Rant: Tell Kids to Stop Bugging Professors for Internships

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I blame the parents. Let the kids be kids. Tell them they don’t need to do research in HS to be successful in life. Don’t encourage them to harass professors. Bring back sanity - please.

Admissions offices should make it clear and announce that they don't expect researches from highschoolers and ignore that for decisions.

Nope. Parents need to tell their kids that they don’t need to be applying to schools that want any type of research.

The problem is schools are not clear about things, so kids do whatever it takes and appply 20 schools.

And this also needs to be stopped by parents. 20 schools? C’mon.

The problem is the schools are not clear about things with TO, Holistic, all sort of bullshit.

Kids and parents are just trying to play by the rules. They didn't make the rules.

No one said you had to play the game at all. That’s kinda the point.

You don't say stop to the motivated smart kids who want to compete by the rules.
That's the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I blame the parents. Let the kids be kids. Tell them they don’t need to do research in HS to be successful in life. Don’t encourage them to harass professors. Bring back sanity - please.

Admissions offices should make it clear and announce that they don't expect researches from highschoolers and ignore that for decisions.

Nope. Parents need to tell their kids that they don’t need to be applying to schools that want any type of research.

The problem is schools are not clear about things, so kids do whatever it takes and appply 20 schools.

And this also needs to be stopped by parents. 20 schools? C’mon.

The problem is the schools are not clear about things with TO, Holistic, all sort of bullshit.

Kids and parents are just trying to play by the rules. They didn't make the rules.

No one said you had to play the game at all. That’s kinda the point.

You don't say stop to the motivated smart kids who want to compete by the rules.
That's the point.

You might be right. But on this board I’d be willing to bet that’s a very small percentage of kids. Parents are pushing this and I’m pretty sure most of us know it.

Also, you certainly can tell them 10 apps max and we’re not paying for anything more than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I blame the parents. Let the kids be kids. Tell them they don’t need to do research in HS to be successful in life. Don’t encourage them to harass professors. Bring back sanity - please.

Admissions offices should make it clear and announce that they don't expect researches from highschoolers and ignore that for decisions.

Nope. Parents need to tell their kids that they don’t need to be applying to schools that want any type of research.

The problem is schools are not clear about things, so kids do whatever it takes and appply 20 schools.

And this also needs to be stopped by parents. 20 schools? C’mon.

The problem is the schools are not clear about things with TO, Holistic, all sort of bullshit.

Kids and parents are just trying to play by the rules. They didn't make the rules.

No one said you had to play the game at all. That’s kinda the point.

You don't say stop to the motivated smart kids who want to compete by the rules.
That's the point.

You might be right. But on this board I’d be willing to bet that’s a very small percentage of kids. Parents are pushing this and I’m pretty sure most of us know it.

Also, you certainly can tell them 10 apps max and we’re not paying for anything more than that.

These kids who are aiming for selective schools are motivated and hardworking by nature.
There' limitation what parents can do and how much they can push.
Most of these parents feel bad that they don't have fancy connections.

The rule is you can apply more than 10.
Again there's so much uncertainty, so even 20 seem reasonable.

[Anonymous]

It almost feels like OP is angry both because a HS is nagging OP for an internship, but also that the email outreach is so basic and fake.

Would your reaction be any different if the kid made any insightful comments with respect to your research that actually showed they understood it, spoke about something in their background that shows they too have legitimate interest and then perhaps they listed out knowledge of computer programs or other practical things you would want a research intern to possess?

In your case, probably not only because you likely have plenty of students at your college that already possess these attributes.

I work in investment banking, and I too get turned off by kids that send a linkedin request or cold email that has absolutely no depth. Just, hey...I study finance and investment banking sounds cool (translation...I hear you make a lot of $$$s)...please interview me for an internship. No research with respect to my specific market vertical or the investment banking niche where I focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I blame the parents. Let the kids be kids. Tell them they don’t need to do research in HS to be successful in life. Don’t encourage them to harass professors. Bring back sanity - please.

Admissions offices should make it clear and announce that they don't expect researches from highschoolers and ignore that for decisions.

Nope. Parents need to tell their kids that they don’t need to be applying to schools that want any type of research.

The problem is schools are not clear about things, so kids do whatever it takes and appply 20 schools.

And this also needs to be stopped by parents. 20 schools? C’mon.

The problem is the schools are not clear about things with TO, Holistic, all sort of bullshit.

Kids and parents are just trying to play by the rules. They didn't make the rules.

No one said you had to play the game at all. That’s kinda the point.

I see you point, Prof. From your description it sounds like a person could end up at “Applebee’s” with or without a fancy education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this thread makes it clear that among higher SES parents college is now often seen as a service and when my! own! babies! have skin in the game all reason goes out the window and there is no desire to see or understand how academia really works because the most important thing is to SERVE! MY! SPECIAL! CHILD!

But here's the thing: academics are not service providers. They are educators and scholars and experts. We set our own agenda for research, service, and teaching. The outcome is to advance their field and part of that is shaping minds, but providing 16 yo Dylan or Sophia from Chevy Chase a summer internship is not that.

I also think a lot of people are misunderstanding the difference between shadowing and interning or being a research assistant. The first being theoretically possible and a fair ask, the second being a long shot and not really appropriate for a high schooler unless the program is specifically designed for them, and the later being totally implausible for a number of reasons that no one here wants to hear.

100% agree

Ignorance and entitlement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is an example of a paid research internship set up specifically for high schoolers. Yes, this particular one is restricted to Baltimore City students. But these types of opportunities exist if you look for them, contrary to the belief of many posting on this string.
https://engineering.jhu.edu/outreach/ceo-programs/wise/

That looks like a wonderful program.
But what should white or Asian students do?

[Anonymous]

I did a research experience in a summer program in high school. It's a great way to build a pipeline of future scientists.

It's a shame that some professors, who have a cushy taxpayer funded jobs, are so selfish.
You should be creating more programs to expose more high schoolers to research, not just the ones whose parents prepped them into TJ and SMACS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I blame the parents. Let the kids be kids. Tell them they don’t need to do research in HS to be successful in life. Don’t encourage them to harass professors. Bring back sanity - please.

Admissions offices should make it clear and announce that they don't expect researches from highschoolers and ignore that for decisions.

But it seems that admissions offices fall for this stuff which tends to go in fashions - paying to work on a project in a developing country, setting up a non-profit (often abandoned as soon as they start college), getting a patent for some technology (usually in your parents' work area) or being a research assistant/publishing at a university. Then there's all the sporting achievements funded through years of training by parents. Students with lots of APs, strong SATs and normal levels of service often get rejected, so that is the message that admissions offices are sending.

I agree with you that it is silly the resumes that high school students are expected to create instead of enjoying being teenagers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is an example of a paid research internship set up specifically for high schoolers. Yes, this particular one is restricted to Baltimore City students. But these types of opportunities exist if you look for them, contrary to the belief of many posting on this string.
https://engineering.jhu.edu/outreach/ceo-programs/wise/

That looks like a wonderful program.
But what should white or Asian students do?

There are tons of programs like this at colleges nationwide. They are not for white or Asians, however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did a research experience in a summer program in high school. It's a great way to build a pipeline of future scientists.

It's a shame that some professors, who have a cushy taxpayer funded jobs, are so selfish.
You should be creating more programs to expose more high schoolers to research, not just the ones whose parents prepped them into TJ and SMACS.

Maybe they should be focusing on the students paying a lot to attend the universities where they work, not to high school students. I wouldn't go calling them selfish either.

Many universities are private so the taxpayer funded bit isn't necessarily true either.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Imagine writing to a doctor at a hospital and asking if you, a high schooler, could help them find something to do there for your resume? Ridiculous.

Appalling that parents or teachers would encourage this. Have some respect.

What? My husband is a doctor at a DC area hospital and he has let HS kids shadow him on any number of occasions. Usually it’s a favor to a friend (head of his department’s kid once a week for a summer), but sometimes it’s random outreach that appeals to him for some reason (and an applicant from his fairly uncommon country of origin would absolutely do that).

And the hospitals lawyers are ok with this? Can’t imagine it.

DP. Are you at all familiar with the application process for medical school? Shadowing experience is basically a must at most schools. Doctors and hospitals are very used to these requests. Many of them did it themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know who encourages this

The college application process encourages this.

+1 if you don't like it OP, make sure you tell your college to stop looking at activities.

[Anonymous]

I would much prefer my kids just be teens, work a PT job, and do some activities, get great grades/SAT scores, but that no longer seems to be the key to getting into the top colleges.

And before anyone says, "Your kid doesn't need to get into a top college." OK, sure, then no other kids do, either. But, here we are..

College admissions is a nightmare. Blame the colleges and their insane games.

[Anonymous]

Published research is definitely how DC’s classmate was admitted to Harvard last year. Not in all the top classes and not winning any academic awards or anything. YMMV