We are looking at some internship applications with my child. There are questions asking for hardship in the kid’s life. They spell out if the kid is the first going to college in the family or poor (asking for family income). But what else constitutes hardship outside these scenarios? Are we doomed if we do not belong to these specific categories? My child is discouraged to apply saying that they will never get accepted into these programs.
Parent with a severe chronic illness so child has more than typical responsibilities for younger siblings, household. Grandparent who lives with the family who does not speak English, so child has been translator for the grandparent with doctors, bank, immigration officials, etc. Complicated custody arrangement. Etc.
And if there are no hardships like these- it’s fine to leave it blank. Don’t try to spin seasonal allergies into a life threatening medical condition (unless they have been); don’t try to describe typical bad moods or a gloomy day as clinical depression. Just tell your kid to be honest- many kids applying to these programs have had happy “non hardship” upbringings and that’s fine too.
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Thank you for the thoughtful response. We are not interested in writing a dishonest response to this question. I am just trying to understand if we should not even bother to apply to this kind of opportunity, especially that my child is already discouraged.
I’d flip this around for your child. You can remind them that they are fortunate not to have a genuine hardship and that they can do their best and apply.
People reading apps want to understand if there is a hardship because it can provide context for an applicant who might be lacking something they normally prefer to see. For example, I work with a child at the moment who is a primary caregiver for his sick grandparent. He has very few activities on his app and noting the hardship explains why.
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Your child should not be discouraged. This is an opportunity for kids whose applications may appear weak to explain special circumstances. I would not assume that your kid will be at a disadvantage unless the program is specifically designed for kids growing up in hardship situations. If it’s not a specially designed or designated program you should assume that MOST kids who apply do not have hardship circumstances…
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Thank you so much for clarifying. This helps a lot.
Thank you so much for clarifying. We are so new to this. Your response really helps.
To repeat and amplify what others are saying.
Like admissions to college, acceptance to internship are not “prizes for the persons with the most difficult lives”. Hardships can help provide context for a person’s experiences and accomplishments, and, in some cases, can indeed help showcase the sorts of traits and skills that are needed. However, hardships are rarely, if ever, a qualification for internships, unless that internship is explicitly for people with specific backgrounds.
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Don’t worry! Hope he gets the internship and enjoys it!
Thank you!
Thank you for your response. Very helpful.
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