos National Laboratory focuses on work across various fields, such as space exploration, geophysics, renewable energy, supercomputing, medicine, and nanotechnology, you’ll have the opportunity to explore careers across different fields.
Regardless of the project you are involved in, your role will be focused on supporting national security. In each project, there will be an LANL staff member assigned as a mentor, allowing you to receive mentorship from scientists and other industry professionals.
Quick Facts
- Location: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
- Duration: 10 weeks in summer or various lengths during the academic year
- Eligibility: Rising 12th graders or current 12th graders
- Application Deadline: September 30 (fall), February 13 (spring), April 15 (summer)
- Stipend: $16.89 per hour
What projects can high school seniors expect at Los Alamos National Laboratory internships?
Every year, Los Alamos National Laboratory shares the projects that the lab will be working on during the spring, fall, and summer sessions. The project list is diverse, allowing you to explore careers across STEM, administration, business, operations support, and more. Here is an idea of some of the projects that you can expect to work on: Nuclear and Particle Physics and Applications, Innovative Customer Experience Division (ICE-DO / ICE-EIT), Reinvestment & Modernization (UI), and so on. If you’re seeking an internship in a particular subject area, you can also contact mentors in yourfield of interest through LANL’s LinkedIn and YouTube sites, lab organization sites, and networking events regarding an interest in working with them.
Internship roles do not follow a specific structure, so you will find that some opportunities are only a few weeks, while others are as long as one year or more. Each project will also have its own tentative start date, prerequisites, and additional details that can only be known by reading the specific descriptions. Make sure to read them before choosing the project. You can have up to three choices in your application.
What are some of the key benefits of interning at Los Alamos National Laboratory?
- The program allows you to gain experience across various fields, including STEM, administration, business, operations support, and more.
- You will receive guidance by working closely with a mentor and a co-mentor.
- As an intern, you will be involved in projects that contribute to the advancement of science and serve national interests.
- The experience allows you to develop skills that come in handy for your career.
Who is eligible to apply, and when can you apply?
Eligibility
The high school internship roles at LANL are open to rising high school seniors and seniors who are enrolled in a high school in New Mexico. You should be at least 16 years old when the internship starts and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. It is also crucial that you pass the new employment drug test.
You are encouraged to apply for the internship during the spring semester of your junior year so that you can intern at LANL during the summer break before your senior year. Another option is to send in the application when you are in 12th grade and take part in the internship during that academic year.
Application Timeline
Los Alamos National Laboratory accepts three rounds of applications from high school students every year. For the fall sessions, applications open on August 1 and close on September 30. Spring applications are open between December 1 and February 13. As for the summer hiring period, the application window is January 12 to April 15.
Admissions Quick Facts:
- Eligibility: High school seniors
- Application Materials: Official transcript, resume, personal statement, and letter of recommendation (optional)
- Acceptance Rate (if available): Varies by project availability in the lab
What is the application process, and what do you need to apply?
To apply for an internship role at the multidisciplinary laboratory, you need to start by filling in the High School Internship Application form, in which you’ll upload your current transcript, resume, personal statement, and, optionally, a letter of recommendation. In the Google Form, as a prospective intern, you can select the project you find intriguing and also mention if you want to work on-site, remotely, or a combination of both.
If there is a particular department at LANL in which you want to intern, you can contact your potential mentor via social media sites like the lab’s LinkedIn or YouTube channel. You can also check out individual organizations within LANL for details. On some occasions, staff from the laboratory come to schools during fairs; you can use that as a chance to interact with them and see if there are any suitable opportunities within Los Alamos National Laboratory for you.
When you apply, LANL expects the following from you:
- Application Form: In this Google Form, you will be required to fill in your personal details, answer questions about your project preferences, and upload the necessary documents listed below.
- Resume: It should demonstrate relevant skills that make you stand out among other applicants. The resume should also highlight your academic achievements that are relevant to the projects you are interested in. You can include your grades, your involvement in extracurricular activities, and more.
- Official Transcript: This should consist of all the grades for the subjects you have completed.
- Personal Statement: This should go beyond your academic qualities and focus on personal aspects, such as your personal objectives, career goals, community service, personal experiences, and other details that clearly tell the hiring committee who you are as an individual and why you should be selected to intern at LANL.
- Recommendation Letter: Though not compulsory, you can increase your chances of getting a spot at LANL by submitting a recommendation letter from a teacher, school counselor, coach, employer, etc. You cannot have a friend or a family member write the recommendation letter for you.
What is the selection process, and what stipend do high school interns earn at LANL?
The project mentor will decide which students will work in their team. As the selection process can be quite competitive, there are certain ways to make your application stand out. LANL encourages you to develop new skills that will be useful during your internship. It is also recommended that you maintain a social media profile that showcases your positive and professional attributes, as mentors may review it during the hiring process. Ensure that you are well prepared for the interview.
If you are selected for the internship, you will earn a stipend of $16.89 per hour.
What do students say about the LANL Internship Program
Past participants highlight the opportunity to work with experts in their field of interest. By collaborating closely with scientists, engineers, or other professionals, students have been able to build different skills and see growth in their careers. Some students even mention that it was an opportunity they could not pass up.
Here are some quotes from students who have interned at LANL:
“LANL has such a rich history; there are just such great minds; I felt I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
“My mentors have given me a lot of great opportunities to collaborate with other communicators and scientists across multiple disciplines and also to work on a broad range of projects.”
What are some of the strengths and considerations of the LANL internship program?
Strengths:
- You will have the chance to network and collaborate with industry professionals.
- You will get to contribute to the advancement of science, technology, and other fields.
- You will pick up various skills that will boost your resume.
Considerations:
- The program is highly selective.
- There is no guarantee that you will get to work on the project that you consider your first choice.
- Not every intern’s experience will be the same, as what you gain from the internship will vary based on the mentor they get.
Is the Los Alamos National Laboratory Internship Program worth it?
Interning at Los Alamos National Laboratory provides a valuable opportunity to contribute to projects with meaningful impact. By collaborating closely with industry professionals, you’ll gain direct insights and mentorship from experienced experts. The experience opens the doors for future career opportunities, as it enhances your skills and boosts your resume. Ultimately, working at LANL is worth it.
What are some of the other programs similar to the internship program at LANL?
If you’re exploring similar opportunities, check out these programs:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Internships
- NASA and UT Austin’s SEES Internship
- Fermilab’s TARGET Internship Program
You can also explore Horizon’s own research mentorship programs, which pair students with university researchers for one-on-one projects in economics, STEM, and the humanities.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image Source: Las Alamos National Lab Logo