<p>Yes, internationals can get internships, those are called CPT if off campus (if it’s a sort of apprenticeship to a prof while on campus, it does not cut into your CPT time - you’re allowed up to 40 hours/week of that over the summer, and up to 20 hours/week during the yea; in order to get that, of course, you need to be very very good since the professors don’t care whether you’re American or not, they hire whoever’s the best).
Internships off campus: Currently, you can have 12 months total CPT + OPT if you’re in a field outside of STEM, and 27 months if you’re in a STEM field.
Note that co-ops don’t count for OP/CPT and that the current immigration reform will make it easier for STEM graduates to stay on OPT until they can qualify for permanent resident papers.</p>
<p>The ONLY admission “boost” as an international is if you’re full-pay.
Being from India, Korea, or China as an international, financial-aid seeking applicant is the worst possible scenario. But being from anywhere and not being full pay makes any safety a match, any match a reach, and any reach basically a 1 in 100 or less chance.</p>