Rant: Tell Kids to Stop Bugging Professors for Internships

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Luckily, not all professors are as closed-minded as OP. Some high school students ARE capable of producing publishable research. Just because you couldn't do it when you were young, doesn't others can't achieve it.

It's not about being close-minded. We...literally can't do this for a number of reasons. If kids are getting "internships" at colleges it's not through professors or typical channels: it's through official programs that are sanctioned and built for this type of thing, and it's not a real internship in the sense that a college student would have (but I am sure these things have value of their own). Emailing a professor is not the way, but you could email a professor to ask about a program or to see if you could stop by their office (but know that we need to refer that back to admissions for record keeping and because these kids are unaffiliated minors).

I get similar emails. I have a bunch of scripts on my desktop that I copy and paste from for things that come up often and require instructions or rote responses. It works pretty well and eliminates a lot of frustration for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of the MCPS magnet programs require the kids to do a research internship.

+ 1
The SMCS at Poolesvillle and SMACS at Blair. Students are told to send numerous requests to college professors and it is nerve-racking for the students too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While we are on this topic, my child reached out to a professor connected to a high school research program. DC's varied interests are aligned with the professor and it shows in their experiences. This was one of among a few emails DC has sent to professors (we are completely unconnected people so this is the only way to get experience).

Surprisingly, this professor wrote back within 24 hours. They were not encouraging or discouraging but I thought it was encouraging that they wrote back at all.

DC responded with another nice email and again, professor responded very quickly but, again, very tersely, and in a non-committal way. Does it mean anything that they at least responding? Please give me a shred of hope!

I was also considering the idea that the professor was twisted and playing with DC. The way they answered was a bit odd. The OP makes me think there may be people out there who do this.

It's odd because it's odd. Professors are not going to work with or hire high school students. IT DOES NOT WORK THIS WAY don't do it! Stick to official programs for high schoolers!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the MCPS magnet programs require the kids to do a research internship.

+ 1
The SMCS at Poolesvillle and SMACS at Blair. Students are told to send numerous requests to college professors and it is nerve-racking for the students too.

If they are asking students to do this blindly that is unethical and misguided. Someone should inform them to stop doing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the MCPS magnet programs require the kids to do a research internship.

+ 1
The SMCS at Poolesvillle and SMACS at Blair. Students are told to send numerous requests to college professors and it is nerve-racking for the students too.

If they are asking students to do this blindly that is unethical and misguided. Someone should inform them to stop doing this.

The kids all seem to find someone to work with them. I can see how this would be annoying but from what I saw, I don’t think it ended up taking a lot of the professors time. My kid definitely got at least one nasty response though from a professor who told him he was worthless since he was still in HS. Maybe if you are that person just ignore random emails like the rest of us professionals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the MCPS magnet programs require the kids to do a research internship.

+ 1
The SMCS at Poolesvillle and SMACS at Blair. Students are told to send numerous requests to college professors and it is nerve-racking for the students too.

If they are asking students to do this blindly that is unethical and misguided. Someone should inform them to stop doing this.

The kids all seem to find someone to work with them. I can see how this would be annoying but from what I saw, I don’t think it ended up taking a lot of the professors time. My kid definitely got at least one nasty response though from a professor who told him he was worthless since he was still in HS. Maybe if you are that person just ignore random emails like the rest of us professionals.

It’s not professional to send your kid to harass other professionals in hopes that someone feels enough pity to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the MCPS magnet programs require the kids to do a research internship.

+ 1
The SMCS at Poolesvillle and SMACS at Blair. Students are told to send numerous requests to college professors and it is nerve-racking for the students too.

If they are asking students to do this blindly that is unethical and misguided. Someone should inform them to stop doing this.

The kids all seem to find someone to work with them. I can see how this would be annoying but from what I saw, I don’t think it ended up taking a lot of the professors time. My kid definitely got at least one nasty response though from a professor who told him he was worthless since he was still in HS. Maybe if you are that person just ignore random emails like the rest of us professionals.

It’s not professional to send your kid to harass other professionals in hopes that someone feels enough pity to help.

Actually I was not involved at all but thanks for the feedback

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Luckily, not all professors are as closed-minded as OP. Some high school students ARE capable of producing publishable research. Just because you couldn't do it when you were young, doesn't others can't achieve it.

No they aren’t. They are capable of providing some of the relatively unskilled labor necessary to produce publishable research, but frankly those jobs would be better given to college first and second years. The only reason high schoolers might get those jobs is that they’re more likely to tolerate not getting paid. Which makes this whole situation a fun adventure into unpaid internships aka buy experience for your resume/college app.

I agree with OP that this whole concept is offensive and upsetting but I don’t think it’s the kids’ fault at all. No high schooler really understands how much they still have to learn and they’re just kids. Much better for parents and counsellors to encourage them to work as lifeguards or in public-facing roles. Now those are things that will develop the skills they need for their later careers — besides giving them the wherewithal to save.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t even work with an undergraduate. A high school student is laughable.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professor and regularly get emails from high school students who ask for research internships. They haven't finished high school, much less basic undergraduate courses in my field. I don't know who encourages this, but obviously those kids didn't think up this idea independently.

"Dear Professor X:

I am very interested in your work after reading [one of my obscure papers from a web search]. I would like to help you with research because I want to have a career [making a lot of money by doing something I know nothing about]."

This is insulting to their high school teachers, who have a lot to teach them.

Their high school teachers don't run research labs, Professor.

Tell your secretary to filter it emails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of the MCPS magnet programs require the kids to do a research internship.

+1 there is a program at my kids’ independent school that requires them to complete research internships. A couple Regeneron scholars every year come out of this group, so they can’t be a complete waste of time.

I’m a professor and simply decline if it isn’t of interest or I don’t have the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a lab manager and my boss (the principal investigator) would task me every summer with handholding some high school student. They were generally just some random who had emailed him and he would always put their name on a publication! I noticed that every single one was the same ethnicity he was.

You mean white? Yes, when I was in grad school the PI and all the students, postdocs and volunteers were all white as well. Luckily times are changing.

Don't be disingenuous, you know "white" is not an ethnicity. Which is not to say that the PI wasn't white. There is no way to tell from the post. Why are you making this into a racial issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t even work with an undergraduate. A high school student is laughable.

+1

[Anonymous]

my kid emailed like half a dozen professors who regularly publish.

one guy wrote back one line: do you know Python.

my kid said, Yes, very well.

and that was that. he had a great summer and this summer he'll be back and this time he's getting paid.