A good internship cover letter is 200 words, three short paragraphs:
- Opener — who you are (school, year, major), what internship you're applying to, one specific reason this role caught your eye.
- Why you — one specific project (academic, hackathon, personal) that demonstrates relevant skills.
- Close — interest, ask for next step.
Template
Dear [Hiring Manager / Hiring Team],
I'm a [Year] at [University] majoring in [Major], applying for the [Internship Title] role at [Company]. [One specific reason — a product you use, a team you've followed, a problem space that overlaps with your studies.]
[Project paragraph — one thing you've built or led, with concrete details and outcomes. Class project, hackathon, club, personal build.]
I'd love a chance to talk through how I'd approach the role. Thanks for considering.
Best regards, [Your Name] [Phone] | [Email] | [LinkedIn URL] | [GitHub or portfolio]
Example
Dear Hiring Team,
I'm a junior at MIT majoring in Computer Science, applying for the Software Engineering Internship at Acme. I've been using your developer tools in my distributed systems class and want to be part of how they're built.
Last semester, I led a team of four on a class project: a real-time stream processor handling 5K events/sec, written in Rust. We benchmarked against three open-source alternatives and outperformed two. I open-sourced the result on my GitHub.
Open to a call when you have time. Thanks for considering.
Best regards, Maya Chen (555) 123-4567 | maya@example.com | linkedin.com/in/maya-chen | github.com/mayachen
What to include if you have no work experience
- Class projects with concrete details and outcomes
- Hackathon wins or notable submissions
- Open source contributions
- Club / organization leadership with measurable impact
- Personal builds that demonstrate the relevant skill
The bar is "shows you can do the work," not "has done the exact work professionally." Hackathon and class projects are valid.
What to avoid
- Generic flattery ("Your innovative culture")
- Listing every class you've taken
- Restating your resume
- Apologizing for being a student
Where to apply
Internships are a numbers game like any role. Sorce indexes 5M+ open jobs and internships — 40 free swipes a day, AI agent applies. Get more shots in front of more companies.
For more: how to make a cover letter, how to end a cover letter, is a cover letter necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long should an internship cover letter be?
- 200 words. Three short paragraphs. Recruiters skim — anything longer gets cut.
- What if I have no work experience?
- Lead with class projects, hackathons, club leadership, or personal builds. Every applicant for an entry-level internship is in the same position.
- Do internships actually need cover letters?
- Many don't. When the application requires one, do it well. When optional, judge based on the company — selective programs benefit from one.
- Should I mention I'm a student?
- Yes — in the opener. State your school, year, and major.