Internship opportunities for a pure Liberal Arts kid

Applying to College
1

<p>My son, a junior, has really got good stats - 230s on his PSAT, a sky high GPA, his ECs are all academic, even his community service is teaching little kids to play chess. </p>

<p>Where he sees himself is somewhere in academia - his dream is to be one of those talking heads on the history channel. He is very extroverted and would love to someday be a professor. He is genuinely a great kid.</p>

<p>He spent his Freshman year summer at Stanford’s EPGY program taking a course that covered the Classical era to the Rennaisance through readings. And, his sophomore summer at Duke TIP in Paris taking a course that covered an investigation into French Philosophers. This summer he is applying to TASP, and if he isn’t accepted there, wants to spend the summer at Yale taking courses available to juniors - with a philosophy or history bent.</p>

<p>The schools he’s looking to apply to are what you would expect:</p>

<p>Reed - match, I believe
Davidson - match
New College - safety
University of Florida - safety
Yale - reach
Bowdoin - reach
Stanford - reach
Amherst - reach
Brown - reach</p>

<p>I have two questions - the most important one is since he is not a math/science kid (even though he got an 800 in math on the PSATs and is a member of Mu Alpha Theta and on the math team), what sort of high level research/university internship, etc. is available for a liberal arts kid who wants to be a professor? All I can find are opportunities like this for math/science kids.</p>

<p>2nd question - what do you think of his college list and is there a college we should be thinking about that isn’t on this list?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance…</p>

2

<p>I have a junior with very similiar interests. Reed and the University of Chicago seem like great places for students like ours. I would add Brown and Columbia as well. </p>

<p>Sorry I cannot help with the EC’s. Great question, though - I look forward to what others will post as replies.</p>

3

<p>Thanks - we had kind of skipped over Columbia, but will definitely take a look - they probably would be a good fit. I also will look at U of Chicago - another one that is off our radar. Thanks!</p>

4

<p>Here are some other activities to check out which may be of interest (and could be enjoyed by an avid historian or student of philosophy):</p>

<p>National History Day</p>

<p>Ayn Rand contest</p>

<p>Columbia Student Press Association contest (writing essays or articles for his school paper which end up winning awards)</p>

<p>National Scholastic Press Association contest</p>

<p>Davidson Fellows: Davidson Fellowships are awarded by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development to US students under age 18 who have completed a significant piece of work in the fields of Mathematics, Science, Technology, Music, Literature, Philosophy or Outside the Box. The significant piece of work should have the potential to benefit society. The focus of the program is on gifted and talented students. There is no minimum age for eligibility. Four $50,000 scholarships, seven $25,000 scholarships, and five $10,000 scholarships are awarded each year. The deadline is March 31 (receipt); there are earlier deadlines for some forms. For more information, write to The Davidson Institute for Talent Development, Attn: Davidson Fellows Coordinators, 9665 Gateway Drive, Suite B, Reno, NV 89521 or send email to <a href="mailto:davidsonfellows@ditd.org">davidsonfellows@ditd.org</a>. </p>

<p>Woodsman of the World US History Award</p>

<p>Spend a semester or year abroad in a select program like Rotary’s. </p>

<p>Research published in a professional journal; a published researcher presenting papers at undergraduate conferences. Original, groundbreaking research: </p>

<p>“I have analyzed the secrets of a Native American unknown population from 800 A.D., which my advisor believes has extended scientific knowledge by 300 years, and also have studied the influence of Georgia’s first newspaper on the American Revolution”</p>

<p>“At the age of sixteen, I was a contributor to a best selling book on investment and personal finance published by Simon & Schuster"</p>

<p>University of Rochester Humanities & Social Science Award</p>

<p>The annual “We the People: The citizen and the Constitution” is considered one of the country’s most prestigious academic competitions for high schools. It focuses on the nation’s Constitution with panels of judges fielding questions and listening to presentations from students on how current issues relate to the 218-year-old document.</p>

<p>National US Army Junior Science and Humanities Symposia Program</p>

<p>Scholastic Writing Portfolio Gold Award and Pinnacle Award for memoir/short essay</p>

<p>National Alliance for Excellence Finalist in the Honored Scholars & Artists Program</p>

<p>[Bezos</a> Aspen Scholars Program - Aspen Institute](<a href=“http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.1484475/k.D035/Bezos_Aspen_Scholars_Program.htm]Bezos”>http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.1484475/k.D035/Bezos_Aspen_Scholars_Program.htm)</p>

<p>American Legion
National High School Oratorical Contest </p>

<p>The Association of Educational Publishers and Weekly Reader
Weekly Reader’s “What’s Your Story” Student Publishing Awards </p>

<p>The History Channel
Save Our History National Honors </p>

<p>Josephson Institute of Ethics/CHARACTER COUNTS
Foundations for Life National Essay Program & Contest </p>

<p>National Endowment for the Humanities
Idea of America Essay Contest </p>

<p>National Society Sons of the American Revolution
Joseph S. Rumbaugh Oration Contest </p>

<p>National Society Sons of the American Revolution
George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest </p>

<p>Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
Voice of Democracy </p>

<p>Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
Patriot’s Pen</p>

5

<p>Would your son be interested in working on an archaelogy dig? Or tutoring?Volunteering at an oral history project? Being a docent at the museum of his choice?</p>

6

<p>Are you talking about internships and research opportunities while he’s still in high school, or are you talking about looking for colleges and universities that provide such opportunities to their undergraduates?</p>

<p>If the latter, take a look at University of Rochester. They have a tremendous number of humanities-based research opportunities for undergraduates, beginning as early as spring of freshman year.</p>

7

<p>Spidey - that’s an incredible list…I’m going to be googling today! </p>

<p>boysx3 - All of those things sound right up his alley - museum docent is one I hadn’t thought of and something he might be able to pull off over weekends. Tutoring was a possibility but his only opportunities have been for math. I love the archaelogical dig idea as well - more googling! </p>

<p>Chedva - I was thinking while he’s in high school, but certainly hearing that about University of Rochestergives us another school to investigate - good stuff</p>

<p>Thanks so much for some great ideas!</p>