15 Consulting Internships for High School Students in Maryland
If you're a high school student in Maryland thinking about business, policy, or just figuring out how the professional world actually works, a consulting internship is worth looking into.
Why should I do a consulting internship in high school? Is it worth my time?
The honest reason consulting internships matter is that they put you in situations most students don't encounter until years later. You're not filing papers or shadowing someone — you're usually helping with something real, whether that's pulling together research, organizing data, or sitting in on meetings where actual decisions get made.
It's also just useful to know early whether you like this kind of work. A lot of people spend their first few years after college figuring that out. Getting even a small taste of it in high school saves you time and gives you something genuine to talk about in college applications and interviews — not in a rehearsed way, but because you actually did something.
Why does Maryland make sense for a consulting internship?
Maryland is a genuinely good place to find this kind of experience, mostly because of what's around it. You're close to D.C., which means a lot of the organizations here — nonprofits, research groups, government contractors, advocacy firms — deal with policy and data in ways that overlap heavily with consulting work. Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, and NIH all generate projects and partnerships that spill out into the surrounding area.
This means that the internships available to you here tend to involve more substantive work than what you'd find in a typical suburban business park. If you end up working on something connected to public health research or federal policy, you'll get exposure to how complicated, real-world problems actually get framed and approached.
To help you get started, we’ve narrowed down a list of 15 consulting internships for high school students in Maryland.
15 Consulting Internships for High School Students in Maryland
1. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) – ASPIRE Program – Data Analysis and Policy Tracks
Location: Laurel, MD (on-site; no virtual or residential option for summer)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~200 students placed per summer
Dates: June 23 – August 21
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors; 15+ by the program start date; minimum 2.8 GPA; U.S. citizens or permanent residents
In the ASPIRE Program’s Data Analysis and Policy tracks, you act as a junior consultant, using raw data to solve critical challenges in national security, healthcare, or space exploration. You will model complex datasets to discover trends that inform high-level strategic decisions, such as predicting disease outbreaks, analyzing the impact of generative AI, or optimizing satellite trajectories. Daily activities include simulating operational scenarios, performing statistical analysis using Python or MATLAB, and drafting evidence-based recommendations to present to your mentors. Ultimately, you learn to translate technical evidence into actionable insights, a required skill in modern consulting.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote (you can participate from anywhere, including Maine)
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25%’ 70–100 students per session
Dates: Multiple cohorts offered throughout the year, including Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort; Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November); apply here
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, or gap year students who can work 10–20 hours a week for 8–12 weeks
Ladder Internships allow you to assume a consulting role by pairing you with a global startup to solve real-world business problems. You will explore strategic topics like market research, competitor analysis, and operational efficiency while working on a dedicated 8-week project. Your weekly routine involves meeting with company leadership, analyzing data to support your recommendations, and presenting your final strategies to the team. Uniquely, the program features a dual-mentorship system, giving you access to both a manager at the company and a separate Ladder Coach. Through this experience, you gain critical skills in data synthesis, professional communication, and strategic decision-making.
3. NSA High School Work Study Program (Business Track)
Location: National Security Agency HQ, Fort Meade, Maryland
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; cohort size varies by year
Dates: September – June (of Senior year)
Application Deadline: Between October 15 – November 15
Eligibility: High school juniors at time of application; minimum 2.5 unweighted GPA; 16 years old by August 31 of senior year; enrolled in Business or Technical Computer classes; U.S. Citizens
In the NSA High School Work Study Program, you act as an internal operations specialist, gaining a behind-the-scenes look at how an intelligence agency is managed. You will cover essential business topics, including office technology, resource allocation, and federal administrative procedures. Your daily activities involve analyzing data entries for accuracy, managing secure correspondence, and coordinating logistics to support senior professionals in their missions. The program requires you to obtain a Top Secret security clearance, granting you access to sensitive environments most civilians never see. Through this, you build skills in professional discretion, operational efficiency, and organizational management.
4. CLA High School Internship Program
Location: Select CLA offices across the U.S., including Maryland (Baltimore, Columbia, North Bethesda)
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship (stipend amount not specified)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; approximately 60–70 students
Dates: Summer cohort lasting 6–8 weeks, starting in June (varies by location)
Application Deadline: Typically January
Eligibility: High school students aged 16–18 who are authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for an employment visa
The CLA High School Internship Program enables you to function as a junior consultant where you tackle real business challenges across varied industries. You will explore core topics like wealth advisory, digital strategy, and accounting through a hands-on curriculum that goes beyond basic number-crunching. During the program, you will engage in an interactive case study simulating client service, shadow senior professionals during client engagements, and collaborate on team projects to propose strategic solutions. By the end, you will have developed skills in data analysis, strategic communication, and complex problem-solving.
5. Northrop Grumman High School Involvement Partnership (HIP)
Location: Various MD sites: Linthicum, Baltimore, Annapolis Junction, Sykesville.
Stipend: Paid during the senior year summer internship, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; around 5–10 students per site
Dates: Academic year (junior/senior years) + 10-week Summer Internship
Application Deadline: Full year: September 18; Summer internship: Early February
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors; 3.0+ unweighted GPA; U.S. Citizens
The Northrop Grumman HIP program is a technical consulting apprenticeship where you partner with engineers to solve complex aerospace challenges. You will explore topics like project management, cyber logistics, and systems integration while managing a year-long engineering project. Your activities include defining requirements with your mentor, building a functional prototype, and pitching your final solution to senior leadership, similar to the delivery of a real defense contract. By the end, you learn how private firms deliver results for government clients.
6. Lockheed Martin Space High School Internship
Location: Rockville, MD
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; ~5–10 interns per site
Dates: 9–10 weeks between June – August
Application Deadline: December 19
Eligibility: High school students 16+ years old, U.S. Citizens, and living within commuting distance of the facility
The Lockheed Martin Space Internship functions as an internal consulting role where you help streamline the operations behind aerospace missions. You will cover topics such as project management, supply chain logistics, and data analytics to support real-time business needs. Your key activities will include gathering requirements from engineering teams, analyzing process data for inefficiencies, and presenting operational recommendations to program leaders. Ultimately, you also get the opportunity to work within a cleared defense environment, offering insight into government contracting cycles.
7. NASA Goddard High School Internship – Business, Finance, and Administration Projects
Location: Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely competitive; small cohorts belong to non-technical/business roles
Dates: Summer Session: 6 weeks between late June – early August
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors; 16+; 3.0 unweighted GPA; U.S. Citizens
The NASA Goddard internship places you in an internal consultant role, where you help manage the resources that keep space missions operational. You will explore topics like federal budgeting, procurement strategy, and program management while supporting actual mission directorates. Your daily activities involve tracking project spending against strict requirements, analyzing supply chain data for potential inefficiencies, and preparing financial status reports for senior leadership. The program provides the opportunity to apply business principles directly to active aerospace projects, bridging the gap between public funding and scientific discovery.
8. NIST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland (NIST HQ)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 35–50 students accepted annually
Dates: June 22 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 26
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors at the time of application; U.S. Citizens; minimum GPA of 3.0; 16+
In this program, you work as a technical consultant, investigating how emerging technologies can be standardized for industry use. You will explore topics such as technology transfer, economic impact analysis, and data standards, moving beyond pure theory to practical application. Your daily work involves conducting rigorous literature reviews to assess current standards, analyzing experimental data to spot trends, and presenting your recommendations to federal researchers. Through this process, you develop skills in technical writing, data synthesis, and evidence-based decision-making, which are the foundations of any specialized consulting career. The program allows you to see firsthand how government research directly guides private sector innovation.
9. Baltimore Red Line High School Internship
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; 8–12 students per summer cohort
Dates: 6 weeks between late June and early August
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors; live or attend school along the Red Line Corridor (East-West Baltimore); primary recruitment often occurs at Edmondson-Westside, Patterson, and Woodlawn High Schools
The Baltimore Red Line Internship acts as a public sector consulting role where you help shape a major infrastructure project transforming your city. You will cover topics like urban planning, community development, and transportation strategy while working directly with MDOT professionals. Your activities include conducting site visits along the corridor to evaluate logistics, analyzing maps to assess community impact, and presenting feedback or design ideas to project leadership. The program features a hyper-local focus, allowing you to influence real-world changes in the neighborhoods where you actually live and go to school.
10. Maryland General Assembly Page Program
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Stipend: Meal allowance of approximately $50/day
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly Competitive; 105 Pages + 36 Alternates
Dates: January – April (Legislative Session)
Application Deadline: Fall of senior year (varies by county)
Eligibility: High school senior; 16 years old; Maryland resident attending a Maryland school
The Maryland General Assembly Page Program acts as a boot camp for legislative consulting, showing you how state laws are actually made. You will dive into the legislative process, learning how parliamentary rules dictate the flow of power. Your days involve distributing amendments to delegates, maintaining official bill books, and observing the real-time debates that shape public policy. The program gives you access to lawmakers, letting you witness the behind-the-scenes negotiations that determine a bill's success or failure. By the end, you gain skills in professional networking, information processing, and operational protocol.
11. Frederick County Government Internship's Business and Administration track
Location: Frederick, Maryland
Stipend: Internship: None; Youth Apprenticeship: Paid hourly, rate not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately competitive; individual placements
Dates: Academic Year or Summer
Application Deadline: Varies by School
Eligibility: Current FCPS students who are rising juniors or seniors; 16+
The Frederick County Government Internship positions you as an internal operations consultant, where you support local governance. You will cover topics like public administration, fiscal planning, and office workflow management. Your daily activities might include conducting data research for department heads, preparing presentation materials for county meetings, and analyzing constituent feedback to help improve public services. You are often placed directly inside government centers like Winchester Hall, seeing how policy decisions ripple into administrative actions. By the end, you will have honed skills in professional correspondence, resource organization, and stakeholder engagement.
12. Urban Alliance High School Internship
Location: Baltimore, MD
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; ~100–150 students annually
Dates: Senior Year (Year-round); Fall: Pre-work training (6-8 weeks); School Year: Part-time internship; Summer: Full-time internship
Application Deadline: Spring of junior year
Eligibility: High school senior (must be a rising senior at time of application)
The Urban Alliance internship functions like a junior associate role, where you are placed within a Maryland corporation or non-profit to support their key business objectives. You will explore topics such as project management, data analysis, and office operations while working alongside experienced professionals. Your daily activities include conducting background research for team initiatives, organizing client data, and participating in strategy meetings to see how decisions are made. The program has a year-round structure, which combines paid professional training with a mentorship that lasts from your senior year through the summer.
13. Montgomery County Summer RISE Program
Location: Montgomery County, MD
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Placement-based acceptance; large cohort
Dates: June 22 – July 24
Application Deadline: Mid-February
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors enrolled in a Montgomery County Public School
Summer RISE allows you to try out a consulting role by pairing you with local businesses to observe how they operate and grow. You will explore topics like market research, financial planning, and brand strategy while shadowing professionals in their actual work environments. During the program, you will attend strategy meetings, conduct research on industry trends, and prepare data summaries or slide decks to support team projects. The program has a short-term(50 hours), low-risk format, designed specifically to let you explore a career fit before committing to a college major. By the end, you will have built skills in professional networking, corporate etiquette, and business analysis.
14. EnergyMag Internships
Location: Virtual
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Flexible; quarter-time internships are available all year round
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors; 3.25+ GPA; prior honors science or English coursework preferred
The EnergyMag Internship offers a direct consulting experience where you evaluate the viability of emerging renewable technologies. You will explore topics like energy storage systems, market competition, and scientific innovation while conducting deep-dive due diligence on a specific company or sector. Your core activities involve researching niche markets, interviewing industry experts for primary data, and synthesizing your findings into a professional analysis report. Your final report is published on the EnergyMag website, providing you with a public portfolio piece that mirrors a real client deliverable.
15. The Borgen Project - Nonprofit Leadership Internship
Location: Remote
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size is variable
Dates: Flexible / Year-Round (12 weeks)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: All high school students
The Borgen Project internship positions you as a public affairs consultant, where you execute strategic campaigns to influence U.S. foreign policy. You will explore topics like legislative advocacy, fundraising operations, and media relations while managing your own local outreach goals. Your activities involve meeting with Congressional staffers to present policy demands, mobilizing networks for fundraising drives, and writing letters to the editor to shape public opinion. The program has a decentralized model, challenging you to independently build a local base of support without a physical office. Through this experience, you develop stakeholder management, persuasive communication, and grassroots strategy skills.
Image source - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory logo