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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Really? Not OP, but my kid wants to do EE, and I’ve never heard this before.

Because it is wrong.

There are plenty of jobs for EE with a BS or MS.
PhD is for students who want to be involved with EE or any engineering in the research and development sector, in private industry or with department of defense, dept of energy. A masters is not enough for those jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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

DC is at an ivy as a peer mentor and a TA in engineering, senior. Almost all of the sophomores have paid positions lined up, some in uni or govt research internships and some in industry. Some research programs are still in the process of rolling out acceptances.
The culture at the ivies and similar is to start in labs on campus early, maximize the course progression and have a transcript as a sophomore that resembles a junior transcript from a midlevel flagship E school with regard to research experience and courses taken.
The students do have to make the effort to get to know professors, talk to upperclassmen, read department emails that list summer jobs.
All of the juniors have internships, leans toward private industry jobs. Half of the freshman have paid stem jobs for the summer, though many are through professors at this ivy.
It was about the same last year and every year since she arrived on campus, though paid research at other universities have contracted due to funding cuts last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are kids finding it more difficult to get research given all the funding cuts ?

Funding has bounced back from last cycle but not up to 2024 levels. Good 3.8+ stem students from top schools are getting offers.
We know more than one sitting on multiple paid research offers.

[Anonymous]

A year ago my rising junior at the time, was able to land an internship with a small defense contractor in Arlington after applying to 190 openings from August-December the preceding year. One interview, one offer. Persistence and luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My stem T50 (non ivy) civil engineer has an internship lined up with a construction management company. No connections- from the fall job fair. Many classmates also have internships

and how may don’t? Seems like confirmation bias.

I hear good news from my kid. I don’t ask about who doesn’t have an internship or job. I think the job market is tough and internships are hard to obtain ivy or not.

[Anonymous]

Not yet. I know of one open nearby but not in the specific field desired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

Just so I understand... he wants an internship when he will be a rising junior?

No, looking for this summer and is a sophomore currently. Thank you

So, he will be a rising junior. He will be done with the sophomore year. You should actually use all your network to get him an internship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My rising junior got a research (in field related to major) internship, no nepotism, knows no one. 1400 applicants for 14 spots. App included essays + 2 interviews. Give 5 days to accept offer which came about 7-8 weeks after the interviews.

^^my kid above was offered a second one yesterday. But only if school grants credit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are kids finding it more difficult to get research given all the funding cuts ?

Funding has bounced back from last cycle but not up to 2024 levels. Good 3.8+ stem students from top schools are getting offers.
We know more than one sitting on multiple paid research offers.

Gpa has very little to do with a research offer other than being on the floor required for admission.

It really is about the type of program and who it’s for.

Getting into SMALL reu or UMn Duluth math reu is 100x more impressive than a majority of local math REUs that are looking for anyone with no experience in math research. Once you’ve done research, you’re actually disqualified from being accepted into many programs.

[Anonymous]

Our kid did on campus research his entire 4 years and easily landed a full time offer after college. He gained a ton in technical skills and experience just by constantly being in lab and being paid to do so. Internships are great but the cards are stacked against you in this market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would separate engineering from the sciences. They are very different markets. Biology and Physics are getting decimated right now.

Agreed. The natural sciences vs tech/engineering are completely different paths and getting a good research position is a very different process than a good internship

[Anonymous]

This doesn't directly answer OP but I have 2 kids, one a senior in T15, double STEM major, has had internships every summer but still unable to land a FT Job. Has interviewed many times (and often many rounds) but still no job. My other kid, recent SLAC grad, is in med school and the path is very long but very well defined. I see the pros and cons of each but, in this economy, I appreciate the med school path. Given the shortage of docs, my older kid seems to be set. My younger kid is still struggling. Hopefully, the struggle will help them improve!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are kids finding it more difficult to get research given all the funding cuts ?

No. There are a still a lot of good research opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i'm a prof at a T10 engineering school and have talked to about 15 rising juniors. None have company internships. Several are doing research jobs. Companies want rising seniors generally, rising sophomores in my experience would only get an internship with strong direct family connections. this is nothing new....though competition for internships is getting fierce. The only student I personally know who did such an internship last summer did it in China with direct family connections.

+1. This is correct.

[Anonymous]

[img]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

DC is at an ivy as a peer mentor and a TA in engineering, senior. Almost all of the sophomores have paid positions lined up, some in uni or govt research internships and some in industry. Some research programs are still in the process of rolling out acceptances.
The culture at the ivies and similar is to start in labs on campus early, maximize the course progression and have a transcript as a sophomore that resembles a junior transcript from a midlevel flagship E school with regard to research experience and courses taken.
The students do have to make the effort to get to know professors, talk to upperclassmen, read department emails that list summer jobs.
All of the juniors have internships, leans toward private industry jobs. Half of the freshman have paid stem jobs for the summer, though many are through professors at this ivy.
It was about the same last year and every year since she arrived on campus, though paid research at other universities have contracted due to funding cuts last year.

+1 my Ivy college sophomore has one this summer. Also had one in the Fall (around classes).

Last summer (after freshmen year)- no, but didn’t apply to any- had a regular summer job and other things going on.