<p>Hey people. It's been quite long since the last time I posted something. </p>
<p>I am a freshman in Philosophy in Turkey at Bilkent University (<a href="http://www.bilkent.edu.tr)%5B/url%5D">www.bilkent.edu.tr)</a>. Planning on studying Political Philosophy and still trying to transfer to a more credible major like Political Science or IR. </p>
<p>I have dream ECs, chief journalist in school newspaper, publishing an academic review from ground zero and stuff. Great recs too if needed. I am in the top three for my major with a GPA around 3.7. I am planning on applying overseas for an internship at a prestigious think-tank or political institution. The UN, Brookings kind of stuff. </p>
<p>I am quite the democratic guy. The Obama voter. So neocon havens like Cato or AEI are last resorts for me. </p>
<p>What would you recommend. Plus, if you have any academic summer programs you may like to offer, I'd more than willing to listen. Either through the thread or through PMs. </p>
<p>I am shooting for HYP for grad thus even my freshman internship matters quite a lot. </p>
<p>Ok, hold on. First, you need to get past HYP. Depending on your specialization HYP may or may not have the best programs for you. Either way, interning at the Brookings Institution won't make much difference. Research is what matters. If you are interested in a terminal MA rather than a PhD, you will most likely need full time work experience...so again it just doesn't matter that much. </p>
<p>Disregarding all that, you will not get into Brookings or any place like that after your freshman year. It doesn't matter how good your activities are, those sorts of internships are designed for Juniors with 1-2 internships already under their belts. I can give you advice about where you should look, but you need to specify what you are interested in beyond 'political institutions.'</p>
<p>I actually knew that I had no chance in places like Brookings. I was just trying to examplify but in my second reading, even I felt that it's not making my point. </p>
<p>So maybe I should clarify more. I hope I have been able to draw a certain profile. I am a Phil/Pol.Sci guy, shooting for the Top 10-15 and trying to polish his resum</p>
<p>Unless there is some special factor you haven't mentioned, I don't think you'll be able to get in at any 'name' organization. By all means, try, but don't expect too much. I don't think the UN is worth bothering with, same with all the other international organizations...World Bank, IMF, and all the regional organizations (pretty much all of these are restricted to grad students). There are tons of think tanks beyond the 'Brookings' tier, both in the US and (presumabely) in Turkey. Go onto wikipedia and look at their list of think tanks, and start googling the names. Also check out idealist.org. They have tons of job listings with NGOs. </p>
<p>You are still a bit all over the board though. The ACLU is focused on domestic issues and civil liberties, whereas the Carter Center is all about democratization and development, I believe. What are your interests within IR and Polisci: Security? Conflict mitigation? Development? Trade? You need to figure that out, and then package your resume around it.</p>
<p>Well packaging your resume is just a phrase really. Basically, you want to emphasize that you are interested and (hopefully) experienced in whatever subfield you are trying to enter. If you have a summary or objective statement at the top of you resume (which you don't necessarily need), it starts with that. Don't just say 'young professional interested in international affairs,' say 'young professional specializing in environmentally sustainable development and Eastern Europe' (or whatever it is that you decide you're interested in). </p>
<p>Once you have that part, you need to back it up throughout the rest of your resume. What class-based research have you done that's related to the subfield, or special projects, or articles you reviewed for the journal or wrote for the newspaper, or languages you know. That sort of stuff has to go on your resume for you to have a shot. Since you're a freshman you haven't had much time to compile this stuff, but you already know that your age puts you at a natural disadvantage. </p>
<p>Just send out as many resumes as you can and hope that you get something. Also, try asking your professors if they can help you out. Most freshman and sophomores I knew who got internships got them through connections.</p>