SHTEM: Summer Internships for High Schoolers and Community College Students

Applications for SHTEM 2026 are now open. Decisions are expected to be released in March 2026. To apply, please fill out the application at the link below, and pay the one-time nonrefundable application fee of $95. At this time, we are only accepting applications from US Citizens and Permanent Residents. 

• The Summer 2026 program will be in-person at Stanford University
• Decisions will be emailed out in March 2026
• The SHTEM 2026 program will run for 8 weeks over the summer of 2026 between June 22 - August 14 (dates subject to change)

The Stanford Compression Forum is offering its annual summer internship program for the Summer of 2026. We are looking for passionate high school students interested in pursuing fun research projects over the summer.

 This internship is intended to provide early exposure to research transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students will be grouped to multifaceted projects that will benefit from their existing interests and strengths, while exposing them to new areas. Projects will be mentored by students, faculty and staff of the Stanford Compression Forum and its affiliated organizations. Themes will span and combine the science of information and communication, engineering, the arts, linguistics, psychology, biology, neuroscience, computer science, technology, philosophy, and design, among other areas.    

Program Goals:

• Provide high school early exposure to cutting-edge research in an academic environment
• Introduce students to the diversity of research topics pursued in engineering
• Emphasize the inseparability of the humanities and the human element from research in STEM

Eligibility (all requirements must be met to apply):

• Must be currently a high school junior or senior in the 2025-2026 school year (i.e. 11th or 12th grade at the time of application)
• If you are a high school junior or senior, you must be at least 14 by June 21.
• Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident. 

No exceptions can be made for any eligibility requirements (e.g. if you are currently a high school sophomore, you are not eligible to apply).

Program:

SHTEM 2026 will run over the summer. Students are expected to attend the entire duration of the internship. The session will run from June 2026 - August 2026. 

Housing and Transportation:

The program for Summer 2026 will be on-campus but housing will not be provided through SHTEM. Students and families are responsible for arranging their own accommodation and commuting to Stanford. There may be a small stipend available to support commuting for select students. 

Application:

Applications for SHTEM 2026 are now open. Please find the application link here: https://forms.gle/Z3aj4PvDcdvgStXe8 

Please review the eligibility requirements before applying, as applications that don't meet all requirements will not be considered. The one-time application fee of $95 is nonrefundable. If the application fee presents a financial burden, financial aid (fee waivers) are available. 

Financial Assistance:

Although this internship is unpaid, if spending the time needed to participate in this program would pose a financial burden, please let us know in your application.

We’d love to be able to admit all applicants. But that is not realistic. If you’re not admitted, it’s because we failed to integrate you into the few projects we were able to create with our group of mentors. 

Presentation Day from Summer 2024  

Past Projects:

• Video presentations and online journal (2023)
• Video presentations and online journal (2022)
• Video presentations and online journal (2021)
• Video presentations and online journal (2020)
• Video presentations and our online journal (2019)
• Humans are awesome (2018)

News:

August 2023

September 2022

August 2021

August 2020

March 2020 SHTEM was highlighted by Stanford News! Check out our interview with them here: High school interns inspire new research paths.

December 2019

SHTEM was mentioned on the 2019 series finale of HBO's Silicon Valley (the above photo shows SHTEM on the whiteboard). Richard Hendricks serves as a great fictional mentor! Read more about Professor Tsachy Weissman's involvement in the program here. Two interns from 2019, Aditi Talati and Karan Bhasin had their work from the summer accepted at the 2020 Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) conference. Congratulations!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

• My student is currently a high school sophomore and will be a rising junior. OR My student meets the age requirement but is not currently a junior or senior in high school. Can they apply?
  • No, they are not eligible, but we encourage you to apply next year! Students must meet ALL eligibility requirements to be eligible.
• Will the 2026 program be remote or in-person?
  • The 2026 program will be on campus (in-person).
• When is the application due?
  • Applications are now open. Please visit the "Application" section to find the application link.
• How many rounds of application are there? Is there a waiting list?
  • We conduct a single round of applications. This year, we are offering a waiting list.
• Can international students apply?
  • At this time, SHTEM is only open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor visas for international students.
• I'm a US Citizen but not currently residing in the US. Can I apply?
  • Yes, you can apply, however SHTEM is not providing any travel or lodging.
• Does the program typically involve group mentoring or is it primarily 1:1 research mentoring?
  • Students are mentored in groups in sizes ranging from 2-5.
• Does the program provide housing?
  • SHTEM does not offer housing. Students are responsible for their own living arrangements and commuting to campus.
• Do potential applicants need to have any prior research experience?
  • No. Students are not expected to have prior research experience. We especially encourage students without any research experience to apply.
• Does this program include an interview component?
  • No.
• What particular skills do you look for in potential applicants?
  • We are looking for driven students who are eager to learn in a fast-paced environment.
• Can I submit more than 1 Letter of Recommendation? Do you have a preference for who writes the letter?
  • No, we will only accept ONE Letter of Recommendation. There is no preference, although it should be someone who can speak to your strengths.
• Can research projects completed during this internship be submitted to any Science fairs such as Google Science Fair or Regeneron or Siemens/Discovery Edu?
  • This is determined on an individual basis during the internship.
• Can previous SHTEMers apply?
  • We welcome returning interns to apply, but preference will be given to applicants without SHTEM experience.
• My student is a high school student. Will they be interacting with college students?
  • Only in program-wide activities. All college students will be subject to Stanford’s Protection of Minors policy and interactions with minors is strictly limited to the internship program.
• What does the daily schedule look like?
  • SHTEM is designed to immerse students in real research. Students will spend most of their time conducting research in the lab with their relevant mentor. You can expect somewhere between 20 - 30 hours of work a week, however, this may vary depending on your lab placement. Your day-to-day schedule is determined between you and your mentor once you have been assigned to a project. 

If you have questions/concerns (please read the FAQ first for questions on eligibility; we cannot make exceptions on any of these criteria), reach us at shtem_internship@ee.stanford.edu.