Program Overview
Bank of America Student Leaders connects 300 high school juniors and seniors annually to paid nonprofit internships earning $15-24/hour for 8 weeks, culminating in an all-expenses-paid leadership summit in Washington, D.C., with only 4-8% of applicants accepted nationally.
National Prestige & Corporate Partnership
Extremely Competitive Selection
Comprehensive Professional Experience
Program Impact & Outcomes
Administrative Details (The Below May Change)
Overall: 4.1/5 – Elite corporate-sponsored opportunity with substantial earnings but severe geographic limitations
This program represents the gold standard for high school leadership opportunities, combining meaningful community service with substantial financial compensation. Unlike typical volunteer work or unpaid internships, Student Leaders gain professional experience while earning competitive wages—often their first paycheck—teaching valuable lessons about financial responsibility alongside civic engagement.
The program’s extreme selectivity (4-8% acceptance rate) rivals top university admissions, making selection itself a significant achievement. The all-expenses-paid Washington Summit provides networking opportunities with 300 exceptional peers nationwide, creating connections that extend through college and careers. Many alumni credit these relationships as equally valuable as the work experience itself.
When evaluating paid leadership opportunities for high school students, consider these alternatives:
Congressional Award Program
Local Corporate Internships
Governor’s School Programs
Youth Leadership Councils (United Way, YMCA)
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Lana had quickly realized her son’s school wasn’t challenging or engaging enough for him. He was a very bright, driven, and articulate student who had specific fields that he was interested in. He and Lana wanted to know how he could further his interests in these fields through more advanced classes and different competitions, projects, activities,
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Manisha’s daughter was an 11th grader when they started working with our college counseling team. A first–generation parent, she turned to Zenith to guide her daughter toward how to best use the one year they had left before college applications, highlighting her daughter’s strengths and interests to ultimately help her shine on college applications. With Zenith’s help, Manisha’s daughter gained acceptance into her dream university.
Victoria's daughter was a 9th grader who, apart from her involvement in sports, hadn't engaged in any academic or extracurricular activities. Although Victoria went to a top 15 university herself, she realized how much college admissions had changed over the years and turned to us for guidance and our expertise in helping her daughter discover her true passions, nurture her interests, and develop a competitive profile for the top universities she was looking to attend.
