On my applications, I indicate that I was a paid intern at a company that my mom also works at. I have also mentioned in the parent information section that my mom currently works there, so AOs will most likely see the association. Will colleges delegitimize this experience because of this connection?
If it matters, yes, she did mention the opportunity to intern there to me, but I still had to fill out an application and my mom had no say in the selection process.
What will change if you don’t list this?
If the company is IBM, it won’t matter that your mom also works there. If the company is Mom’s Yarn Shop, your internship may not have a great deal of weight (especially if she hired you). But it is what it is. You worked there.
No. They won’t look to uncover the connection and devalue it. They will not think too much about it either way. It’s an internship. Focus on the experience and the key learning areas for you. They won’t care that you had an internship per se, more about how it further helps them to see who you are as a person seeking to grow.
It depends.
Not saying this is true in your case. Opportunities like this are one of the many advantages that Upper and Upper Middle class families are able to bestow on their children. If they devalued this type of experience, it would impact 80% of their population.
Not all kids get internships. OP hasn’t said how big this workplace is, how many interns, what they do, etc.
There are kids who make their internships sound oh-so-special, as if they’ll be Nobel nominees any day. How much responsibility, authoring papers, etc.
Then you see Mom runs that lab. Or Dad owns the company.
Sure, adcoms see that. No, it isn’t ignored because, “oh, well.” There can be a subjective reaction. Just like in real life.
Not saying this is OP’s situation.
You should add this internship experience. Sounds like Mom works at Megacorp and kid went through normal interview process. But not everyone has the same opportunity, it is what it is.
Many small business owners employ their teen kids and pay them.
Hope you had a good learning experience.
Just saying, we don’t know it’s Megacorp. It could be a smaller place. And possible that, despite applying, he had a leg up.
Sure, include it. But internships aren’t a magic tip. It’s a long application and this is one bullet.