Internships important for college admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Internships are not required for college admissions, but they can help.

Some internships can be evidence of an applicant's maturity level, some substantiate the applicant's interest in a particular area / major, while others reveal personal characteristics such as initiative, motivation,and curiosity.

+1. well said. Also philanthropy

[Anonymous]

No more than any other activity.

Suggestion: most teenagers could benefit from having a regular teenage job, not just for college admissions but for the experience and for the resume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please stop with the high school internships. As a working professional, we don't want to babysit your high schooler and I promise that they are not adding anything but work to our businesses.

Not finding the right kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please stop with the high school internships. As a working professional, we don't want to babysit your high schooler and I promise that they are not adding anything but work to our businesses.

Not finding the right kids

No, that’s not it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NO. A big fat no. It's not expected in the slightest. Are you new to the US?

PP, you are so rude and ignorant. What's your basis for a "big fat no". This only shows you have no idea what you are talking about. OP was asking about top colleges.

[Anonymous]

Almost every student from my child's high school who was accepted to an Ivy this past cycle had some kind of internship. While I doubt that the internship is what tipped the scales, it's interesting (to me) that so many students had internships. Primarily congressmen and state senators. One with the state AG office. One with the state board of ed.

Another thing that I found interesting was that SO many of them participated in Yale Young Global Scholars, which I always thought was pay to play and meaningless. But who knows; maybe they all did it for fun and left it off the activities list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Almost every student from my child's high school who was accepted to an Ivy this past cycle had some kind of internship. While I doubt that the internship is what tipped the scales, it's interesting (to me) that so many students had internships. Primarily congressmen and state senators. One with the state AG office. One with the state board of ed.

Another thing that I found interesting was that SO many of them participated in Yale Young Global Scholars, which I always thought was pay to play and meaningless. But who knows; maybe they all did it for fun and left it off the activities list.

+1. Interesting on two points. Both of my high schoolers had internships, unpaid of course. One for our county, the other on a House of Rep committee. BUT the kid who has really excelled beyond the college years was a Yale Young Global Scholar as a rising junior. I think that has made more of a difference in his success than other activities. It is competitive. And it did require him to prepare a lecture on a topic and give it which gave him essay material for college applications. During college years he worked at DC think tanks and was a Hertog Scholar. He's now overseas on a D.Phil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Almost every student from my child's high school who was accepted to an Ivy this past cycle had some kind of internship. While I doubt that the internship is what tipped the scales, it's interesting (to me) that so many students had internships. Primarily congressmen and state senators. One with the state AG office. One with the state board of ed.

Another thing that I found interesting was that SO many of them participated in Yale Young Global Scholars, which I always thought was pay to play and meaningless. But who knows; maybe they all did it for fun and left it off the activities list.

+1. Interesting on two points. Both of my high schoolers had internships, unpaid of course. One for our county, the other on a House of Rep committee. BUT the kid who has really excelled beyond the college years was a Yale Young Global Scholar as a rising junior. I think that has made more of a difference in his success than other activities. It is competitive. And it did require him to prepare a lecture on a topic and give it which gave him essay material for college applications. During college years he worked at DC think tanks and was a Hertog Scholar. He's now overseas on a D.Phil.

That’s great to hear just how meaningful YYGS was especially given the cost. I know it’s uber competitive—any idea on the acceptance rate (regular decision) and whether that varies per summer session? TIA

[Anonymous]

No.
But depending on the college, some do want to see a path.
UT Austin for instance admits by major and they want to see your curriculum, essay and ECs all point in the right direction. For Business majors, they would like to see an internship or job. For science majors, perhaps shadowing or volunteering or research....but that's because they admit by major.

[Anonymous]

The Dean of Admissions at UVA just made a comment on one of her recent videos that it was a "trendy" thing to do. Much like the non profit in previous years. Neither of which are necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No more than any other activity.

Suggestion: most teenagers could benefit from having a regular teenage job, not just for college admissions but for the experience and for the resume.

There is a nationwide lifeguard shortage.

Have your kid get certified and they can make a ton of cash and demonstrate responsibility.