If you're not targeting selective schools, then it doesn't matter.
For selective schools, burning out in high school isn't showing readiness for a demanding college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would a college care? They only look through junior year for classes and GPA. For senior year they only look to make sure you have met the requirements for graduation and passed.

Colleges ask you to report what you'll be taking senior year and the top ones expect you to contact them to correct the record if you change your schedule. My kid was admitted ED and I suggested she change her spring schedule and she declined because of the need to update the university and that it would "look bad". They *do* care about senior year schedule. And they want you to take a rigorous schedule. But I also am wondering how an internship looks as part of that schedule. My kid (at Churchill) said the school is really encouraging it and telling them it will differentiate them from the pack. I'm not so sure. If I were a college, I'd want a full schedule (or maybe one period off) and ALSO an internship, not a half-day schedule with internship. But then, I'm not an admissions officer so kind of groping in the dark.

I do think it matters what the internship is. A competitive internship at NASA or NIH is very different from working in a local office with an unknown brand and unknown job description.

Anonymous wrote:Why would a college care? They only look through junior year for classes and GPA. For senior year they only look to make sure you have met the requirements for graduation and passed.

Colleges ask you to report what you'll be taking senior year and the top ones expect you to contact them to correct the record if you change your schedule. My kid was admitted ED and I suggested she change her spring schedule and she declined because of the need to update the university and that it would "look bad". They *do* care about senior year schedule. And they want you to take a rigorous schedule. But I also am wondering how an internship looks as part of that schedule. My kid (at Churchill) said the school is really encouraging it and telling them it will differentiate them from the pack. I'm not so sure. If I were a college, I'd want a full schedule (or maybe one period off) and ALSO an internship, not a half-day schedule with internship. But then, I'm not an admissions officer so kind of groping in the dark.

Why would a college care? They only look through junior year for classes and GPA. For senior year they only look to make sure you have met the requirements for graduation and passed.

It doesn't look good for colleges

You can either do a half day work schedule or a half day internship schedule. My dd found the internship on her own, so I’m not sure if there is a formal program to help you find these internships.

My daughter does an internship, but is still required to do internship classwork in addition to her internship. (ironically I’ve been meaning to ask if this is the standard at all high schools).

Find it on your own and best to have it set up before school begins. Hours start counting the 2nd week of school so you don’t want to be behind. It’s based on semester hours. Your kid could have a weekend only job and still have the 1/2 day.

Mine has a double period but also a travel period due to distance to get to internship. Also the one hour a week they meet as a class that counts towards total hours. If the MCPS is closed students aren’t expected to work that day. For example, for a double period you need 150 working hours for the semester except it’s really closer to 134 or 135 actual working hours. Because you back out class meeting hours (1 per week) and winter and spring break you subtract the 1 hour meeting time. Hours do not carry over to the next semester if you work more.

Anonymous wrote:Did your child find the internship on their own or was this facilitated by the school?

I don’t think the school was much help. One of dc’s friends secured an internship, and their boss had a friend who thought an intern would be helpful at their own business, so dc’s friend recommended dc.

I did this in high school. I had a part-time job in the afternoons. I don’t think it needs to be an internship.

As long as he replaces the half day with an internship that's fine. I know of one kid who appeared to go in for 2nd period then go to an internship in the afternoon (presumably for just a class or two at the HS) and is at an ivy. That said, in MCPS, you've got situations with kids doing DE or taking MC classes on the side so who knows what their actual transcript looks like. My kid will have 11 APs and one English credit to complete and will probably do 7 classes or 4 and an Internship. Likely another 5 APs.

BCC has a formal internship program. Your son should ask his guidance counselor for more information.

Did your child find the internship on their own or was this facilitated by the school?

I don’t know if it works the same way at every high school, but my Poolesville student had the option of a one period or two period internship. DC is doing the two period one. DC attends the first 5 periods M-Th, and is then free to leave for the day. Everyone with an internship has to show up to 6th period on Fridays to meet with the teacher who oversees the internship program. Then they’re free to leave for the day.

With the double period internship, my dc is required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week, but dc could do 7 hours one week and 13 the next; the total hours just have to average at least 10 per week. DC got a virtual internship and can do the work from home. DC doesn’t always have enough work to fill the hours, but fortunately, dc got hired this fall at a retail job (paid) after school, and paid employment counts too, so between the internship and the job, dc has no trouble meeting the required hours.

My dc still has to fill the other 5 periods out of the day with classes, so it’s really not a half day program.

I think it will look fine. My child graduated a year early and had no problems getting into colleges (got into 5 universities- only denied to UMD which is a hard admit from his high school even if he had a 4th year).

He could also consider doing dual enrollment next year to get some pre-req college credits knocked off in his chosen major to show interest on college apps.

My 11th grader will only need 1 math credit and 1 English credit next year to graduate. He’s not a grinder and is not really interested in taking a bunch of extra classes if he doesn’t need to. He’s college bound but not targeting top 50 schools. Including 12th grade he will likely have 6 APs. I’ve heard that you can do a half day of courses and a half day internship. Is that true and if so, is it up to the student to find the internship or is there some kind of program to enroll in?

Also, any thoughts on how this would look on college apps (especially in the interest is related to what he might want to a study in college)?

Thanks!