Here are some of the best internships this year! While these aren’t listed in any particular order, don’t be afraid to check out opportunities outside your comfort zone. After all, an internship is the perfect way to explore careers without a long-term commitment. You never know what skills you could gain.

Let’s get started.

1. The Smithsonian Institution

If you have a passion for history, museums, and research, you may be interested in the student internship positions at the Smithsonian Institution. This educational program allows high school students to gain experience working with the Smithsonian, the world’s largest institution of education and research.

• Duration: Varies by project
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by project

2. NASA High School Internship Program

For students interested in engineering, NASA offers a program that has sessions available year-round. These internships have typically been in-person opportunities at one of the NASA centers in the country. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, those opportunities went remote, and many of them remain that way.

• Duration: Varies by project
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by project

Ready for Your NASA Internship?

Video: Ready for Your NASA Internship?

3. California Academy of Sciences, Careers in Science

Careers in Science is a multi-year, year-round, paid internship and youth development program for San Francisco high school students who come from communities underrepresented in STEM, including girls and students of color.

• Duration: Varies by position
• Requirements: open to high school students; 2.5 GPA; authorized to work in the San Francisco area
• Application Deadline: April 1st

4. DOI Pathways Program

This excellent program is a paid internship offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It’s available to high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students. Various hiring agencies within the Department of the Interior offer these internships, which relate to different careers and fields of study.

• Duration: Varies by agency
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by agency

5. U.S. Senate Page Program

Perhaps the most widely known law internships for high school students are those within the Senate Page Program. Pages for the Senate have been working on the floor since the early 19th century! Today pages are appointed and sponsored by a senator. 

• Duration: Varies by session
• Requirements: 16 or 17 years old; US citizen; 3.0 GPA
• Application Deadline: Varies by session

6. Microsoft Discovery Program

Students in the Microsoft Discovery Program will participate in a curriculum designed to teach programming fundamentals and develop career readiness skills. They will also gain mentorship.

• Duration: 4 weeks
• Requirements: graduating high school seniors around Redmond, WA or Atlanta, GA
• Application Deadline: Late March

7. National Institute of Health (NIH) 

The highly competitive NIH High School Student Internship Program places students in real-life research capacities with medical professionals carrying out full-time biomedical research at the National Institute of Health. 

• Duration: Summer term
• Requirements: 11th and 12th grade students with an interest in medicine
• Application Deadline: Mid-February

8. U.S. Office of Personnel Management

The internship program provides high school, undergraduate, and graduate students with opportunities for paid work in agencies and to explore Federal careers. 

• Duration: Varies by project
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by project

9. Port of Seattle

The Port of Seattle’s High School Internship Program is designed to provide you with the skills you need to be successful in a corporate environment. Students engage with real city projects and personal development opportunities.

• Duration: Varies by program
• Requirements: 16 years old, authorized to work in the Seattle area
• Application Deadline: May (for Summer) or November (for Winter)

10. Seattle City Lights

Interested in exploring the business of energy production and distribution? City Light provides high school internships that allow you to get paid, hands-on experience with the business of the utility.

• Duration: 8 weeks
• Requirements: 16 years old, 2.0 GPA, authorized to work in the Seattle area
• Application Deadline: Internships open in early April and are due before the summer starts

11. Sacramento Municipal Utility District

High school interns at SMUD have a unique opportunity to get an inside look into professions that could inspire career choices. Students can explore fields including information technology, engineering, customer service, administrative support, vehicle mechanics, accounting, human resources, marketing and many others.

• Duration: 6 weeks
• Requirements: 16 years or older, 2.5 GPA, authorized to work in the Sacramento area
• Application Deadline: Varies by session

12. New York High School Automotive Internship Program

This is a unique opportunity for students to participate in a paid summer internship program that provides valuable hands-on experience maintaining high-profile City vehicles, and the unique opportunity to learn from leading City fleet experts and professionals who service the largest municipal fleet in the United States.

• Duration: 6 weeks
• Requirements: enrolled in an eligible New York high school
• Application Deadline: Varies by session

13. Chicago Student Intern Opportunities

In addition to individual internship opportunities listed, the city of Chicago’s new process allows students interested in gaining valuable municipal government experience to submit their profile which is kept in a pool of pre-qualified candidates for consideration for available positions. 

• Duration: Varies by department
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by department

14. George Mason University

The nationally known Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) provides transformative research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students. Selected participants work one-on-one with faculty researchers and collaborating institutions using state-of-the-art technology across many disciplines.  

• Duration: 8 weeks
• Requirements: 15 years or older
• Application Deadline: February

Spotlight on ASSIP: Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program

Video: Spotlight on ASSIP: Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program

15. University of California, Santa Barbara 

The Research Mentorship Program is a competitive summer program that engages qualified, high-achieving high school students from all over the world in interdisciplinary, hands-on, university-level research. 

• Duration: 6 weeks
• Requirements: 10th or 11th grade, 3.8 GPA
• Application Deadline: March 17th

16. University of California, Santa Cruz

The Science Internship Program (SIP) offers high school students the opportunity to spend their summer working on authentic open-ended research projects in science, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and art under the mentorship of UCSC researchers.

• Duration: 9 weeks
• Requirements: 14 years or older, 16 years or older for some placements
• Application Deadline: March 6th

17. University of California, San Diego

Teaches highly sought-after skills that can make students more competitive candidates for college admissions and internship opportunities. Students will assume the role of a researcher, becoming fully immersed in projects that have real-world applications. From Bioengineering and Life Sciences to Design Thinking and more.

• Duration: Varies by session
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by session

18. US Army Educational Outreach Program

High school students work one-on-one with a university researcher or DoD scientist mentor during this authentic science and engineering research internship under AEOP.

• Duration: Varies by project
• Requirements: High school students from underrepresented backgrounds
• Application Deadline: Rolling

19. Clean Water Ambassadors Internship

The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust partners with the King County Wastewater Treatment Division to offer a paid internship experience for a cohort of high school interns to learn about local environmental issues, solutions, and careers focused on clean water in the Pacific Northwest region.

• Duration: 6-7 weeks
• Requirements: 16 years or older; passionate about the environment
• Application Deadline: April 21st

20. Institute of Systems Biology

ISB has well-established high school and undergraduate internship programs offered each summer. These internship positions are highly competitive and offer unparalleled experience in the emerging field of systems biology.

• Duration: Varies by program
• Requirements: Varies by program
• Application Deadline: Varies by program

21. University of Texas Health

A year-round program on the San Antonio campus designed to provide an intensive, hands-on, discovery-rich, creative and interdisciplinary research experience. This is a unique experience in learning and interdisciplinary research, with senior investigators serving as mentors and role models.

• Duration: Varies; inquire for details
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies; inquire for details

22. Stanford University SHTEM Programs

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.

• Duration: 8 weeks
• Requirements: 11th or 12th grade, currently enrolled in high school
• Application Deadline: February

23. Abbott’s Women in STEM Internships

The purpose of the High School STEM internship is to provide meaningful, professional, hands-on experience to students with proven academic performance and leadership potential. 

• Duration: Varies by focus area
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by focus area

A Day in the Life with Maria, Manufacturing Engineering Intern 

Video: A Day in the Life with Maria, Manufacturing Engineering Intern

24. University of Nebraska

The College of Information Science & Technology offers this summer internship program for high school students. Gives you an innovative, hands-on experience directly in our labs. You’ll work alongside our faculty and students in areas such as robotics, bioinformatics, software engineering, cybersecurity, public health informatics, 

• Duration: 8 weeks
• Requirements: 16 years or older; 10th, 11th, or 12th grade; B or higher in Algebra 1
• Application Deadline: April 6th

25. BioBus Junior Scientist Internships

The BioBus Junior Scientists are high school and college students who receive training and mentorship from research scientists, while developing their own independent projects and co-teaching BioBus programs for younger students!

• Duration: Varies by session
• Requirements: High school students authorized to work in the New York City area
• Application Deadline: March 24th

BioBus Summer 2019 

Video: BioBus Summer 2019

26. Louisiana State University Medical School

Interns in the LSU program learn techniques used in the health sciences laboratories, gain research study skills, and experience professional development and career preparation through weekly program seminars. Additionally, they receive training in presentation skills.

• Duration: 8 weeks
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: March 1st

27. Vanderbilt University AspirnautTM Program

AspirnautTM Summer Research Internships are hands-on and mentored laboratory experiences for high school students interested in a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).

• Duration: 6 weeks
• Requirements: High-achieving high school students must submit requested materials.
• Application Deadline: Mid-January

28. US Naval STEM Internships

The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) places high school students in Department of Navy (DoN) laboratories where they take part in real Naval research.

• Duration: Varies by project
• Requirements: 10th, 11th, 12th grade
• Application Deadline: November

29. Dallas Bar Association

The Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP), a joint initiative of the Dallas Bar Association and the Dallas Independent School District, places high school students with law firms and corporate legal departments. 

• Duration: Up to 8 weeks
• Requirements: 11th graders authorized to work in the Dallas area
• Application Deadline: April

30. US Department of Education

The Department works to tailor each intern's experience to the interests, and skills of the interns against the needs of Department offices. In the past, students have completed projects focusing on: policy analysis and evaluation; research; finance; public affairs and communications;cCommunity outreach; intergovernmental relations; legislative affairs; news media; legal work; and a host of other projects.

• Duration: 8 weeks
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by session

31. Jimerson Birr Attorneys

The High School Summer Internship Program allows you to experience a career in a dynamic firm that promotes your professional growth, and offers a unique opportunity to help you prepare to enter your first year of college with real-world experience added to your skill set. From day one, you are given real, substantive work and are an important part of our team.

• Duration: 4-6 weeks
• Requirements: High school students with an interest in law, based in Florida
• Application Deadline: Rolling

32. Pasquines Volunteer Internships

As a nonprofit news organization, Pasquines lacks monetary resources to afford a staff. Our work is dependent upon the efforts of volunteers, contributors and interns. Join us and help make a difference. Check out our available volunteer and internship roles and apply today.

• Duration: Varies by role
• Requirements: Open to all high school students
• Application Deadline: Rolling

33. New York Historical Society

Student Historians are high school-aged interns who use the resources of New York Historical Society to conduct research and share their scholarship through creative digital projects. Interns meet with professional staff to learn about the museum, library, digital humanities, and history fields; work collaboratively with fellow students to develop their historical thinking, communication, and digital media skills; and engage in hands-on work to deepen their understanding of American history and the digital humanities. 

• Duration: Varies by session
• Requirements: 10th, 11th, or 12th grade; authorized to work in the New York City area
• Application Deadline: Marh 30th (for Summer) or May (for Academic Year)

34. American Red Cross

Red Cross youth programs offer students and young adults meaningful opportunities for leadership training and community service. We empower you to respond to the community's needs locally, nationally, and internationally through numerous leadership, education, and community service opportunities.

• Duration: Varies by position
• Requirements: Varies; open to high school students
• Application Deadline: Varies by position

35. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

The program is very competitive, offering an exciting opportunity for highly motivated students interested in pursuing higher education (MD, PhD, or MD / PhD) to learn more about careers in Biomedical Sciences.

• Duration: 8 weeks
• Requirements: High school seniors only
• Application Deadline: February 1st

Other Places to Search for High School Internship Positions

36. Remote Internships for High School Students:

Ever dreamed of ways to fulfill your high school research internship from home? Believe it or not, that might be possible! With the advent of video conferencing software and other remote work accommodations, some high school internships can be completed independently from the comfort of your home. You never know what you might find until you start looking.

37. For Women in STEM Fields:

For high school students who identify as women, there are lots of opportunities for internships in STEM fields! These research internships are unique because they aim to uplift more underrepresented genders into science and engineering careers. For more information, read on.

38. Research Internships for High School Students in the Legal Field:

If you’re a teenager looking for ways to learn about the legal system in the US, it can seem intimidating to get started. In fact, it can feel like there aren’t many opportunities at all! Have no fear; we’ve got you covered.

39. High School Internships for Computer Scientists:

Perhaps working on a computer or behind a screen is more your speed. If you’re seeking internships for high schoolers who are talented computer scientists, you aren’t alone. There are both research internships and paid internships available to you!

40. Research Internships for High School Students on Medicine or Pre-Medicine Tracks:

You might have thought that there were no research internships for high school students in medicine, but that’s not true! While you might not be treating patients immediately, there are plenty of ways for aspiring medical practitioners to get involved.

None of these programs feel like the right fit, or just not sure where to start? For more, check out Empowerly’s Guide to High School Internships for expert tips on how to navigate your entire journey. Taking the first step is the best way to find out for yourself. 

In the end, you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re looking for a mentor to guide you through your first internship, Empowerly can help with that, too. Check out the Startup Internship Program to learn more about how our program works to prepare you for the best experiences for students.

The post 40 Incredible Internships for High School Students (2025) appeared first on Empowerly.

From representing your peers to shaping school policies, you’ll gain hands-on experience in problem-solving, collaboration, and public speaking. Ready to step up and make your mark? Here’s everything you need to know to get started!

Student Government 101

Student government organizations go by many names. At my high school, for example, it was known as ASB: All Student Body. At other schools, it may be called Student Council, Student Government, or something else entirely. 

These organizations vary in their size and impact. The main point is that high school students elect their peers to represent the student population in decision-making. These elected representatives serve a variety of positions, including Class President, Co-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and more. Responsibilities may include leading campus announcements, planning events like Homecoming and Prom, and discussing potential changes to the school format.

Are Student Council and Student Government the Same Thing?

While often used interchangeably, student council and student government can have subtle differences depending on the school. Student government typically refers to a more formal organization that mirrors governmental structures, with an executive branch and various responsibilities like managing funds or influencing school policies. 

Student council, on the other hand, is often viewed as a broader term that encompasses any group of elected student leaders working together to represent the student body. However, both terms generally describe a body of students who advocate for their peers and help organize school-wide initiatives.

Student Government Functions

Student government plays a crucial role in representing the student body and making sure students’ voices are heard in key decisions. These organizations work closely with school administrations to advocate for student interests, influence policies, and plan major events like dances, fundraisers, or school-wide initiatives. 

In many schools, student governments also manage budgets allocated for student activities, helping fund clubs, events, and other student-driven projects. Additionally, they may work on projects that address important issues such as campus safety, mental health initiatives, and community outreach, ensuring that the student experience is enriched and student concerns are addressed proactively.

Not only does student government provide an opportunity to influence your school’s culture, but it also serves as a platform to develop practical skills like leadership, negotiation, and budgeting. Many student governments are structured similarly to real-world governmental systems, with executive, legislative, and sometimes judicial branches that offer students a microcosm of governance experience.

Video: Student Council Roles & Responsibilities

Student Government Positions

Student Body President

The Student Body President is the top representative of the student government. They are responsible for overseeing meetings, coordinating with school administration, and ensuring that student concerns are addressed. The president often takes the lead in organizing events, managing the council’s agenda, and serving as the primary spokesperson for the student body.

Vice President

The Vice President supports the president by assisting in the coordination of student government projects and committees. They often take over the president's responsibilities in their absence and ensure that the different committees stay on track with their tasks.

Secretary

The Secretary handles the organization’s documentation, such as meeting minutes, agendas, and communications. They ensure that all official records are properly maintained and distributed, making sure that the council’s work remains transparent and organized.

Treasurer

The Treasurer manages the finances of the student government. This includes overseeing budgets, handling funds, and ensuring that money is appropriately allocated to student projects, events, and activities. They also prepare financial reports to update the council on the status of funds.

Class Representatives

Class Representatives are elected by their peers to voice the concerns and interests of their specific class (e.g., freshman, sophomore). They serve on various committees, help organize class-specific events, and keep their classmates informed about council actions.

Is Student Government Good for College Apps?

It sure is! The strong aspects of holding a position in student government include: 

• Demonstrating leadership, through election by your peers
• Taking initiative above and beyond to participate in your campus community
• Building strong relationships with your supervising teachers
• Serving your peers, taking responsibility for outcomes  
• Practice coordinating logistics and collaborating with other officers
• Demonstrating interest in public service and operations on an institutional level

Each of these elements can demonstrate desirable characteristics in your application. Even better, you can probably ask a teacher you worked with for a letter of recommendation, since they know how you work outside the classroom! 

Finally, student government is a great addition to a humanities or social science focused application. For those of you looking at majors like public policy or political science, this can be a strong way to expand your interests and experiences.

Video: The Perception of Student Government in College...

Benefits of Student Government

Engaging in student government offers numerous advantages that extend into personal development and future prospects.

1. Leadership Development:

Participating in student government cultivates leadership skills through practical experience in project management, team leadership, and decision-making, all of which are applicable in higher education and career settings.

2. Networking Opportunities:

Involvement allows students to build connections with faculty, administration, and peers, creating a network that can lead to mentorship opportunities and professional references.

Colleges seek well-rounded candidates who demonstrate commitment and leadership. Experience in student government showcases initiative and a dedication to improving the school community, distinguishing applicants in the admissions process.

4. Community Impact:

Through organized initiatives, student government members can make a positive difference in their school environment, promoting school spirit, inclusivity, and community service efforts.

5. Skill Acquisition:

Members gain critical skills such as public speaking, teamwork, conflict resolution, and project management, all essential for success in any academic or professional field. Highlighting these benefits can inspire students to view student government as more than just a title but as a transformative experience that shapes their future.

Promoting Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion in student government are vital for creating a welcoming and representative school environment.

Importance of Diversity:

• Varied Perspectives: A diverse student government encompasses different backgrounds, cultures, and viewpoints, enriching discussions and fostering innovative solutions to student concerns.
• Representation Matters: Ensuring all voices are heard allows student government to address the diverse needs and interests of the student body, leading to more inclusive policies and programs.

Fostering Inclusion:

• Creating Safe Spaces: Student governments can take the initiative to cultivate inclusive environments where all students feel valued. This might involve hosting cultural events, awareness campaigns, and discussions on sensitive topics.
• Engagement Strategies: Actively reaching out to underrepresented groups to encourage their participation in leadership roles can help create a more inclusive atmosphere.

Promoting diversity and inclusion is not just a moral obligation; it enhances the effectiveness of student government and enriches the entire school community.

Video: SGA Promotes Diversity Week | Brady Talbert Reporting

Student Council Initiatives and Impact

Student governments can lead initiatives that significantly impact their schools and communities.

1. Organizing School Events: Planning events like Homecoming, Prom, and Spirit Weeks helps foster school pride and unity among students, leading to increased engagement and a sense of belonging.
   
2. Community Service Projects: Initiatives such as food drives, charity runs, and environmental clean-ups not only benefit the community but also instill a sense of social responsibility and awareness in participants.
   
3. Advocating for Policy Changes: Student governments can push for changes in school policies, such as implementing mental health days or improving lunch options, directly enhancing the student experience.
   
4. Raising Awareness: Creating campaigns focused on mental health, anti-bullying, or inclusivity encourages open dialogue and promotes a healthier school environment.

The success of these initiatives can be measured through participation rates, funds raised, or improvements in school climate, demonstrating that student government plays a crucial role in shaping a vibrant school community.

Navigating Challenges in Student Government

While student government can be rewarding, it also presents its own set of challenges.

1. Conflict Resolution:

Disagreements may arise within the student body or among officers. Effective communication and active listening are essential for navigating these situations. Developing conflict resolution skills can transform challenges into opportunities for growth.

2. Time Management:

Balancing student government duties with academics and personal life can be demanding. Effective time management strategies, such as creating schedules and prioritizing tasks, can help students manage their commitments efficiently.

3. Limited Authority:

Student governments may sometimes feel constrained in their ability to effect change, particularly if faced with resistance from administration. Building relationships with faculty and advocating for student needs through well-prepared proposals can help overcome these obstacles.

4. Risk of Burnout:

The pressure to perform and meet expectations can lead to burnout. It’s crucial for student leaders to recognize their limits and prioritize self-care while maintaining their commitment to their roles.

Is Student Government a Waste of Time?

Absolutely not! Far from being a waste of time, student government can actually be one of the most valuable experiences to highlight on your college applications. Serving in student government showcases your leadership abilities, initiative, and commitment to improving your school community—qualities that admissions officers love to see. 

It demonstrates that you’re not just focused on your own academic success but also care about making a positive impact on those around you. Plus, it gives you tangible examples of problem-solving, teamwork, and project management to discuss in essays and interviews.

Beyond leadership, being in student government helps you build skills that are essential for college and beyond. From budgeting and event planning to negotiating with school administrators, these experiences translate directly into the real-world challenges you’ll face in higher education and your future career. 

Colleges want students who take the initiative to make a difference, and your involvement in student government shows that you're exactly that kind of person.

How Can I Make the Most of My Student Government Position?

Still unsure if student government is right for you? Of course, feel free to discuss with an expert college counselor whether this activity fits your goals. If participating does make sense for you, great! This activity can bring students focus and purpose. Here are tips on how to get the most bang for your buck:

• Quantify your projects (take note of student attendees, total money raised, or any tangible impacts on the school).
• Keep your personal reasons in mind; if you’re there to gain or practice certain skills, be sure to volunteer for projects that will help you along.
• Take initiative for “owning” and leading a few projects that you can talk about in-depth in an interview.
• Use every opportunity to demonstrate your strengths & talents so you can connect your personal narrative cohesively in your applications.
• Remember specific instances where you grew or made an impact on someone; that would be a great essay topic!

Final Word

All in all, student government is a great way to gain hands-on experience with humanities and social sciences in action. It’s a strong way to build up your extracurricular profile, and can demonstrate great leadership characteristics. However, make sure you are being intentional with your time in order to make the most of your experiences! 

Remember, Empowerly is a fantastic resource to help you make these kinds of decisions and weigh your options. Our college counselors are experts in the college admissions process. We would love to tell you more about our program and how it could work for you. Book a conversation below to get the details!

Work With our Councilors!

Ready to turn your college admission dreams into reality? Join the 98% of students who have worked with Empowerly and been accepted into Ivy League and top 25 schools. Our college counselors are the best-rated in the country and have proven to improve college admission rates by 11x. Book your FREE consultation today. 

Additional Resources

• Participating in student government can enhance college applications, making it important to consider "College Application Help: 15 Tips to Help You Succeed."
• Understanding the role of student organizations can also be beneficial for students considering their future academic paths, so exploring "What Are the Best Universities & Colleges in New York?" may provide helpful insights.
• Student council involvement can open doors to various opportunities, such as internships, which is why you should check out "40 Incredible Research Opportunities for High School Students."

The post Student Council and Student Government 101 appeared first on Empowerly.

Explore a range of thought-provoking subjects, from environmental issues to social justice, and learn how to craft compelling arguments that engage your audience. Whether you’re a seasoned public speaker or just starting, our blog offers valuable tips and topic suggestions to help you deliver a persuasive speech that leaves a lasting impression. 

Discover your voice and tackle important topics with confidence using our guide to good persuasive speech topics for students.

Good Topics For Persuasive Speech Are Often Controversial

Video: #Transizion 191 Best Persuasive Speech Topics

Something else that should be noted about good persuasive speech topics is that they are often more emotional. This is perfectly fine as long as you believe what you are arguing. The exception to this rule is if you are working on an assignment where your teacher or professor wants you to argue the side of the opposition. If that is the case, gather as much data as possible and center your argument on logos (logic) since the pathos (passion, empathy) won’t be there.

Listed below are a few good topics for persuasive speech engagements. By no means is this collection of persuasive speech topics exhausting, but it may give you a place to start or an idea from which you can base your own persuasive speech. 

Here Are Some Good Topics For Persuasive Speech Engagements:

• Should undergraduate degrees be free? 
• Should there be a flat income tax rate? 
• Should hunting be illegal? 
• Should there be a minimum age to become president? 
• Should public schools be required to provide laptops or tablets for students? 
• Should social media be censored? 
• Should books be banned from public libraries?
• Should books be banned from school libraries? 
• Should schools have dress codes? 
• Should everyone be required to drive electric cars? 
• Should contraception be free? 
• Should there be universal healthcare? 
• Should marijuana be legalized? 
• Should parents or teachers teach students about sex?
• Should students be required to say the Pledge of Allegiance? 
• Should corporal punishment be allowed in schools?  
• Should high schools have open campus policies in terms of students being able to go off-campus for lunch? 
• Should colleges follow affirmative action quotas? 
• Should we have high-speed rail systems? 
• Should the government be able to seize land by reason of eminent domain? 
• Should people be required to use reef-friendly sunscreen? 
• Should parents be required to vaccinate their kids for them to attend public schools?
• Should pet owners be required to spay or neuter their pets?
• Should parents allow their children to have social media accounts? 
• Should parents post their children on social media?  
• Should the United States be a direct democracy? 
• Should everyone be vegan? 
• Should you have to have a valid form of identification to vote in the US elections? 
• Should the use of illicit drugs be decriminalized? 

Top Persuasive Speech Topics

Here are some of the most popular topics for persuasive speeches that are sure to engage and captivate your audience.

• Should college education be free for everyone?
• Is the death penalty an effective deterrent to crime?
• Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
• Are standardized tests an accurate measure of student ability?
• Should animal testing be banned?
• Is climate change the greatest threat facing humanity today?
• Should marijuana be legalized for recreational use nationwide?
• Are single-gender classrooms more effective than co-ed classrooms?
• Should public schools require uniforms?
• Is online learning as effective as traditional in-person learning?
• Should healthcare be considered a basic human right?
• Is it ethical to use genetic engineering on humans?
• Should social media platforms regulate fake news?
• Is the gig economy beneficial for workers?
• Should schools start later in the morning for better student health?
• Are electric vehicles the future of transportation?
• Should governments enforce stricter gun control laws?
• Is space exploration worth the investment?
• Should sports betting be legalized?
• Is homeschooling better than traditional schooling?
• Should plastic straws be banned to protect marine life?
• Are reality TV shows harmful to society?
• Should the government provide free childcare services?
• Is it important to have arts education in schools?
• Should public transportation be free for everyone?
• Are celebrities bad role models for young people?
• Should there be a universal basic income?
• Is it necessary to regulate AI development to prevent misuse?
• Should advertising targeting children be banned?
• Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos?

Persuasive Speech Ideas About Society

Explore these compelling topics related to society and our way of life, each offering unique perspectives and thought-provoking viewpoints.

• Does social media enhance or hinder human connection?
• Should healthcare be considered a basic human right?
• How does the gig economy impact job security and worker rights?
• Is climate change the greatest threat to our society today?
• How does gender equality benefit the whole society?
• Should governments implement stricter regulations on fake news?
• Is cultural appropriation harmful or a form of cultural exchange?
• How do violent video games affect youth behavior?
• Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
• How has the rise of remote work changed the traditional work-life balance?
• Are anti-discrimination laws effective in promoting equality?
• How does the portrayal of beauty standards in media affect self-esteem?
• Should social media influencers be held accountable for promoting harmful products?
• Is our society becoming too reliant on technology?
• How can public transportation improve urban living?
• Does the portrayal of crime in the media influence real-world violence?
• Should we prioritize mental health education in schools?
• How does immigration impact the social and economic structure of a country?
• Are privacy laws keeping up with advancements in technology?
• Should there be limitations on freedom of speech to prevent hate speech?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Technological Advancements

Technology is ever-evolving and provides endless topics for discussion.

• Is technology making us more alone?
• Should there be limits on screen time for children?
• Is online privacy a right?
• Should schools use more technology in the classroom?
• Is it possible to live without technology in today's world?
• Should social media platforms be regulated?
• Are self-driving cars safe?
• Is technology making our lives easier or more complicated?
• Should we be concerned about data security?
• Is it ethical to use facial recognition technology?
• Should there be universal internet access for everyone?
• Can wearable technology improve health outcomes?
• Is 5G technology safe for public health?
• Should we be worried about the digital divide?
• Is virtual reality the future of entertainment?
• Should tech companies be responsible for spreading misinformation?
• Can blockchain technology revolutionize finance?
• Should there be a tech detox day every week?
• Are smart homes really secure?
• Should we embrace or fear advancements in biotechnology?

Persuasive Speech Ideas About AI

Artificial Intelligence is a hot topic with many angles to explore.

• Will AI replace human jobs in the future?
• Should there be regulations on AI development and use?
• Can AI improve the quality of healthcare?
• Is AI a threat to human privacy?
• Should AI be used in law enforcement?
• Can AI help in solving climate change?
• Is it ethical to use AI for surveillance?
• Should AI be allowed to make decisions in critical fields like medicine?
• Can AI create art comparable to human artists?
• Is relying on AI making humans less intelligent?
• Should AI be used in education to personalize learning?
• Can AI predict and prevent crimes before they happen?
• Is it ethical to develop AI weapons for military use?
• Should AI have rights similar to human rights?
• Can AI help in managing and mitigating pandemics?
• Should AI be used in making judicial decisions?
• Is it ethical to use AI for genetic editing?
• Can AI contribute to achieving sustainable development goals?
• Should AI be involved in financial trading and investments?
• Is the development of superintelligent AI a risk to humanity?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Health and Wellness

Health-related topics are always relevant and important.

• Should the government provide free healthcare?
• Is vaccination crucial for public health?
• Should junk food advertising be banned?
• Is a plant-based diet healthier than a meat-based diet?
• Should schools teach comprehensive sex education?
• Is it important to have regular health check-ups?
• Should there be stricter laws on smoking?
• Are organic foods better for health?
• Should mental health days be allowed at work and school?
• Is the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports ethical?
• Should sugar be regulated like tobacco?
• Is it important to have a balanced diet over popular diets?
• Should telemedicine become a standard practice?
• Are fitness trackers effective in promoting a healthy lifestyle?
• Should fast food restaurants display calorie counts on menus?
• Is it ethical to require vaccinations for travel?
• Can meditation and mindfulness practices replace medication?
• Should we have more public health campaigns on mental health?
• Is it important to address the social determinants of health?
• Should gyms and fitness centers be more affordable?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Mental Health Awareness

Mental health is a crucial topic that deserves attention and discussion.

• Should mental health education be mandatory in schools?
• Is social media harmful to mental health?
• Should workplaces provide mental health support?
• Are mental health disorders still stigmatized in society?
• Should therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Is it important to take regular mental health breaks?
• Should there be more funding for mental health research?
• Are mental health issues on the rise in teens?
• Should schools have on-site mental health counselors?
• Is meditation effective in reducing stress?
• Should celebrities speak out about their mental health struggles?
• Can pets help improve mental health?
• Is it necessary to address mental health in the criminal justice system?
• Should mental health screenings be a part of regular health check-ups?
• Are mental health apps effective?
• Should there be mental health days in schools?
• Is it important to teach resilience to children?
• Should social media platforms take responsibility for mental health impacts?
• Is workplace stress management crucial for employee well-being?
• Can art therapy be an effective treatment for mental health issues?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Arts and Culture

These topics delve into the importance and impact of arts and culture in society.

• Should arts education be mandatory in schools?
• Is graffiti a form of art or vandalism?
• Should government funding for the arts be increased?
• Is it important to preserve cultural heritage sites?
• Should museums be free to the public?
• Are reality TV shows harmful to culture?
• Should there be more representation of minorities in the media?
• Is cultural appropriation a serious issue?
• Can music therapy improve mental health?
• Should public libraries receive more funding?
• Is the commercialization of art detrimental to its value?
• Should we encourage more public art installations?
• Is it important to support local artists?
• Should cultural festivals be funded by the government?
• Can digital art be considered real art?
• Is there a need for more female representation in the arts?
• Should we integrate arts into STEM education (STEAM)?
• Are art and culture essential for a thriving society?
• Should artists have freedom of expression without censorship?
• Can the arts play a role in social justice movements?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Sports and Athletics

Sports topics can be exciting and engaging for many audiences.

• Should college athletes be paid?
• Is it necessary to ban dangerous sports?
• Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in professional sports?
• Is soccer better than American football?
• Should parents push their kids to participate in sports?
• Are eSports real sports?
• Should athletes be role models?
• Is it fair to have gender divisions in sports?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Is it important to have sports in school curriculums?
• Should there be stricter penalties for doping in sports?
• Is professional sports too commercialized?
• Should sports facilities be accessible to everyone?
• Are youth sports too competitive?
• Should there be equal pay for male and female athletes?
• Is the use of technology in sports enhancing or diminishing the experience?
• Should fan behavior be regulated in sports events?
• Is the World Cup beneficial for the host country?
• Should high schools invest more in their athletic programs?
• Are contact sports too dangerous for children?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Politics

Here are some thought-provoking topics on politics that can spark lively discussions and debates.

• Should voting be mandatory for all citizens?
• Is the two-party system effective for democracy?
• Should political campaign financing be more regulated?
• Is it time for the Electoral College to be abolished?
• Should there be term limits for Congress members?
• Are social media platforms influencing political opinions too much?
• Should countries adopt universal basic income?
• Is proportional representation a better system than the current one?
• Should political ads be banned on social media?
• Are stricter gun control laws necessary for public safety?
• Should the government provide free higher education?
• Is it ethical to implement surveillance for national security?
• Should immigration policies be more lenient?
• Is political correctness harming free speech?
• Should politicians be required to have a background in law or public service?
• Are public protests effective in bringing about political change?
• Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
• Is nationalism beneficial or harmful to society?
• Should there be more women in political leadership roles?
• Are current lobbying practices corrupting politics?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Environmental Issues

Environmental issues are more relevant than ever and offer a wealth of topics.

• Should single-use plastics be banned globally?
• Is renewable energy the key to solving climate change?
• Should there be stricter laws on deforestation?
• Are electric cars the future of transportation?
• Should companies be held accountable for their carbon footprint?
• Is water conservation critical for the future?
• Should we invest more in protecting endangered species?
• Are GMOs harmful to the environment?
• Should governments subsidize green technologies?
• Is it possible to reverse the damage done to coral reefs?
• Should urban areas have more green spaces?
• Are zoos beneficial for animal conservation?
• Should the fashion industry adopt sustainable practices?
• Is it necessary to reduce meat consumption to save the planet?
• Should there be global regulations on plastic production?
• Is it important to support renewable energy sources?
• Should governments enforce stricter recycling laws?
• Are climate change deniers harming progress?
• Should we prioritize reforestation projects?
• Is it important to educate children about environmental issues?

Humorous & Funny Persuasive Speech Topics

Inject some humor into your speech with these funny and light-hearted topics.

• Should pineapple be on pizza?
• Is it better to be a cat person or a dog person?
• Should adults be allowed to trick-or-treat?
• Is it okay to wear socks with sandals?
• Should cereal be considered soup?
• Is it important to make your bed every day?
• Should toilet paper hang over or under?
• Is it necessary to have a gym membership to stay fit?
• Should we ban all forms of dancing in public?
• Are reality TV shows scripted?
• Is it okay to talk to your pets like they are people?
• Should you eat dessert before dinner?
• Is it better to have super strength or super intelligence?
• Should there be a limit on how many selfies you can take in a day?
• Are dad jokes the best kind of humor?
• Should you be able to wear pajamas in public?
• Is it better to always be slightly late or always slightly early?
• Should coffee be considered a food group?
• Is it okay to have breakfast for dinner?
• Are unicorns overrated?

Simple and Effective Persuasive Speech Topics

If you're looking for simpler topics that are still impactful, these ideas are great starting points.

• Should students have less homework?
• Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
• Should schools start later in the morning?
• Is it better to read books or watch movies?
• Should junk food be banned in school cafeterias?
• Are pets good for mental health?
• Should children have limited screen time each day?
• Is it important to learn a second language?
• Should recess be longer for elementary school students?
• Are video games beneficial for developing skills?
• Should uniforms be mandatory in schools?
• Is it better to study alone or in a group?
• Should schools have more field trips?
• Is handwriting still important in the digital age?
• Should everyone learn basic first aid?
• Is it important to have art classes in school?
• Should schools have more physical education classes?
• Are school lunches healthy enough?
• Should students have a say in school policies?
• Is it beneficial to have a part-time job while in school?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical questions are always thought-provoking and great for persuasive speeches.

• Should euthanasia be legalized?
• Is it ethical to use animals for testing?
• Should companies have a mandatory code of ethics?
• Is it ethical to genetically modify organisms?
• Should the sale of human organs be legalized?
• Is it moral to enforce mandatory vaccinations?
• Should surveillance cameras be installed in public places for security?
• Is it ethical to consume meat?
• Should businesses be allowed to advertise to children?
• Is it right to use drones in warfare?
• Should the death penalty be abolished?
• Is it ethical to clone humans?
• Should we allow designer babies?
• Is it ethical to manipulate memories in therapy?
• Should companies be held accountable for environmental damage?
• Is it ethical to use big data for marketing?
• Should whistleblowers be protected?
• Is it right to censor hate speech?
• Should companies prioritize profit over social responsibility?
• Is it ethical to ban religious symbols in public institutions?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Happiness

Explore these engaging topics about the pursuit and meaning of happiness.

• Can money buy happiness?
• Is happiness a choice or a result of circumstances?
• Should schools teach courses on happiness and well-being?
• Does social media make us more or less happy?
• Is living a minimalist lifestyle the key to happiness?
• Can pursuing hobbies lead to greater happiness?
• Is happiness more important than success?
• Does giving to others increase personal happiness?
• Is physical exercise essential for happiness?
• Can spending time in nature improve happiness levels?
• Is happiness contagious?
• Does achieving work-life balance lead to true happiness?
• Are happy people more productive?
• Can mindfulness practices significantly boost happiness?
• Does owning pets contribute to a person's happiness?
• Is happiness influenced more by genetics or environment?
• Does setting and achieving goals increase happiness?
• Is the pursuit of happiness selfish?
• Can traveling enhance a person's happiness?
• Does happiness come from within or from external sources?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Work and Careers

These topics can help you explore the various aspects of work life and career.

• Should companies implement a four-day workweek?
• Is remote work more productive than office work?
• Should the minimum wage be increased?
• Are flexible work hours beneficial for employees?
• Should employees have unlimited vacation days?
• Is job satisfaction more important than salary?
• Should companies invest more in employee training and development?
• Are open-plan offices effective or distracting?
• Should there be a cap on executive salaries?
• Is it necessary for companies to provide mental health support?
• Are internships exploitative or beneficial?
• Should there be more laws protecting gig economy workers?
• Is it better to work for a startup or an established company?
• Should companies allow employees to bring pets to work?
• Are performance reviews effective in improving employee productivity?
• Should there be a universal basic income for all workers?
• Is it important to have diversity in the workplace?
• Should companies offer student loan repayment assistance?
• Are team-building activities effective?
• Is lifelong learning essential for career advancement?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Religion

Delve into these topics that examine the role and impact of religion in society.

• Should religion be kept out of politics?
• Is religious freedom truly possible in a diverse society?
• Should religious symbols be allowed in public spaces?
• Is it ethical to teach religion in public schools?
• Should religious institutions be tax-exempt?
• Is interfaith dialogue important for peace?
• Should there be restrictions on religious practices that harm others?
• Are science and religion compatible?
• Should children be allowed to choose their own religion?
• Is religion necessary for moral behavior?
• Should religious beliefs be respected even if they are discriminatory?
• Are atheism and agnosticism rising in modern society?
• Should religious texts be interpreted literally or metaphorically?
• Can religious beliefs coexist with modern human rights?
• Is secularism the best approach for a fair government?
• Should marriage be solely a religious institution?
• Are religious holidays still relevant in contemporary society?
• Should religious groups have a say in public policy?
• Is there a place for religion in the workplace?
• Should people be allowed to proselytize freely?

Persuasive Speech Topics on Animal Rights and Welfare

Discuss these engaging topics on the treatment and role of animals in our lives.

• Should animal testing be banned?
• Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos?
• Should there be stricter laws against animal cruelty?
• Is it better to adopt pets from shelters rather than buy from breeders?
• Should hunting for sport be prohibited?
• Are vegan diets better for animal welfare?
• Should circuses be banned from using animals in performances?
• Is it ethical to wear fur and leather?
• Should animals be used in entertainment industries like movies and TV?
• Are factory farming practices inhumane?
• Should wildlife conservation efforts be increased?
• Is pet ownership beneficial for mental health?
• Should exotic animals be kept as pets?
• Are animal rights organizations effective?
• Should there be mandatory spaying and neutering for pets?
• Is it ethical to genetically modify animals?
• Should animals have legal rights?
• Are animal-assisted therapies effective?
• Should animal cloning be allowed?
• Is it important to protect animal habitats from human encroachment?

How to Come Up With Good Persuasive Speech Topics in the First Place

Video: How to Write a Persuasive Essay

Coming up with a solid persuasive speech topic isn’t always easy. Perhaps the stress has been building up for days. You’ve been trying to come up with a topic, but you keep coming up short. You’ve been racking your brain for something, anything interesting to persuade a willing (or unwilling) audience. 

No Matter What, Don’t Freak Out – Empowerly Can Help!

If coming up with an argument for a persuasive speech topic is stressing you out, don’t worry. You are in good hands: Empowerly is here to help. Empowerly provides expert guidance and resources to help you brainstorm, refine, and perfect your persuasive speech, ensuring you feel confident and prepared. 

With personalized support from experienced advisors, you can overcome any obstacles and create a compelling argument that resonates with your audience. So, take a deep breath, relax, and let Empowerly assist you in delivering a persuasive speech that will leave a lasting impact. 

The Ultimate Struggle

Coming up with a solid persuasive speech topic or even a passable persuasive college admissions essay topic can be a struggle. This can be true even for straight-A students who may or may not have a penchant for argument. 

Coming up with a topic is a whole different ball game than arguing a fact that comes up in daily conversation. Don’t fret – we have you covered in terms of good persuasive speech topics, where to find them, and where to even begin a successful argument. 

Wondering Where You Should Begin? Read On. 

Persuasive speech topics range from the minute to the monumental. There are several different routes you can take when deciding on a persuasive speech topic. Above all else, consider your audience and the message you are trying to convey. We will discuss this more later on in this article. For now, brainstorm a few ideas that you’d be willing to convince a room of stubborn people you’re right about. 

 Keep Your Personality in Mind as You Craft Your Argument

When choosing persuasive speech topics, you should also consider your own personality and beliefs. Think about what drives you, what grinds your gears, or what really gets under your skin. If your argument doesn’t feel like “you” then you won’t be able to convince anyone that you actually believe what you are saying. 

This Should Be Something You Feel Strongly About

Remember that your persuasive speech is about a topic on which you are trying to convince your audience to change their mind. This shouldn’t be something you feel lukewarm about, and it certainly shouldn’t be something you are not willing to research. 

Research is arguably the most important part of this process, and it isn’t something you should take lightly. Later, we’ll talk more about the research aspect of creating a good persuasive speech topic. 

It’s Simple – Be Passionate

It is undoubtedly more difficult to come up with a solid persuasive argument if you aren’t passionate about something, and it can be nearly impossible to do so if you don’t believe in the cause at all. On the other hand, if you are passionate about something, it is likely that convincing someone you are right about it will come naturally.

Where to Look for Persuasive Speech Topics

Video: Persuasive Speaking: Basic Concepts

Good topics for persuasive speech events are abundant, you simply have to know where to start looking. If you can’t find anything that really catches your eye, don’t worry. We’ll give you a few ideas below. You can also look in today’s news headlines, in your history book, or for an opinion piece that you disagree with. 

Just remember that no matter where you find your persuasive speech topic, you have to be prepared or nobody will take you seriously. Get out there and start looking (after you finish reading all of our exceptional hints, tips, and tricks relating to good persuasive speech topics, of course). 

Keep in Mind that You Will Have to Provide Evidence

It should be noted that good persuasive speech topics should typically be well-researched and documented. Find evidence linked to them that you can use to craft a strong, solid argument. Hopefully, there are a few key points that you can focus on in your argument. 

Knowing what those key points are will help you know where to start your research. If one point comes up sparse in the search engine, move on to the next. Eventually, you will find a key point or two that you can latch onto and use to craft a very compelling argument. 

Consider Your Audience

As we mentioned before, when coming up with a good persuasive speech topic, you must consider your audience. Take into account your audience’s beliefs, demographics, and level of education. These factors all play a role in the way in which you craft your incredibly effective persuasive speech. 

Facing a Heated Audience

If you know before walking into this that your audience feels heated and passionate about the topic, be prepared to face some degree of backlash. If this is the case, you will need to lean heavily on logic and reasoning in an attempt to dampen the emotions of your audience. With the right facts presented in a firm but friendly manner, you’ll be surprised at how effective your argument becomes.

Matching Your Audience's Education Level

It goes without saying that you may have a different level of education than those in your audience. This is unavoidable, but it does not mean that your message will be ignored. If your audience is more educated than you, learn the terminology, history, and semantics of your topic like the back of your hand. You need to be able to defend your argument and make sure that it sticks. 

Simplify Your Message

On the other hand, if your audience has a lower level of education than you, simplify your argument a reasonable amount. At the same time, do not dumb it down. Simply explain it as though you were teaching your topic to a peer (because you are). 

Remember that if you cannot explain something in simple terms, the odds are that you do not understand it well enough to be making an argument about it in the first place.  

Constructing a Persuasive Speech That Holds Attention

Crafting a persuasive speech involves several key steps to ensure your message is clear, compelling, and impactful. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Choose a Strong Topic: Start by selecting a topic you are passionate about and that resonates with your audience. A well-chosen topic will make your speech more engaging and persuasive.
2. Understand Your Audience: Research your audience’s interests, values, and beliefs. Knowing who you’re speaking to will help you tailor your message and arguments to their perspectives.
3. Conduct Thorough Research: Gather credible information and evidence to support your arguments. Use statistics, expert opinions, and real-life examples to build a strong case for your position.
4. Outline Your Speech: Organize your thoughts and structure your speech with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Begin with a hook to grab your audience’s attention, follow with your main points, and end with a powerful conclusion that reinforces your message.
5. Develop Compelling Arguments: Present your arguments logically and coherently. Use a mix of emotional appeals and logical reasoning to persuade your audience. Address potential counterarguments and refute them convincingly.
6. Practice Your Delivery: Rehearse your speech multiple times to become familiar with your material and improve your delivery. Pay attention to your tone, pace, and body language to ensure you come across as confident and engaging.
7. Seek Feedback: Share your speech with friends, family, or mentors and ask for constructive feedback. Use their input to refine your content and delivery.

Check Us Out

Remember, the list above is not exhaustive. It’s just a place to begin. Find something that you feel passionate about and make sure that your speech is something you feel excited about researching. 

Then, research it to the moon and back, crafting an argument with facts and logic that can persuade even the most emotional audience, and give a persuasive speech that would change the mind of the most fierce opposition. 

Ready to turn your college admission dreams into reality? Join the 98% of students who have worked with Empowerly and been accepted into Ivy League and top 25 schools. Our college counselors are the best-rated in the country and have proven to improve college admission rates by 11x. Book your FREE consultation today. 

Additional Resources:

Looking for inspiration for your persuasive speech? Check out our guide Top 40 College Essay Ideas and Topics for valuable topic ideas.

Or, if you want to prepare effectively for your persuasive speech, you can read our How to Study Effectively for Exams in a Short Time for expert advice on quick preparation techniques.

Curious about how persuasive speaking skills can help your college application? Explore College Application Help: 15 Tips to Help You Succeed to learn how these skills can give you an edge.

The post 350+ Good Persuasive Speech Topics For Students & Debaters appeared first on Empowerly.

Here’s the truth: internships offer invaluable experiences that help you gain the skills you need to continue your education and help you grow professionally. If you have time to take an internship while in school, college counselors highly recommend them. 

The only problem is that as a high schooler, may not be exactly sure what you want to do for a career. If that rings true, you’re probably wondering whether to just intern anywhere or take the time to carefully choose a few. This article will answer some essential questions you have about internships for high school students. Let’s start with the most common question…

What’s The Point of Internships?

The main motivation for the development of internships is to allow students to gain real-world experience, practice school theories, and learn if they fit into a particular job or industry. 

Internships are not only designed to build up your experiences. They also offer you the right situations to learn about company culture and what it’s like working in an organization. For all these reasons, internships are also critical in the context of college applications. Such internships provide great material to write for your college essays and interviews, and therefore boost your chances of getting admitted into college. 

So, does it matter which company you intern with?

To make a long story short: yes, the company you intern with matters in many ways, and that’s why you’ll be advised to choose the company you intern with carefully. Although you’ll gain valuable experience regardless of the company you choose, it’s always better to choose a company related to your dream job or career field. Even if it’s a research internship for high school students, choose a company that’ll add value to your intellectual goals. 

The general rule is to pursue internships with top companies in your field. Interning with the best-known companies sends a strong message to your future employer and distinguishes you from other candidates. 

However, that doesn’t make internships with smaller companies useless. There’s still so much experience you can gain from such internships! In the end, it’s up to you to make the most of your position.

What to Look Out For When Choosing a Company to Intern At

Since we’re already clear that your choice of company matters during your internship, you’re probably wondering which company is right for you. Here’s a list of tips to help you find the best companies to intern with. Remember, empowerly.com offers you guidance to help you through college. With that clear, the best tips to help you make the right choice for internships are as follows: 

1. Which sector? 

When searching for an internship, you may not be sure which sector you’ll work in, and that’s fine. However, you’re expected to do your research into different sectors to see how they perform and which will be best for you. The partnerships section of our website helps Empowerly connect with a wide network of sectors so you can reap the benefits. 

2. What responsibilities will the company offer you?

Whether it’s summer internships for students or any other kind of short-term internship position, you’d want to know what you’ll be doing before taking on the internship role. Read job descriptions and responsibilities that’ll be assigned to you before starting. Remember that your roles and responsibilities will go to your curriculum vitae (or CV), so you want to pick something that’ll add value to your CV. 

3. What’s the pay structure?

If an internship role possting doesn’t state how much the company is willing to pay, please ask. The company’s pay should comply with the national minimum wage. You’ll need money for your transportation and other needs, so you want to be sure that the pay you expect is worth it. However, be polite when asking for pay structure and always keep the question until the end of the interview. Keep in mind that some companies do not pay interns as a policy. It’s up to you to decide whether you can commit to an unpaid internship. 

4. What opportunities does it offer for networking?

One of the reasons for an internship is to meet and know many people in the industry. So, before starting, you want to check to be sure about the networking opportunities. Will you be working alone in an office, or will you have the opportunity to meet people from around the business? It’s better to choose where you’ll meet and know people in the industry. While on the job, be sure to take every chance you can to connect with your coworkers and mentors.

5. Does it offer you the opportunity to learn other skills?

While looking at responsibilities, you’ll want to also ensure that you know the skills that the responsibilities translate to so that you can make the most of them when preparing your CV. These skills can potentially stand you out in the employment market. So, we recommend opting for an internship role that allows you to learn new and valuable skills for the future.

Conclusion

Are internships good for college students? Does it matter which company you intern at? These are among the questions we regularly receive from students and parents. Yes, the company you choose to intern for matters, even if you’re looking for internships for high school students. Today, we’ve reviewed a few tips to help you choose the right company to intern with within this article. You can also visit the consult section of our website to book a session with a counselor for detailed advice and other recommendations.

The post Does it Matter What Company You Intern At? appeared first on Empowerly.

Colleges want to admit the best students from the pool of candidates who apply. Students who are curious and high energy often thrive in a strong learning environment.  Competent people put in the effort and succeed at understanding complex material. Responsible and mature people have the focus and resilience to do well in college. Sports demonstrates each of these qualities! So let’s take a closer look at how sports can help you get into a top school.

Talented athletes often have these notable characteristics, so can easily translate their sports skills to college. If you also have high academic goals, often you can find the right fit for both academics and athletics at a great school. To prepare, build your school and sports skills throughout your time in high school.

It’s important to know that every Ivy League school has an athletics program (but they do not offer sports scholarships). Smart students like sports too. College sports generate money for the school as well as build school spirit. So college admissions counselors look to ensure that each team has enough players.

In fact, athletic males are four times as likely to be admitted to an Ivy league school than non-athletics males. Female athletes have an even higher acceptance rate. The time and effort you put into your sport can help you through college.

Balancing rigorous coursework and a sport can be a challenge. But there is a link between the quality of the athletics program and the quality of the academics. When you apply, admissions counselors often look for the quality you bring to the school as well as various abilities. In addition, most athletes develop skills that are great for college. These include the following:

1. Ability to set priorities and balance their time
2. Commit to tasks readily
3. Connect to friend groups quickly
4. Excel at teamwork
5. Maintain good health which lowers stress and homesickness

However, Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships so the advantage of playing a sport is the opportunity to attend the school. If money for college is the primary reason for playing a sport, you should look at schools that do offer athletic scholarships.

Most talented athletes begin developing their skills at an early age so continuing to build skills and talents throughout high school is a great idea.  If you’re interested in using your sports experience to help you get into a top school, you can start now. Empowerly  can help you in coordinating your skills with the right school.

The post How Sports Can Help You Get Into a Top School appeared first on Empowerly.

I’m always impressed that so many of our young students have the imagination and drive to build a company from scratch. I certainly didn’t have the ambition at such a young age—my experience amounted to selling pizzas and chocolates for school fundraisers and I was never the kid who sold the most! But for many high school students, the entrepreneurial mindset is almost like second nature for them. 69 percent of teens say they have a business idea but need help to start the process.

But let’s step back a bit and first ask if pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors in high school is really worth the effort.

Entrepreneur Programs

If success rates are low, what benefit is there? And if high school students are not afraid of failure where can they get help with their startup aspirations? Are high school entrepreneurship programs really that useful?

These are all sensible questions to ask before launching into a new business venture.

Entrepreneurship teaches life skills.

There is plenty of evidence that highlights the benefits of entrepreneurship. Beyond that, we can see that a strong high school entrepreneur program helps students immensely. In fact, it can teach a student a myriad of life skills that other high school courses don’t. According to Marlborough School in Los Angeles, high school entrepreneurship programs can teach students how to:

• Collaborate and work with a team
• Speak in public and prepare an effective presentation
• Collect and analyze data
• Use social media as an advocacy tool
• Solve real, complex problems that don’t have a definitive answer
• Use curiosity and creativity to find an innovative approach to difficult problems

A high school entrepreneur program can also help students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. It will create opportunities, foster social justice, instill confidence and stimulate the economy. All are highly pertinent aspirations during this time of economic uncertainty and political unrest.

Many like the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman advocates for having students graduate high school “innovation ready.” And governments are taking notice. Junior Achievement USA found a substantial increase in entrepreneurial education efforts at both the state level and district levels! Today 49 states now offer entrepreneurship courses in grades K through 12, and entrepreneur programs for high school students are increasingly popular.

The best six high school entrepreneur programs to help you get started:

As a teen, you might think you are onto a great idea for a startup but are not equipped to launch it. While there are plenty of courses at top business schools like NYU Stern and UPenn Wharton that can teach you entrepreneurial skills, without the necessary mentorship and guidance, young ambition may just remain a distant dream. Without the experience and funding, how can you materialize your idea into a viable business?

There are a handful of high school entrepreneur programs that not only teach you the necessary skills to be an entrepreneur, but also life skills. What’s more, you don’t have to wait. These emerging high school entrepreneurship programs can:

• offer you the space and support to research and test your ideas,
• provide you with mentors to guide you through the process, and
• invest funding in your idea so you can launch your business.

Below are some of the best high school entrepreneurship programs which can help students take their idea and transform it into growing businesses.

LaunchX

Located on the campus of MIT, LaunchX is one of the most widely known and reputable programs out there. It brings together top aspiring high school entrepreneurs from around the world each summer and supports them through the process of launching a startup. LaunchX gives promising young entrepreneurs the chance to learn from industry experts. It also provides the course materials and the support needed to build real products and solve business challenges in viable ways.

LaunchX helps its student start real companies following the four steps of the program:

1. Explore – Identify, research, and test business opportunities
2. Test – Formalize the idea through market research
3. Iterate – Design and test your solution
4. Launch – Build business logistics and start selling

Endevvr

Endevvr is a virtual high school entrepreneurship program that helps high school students start real companies. The program began at the University of Pennsylvania, with founders and mentor networks from institutions like Harvard Business School. The program is described as a rigorous corporate experience and training using a highly structured, analytical, hypothesis-based way to truly teach entrepreneurship.   Its program directions have created a teaching method that taught lessons not by sitting in a classroom, but by actually having our participants build real companies. The program promises that each team of participants will have a real working product within two weeks.

Leangap

At just the age of 17, Eddy Zhong created Leangap when he saw the need for a formal entrepreneurship training program directed toward high school students. Leangap promises to help participants develop their ideas from concept to launch, with real customers and users over one summer. This unique high school entrepreneur program consists of three phases:

Phase 1 – Validation

During the first week, student entrepreneurs will pitch ideas, form teams, validate business models, and create the first proof of concept for their products or services.

Phase 2 – Creation

Teams will then create a minimum viable product with the guidance of our mentors and network.

Phase 3 – Traction

The ability to generate traction is what separates real startups from “projects”. With the support of our mentors, students will get sales as soon as humanly possible.

HERlead

Targeted at the aspiring social impact female entrepreneur, HERlead participants attend a Leadership Forum which covers communications and leadership training over 4 days in New York City. High school students meet with influential brand leaders, global female activists, and trailblazers in business, politics, entertainment, and media. Throughout the week, students attend presentations on real-world challenges and are tasked to work together to find solutions.

Following the Forum, each student returns to their community and puts their training into action. They develop projects to address pressing societal issues that range from economic empowerment to the environment, public health, education, political and public leadership, and human rights—proving the necessity of entrepreneur programs for high school students in today’s world. Participants can then apply for Project Grant funding to help bring their ideas to life. To date, HERlead has funded more than 246 social impact projects.

Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!)

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is an after-school high-school entrepreneur program that transforms local middle and high school students into real, confident creators. Through the six-month program, students in high school students work closely with local business leaders to cultivate and research business ideas, write business plans, pitch to a panel of investors, obtain funding, develop their brand and launch their business or social movement. The program is offered across the country in several locations, including Palo Verdes, California.

Quarter Zero – Virtual Reality Hybrid

Quarter Zero offers participants the opportunity to create a startup, activate an entrepreneurial mindset, and get support from peers and mentors. High school students who participate in a 50-day Catapult Incubator program are given the support to create and pitch a startup venture. Its program is based on 3 pillars of entrepreneurship:

1. Discover and Ideate
2. Prototype and Test
3. Prepare and Pitch

High school entrepreneurs who inspire us!

Stuck for inspiration?   Worried the pandemic makes the challenge impossible? These high school students have proven themselves in the startup world with their business and social pursuits so read on.

• Josh Feinsilber from Seattle founded Gimkit, a live quiz learning application that allows teachers to create “game kits”.   The kits quiz students and gives them an award when they have learned and memorized different concepts. Participating classes build the Kit by each student contributing a question.
• A team of high school students in Irvine, California is offering online tutoring during the pandemic to help students struggling with distance learning. Alex Yan, Arvin Ding, Annette Yuan, and Cindy Duang formed the nonprofit StudySmart Youth Services to offer tutoring in math, one-on-one English conversation practice, and coding classes.

• At 16, Jeremy Miller started a skateboard manufacturing company, Void Longboards, which he used as a vehicle for helping others and building community while searching for an escape from depression.
• Three high school students in Australia created Envision Marketplace, a booming e-commerce platform, during COVID-19. The platform is set up for students to sell their products online, for a percentage commission. Since its inception on August 28 this year,   it’s processed more than $7,000 in sales.
• Shubham Banerjee built a low-cost braille printer using Intel Edison technology to help give blind people an affordable way to read. He decided to give away the design and software for free and uploaded building instructions on his YouTube channel. In 2014, he established Braigo Labs, naming his mother as President because at the time he was still a minor.

“In a crisis, be aware of the danger–but recognize the opportunity.

John F. Kennedy

Still unsure whether to take the plunge? These stats will convince you!

Even though we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, it might just offer the opportunity to think creatively and build new solutions to the problems we are facing.  High school entrepreneurship programs are a great way to get your feet wet.  Here are some promising statistics that may just convince you that now is the best time to get started!

• 57 percent of Fortune 500 companies have been founded in a recession or declining market.
• Only 20 percent of businesses fail in their first year.
• 61 percent of teen girls have thought about starting a business, compared to 54 percent of boys.
• The US is the best country for entrepreneurs with a Global Entrepreneurship Index of 83.6.
• 78 percent of entrepreneurs say work experience is more helpful than a college degree when it comes to starting a business!

Want some work experience with a startup to help you get moving?

Starting a business as a teenager can be an exciting and empowering journey that fosters creativity, independence, and valuable life skills. With the right mindset, passion, and determination, teens can turn their innovative ideas into successful ventures. One key aspect of launching a business is identifying a problem or a niche in the market that you are passionate about solving. By leveraging your unique skills and interests, you can develop a business idea that stands out and resonates with your target audience.

Research and planning are vital when starting a business as a teenager. Take the time to understand your target market, competitors, and industry trends. Conduct market research, gather insights, and create a well-defined business plan that outlines your goals, strategies, and financial projections. Having a solid foundation will help you navigate challenges and make informed decisions as you bring your business idea to life. Building a strong online presence is crucial in today’s digital landscape. Utilize social media platforms, create a professional website, and leverage digital marketing strategies to reach and engage with your target audience. Establishing a strong brand identity, showcasing your products or services, and effectively communicating your value proposition will help you attract customers and build credibility for your business.

Collaboration and seeking mentorship can greatly enhance your entrepreneurial journey as a teenager. Connect with like-minded individuals, join entrepreneurship clubs or programs, and seek guidance from experienced entrepreneurs or mentors in your community. Their insights and support can provide valuable perspectives, help you navigate challenges, and offer guidance as you grow and scale your business. Starting a business as a teenager can be a fulfilling and enriching experience that unlocks your entrepreneurial potential. By identifying a problem, conducting research, and creating a strong online presence, you can launch a successful venture. Remember to seek mentorship and collaborate with others to gain valuable insights and support. Embrace your creativity, passion, and drive, and let your entrepreneurial spirit soar as you embark on this exciting journey of building and growing your own business.

Teen Startup Success

The entrepreneurial spirit knows no age limit, as evidenced by the remarkable success of many teen startups. These young visionaries have defied expectations, showcasing their creativity, innovation, and business acumen to launch thriving ventures. One such success story is that of Isabella Dymalovski, who founded her company, Luv Ur Skin, at the age of just 13. Luv Ur Skin offers a range of natural skincare products for young girls and has achieved widespread recognition, securing partnerships with major retailers. Isabella’s determination and passion exemplify the power of teen entrepreneurship.

Another inspiring teen startup success story is that of Ben Pasternak, who at the age of 15, created the app “Impossible Rush.” This addictive mobile game quickly gained popularity, reaching the top of the App Store charts. Ben’s success catapulted him into the tech industry spotlight, leading to further opportunities and recognition. His journey serves as a testament to the impact that youthful innovation and a deep understanding of consumer preferences can have in the startup world.

Rachel Zietz, at the age of 14, founded Gladiator Lacrosse, a company that offers high-quality lacrosse equipment and gear. Rachel’s passion for lacrosse and her entrepreneurial spirit drove her to create a brand that resonated with athletes. With relentless determination and a commitment to excellence, Rachel’s startup quickly gained traction, attracting customers and garnering attention from investors. Her story showcases the power of pursuing a venture rooted in personal passion and expertise.

Moziah Bridges, known as “Mo,” started his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 9 by creating and selling bow ties. His company, Mo’s Bows, has since expanded to offer a range of stylish accessories for men and boys. Mo’s business acumen and unique fashion sense have earned him recognition from prominent figures in the industry and appearances on popular TV shows. His story serves as a testament to the impact that creativity, determination, and a strong personal brand can have on the success of a teen startup.

The stories of successful teen startups illustrate the extraordinary achievements that young entrepreneurs can accomplish with passion, innovation, and determination. These remarkable individuals have disrupted industries, created innovative products, and forged their paths to success. Their stories inspire and empower aspiring teen entrepreneurs, proving that age is no barrier to building a successful business. With dedication, creativity, and the right mindset, teens can overcome challenges, turn their ideas into reality, and make a lasting impact in the entrepreneurial landscape.

Empowerly can help you get the work experience you need AND in a startup! With these high school entrepreneur program and firsthand experience in a professional setting, you are off to the races. Schedule a free consultation to discuss how we can help you find an internship that matters.

The post High School Entrepreneur Programs to Actually Help Teens Launch Startups appeared first on Empowerly.

As students plan their summer (or rejig their plans) to accommodate for the likelihood that social isolation will continue, students interested in the medical field are probably feeling particularly stuck. The two typical extracurricular activities a premed student will do are off-limits. The previous “go-to’s” for pre-med summer are changing; volunteering at the local hospital is a no-go, and research programs at colleges are generally canceled.

So what are your options if standard pre-med summer activities usually involve direct contact with people?

How can I stay involved in medicine this year without putting myself at risk?

Don’t despair. There are a number of activities that can help build on your experience in the medical field and don’t require you to leave home. Remember that just because your summer research program canceled on you, doesn’t mean you are doomed! Getting to a deeper understanding of a subject doesn’t require a prestigious lab with the most modern equipment, or a hospital to shadow in. Instead, it requires dedication, self-discipline, and a bit of resourcefulness. The internet can provide you with access to a world full of activities and connect you to like-minded people who can help you along the way.

If you are worried that these activities won’t stack up to a competitive summer program, don’t be fooled. Colleges look for students who show dedication to causes and can demonstrate that they are capable of deeper involvement and long-term commitment. This can definitely be done from home if you are determined.

So let’s get started on the types of activities you can get involved in online! 

Online Pre-Med Summer Programs.

While limited, some positions are offering a few research internships online over the summer. If you lack direction or would benefit from a more structured learning experience, then these programs might be a good option for you. But don’t wait too long, some of the deadlines are fast approaching. Here are some options we researched for 2020.

1. Option One

2. Option Two

3. Option Three

4. Option Four

5. Option Five

Research.

It is true that many colleges and research labs are practicing social distancing and have cancelled their research internships. Nonetheless, there are still ways to assist with research that you might typically do as part of an internship. Below, I’ve listed some great options catered to all levels of expertise.

Self-driven research

If you’ve already got some experience and want to delve more deeply into a particular subject, then perhaps you can carry it solo. We’ve had students knock the socks off industry with the projects they have done alone—”so if you think you’ve got the drive, go for it! And remember, you don’t have to go at it completely alone. Help along the way can be just a click away, you just have to know where to look online.

Citizen science

Citizen science is scientific research conducted by amateur scientists – like you! On these public platforms, you join other curious minds to pursue science research. Additionally, you can seek help, look for projects that coincide with your own work, or look for a new project to get involved in. For example, you can help measure radiation levels in the air; install nightlights to catch a parasitic fly in your backyard; or even help scientists with their coronavirus research. The possibilities are endless.   Here are some sites to explore for a few great pre-med summer options:

• Citizen science.org   – join a working group or association team
• National Geographic – participate in projects in which volunteers and scientists work together to answer real-world questions
• Scistarter – look through over 3,000 projects and events to attend.
• Citizenscience.gov – Help federal agencies accelerate innovation by participating in research projects

Compete

Take your research project one step further when you have some results to show and enter it into a competition. It’s a great way to receive recognition for your efforts and observe what your peers out there are achieving. Some examples of nationally recognized competitions are BioGeneius Challenge, Clean Tech Competition, and Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Beyond that, Empowerly has a database of online competitions that you could participate in, as well. So, talk to one of our team about how to start an account for pre-med summer competitions!

Publish your work

If you have documented your work in the form of a paper, you could also have it published. There are plenty of journals or magazines targeted at a younger audience where you can submit your paper. For example, the National High School Journal of Science and the Journal of Youths in Science are just a couple of student peer-reviewed journals to which you could submit your work.

Connect with a lab

This option is a bit of a long shot. It’s likely that if labs have needed to shrink, they are less likely to take on an intern to help out. To make it even harder, research opportunities are often pitched at the college student. But if you think you’ve got enough experience, then you could try cold emailing labs or academics. Just bear in mind that if you aren’t getting responses, change your course. We advise this flexibility so you don’t waste too much time barking up the wrong tree.

Volunteer with cause.

Volunteering is another great way to pursue your interests, and there are a few opportunities out there that relate directly to the medical field. While these activities may not deepen your science knowledge as much as other programs, your soft skills like leadership and teamwork can really shine. For pre-med volunteer summer options, even volunteering in non-medical fields uses these skills, so don’t shy away from an opportunity just because it’s not directly related to medicine.

One example of medically related volunteering is tutor elementary kids in STEM subjects. It’s a great way to reinforce your own STEM knowledge and demonstrate leadership skills. Another is researching and/or writing blog posts about healthcare topics. I’ve listed a few examples of these types of opportunities found on volunteer.match, but there are several others listed there that can be done remotely.

• Become a Pre-Med Mentor for Elementary-Age Students: looking for STEAM professionals or students with experience in healthcare to mentor to elementary-age students interested in healthcare.
• Health Literacy Internship – Champions for Health: the Health Literacy Intern will assist with managing speaking engagements, recruiting speakers, and evaluating community’s health literacy data.
• Research Assistant – Documentary Film | Medical Industry: looking for remote research assistants to assist on projects about and for the international medical response to the coronavirus, international maternal care and access to healthcare during childbirth.

Study a Subject Online.

And finally, you can continue learning online. There are thousands of online courses available and many of them are for free. Even if you have a very specific subject in mind, you can almost guarantee there is a course out there that covers it. MIT Opencourseware, Coursera, EdX and iversity are just a few of the popular online platforms where you can find these courses. This gives you the option to build your own pre-med summer curriculum.

There’s a lot of options… so what should I pursue?

We always suggest that students do at least a couple of different activities over the summer, whether they be part time done in tandem, or one after the other. As you can see from the options listed above, many complement each other and/or will lead to another. For example, you might start off with helping out on a citizen science project, but then realize your knowledge is not sufficient enough to find a solution, which leads you to enroll in a course on that topic. Further down the track once you start to see the fruit of your labor you might then decide to enter your work into a competition.

Doing activities in such a manner, where they relate to each other and further deepen your understanding of a subject, is a much more productive and enriching learning experience than pursuing several different activities that don’t relate. When you first start out in high school, you might get involved in extracurriculars covering different subjects, but as you progress through high school, you should begin to hone in on your interests—”and pursue activities that relate and deepen your knowledge in a particular subject. This is the essence of your learning and the story you want to tell college admissions when you apply.

If you’re overwhelmed with planning your summer, reach out for help.

Need help with navigating your journey? Empowerly can help in so many ways. Sign up for a free consultation to discuss your current standing and needs with us!

The post Pre-Med Opportunities This Summer Staying Safe appeared first on Empowerly.

Our research team at Empowerly fields a fair few questions from our students regarding how to best present their extracurricular activities and offers some invaluable advice.  Below is some specific advice from the team on quick ways to enhance your activities list in your college applications.

Firstly, how do you start your activities list?

“Typically, your activities list should be crafted and refined with your counselor. You and your counselor should discuss how to order the activities, edit the descriptions to be clear and concise, and how to most accurately showcase your accomplishments.” (A)

Should you rank the entries in a particular way?

“In general, you want your list to be ordered in a way that highlights your tenure, leadership, and commitment to excellence. We recommend ordering this list based on the depth of knowledge required to undertake the task, level of responsibility/leadership, selectivity (how competitive was it to be selected), and longevity. If there are any awards or leadership positions that have not yet been included, it’s recommended to list them first in the activity details section in the Common App.” (A)

Other items that might count for your “additional information” section could include news articles or coverage for your activities, or the enumeration of multiple lesser awards within one central activity (like speech and debate).

What does the ranking process look like? How do I determine what is most important?

“Separate your activities into four tiers, going from highest being the most impressive, to lowest being the least. 

1. The first tier should be rare or exclusive activities, which highlight your leadership or high achievement. This can be something like being the president of a club that you founded at school, or a prestigious summer program not many people get to do. 
2. The next tier is activities not as rare, but still showing high levels of leadership. This can be things related to community service or other part-time extracurriculars that you are proud of. 
3. The next tier should highlight activities that aren’t as prestigious as the first two tiers but are related to your interests outside of school, perhaps activities related to what you hope to study in college. 
4. The final tier should be your least competitive activities that most students are involved in, such as general school club and organization memberships for which you don’t hold leadership roles.

College admissions officers will also be interpreting how you list your activities as indicating what is most important to you. Nonetheless, it’s best to put your most impressive activities towards the top of your list and the less important ones at the bottom.” (D)

What if you run out of room?

“When listing positions in the activities section, we recommend using space as efficiently as possible, especially if you have several activities you wish to list. In this case, this would mean combining similar activities, especially when working for the same organization. [For instance, the Common App activities section allows 50 characters for position/leadership description, 100 characters for the organization name, and 150 characters for activity details, honors won, and accomplishments.] More information on how to write effective descriptions for the Activities Section is also on our Empowerly Blog.” (K)

“Not only do you have to be brief, but you’ll also want to utilize the restrictive word count to describe your activities and honors in the best detail possible. Active voice and action verbs are critical. Assume college admissions officers have not heard of your activity before, and focus on what is most important, rather than fluffy language. Be descriptive, but with brevity.“ (D)

What should be included in your activities list, and what should be left out?

“If you have trouble thinking about accomplishments, take some time to reflect on how the club managed to serve you and your growth as a person. Not every accomplishment has to be public service/leadership based!” (M)

“There is no ideal number of activities to put on your application. The ‘boiling down’ aspect is largely for students to self-evaluate and decide which of their extracurriculars helps demonstrate who they are as a student, leader, creator, worker, etc. Ultimately, if you are able to find value in an extracurricular (and be able to describe this value in the limited space provided), try to put it on your application. If your freshman/sophomore activities still resonate with who you are and how you would like to present yourself, you should include them.” (M)

“As far as what should be left out, you don’t need to scrape the bottom of the barrel to come up with ideas. If you only participated or attended, that experience is probably not that insightful about your character. Activities that may not be may good to include may fit several of the following criteria:

• Was in activity for a very short amount of time
• Learned nothing 
• Contributed nothing to

When in doubt, consult your counselor. If you include the activity anyway, just put it lower on your list since they are generally ordered by importance in the application. In conclusion, exhaust your list of activities so long as they are worthwhile to you.” (M)

What if I don’t want to (or can’t) continue my activities in college? Does that look bad?

“For your clubs, it is alright to say that you will not be continuing all your previous activities. As you mentioned not all high school activities translate to college clubs and also colleges understand that college is more time-consuming and rigorous and you may not have as much time to pursue them in college. The main purpose of that box is to gauge interest in currently existing organizations at that college.” (A)

Ways to make your activities list stand out from the pile

“Give short, verb-based descriptions that can get the point across while suggesting some level of prestige or utility the club provides. 

Here are questions to consider:

• What was the activity? (This one may be easy to forget if you’re busy listing your accomplishments)
• Did you do something hard?
• Did you do something creative?
• Did you do something that someone else appreciated?
• What skills or information did you learn?
• Were you responsible for something?

Here’s an example so you can get a sense of what I mean:

• Position/Leadership Description: Chapter President
• Organization Name: Science National Honor Society
• Description: Organized science-based volunteering events, led monthly meetings, managed tutoring sessions, and guided struggling students in coordination with teachers.

For this example, I listed accomplishments in a way that speaks of my capabilities/productivity within the activity.

What if the club wasn’t actually that prestigious, however, and most of the club’s participation didn’t feel very productive? In the next example, I worded the primary purpose of the club in a way that reads as more productive and included a couple of one-off accomplishments that look attractive:

• Position/Leadership Description: Member
• Organization name: Art Club
• Description: Attended classes exploring 2D and 3D media techniques, volunteered with elementary school students, and had pieces chosen for display at the public library.

Even if 95% of the time in the club was spent just in attendance of these classes, you want your description to reflect any accomplishments/additional work you were able to access through club attendance. You want to express that you did more than merely participate, but also that you were able to engage and excel because of your participation.” (M)

How Empowerly can help you upgrade your activities list for college apps?

“For additional review, you have two options at Empowerly. Firstly, you could submit a research request with your activities list. We would be happy to answer any specific questions related to your activities and make suggestions on how they can be ordered and best worded. We can also provide general guidance, similar to that of your counselor.

Another option is to submit the activities list to the essay editing team who would be happy to edit the content.” (A)

To learn more about the Empowerly approach and how our expert research team helps answer student questions, click below. We would love to discuss how we can help.

The post Quick Ways to Upgrade Your Activities List for College Apps appeared first on Empowerly.

Curious about how to gain hands-on experience in the medical field? We have personal insights just for you, from our very own student Stephanie R.! In fact, Stephanie is not only a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) but she also conducts research and volunteers with children. Let’s see what she has to say about discovering her passion and following her goals.

This interview is Part 6 in our Empowering Activities series. To read more, check out the rest of the series right here! We hope that celebrating our stellar Empowerly students will inspire other high schoolers to reach for the stars.

About Stephanie:

Stephanie R. is a rising senior, currently living in Texas. Today, Stephanie pursues her passion for the medical field by conducting healthcare research with Lean On Us and Cambridge University. She also helps in the healthcare field as a CNA at local hospitals in Texas. 

In her free time, Stephanie loves volunteering and taking care of children as a summer camp counselor. Through this, she strengthened her love for children and was inspired to start a fundraiser to help children with cancer. These experiences and life lessons prompted Stephanie to pursue a career in pediatrics. 

A few of Stephanie’s accomplishments include:

• Published author of a literature review entitled “The Association Between Cognitive Disorders and COVID-19,” at the nonprofit organization Lean On Us
• Achieved status of Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) 
• Founded a fundraiser for Pediatric Oncology

Questions:

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions! We are so excited to learn more about you and your amazing work. First…

Empowerly: Which activity(s) do you participate in that makes you feel most empowered, and why?

Stephanie: While my research work is inspiring, I feel most empowered when I am able to work hands-on with patients. My school district offers a program that allows selected high school students to earn their nursing assistant certification and help at multiple local hospitals. Through this program, I was able to observe many different departments in action, including the Operation Room, the Emergency Room, Postpartum, Labor and Delivery, Radiology, and many more. Firsthand experiences and involvement in the medical field empower me as a student to confidently pursue pediatrics as a career.

E: How long have you been doing these activities?

S: At the beginning of my junior year at high school, I began visiting hospitals and working with patients. This confirmed my interest in medicine.  During my junior year, however, I also began working on research projects in the medical field.

E: How did you first discover your passion(s), and when was that?

S: I first discovered my passion when I was in elementary school. The first time I stepped into the maternity/children’s ward, I saw pediatricians, nurses, and other hospital staff providing the best possible care to children and parents alike. Immediately, I knew medicine was the right path for me and that I wanted to be a part of this field in the future. Over the years, I have taken care of my sisters and worked as a volunteer with children, developing my love for children and desire to become a pediatrician.

E: Have you faced any memorable turning points or obstacles along your journey?

S: The COVID-19 pandemic prevented many health facilities from accepting students, which was a big hurdle for me in regard to career and education. Although I was disappointed not to be able to volunteer at hospitals or shadow at clinics, I discovered my passion for research during that time. Since I was able to participate in virtual research, I could use that insight when I volunteer at hospitals in the future.

E: What are your plans for the future (in high school, college, or beyond)?

S: Upon graduation from high school, I intend to attend undergraduate school in the pre-medicine field. Eventually, I’d like to attend medical school and become a pediatrician myself.

E: How has Empowerly helped you move your passions/activities forward?

S: Having recently gotten interested in research, Empowerly has helped me find research opportunities that suit my passion. For instance, through the Empowerly program, I got an opportunity to work on research with Lean On Us Foundation Inc. The Cambridge Research Scholars program was also recommended by my counselor. Because of these rich, unique opportunities, I was able to enrich my knowledge and develop a keen aptitude for conducting research.

E: Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

S: I would like all the readers to consider donating, even a small amount, to this fundraiser for the research and treatment of childhood cancer. Research is expensive, so any amount of money would be a huge step forward for cancer treatment.

Final Thoughts:

In the face of challenges, we see students displaying a lot of heart. We at Empowerly are constantly impressed by the passionate, dedicated work of students in our community. If you are curious to learn more about activities that will empower your students, we are here! Reach out to learn more about our program and how we can help. Book a free consultation below to receive a customized recommendation for your college application plan.

The post Empowering Activities: Hands-on Experience in the Medical Field appeared first on Empowerly.

Are you interested in learning about how this top-ranked student debater is making education more accessible? We have personal insights just for you, from our very own student Arnav G.! In fact, Arnav’s work is not only in drone technology but also in entrepreneurship via a new debate skills app. Let’s see what he has to say about succeeding in high school and beyond!

This interview is Part 5 in our Empowering Activities series. To read more, check out the rest of the series right here! We hope that celebrating our stellar Empowerly students will inspire other high schoolers to reach for the stars.

About Arnav:

“I am a rising senior at Saratoga High School, interested in the intersection of business, engineering, and the humanities. My specific interests encompass drone technology and spreading drone education, learning about venture capital, and competing in Lincoln Douglas Debate. At school, I am the President of the Aviation and Drone Club and Vice President of the Speech and Debate club. I also enjoy reading, playing video games, and casual basketball with friends.”

Among other things, Arnav is…

• A top 10 nationally-ranked debater.
• Founder of Democratize Debate, and its app, TheDebater, which democratizes access to high-level national debate for all debaters from small, underprivileged schools.
• Founder of an organization called Asteria Drones that sells unique plug-and-play drone kits to spread drone education.
• Host of the Investigating Pathways podcast, where he interviews accomplished entrepreneurs and VCs (venture capitalists) on their journey.

Questions:

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions! We are so excited to learn more about you and your amazing work. So…

Empowerly: Which activity(s) do you participate in that makes you feel most empowered, and why?

Arnav: I am the founder of a company called Democratize Debate Inc., where I have published my TheDebater app. This app allows Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas debaters to debate each other anytime, anywhere with a highly qualified and vetted judge providing feedback to help the competitors improve. 

This project started as part of my mission to expand access to the debate community—which has traditionally been incredibly elitist, as it requires traveling nationwide and hiring expensive coaches to improve. As this app brings the community together, I feel empowered as I combine my passion for debate, business, and engineering to help overcome resource inequities and compete on an equal playing field. I hope to continue growing the presence of this app within the debate community and growing awareness about it as a resource.

E: How long have you been doing these activities?

A: I initially founded Democratize Debate in the summer of 2020 and have been developing the app since then, launching it in early July 2022. 

E: How did you first discover your passion(s), and when was that?

A: When major debate tournaments were put on pause following the nationwide shelter in place in 2020, middle school students were not given nearly as much attention as older students in the activity. Middle school tournaments were canceled and not rescheduled. A rising sophomore at the time, I wanted to offer these middle school competitors an opportunity to compete safely in person; so I created a series of four debate tournaments called “The Democratize Debate Invitationals” and invited local middle school students to compete. 

To remove any barriers to competition, I waived entry fees and only had a suggested donation of $10, raising a total of $2940 to donate and use as grants for low-income debaters in the community.

E: Have you faced any memorable turning points or obstacles along your journey?

A: When debate fully shifted online during peak COVID, the need for tournaments like mine quickly subsided. In order to continue bringing everyone onto an equal playing field, I came up with the idea for the TheDebater app; as practice rounds are, by community consensus, the top way to improve quickly, but they were inaccessible to those who were not already part of expensive debate teams. Thus, I dedicated my new company, Democratize Debate, to creating a better resource: TheDebater. 

E: What are your plans for the future (in high school, college, or beyond)?

A: In my last year of high school and all throughout college, I anticipate growing each of my projects, including the Investigating Pathways podcast; my drone company, Asteria Drones; and Democratize Debate, with which I hope to expand access to entrepreneurship guidance for teens, drone education, and debate resources, respectively. 

E: How has Empowerly helped you move your passions/activities forward?

A: Empowerly has guided me through creating deterministic schedules for each of these projects, ensuring that I keep them on track and optimize them to maximize their impact. They have also helped connect me to interns for Asteria Drones, which has helped improve our impact and reach significantly.

E: How has Empowerly helped you move your passions/activities forward?

A: I would highly recommend always looking for ways to help a community you are passionate about, as those are the projects I have found to be the most successful. 

You can learn more about each of Arnav’s projects mentioned here, below:

• In the context of Asteria Drones, I look to help those interested in robotics and STEM cultivate their interests with a high-quality, innovative plug-and-play drone kit. To learn more, reach out at asteriadrones@gmail.com.
• Similarly, with Investigating Pathways, I look to expand access to the journey that successful entrepreneurs and VCs took so that others interested in entrepreneurship can follow in their footsteps. Take a listen on Spotify here. 
• Finally, through my passion for helping the debate community, I founded TheDebater to democratize access to a community from which I have learned and grown so much. You can download TheDebater yourself on the App Store and the Google Play Store today.

Final Thoughts:

We at Empowerly are continually humbled by the dedication and impact of students in our community. If you are curious to learn more about activities that will empower your students, we are here! Reach out to learn more about our program and how we can help. Book a free consultation below to receive a customized recommendation for your college application plan.

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