<p>My daughter had a couple of summer internships in the sciences where it wasn’t certain whether she would get any funding until the researchers received their grant money. She took the internships anyway and eventually got small stipends. We covered her room and board. She contributed what she could from working a bit during the school year. I have no doubt that there are students who get into med school without this sort of experience but most of the successful med school applicants out of my daughter’s undergrad program have participated in lab and research work. </p>
<p>I also feel that her internships (even if I had to throw a little money into the pot) served the useful purpose of exposing her to her possible career and helped with the decision of whether it is really worth taking out the loans that will be needed to pursue it. Much better that I spend a little money now rather than my daughter get into massive debt later to find out that med school is not the right direction for her.</p>
Simply because all those benefits are available through paid internships, too. Hold out for a paid one, I say. That’s how it will be handled in our house, but others certainly will feel differently. I think CNP’s experience is very telling. Because of the cachet that the word internship bestows in many people’s view, a resort is actually convincing kids to work for free as waiters! What a brilliant scam. I think I’ll set up a landscape design internship this summer & convince college bound kids to do my yardwork.</p>
<p>I think he’s an independent contractor and needs to fill out a schedule C. He can deduct all his expenses if he kept receipts. But he will end up paying FICA. Not a tax lawyer however.</p>
<p>My concern with your situation is the reason the kiddo wants to go overseas - and the conditions of the internship as well - and probably on your dime also . What exactly is this internship for?? Is it something that could well be done for a similar experience here?? Personally - I absolutely feel that internships should be done for experience that would be beneficial and coincide with ones major - and not put an expensive financial burden on anyone. To me - your kiddo’s internship dreams seem to be very unreasonable - and for what gain?? That really has to be considered.</p>
<p>My gal had to do at least a full semester internship - full time - for full semester college credit - 12 credits - required for graduation. It was her choice as to what it was as long as it was related to her major. Could have been paid - or unpaid - and there was alot of requirements by the school that had to be met at the same time. The search went out - far and wide (she could actually have gone any where in the world to do it also - as long as there was an internet connection where ever she was).</p>
<p>One thing we did consider was that her college living expenses - room/food/other (not including tuition tho) would still have to be considered - whatever those expenses were at school had to be similar to where she was going - especially if it was an un-paid internship. We also had to consider her loss of income from her job at school as well.</p>
<p>We really searched hard and wide - and found several options that were financially doable - and would have been excellent opportunities - and applications went out - some paid - some not - some with housing - some not - but we had a plan for what ever came back to us in the positive. Fortunately she accepted one that was paid - and provided housing - and a bi-monthly stipend - tho was across the country :)</p>
<p>She is now doing another internship - in the same field tho different focus - which is paid - with housing and meals - and insurance!!!</p>
<p>The best advice that I can give you is to research-research-research - and find out if this out of country internship is really the best solution to meet the need - and possibly find other options to fill that need - especially if the $$ situation is a huge burden.</p>
<p>NM - it really depends on the type of internship being sought - depends on the field of interest - there are many many many resources for all differnt types - most schools have resource centers of some type also - and the internet is a fantastic source.</p>
<p>Heh. I did one that was overseas in a very expensive city (and I wasn’t majoring in French or IR). I’m not sure that I would call it a vacation - I worked 50 hours/week. I managed to save a lot of money by living in a cheap boarding house and buying food from the grocery store rather than restaurants. And by walking everywhere.</p>
<p>Dd is interested in art conservation, which of course pays dirt. Her internship would be at an art conservation lab associated with a university overseas. As a freshman, she would be working alongside grad students. The girl who went last summer from dd’s college said that she learned an amazing amount.</p>
<p>Dd would receive a stipend, and she is applying for grants, but in the best of circumstances they will only cover housing, leaving food, transportation, etc. (Though her plane ticket is already covered because of something else).</p>
<p>We live very near an absolutely awesom museum that has an extensive collection in just the area dd is interested in, but the particular museum HATES interns – says that internships involve FAR more work for the museum than is beneficial. Oh well!</p>
<p>OP - that does sound like a wonderful opportunity - and yes UNIQUE - think of it this way - if she was in school - she would still have those expenses that you mention - especially if her flight and board would be covered by her stipend and other that you mention.</p>
<p>You would have to figure out a food/misc budget that would be workable for all of you and then stick to it.</p>
<p>That type of internship - very specialized - in her field of interest just may be well worth the experience and the expense as well - but it certainly could be worked out I am sure.</p>
<p>It would be worth researching ALL possibilities as far as her expenses go - housing costs - how to lessen them - what are the housing options - food - doing own meal prep/shopping vs eating out alot - sharing that expense with roomies, etc… - would not have to cost thousands as you mentioned in your first post.</p>
<p>May mean learning how to be very very frugle to make it work.</p>
<p>S got a summer internship with his engineering adviser/mentor. Wage paid for living expenses. Net loss because of dual state income taxes, loss of suit outfit, and transportation. Can’t complain because in return he got a fantastic project completed, great recommendation, and good OJT training. Spent many hours unpaid during spring and following fall semesters. Confidence builder. </p>
<p>Another summer engineering internship he got paid bunches. But basically bored. Saved alot that year because he lived at home and commuted by bus. </p>
<p>thisoldman, I agree that the quality of the internship experience trumps the monetary compensation. Our son internship was perhaps the most important aspect of his undergrad education because it instilled in him a genuine excitement in the academic program he had chosen. So much so that he is foregoing entering the workforce following graduation in May and going on to grad school.</p>
<p>However stickershock disagrees, not surprising given his monetary inspired screen name.</p>
<p>How silly it is to assume that for an internship to be a high quality experience it must be unpaid. But if working at an unpaid internship, or funneling money to your kid while he toils away at one, makes you feel virtuous, go for it. Generally speaking, companies know that to attract the best interns, they must pay a reasonable stipend. Very few internships are unique opportunities. If your kid is telling you that, chances are he didn’t look very hard.</p>
<p>sticker you are putting words in my mouth by suggesting that a high quality internship implies that it will also be an unpaid one. Actually our ds did have a reasonably well paid one, but that was not the reason he accepted the opportunity. It was because it was a fairly big player in the field he is interested in, was located in one of the field’s geographic epicenters, and because during the two interviews he had, they indicated that he would be working on a development team for a big multi-yr project involving about 40 employees and not working in the mailroom or being an office gofer. I am merely positing that money should be a secondary issue.</p>
<p>If two internship offer similar benefits, absolutely accept the one that will pay. The more the better.</p>
<p>if you think very few internships are “unique” look again- my D interned as a 15 year old for a magazine…my other for a radio station…</p>
<p>internship implies short term…or transitional…and it also means that the company is bringing someone in who most likely has little real life experience or education for a fulltime, longer term job…putting energy into working with someone who very likely will not be there next year, or even in a few months, because of schooling and whatever</p>
<p>sure a great stipend would be nice, but for some, an internship is another form of schooling</p>
<p>My Ds short term internship at a radio show, well, it led to one in college…for which she will get some pay</p>
<p>It wasn’t out of being virtious, it was being smart…to put some hours in and getting some training, making some contacts (invaluable) and it was like a cross between school and work</p>
<p>How much should a company invest in someone who is untested, temporary and who needs to be taught and led through the work?</p>
<p>Again, internships are another form of schooling, and if we don’t make oodles of money, so be it.</p>
<p>My DD and her best friend will be doing internships in D.C. this summer. They have both submitted numerous applications, some paid, some not. DD’s college offers some funding for students doing unpaid scholarships. The girls will live with DD’s best friend’s cousin for the summer. She has a place near one of the train stations, and the girls are familiar with the city. She understands we cannot afford to finance her summer and has plans to use her own money.</p>
<p>My son is a ChemE major and he worked for a large chemical company last summer after completing his junior year. Not an official “internship” since there was no academic credit involved but he did get the position through his department and the deans recommendation. Here’s the amazing part; When he showed me the offer letter the company had sent him it stated his salary as $850 a week. I told him this had to be a typo. It wasn’t.</p>
<p>Toblin, I’m guessing that your son is a smart kid? And that he did more than work in the mail room or act as the office “gofer?” </p>
<p>Paid internships are a beautiful thing. They attract the best candidates. Companies know that by sweetening the pot with a very modest amount of money (like the $20/hr that Toblin’s son received) they will have their pick of faculty-recommended kids who are sharp. It’s the equivalent of a summer long job interview, and everybody wins. No legitimate employer would waste the opportunity to see a potential employee in action & test her smarts by sticking her in the mailroom.</p>
<p>I’m looking for a summer job and possibly something I can continue on part time in the fall, and I somehow highly doubt I can get paid more than $10 an hour. Most of the law firm internships pay about $10-$15 an hour at smaller law firms. Bigger firms might pay more, but I somehow don’t think they’ll pick someone who has no work experience.</p>
<p>Grr. I might have to take one unpaid. Or try for litigation consulting :rolleyes:</p>
. What exactly is this internship for?? Is it something that could well be done for a similar experience here?? Personally - I absolutely feel that internships should be done for experience that would be beneficial and coincide with ones major - and not put an expensive financial burden on anyone. To me - your kiddo’s internship dreams seem to be very unreasonable - and for what gain?? That really has to be considered.</p>