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Where Ambitious Students Become Professionals

We help high-achieving students stand out in college admissions with real internship experience that elite colleges love. We place you with companies in our network.

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Trusted by ambitious students and their parents

Our Company Network

Notion, Swoop, todoist, Optise and more

The Power of Internships

2.3x Higher College Acceptance Rates

56% of admissions officers rank extracurriculars and internships above test scores. Students who complete internships get into better colleges.

Grades Don't Differentiate

Thousands of students have good grades. 56% of colleges now prioritize demonstrated field interest over test scores and legacy status combined.

Gain Clarity and Experience Now

Students who complete high school internships report 3.5x higher career clarity and have a 30% higher earning potential later in life.

We studied what gets students into top schools. Accepted students had internships.

Harvard University seal

Harvard University

HarvardYaleDuke

Growth strategy intern at venture-backed consumer marketplace

Stats

GPA 4.0 / 4.0 · SAT 1560

Extracurriculars

Helped build a customer referral program the team credited with a 22% lift in monthly signups over 6 weeks. Math Olympiad qualifier. Built a data tool used by teachers at her school.

What made the difference

She had the stats. What she needed was proof she could execute outside the classroom. Her growth project gave Harvard admissions a story about drive that grades alone never could.

Stanford University seal

Stanford University

StanfordColumbiaNorthwestern

Strategy and operations intern at a climate tech startup

Stats

GPA 3.95 / 4.0 · SAT 1510

Extracurriculars

Helped build a market entry analysis for two new US regions that fed into the company's application for a federal clean energy grant. Science Olympiad national competitor. Founded school sustainability fund.

What made the difference

Stanford looks for students who have already done something real with their intellectual interests. Her climate strategy work connected her academic goals to measurable external impact before she applied.

Yale University seal

Yale University

YaleColumbiaGeorgetown

Operations intern at a logistics startup

Stats

GPA 3.85 / 4.0 · ACT 33

Extracurriculars

Supported a redesign of the order routing process that helped cut average fulfillment time from 4.2 to 2.8 days. Model UN best delegate. Founded school entrepreneurship club.

What made the difference

Yale EP&E applicants are expected to connect analytical thinking to real-world impact. His logistics optimization work gave him a concrete example that no classroom project could replicate.

These are real student profiles sourced from documented admissions results. They are not Matchtern students. Individual results vary.

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Why Us

Our Internship Program

The “Traditional Way”

Apply to 50+ Internships

Spend hours submitting applications to dozens of positions, most requiring experience you don't have.

Wait 6-8 Weeks

Long response times with no guarantee you'll hear back at all from most applications.

40+ Hours Wasted

Free to apply, but traditional internships hire exclusively from undergraduate and graduate students.

No Support or Guidance

You're on your own to figure out resumes, applications, and interview prep.

With Matchtern

Get Placed Directly

Guaranteed a hand-picked company delivered to you, matched to your interests and skills.

Executive Education

Go through our 4-week training program where you will think like a professional.

100% Placement Success Rate

All members receive transformational professional education and quality placements guaranteed.

Dedicated Mentor Support Team

Mentors available to help with resume review, project guidance, and more!

OR pay programs / placement services

$4,000 - $8,000+

for “project-based” work that isn’t a real internship

I applied to 47 internships on my own and heard back from 0. With Matchtern, I got matched with a software company where I’m learning and making an impact.

Angela Zhang

Angela Zhang

Palo Alto High

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Timeline

12-Week Program

  1. Step01

    Apply in 10 Minutes

    Complete your application in 10 minutes. Our team reviews your profile and interests within 72 hours.

  2. Step02

    Weeks 1-4: Training Academy

    If accepted, you're assigned a dedicated mentor who provides 4 weeks of the professional development training.

  3. Step03

    Months 2-3

    Meet your manager, receive your first assignment, and begin contributing to real projects immediately.

  4. Step04

    Months 3+: Turn Experience Into Opportunities

    Using your newfound experience, apply for new internships at other companies or continue working at your existing one.

Matchtern student matches
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Early Access

Matchtern Portal

Where ambitious students train, get placed, and measure learning, all tracked in one platform built for the work ahead.

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Matchtern student portal dashboard
Student Story

Matchtern Intern to Bryan Cameron Scholar

Subha Sundaram

Duke ’30, Bryan Cameron Impact Scholar (Top 0.5%), Duke A.B. Scholarship (10-20 Students)

I had this realization that everything on my resume looked the same as everyone else applying to the schools I wanted to get into. I wanted actual work experience, something I could point to that was genuinely different.

I got placed at a fintech startup, working on a pricing analysis... they were weighing a full tier restructure and my analysis fed directly into that decision.

I got into Duke and got the Bryan Cameron Impact Scholarship. In the scholarship interview they asked me about a formative professional experience and I talked about the internship.

I walked into every part of that process with more to say than I would have otherwise.

Parent Story

From Rejections to Offers in 7 Days

Rajesh Sharma

Father of Arjun Sharma (San Jose, California)

You know, watching Arjun apply to maybe 40, 50 internships over the summer and getting nothing back.

Another parent at school told me about Matchtern. I thought, okay, we can try this, but I wasn’t sure if it would actually work...

They matched us with three companies

Better program. Unmatched Outcomes.

See exactly how Matchtern stacks up against every alternative.

Feature★ Best overall
Matchtern
Ladder InternsStandout SearchHarvard VTSPDelta Institute
Professional development platformIncluded
Ongoing mentorship during internshipDedicated mentor
Satisfaction guaranteeFull refund
Pre-internship training1-on-1, 4 weeksGroup onlyWorkshopsGroup only
Guaranteed placementGuaranteedProject onlyProject only
Real individual internshipAlwaysOftentimesOftentimesTeam projectProject only
Reference letterNot guaranteedNot guaranteedNot guaranteed
Program duration3 months2 months3 months6 weeks6 to 8 weeks
Program fee$1,950$2,990 to $7,400+$3,000+$4,785 + $35 fee$5,000 to $10,000

All competitor pricing and program details sourced from publicly available program pages.

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An Investment Into Your Future

Other programs charge up to $7,400 for far fewer benefits.

The Rest of the Market

Internship Placement Programs

Ladder Internships$2,990 to $7,400+
Standout Search$3,950
VTSP (Harvard-affiliated)$4,785+

VTSP is project-based, not a real individual internship. No professional reference from a company.

Innovation and Project Programs

Prequel$6,000 / year
The Knowledge Society$6,000+

No individual internship. No placement at a company. No professional reference.

College Admissions Consulting

Comprehensive packages$5,000 to $15,000+
Hourly consulting$150 to $400 / hr

Advises on experience. Cannot give your child the experience itself.

Recommended

The Matchtern Way

Comparable programs: $7,400

$1,950

3-month program. One individual internship.

  • Guaranteed placement at a real venture-backed company
  • Professional training program before placement
  • Dedicated Matchtern mentor with weekly check-ins throughout
  • Individual internship tailored to your child's intended field
  • Professional reference from a real founder or operator
  • A standout extracurricular story for college applications
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee
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Spots are extremely limited. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

We are fully confident in what we deliver, and we stand behind it. Show up, do the work, and if the program still does not deliver for you, you get a full refund.

The guarantee goes both ways. It covers students who genuinely commit and still are not satisfied. It does not cover students who do not participate or who turn in sloppy, unreliable work. We hold up our end, and we expect you to hold up yours.

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We built Matchtern because finding your first internship should not depend on who your parents know or prior internship experience. Our guarantee exists because we are confident in what we deliver. Commit to the program, do the work, and if it does not deliver for you, you get your money back.

Alex Chen

Alex Chen | Matchtern Founder | Featured in Forbes

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

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