<p>Hi, I'm a current sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in Economics and Marketing and minoring in Computer Science. I really want to start my own company after graduating and I believe the perfect way to learn the necessary skills for this is to get an internship at a Silicon Valley startup. I have applied to over 25 internships in the San Francisco area and have heard back from about half of them so far, although I haven't received any offers yet. What I am wondering is whether startups, especially ones in the Bay Area, are more likely to hire in-state students because that way they don't have to spend as much money on them. For me, my internship must be paid and must be full-time as this is the only way I'll be able to support myself because my family is pretty poor and San Francisco's housing prices are INSANE. However, I wouldn't want my financial situation to scare off any potential employers because I am extremely passionate about what I do and I can promise them that I will work as hard as possible to help them achieve success. Thus, would it be feasible for me to land a paid internship with a monthly stipend that will cover at least some of my rent from a decently funded ($2-10 million Series A) startup? What do startups in San Francisco look for most in an intern/applicant? Thanks.</p>
<p>The problem you may be facing is that many of the smaller companies do not have the recruiting resources to visit many (or any) out-of-area schools, or deal with flying in out-of-area candidates for interviews. Especially when they can just drive to Berkeley, Stanford, San Jose State, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Davis to recruit.</p>
<p>Or you could just have a phone interview? I go to Brown and have an internship in San Jose this summer. One of the things that almost lost me the internship was the fact I didn’t live in the Bay, but in South Florida. I had to prove my ability to support myself even though they are paying me. I would say there’s a good chance that some internships require that you live in the area for the intern’s financial security.</p>
<p>You need the big names for resume credibility. Make sure that you apply to the big name employers, especially considering the financial situation.</p>
<p>I did a phone interview with a Bay Area startup while studying abroad in a foreign country and attending college/living on the opposite coast. I don’t think it’s that much of a barrier; phone interview plus online collaborative coding seems to be the de facto standard for undergrad internships, at least in CS.</p>
<p>Don’t limit yourself to just Bay Area companies, and don’t limit yourself to startups. Look into all the options you can, especially those you wouldn’t find students flocking to apply for. If you aren’t finding anything where you’re looking, try looking other places. It’s very important to build up lots of work experience during summer internships so that you’ll have a resume that will net you job offers when you graduate.</p>