D has been invited to apply to a few internships this summer (she will be a rising junior) but isn’t sure when/where/what she wants to do.
Tell us what your STEM (primarily math/computer science majors) student did for a summer internship. Did he/she like it, was it paid, how did you handle housing, do you feel it will be instrumental in her career search?
Right now, D is looking at the Wharton Horizons coding bootcamp fellowship and an analyst spot with NSA/DOD. Although it is her career office that has set her up with the info on these, they look like they might not be a good fit (in that she probably won’t be chosen). In particular, she is interested in all areas of finance coupled with either cs or science: actuarial science, data science, analysis…preference to the Boston and MD/DC areas where she has housing with relatives.
@NEPatsGirl - Your thread title made me think of the <<won’t mention="" elections="" related="" stuff="">> in the news! You might want to ask that the title be changed to doing internships, no doing interns
My Mech E son’s internships were with big, well known companies. Chem E’s sons were with a pharma research group and a smaller Chem E firm.</won’t>
S#1 did his internships in the city where he attended college. The first year he was living off campus and ran ads through the school (IIRC) to find other summer interns to sublet with him. The second drummer he did the same kind of thing, but they all sublet a different place for the summer.
Younger s lived at home the summer he worked for the small pharma research group. The other summer he was simultaneously taking a class on a tech campus and lived in a frat house with a friend there.
The NSA internship is super-competitive, but great for students who really just love solving math problems. Based in Baltimore, well paid, officially good work hours (the ones I know worked lots of extra hours b/c they were loving the problem challenges).
REAs are a really good option- I’m assuming your daughter has checked them out? she can apply to ones in fields and regions that suit. Most of the students that I know who have done them have loved theirs, but (not surprisingly) a few have not. Like all internships, there is a little bit of luck in who your manager is, and what sort of actual work they have available.
But, it sounds as if she is really looking for finance > math / comp sci, in which case most of the big finance houses have summer internships available. Again, they are competitive, but often lead to post-graduation job offers.
And to clarify- the school he attended had an online site to advertise for housing. Your D may find it helpful to see if there are similar options in the Baltimore area, if she goes there.
@jym626, Baltimore is a first choice because my son and his gf live in the area and he has offered to let her stay with them for a 10 or 12 week period. He works for Lockheed Martin and his gf works for Raytheon so opportunities with both those companies are being looked at.
I did and thank you for your input. I only mention that MD/DC and Boston are first choices to avoid paying for housing…she is open to any and all good opportunities and housing costs must be a consideration.
sorry- typo! REU-Research Experience for Undergraduates. Link is [url=<a href=“https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/%5Dhere%5B/url”>https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/]here[/url]. Paid research summer internships, funded by the National Science Foundation, at universities and research centers around the US. For many (but not all), housing is included, and / or factored into the pay package.
This past spring and summer my son interned at a tech company in his college town. Paid. He continued living in his off-campus apartment. Last week he was offered a full-time job once he graduates in June.
Thanks everyone. I’m looking for more specific information such as the companies that provided the internships and the role/position your students had in the company.
