seek internship or research this summer

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm graduating in December, and I still haven't had an internship yet. I really want to get my toe in the water in industry to see if it's something I like more than grad school. The problem is that I haven't been very proactive in looking for internships. Most of the places I applied to this spring still haven't replied back. These internships won't be the best, but they still offer good engineering experience.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I'm part of two research projects, one of which will have my name in the paper. Not only that, the two people who are sort of leading these projects (one graduating this summer, the other one graduating in two weeks) are leaving, and it seems like I'm the next in line to take the reins, and this summer would be a prime opportunity for me to put in some serious hours and get some work done on these projects.</p>

<p>So my question is: would it be worth waiting for the companies to reply back to me about my internships, or should I decide to stay for the summer and be part of these research projects?</p>

2

<p>Have you tried asking the companies about your status?</p>

3

<p>yea. I called one about a month ago, and the person said she had no idea where they are in terms of the selection process. Another one didn’t respond. I actually don’t remember which other ones I’ve applied to that still haven’t responded.</p>