How much does getting an internship through a prestugious local program influence my chances of getting into a top university?
It’s a medical internship, and I would be working with 3D printing dental materials, which is really cool, but the internship is also terribly time consuming, and I won’t be able to get a summer job if I do decide to take it, which would pay much better.
I think it depends a bit on how interesting the internship is to you. If it’s simply interesting, but not something important to you, you might be better off with a job.
An internship is not going to be the deciding factor in your application. Your test scores and classes/grades are much more important. It doesn’t really matter if you do a job or an internship, because in terms of admissions, both will show that you are mature, responsible, and you spend your free time productively.