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Fred Hutch Summer High School Internship ProgramSHIP

SHIP is an eight-week paid internship at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center for students between 11th and 12th grade: two weeks of lab technique training, then six weeks in a research group. It is designed for students without much research experience, but it accepts only residents of the Greater Seattle area.

Any status, must study in the US
Local students only
Stipend

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Size and selectivityRate not published

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Eligibility: Any status, must study in the US · Local students only
Cost: Stipend
Latest deadline: Mar 13, 2026

Fred Hutch SHIP at a Glance

Host: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch), Seattle, Washington
Field: Cancer and biomedical research
Grades and age: Students between 11th and 12th grade who are 16 or older by the start of the program. The program is designed for students without extensive research experience, and no lab experience is required.
Citizenship and residency: Applicants must currently live in Greater Seattle or surrounding areas; out-of-state and international students are not accepted.
Cost: Paid: interns who complete the internship receive a financial award, with details given to applicants invited to interview (the amount is not published). Interns also get a free ORCA transit card for the Seattle area. Housing is not provided.
Dates and format: Eight weeks, full time at up to 40 hours a week. The whole cohort spends the first two weeks on lab safety and technique training, then interns work in pairs in a Fred Hutch research group for six weeks under a mentor, ending with a reflection presentation. The 2026 program ran June 22 to August 14 at the South Lake Union campus in Seattle.
Application dates: Information on the 2027 program will be posted in November 2026. In the last cycle (2026), applications and recommendation forms were due March 13, 2026, and all applicants were notified by mid-May.
Application materials: Online application with several short essays of up to 200 words; two references who complete the official online recommendation form (free-form letters are not accepted); a resume (PDF); a transcript (PDF; unofficial with the school's header is fine); and availability for a Zoom interview with the selection committee.
Size and selectivity: Fred Hutch calls SHIP highly competitive but does not publish the number of applicants, the number admitted or an acceptance rate.

Verified against official pages on 2026-10-06 · fredhutch.org/en/education-training/high-school-students/summer-high-school-internship-program.html

About Fred Hutch SHIP

SHIP (Summer High School Internship Program) is an eight-week, full-time paid internship at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch) for students between 11th and 12th grade. In the first two weeks the whole cohort learns lab safety and basic techniques such as pipetting, making solutions, DNA isolation and PCR; for the remaining six weeks interns work in pairs in a Fred Hutch research group under a mentor and attend seminars and college and career workshops. The 2026 program ran June 22 to August 14.

Fred Hutch calls the program highly competitive but does not publish applicant numbers or an acceptance rate. It is designed for students without much research experience and requires no lab experience. Interns who complete the program receive a financial award, with details given at the interview stage; housing is not provided. Applicants must live in Greater Seattle or surrounding areas, and out-of-state and international students are not accepted.

SHIP is not open to Irvine students. For similar paid or free cancer research in Southern California, look at UC Irvine’s Cancer Research Institute YSFP or the City of Hope Roberts Summer Student Academy in Los Angeles County, both in this library.

How to Apply to Fred Hutch SHIP

SHIP accepts only Greater Seattle residents and no out-of-state students, so Irvine students are not eligible. For similar cancer research in Southern California, look at UC Irvine YSFP in this library.
References must use the official online form and submit it by the application deadline. Fred Hutch suggests asking at least three weeks ahead and giving recommenders your resume and essays for reference.
SHIP is designed for students without much research experience. Use the essays to explain your motivation and how you will work with fellow interns, and list the time commitment and specific duties for each experience on your resume.

Application Support for Fred Hutch SHIP

EDUBUS starts with an assessment of grades, competitions and research, then decides which programs to aim for and which to hold as back-ups. We then guide each application form, essay, qualifying problem set and interview, and help turn the summer into part of the college application.

Plan your summer program applications About our summer program service →

FeatureSummer Programs Recommended by MIT AdmissionsMIT Admissions lists 23 selective summer programs on its website. Each one is in this library, with eligibility, cost and selectivity.

Fred Hutch SHIP: Frequently Asked Questions

Can Irvine students apply to Fred Hutch SHIP?

No. The website says applicants must live in Greater Seattle or surrounding areas, does not accept out-of-state or international students, and does not arrange housing. Irvine students can look at similar programs in Southern California, such as UC Irvine YSFP for Orange County juniors.

Is SHIP paid?

Yes. Interns who complete the internship receive a financial award; details are given to applicants invited to interview, and the amount is not published. Interns also get a free ORCA transit card for the Seattle area.

Can students without research experience apply to SHIP?

Yes. The program is designed for students without extensive research experience and requires no lab experience, only an interest in science and biomedical research and recommendations showing the applicant is responsible and committed.

When should an Irvine student start preparing for a paid research internship like SHIP?

The last SHIP deadline was March 13, 2026, and 2027 information will be posted in November 2026. EDUBUS recommends starting the resume and choosing two recommenders in the fall of junior year, and watching for local programs as they open.

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