This Is Very Specific: Does your sophomore in STEM at a T+15 have an internship for the summer?

[Anonymous]

Sorry in advance, I don't know where else to ask. If your dc is at an ivy, ivy plus, or ivy adjacent, do they have something lined up? Is it basically over and it's time to get in with a professor? I thought this was the benefit of being at a top school, but seems like the career center fall back is to connect with an alum and they don't seem to respond. (seem is the operative word as I only talk to my dc about it). Is it unusually quiet? Is this common? Is it this year? Or has it always been this way? I didn't go to a top school so I'm not trying to be obnoxious, I thought this was supposed to be a benefit? Should I be offering any specific advice? Thanks

[Anonymous]

Which specific major?

[Anonymous]

Rising sophomore or rising junior?

If rising sophomore then no. My Ivy kid didn't even look. He's working a regular job. He works on campus as grader and tutor during the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which specific major?

Deciding between electrical and mechanical engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rising sophomore or rising junior?

If rising sophomore then no. My Ivy kid didn't even look. He's working a regular job. He works on campus as grader and tutor during the school year.

I will say that my kid runs in a large circle of kids at the Ivy and the only rising sophomores he knows who have internships for this coming summer got them through direct family connections. Dad works for a bank, uncle works for a consulting firm, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rising sophomore or rising junior?

If rising sophomore then no. My Ivy kid didn't even look. He's working a regular job. He works on campus as grader and tutor during the school year.

No concerns about going into junior year without an internship on the resume? Is your kid going to grad school after?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rising sophomore or rising junior?

If rising sophomore then no. My Ivy kid didn't even look. He's working a regular job. He works on campus as grader and tutor during the school year.

No concerns about going into junior year without an internship on the resume? Is your kid going to grad school after?

My kid is a rising sophomore. Read my reply again.

[Anonymous]

My mech e major sophomore hasn't heard anything yet. Is planning on doing research and working on campus if nothing comes up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which specific major?

Deciding between electrical and mechanical engineering.

Not sure what you can do with an EE bachelor degree. The typical path is to get a PhD in EE. I would suggest looking for research opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and most DC’s classmates have internships after sophomore year. Majority of them self applied via job sites. Career center is only for resume reviews etc. The school name boosts resume values (hopefully). I think that’s the main benefit.

[Anonymous]

It's a pretty bad year across the board, because the economy sucks and trump is decimating research funding. I think if they're an engineering/CS major, it is pretty concerning to not have an internship right now. Pretty much all of DS's friends in physics are just now getting offers for research or have another month to wait (this is for rising seniors too!). As a sophomore, it is a good idea to just do research anyway- research often is applicable to industry projects, gets something down on the resume, and the experience will be very important if they are at all interested in graduate school.

[Anonymous]

yes, but he's not a STEM major. he's an Econ/History major

[Anonymous]

My son who is CompSci and Math worked for a search fund last summer as a sophomore.

[Anonymous]

Last year (rising sophomore) had paid research internship at military base. This summer, rising junior got 4th offer. Not CS, mech, civil or EE but in engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a pretty bad year across the board, because the economy sucks and trump is decimating research funding. I think if they're an engineering/CS major, it is pretty concerning to not have an internship right now. Pretty much all of DS's friends in physics are just now getting offers for research or have another month to wait (this is for rising seniors too!). As a sophomore, it is a good idea to just do research anyway- research often is applicable to industry projects, gets something down on the resume, and the experience will be very important if they are at all interested in graduate school.

Jesus Christ.