Article. Quote:
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IT will surprise nobody that the most competitive wave of high school graduates is now the most competitive wave of college students. The generation that made admissions a contact sport bring the same sharp elbows to how they spend their summers. Or, put in a form that parents would understand: “Internship” is to “first job” as “community service” is to “college.”
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Quote:
Competition is further heightened because applicants are increasingly qualified. At Ketchum, a New York public relations company, more than 600 students applied for 16 positions last summer, with predictable results.
“This year, for the first time, every candidate selected for this summer’s program came to Ketchum with previous internship experience under their belt,” says Allison Slotnick, a spokeswoman. “Where once strong academics and extracurricular activities could demonstrate one’s capabilities, a track record of professional internship experience is now necessary.”
In other words, you need to have done an internship to qualify for one. What is an average student who has spent summers working as a grocery cashier to do?
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And the rat-race continues...
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It's a little bit daunting that the "real world" sets in and my goals become more professional, career-oriented (as opposed to focusing on the academia reminiscent of this
NYTimes Article: "What's the Matter with College?"
Perhaps I'm from the wrong decade.