My kid studied abroad after freshman year on a grant. Hw missed a major deadline for funded travel freshman year–should have started looking fall semester, though ended up getting another scholarship through his prof. spring semester). I think most of the deadlines for grants are mid-January or later. Language instructors are great resources for study abroad. I don’t get too worried about safety overseas–it’s not like we live in the safest of nations!
Summer after sophomore year, he got a Yale-sponsored domestic internship, which required an application and interviews–from where I was sitting, which was admittedly a distance, that process seemed somewhat, but not overly competitive. That process happened spring semester. Those internships are awesome; they are paid AND Yale subsidizes the housing–all of the Yalies living in that particular city live in the same place, which makes for instant community. He also had a Yale alum who sponsored fun activities for the interns in the area, from ball games to concerts to dinners.
This year, the internship search is heating up, and the juniors already seem to be in a bit of an application frenzy. All in all, though, my sense is that students who keep looking and ask their profs for advice/help can find something cool to do after freshman and sophomore year. Junior year is a more intensive search for an internship related to a future career.
@tonymom It could be a sport thing. She doesn’t have the same schedule constraints with practices etc. She made it sound like it was harder to be selected as a freshman and so I assumed it was more about the year. Although she had other big events not related to school that she had to attend so perhaps because she was limited for availability, she could also be limited as to what was available. I just know she is busy applying now for next summer adventures. It was pretty much all she talked about during Oct break. She also has a lot of friends that are interviewing for internships and summer jobs. That is a big thing going on right now as well.
Yes, it has reached the point that it’s somewhat interfering with schoolwork. DS had a long interview during the break, which was easy, but had to be back in NYC today for another interview. There seem to be very different schedules for the kids looking for “humanities,” financial, consulting, or tech internships/jobs.
My D won’t be there any more, but we probably would have gone. We went every year to see her music performances. And she did not come home for fall break after freshman year.
Guess I got pulled into the discussion despite trying to lay low and get used to my bionic hip! My daughter studied German in Berlin the summer after freshman year via the Yale Summer Language Program. This was a tuition based program and the student gets the same percentage of financial aid they get during the school year (if they are on financial aid). It is a month in New Haven studying the language (in my Ds case German 3) and then the class AND the professor transplant to Berlin (or wherever) for a month - in my Ds case, Level 4. They live with a host family that is paid by Yale and there is a degree of supervision akin to what they get at Yale, i.e their prof sees them in class and on weekend excursions, but they have a lot of free unsupervised time. The host families feed them, etc. They go through two semesters in two months so it is very intense. No joke. But my kid was fluent when she returned home and she did not speak any German before coming to Yale.
Fast forward sophomore year. She moved on to Korean. Korean 1 and 2. Then applied for the Light Fellowship which allows students to study in Asian countries FREE!! Yes, tuition, room, board, airfare and spending money is provided. She spent 90 days in Seoul, studying at Sogang University. Totally on her own. She did share a floor in an international house with 3 other Yale students but for the most part she was on her own.
Trust me, all of this travel had me crazy. I was the mom who did not let my child do People to People or any abroad opportunities in high school. But what I have learned is that we cannot keep our kids in a bubble and to be honest, in today’s world you’re kinda not safe anywhere. If your student is interested in an abroad experience, there are so many. All I see on my kids FB page is one student after another studying somewhere abroad and this is not a uniquely Yale phenomenon. My kid is now an ambassador for the Light Fellowship so if someone wants more information, inbox me.
Its funny we are having this conversation tonight. My D has texted me in a frenzy about a internship she is applying for Unlike the last two summers where she knew exactly what she wanted to do, this year she feels strongly that what she does needs to be tied to her lifelong career goal. Point is, she’s not quite sure what that is. She is convinced that everyone else has their life set out and knows exactly what they want to do. I know that is not the case for everyone - or at least not the Humanities types. My only selfish wish is that it looks like she will remain in the country this summer and may even be home.
Nothing about my child’s experience is even remotely like mine was here 35 years ago - yes, that’s a quick plug. My 35th reunion is coming up in May 2017!! I feel old.
@Tperry1982 , apologies for interrupting your lay-low plan.
Fwiw, even the STEMish kids don’t have their paths figured out. They might have more offers, in one sense, but I’m not sure their direction is more decided.
I’m discovering that there is a game underlying the internship process, with employers trying to manage yield, determine the opportunity cost of false negatives, making exploding offers (some sooner than the two weeks most colleges insist on), etc. Being a glass half-full type, it will train the kids for later life.
My daughter texted us early today, after receiving a sad e-mail from dean Holloway . Now I see an email from him in my mailbox as well. What a very, very sad news. I feel so bad for his closest friends and family. My daughter believes it was a suicide, due to other emails she has received later in the day, urging kids to seek help whenever they feel down etc. This news make me really sad personally, because there have been too many suicides in the lives of my kids. I know that it is not up to the school to disclose the circumstances of the death, but I pray, pray so hard that people have the courage to call suicide a suicide, not just a tragic accident. I am sorry if I am rambling, this just hits too close to home and my heart is bleeding.
@tonymom - forget Amtrak, take commuter train. It takes about 20 minutes longer but for a fraction of a price. We have been flying to NYC because there is more flights and they are cheaper than Providence , especially when flying across the country.
Same. I was so sad to read that. From the language I was guessing suicide but hoping it wasn’t - not that any reason would be good. I asked my son and he said he thinks it was suicide. Very very scary and tragic.
Yes, sad news that hit very close to home for my D since the student was from our area and part of her extended circle of friends here and on campus. The kids are devastated. Praying for the family and continuing to reach out to my kid and all teens and young adults I know to reach out for help when it appears things are getting tough. This has nothing to do with kids being “soft” today. We had incidents like this when I was at Yale 35 years ago. Pressure is pressure, no matter the era. God speed to all.
I just made my hotel reservation for my 35th Reunion in May 2017!! Calling everyone who has a reunion this Spring to make your reservations early. They are anticipating that the hotels will sell out quickly!! Class of 82 will be well represented. =D>
So sad for the family. I can’t imagine their grief.
As it happens a local HS had a senior take her own life this past weekend. The whole community is in shock.
It’s a reminder of how easy it is for our kids to get lost and how hard it is for some to ask for help. I hope the students in both communities who lost their friend can get the support needed to cope and prevent future loss.
@tonymom - Amtrak is more expensive, but there is direct service between New Haven and Newark/Liberty airport. Sometimes my son has luggage, and the direct service is a convenience. (OK, it’s ALWAYS a convenience, but sometimes it’s worth the extra money ($44 vs $18)
Hi all, son was a friend of Hale’s and just wanted to pass on that the gathering at Calhoun was sad and mournful but very joyous of his life. I’m always beside myself in these times and hope the parents, if they are reading this understand that your grief is incomprehensible. We here and I think I speak for all have your deepest sympathies
Although it’s still ridiculously hard to get in, in this admissions cycle applicants to Yale will have their best odds for years due to the opening of the new colleges (which are visible at left in the background of the photograph accompanying this article): http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2016/11/04/yale-acceptance-rate-set-to-increase/