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If high school somehow doesn’t feel like the time, you should be interning just know that the world is filled with 17-year olds juggling school, 20-30 hours of work per week and side hustles to apply to the universities you’re dreaming of as well.

Are internships important when applying to college?

Internships are the extracurricular aspect of a college application for students applying for a UG program. In a top-ranking university applicants pool, this ‘extracurricular’ aspect of application has morphed into a more concrete form. Your fellow applicant can be anything from an intern to self-employed through Etsy or Poshmark. And this blog talks about everything you can do in high school to improve your chances of getting in, let’s go!

Why are internships important?

Not only do internships play an important role in revamping your chances to compete against a similarly talented pool of applicants, but they’re also a great way to explore various career options and indulge in your interests before taking a leap and committing to a program or college. This is where internships can come to the rescue of students who need to figure out their choices and preferences before getting admitted in a program for specialization.

Internships can be highly beneficial for the students as they aid in gaining valuable experience, learn about the opportunities and application process and even assist in network building in the academic and career fields.

The real-world experience of handling oneself in a professional environment and developing work ethics are added benefits of an internship. Other essential foundation skills such as critical thinking, oral and written communication, leadership qualities, problem-solving, and cultural fluency are also gained through internships.

How does an internship work?

Internships are introductory work experiences in a professional career field of one’s choice. They could be paid, usually at the lowest end of a pay scale or even unpaid. However, the interns get a certificate of experience and a letter of recommendation if requested. This can be used as proof of your work experience.

What are the types of internships/programs available for high school students?

  1. Microsoft India Development Centre

One of the largest and most successful technology companies Microsoft is a giant in the software, cloud, search, and hardware business. Internships at Microsoft are highly competitive to get into. Microsoft’s India Development Center hosts a three-month internship program for high school students in which interns work on actual projects while being closely mentored and coached by experienced employees to solve problems and create opportunities for the world.

  1. Jamboree-Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Jamboree-Lumiere research scholar program allows the next generation of researchers to work on independent projects under the close mentorship of PhD researchers from the top 10 universities in the field (e.g., Harvard economics, Stanford computer science, Princeton physics, etc.). It is a 12-week program culminating in research paper completion.

Creating a research project is an effective way for you to showcase your strengths and abilities. So, when you do research, you become an expert by both learning the advances that came before you and contributing to the current knowledge and that really makes you stand out from the application pool.

  1. Tribes for good- Young Changemakers

Tribes for good is a social impact platform that helps individuals contribute meaningfully to their local communities and works on reducing the inequity around us. The Jamboree-TBG Young Changemakers program is an opportunity to use what inspires and drives you in life for a better cause. In the 2-month program, you’ll work closely with and learn from innovative enterprises focused on education, gender equality, and poverty alleviation through your own social impact project. On completing the program, you’ll be equipped to start your own venture into the world of social entrepreneurship.

  1. Talerang- Reality Bytes

Talerang develops work-ready graduates for India through an experiential model researched as a project at Harvard Business School. Jamboree-Talerang Reality Bytes is an exclusive program for high school students (8th to 12th graders) in which they learn to work on a live project at an organization and present findings to its senior leadership. The program takes place during summer break and students are required to choose from 14 skill tracks and work on a live, impactful project at a relevant company from amongst their 350+ corporate partners.

  1. The Smithsonian- International Centre Internships

Smithsonian’s International Center internships are guided by a mentor, interns (14 years and above) are able to gain experience in an educational setting. The 2-month (at least) internship in connection with the development of specific projects by the various units includes the Office of International Relations, the International Gallery, the Smithsonian Institution Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity Program, and the Washington office of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

The duties of the interns include research, writing, editing, scheduling, archiving, database management, and light office work.

The idea is to develop a vision through things that you care about and built on the same and you’re good to go!

Want to know how to build a scintillating extracurricular activities profile? Connect with Jamboree’s excellent mentors and they will help you chart a foolproof admissions roadmap that will go a long way in helping you reach your dream college abroad.

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