<p>Hi! I'm currently an undergraduate freshman at UALR and I'm majoring in International Studies. I was just wondering, what kind of internships/volunteer activities should I immerse myself in for the next three years? What kind of activities will give me hands on experience as well as an edge when it comes to applying for grad school? I'm thinking of Harvard, UCB, UMich and Chicago. Any help will be appreciated! Thanks!</p>
<p>EC’s don’t matter too much for graduate school. Research experience does. An internship can be a first step toward this.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean you should not have EC’s, they do matter a lot for competitive fellowships such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, along with a very strong research resume.</p>
<p>The other kinds of ECs that might be useful are those that pertain directly to your interests, as well. For a CS student, being on a team in the DARPA Grand Challenge was probably a good thing. Similar with being in competitions run by various professional organizations where being involved is somewhat close to engaging in research.</p>