How to Write Cold Emails to Find Research Internships

As I discussed in my previous article, there are several different ways of finding research internships, one of them being sending cold emails. First of all, what are cold emails? The formal definition of a cold email is an email sent voluntarily that is sent to a receiver without prior contact. In other words, the person you are sending a cold email to has no idea who you are. Because of these reasons, it can be extremely difficult to find a research opportunity through just cold emails because the labs you are emailing do not know you. Also, labs are hesitant to take on high school interns because it takes a lot more effort to train a high schooler who knows nothing than to just hire an undergraduate research assistant. Typically, labs that take on high school interns have staff that genuinely care about influencing and bettering the learning of high schoolers (not to say that the labs that don’t take on interns don’t care about learning).

That being said, finding a research internship through cold emails is definitely not impossible. With a well-crafted cold email (and cover letter), a stellar resume, and an academic transcript displaying that you are a high-performing student, you may just be able to find a research internship. It is also important to keep in mind that the Principal Investigators (PIs) of most labs are extremely busy and probably receive tens, if not more, of cold emails per week from eager high school students. So, the goal of your cold email (and cover letter) should be to set yourself apart, show the lab that you are genuinely interested in their research and projects, and demonstrate how you will be a positive addition to the lab.

Here is my advice for writing a great cold email:

Ensure that your email address is professional. Although this may seem like a pretty basic and obvious step, it is important to consciously check your email address to make sure it is professional. Many individuals create an email when they are in elementary or middle school and that email address may not always be professional. The first thing the recipient of your email will see is your email address, and this will set the tone for the rest of your email. If you do not have a professional email address, the recipient may not even open your email.
1. Examples of professional email addresses:
  1. first name + last name → ritika.garg
  2. first name + numbers → ritika019
  3. first name + last initial + numbers → ritikag019
Write an intriguing subject line. A cold email subject line determines the recipient’s opinion of you. A poorly written subject line could make the recipient unconsciously biased against you and your email. Just by reading the subject line, the recipient could decide to not open the email and delete it immediately. When writing a subject line, address the following rules: personalize it, intrigue them, make it relevant to the rest of the email, sound human, and most importantly, consider your recipient’s point of view. After writing the subject line, consider whether or not you would open an email with the subject line you just wrote. If yes, you’re good to go! If no, consider making some changes to better address the above rule.
Come up with a short, concise introduction. Believe it or not, you’re about halfway through the process of writing a cold email. The introduction should not be more than 2-3 sentences, in which you briefly express interest in a research intern position in the recipient’s lab. Mention your interests as well as the topics and/or projects that interest you in their lab specifically. It is extremely crucial to make a personal reference to the work their lab is doing as it shows the recipient that you have done research and are genuinely committed and interested in the lab position.
Provide a short background of yourself. Tell your recipient RELEVANT, professional information about what makes you experienced for the research intern position. Include any past internship experiences, courses taken, volunteer work done, etc. to show them that you are mature, capable, and qualified enough to receive the internship. This part of the email should not be more than 4-5 sentences long. Any more than that length and you will lose your recipient’s attention.
Show how your experiences make you qualified for the position. Write 2-3 sentences to frame your past experiences in terms of the research internship at the recipient’s lab. Show them how your past experiences will help you if you receive an internship at their lab.
End with a call-to-action. You’re almost done with the cold email. For the last part of the email, write a call-to-action (CTA) that will persuade your recipient of what you ultimately want them to do with your cold email. This may be setting up an in-person (or Zoom) interview for the recipient to get to know you better, giving you feedback, replying to your email, or providing other labs that you could reach out to for research internships. Whatever it may be, make it explicit to your recipient; if you leave it to implication, it is likely the recipient may not pick up on it. Make sure to provide your availability if you ask your recipient for an interview as well as for working in the lab, restate your email address, and provide your phone number as well. Also, make sure to thank your recipient for taking time to read your email.
Polish your email with an appropriate signature. Make sure to sign off with a phrase such as “Sincerely” rather than “Best regards,” “Thanks,” or “Warmly.” “Sincerely” is much more professional and appropriate for cold emails. You may also consider making a professional email signature, including your title (if you have one), LinkedIn (if you have one), and any other relevant information.
Attach your resume and transcript. Make sure to add your resume and transcript to the email to show your receiver that you are an academically high-performing student with a stellar resume to create a final positive impression!

One more thing: follow-ups. Sometimes even a perfectly written cold email may not yield any responses. In this case, one of two things may have happened: your recipient missed your email or your recipient forgot to reply. Don’t worry, though, this is totally normal, which is why you should always follow-up after getting no response. One follow-up email is a must in your cold email strategy, and I generally recommend staying away from sending additional follow up emails as you may come off as too strong and may further discourage your recipient from responding. Avoid treating the follow-up like a reminder that you’re awaiting the recipient’s response. Instead, add some additional information about yourself that intrigues the recipient and makes them want to reply.

Remember: throughout the entire process of sending cold emails to obtain a research internship is that it is perfectly normal to receive either no responses or numerous rejections. Given the young age of high schoolers, many labs and universities have regulations preventing people under a certain age from participating in research. However, the most important thing to remember is to keep at it and to keep sending emails. It took me personally almost 50 emails to 3 different universities before I finally got a research internship. Keep trying and hopefully you will succeed!