Pre-College Institutes 

Choose the institute that interests you

As a high school student, you may not have much say in the classes you take during the year. The summer is your chance to explore what really interests you.

Browse academy descriptions:

• Global Leadership & Social Change Academy 

NYC Intensive Institutes at Pace

Intensive institutes meet Monday-Friday, both morning and afternoon, with a lunch break. No other courses may be taken in conjunction with them. Most institutes have homework, papers, and/or tests and are graded Pass/No Pass. Students receive a Summer Discovery “Certificate of Completion” at the end of the program.

NYC Internships

Customized internship placement

As a high school student, it’s difficult to find an internship that will provide real-world work experience. Our internship programs put hundreds of exclusive internships within your reach. We’ve helped thousands of students take their first step into the professional world.

An internship helps you get a jump start on college and creates a stepping stone for future ambitions. If you are accepted into Discovery Internships, we will place you in an internship in one of your top industries, guaranteed.

Our internship placement process ensures that you will get the best internship for you. Your personal Internship Coordinator (IC) will guide you through the process. They will get to know you and help you determine the best internship opportunities for your interests, skills, and goals.

IC’s are experts in their fields.  Your IC will match you with an internship from our extensive network of internship providers and offer on-site support for all aspects of your internship experience throughout the summer.

What will I be doing at my internship?

At Discovery Internships New York City, we primarily partner with small to mid-sized businesses to ensure that you are doing meaningful work, not just getting coffee. For additional support, you will have a supervisor at your company to guide you every step of the way.

While every internship is customized for your skills and interests, your internship will include 3 parts:

1. Job shadow component: Shadow your supervisor to learn about day-to-day tasks within your company.  Sit in on office meetings, go on site visits, or meet with clients.

2. Project component: Design and carry out an individual project with the support of your supervisor. Past students have completed customer research, designed social media campaigns, and created client presentations. Projects vary based on your internship.

3. Task component: As part of your internship, you will be responsible for every-day administrative tasks such as phone calls, filing, and database management.

Internships in New York are Monday – Friday for 4 weeks. The average workday is 9am – 5pm, plus commuting time.

Getting to and from your internship

Travel to and from your internship each day by public transportation. Receive an unlimited New York MetroCard as part of the program. Do a practice run of the route to your internship during orientation to make sure you are comfortable traveling to and from work.