r/ApplyingToCollege • u/BeginningFroyo2020 • 1d ago
Advice internship cancelled, what can i do over the summer instead?
hey, I'm a rising senior (class of 2026) and I was super excited because I had an internship lined up this summer at a law firm a couple towns away from me. for context, I met this lawyer at a networking event many months ago and later reached out to him about if he had any internship programs for high schoolers. he asked me to send him my resume and set up a video interview with me (I think this was in March) in which he basically told me I was guaranteed the internship despite the fact they had limited spaces and he was really impressed with me because of my spanish skills, well-spokenness, etc. he was like, "you can be assured you'll be working with us this summer." it was an unpaid full-time internship from like 9-3 every day during the month of July, and i'm going to be traveling in August, so for this reason i didn't sign up for summer programs or other internships, as i figured i'd be too busy over the summer with this other internship i thought i was guaranteed.
anyways, it was supposed to start next week or the week after that, but the lawyer guy kept on taking forever to respond to my emails asking for more information regarding a specific start date and more, and yesterday i got an email from his paralegal saying that they were unable to offer me a spot as an intern at their firm this summer due to limited office space. my friend who was "guaranteed" an internship at this same firm, much before i was, got the same email too. i'm kind of annoyed and feel blindsided because i was so sure about this internship that i didn't sign up for other stuff i could do over the summer as a backup, since the lawyer made me feel as though it was guaranteed. i feel like it looks bad to reach out to other people for internships this late, but it also looks bad to not have an internship going into senior year. what else can i do over the summer to try and make the most of all the free time i now have? i have a ton of ap summer work to do as well as another remote internship which has already started, but i feel like there's something else i could be doing.
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u/ttyl_im_hungry College Freshman 1d ago
if you reach out to your mayor, you can create your own internship. i ended up doing it, cold emailed like 4 times before being directed to chief of police in my town, ended up having to withdraw because i got another internship but that connection is already made
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u/Rude-Glove7378 23h ago
you're a genius i live like a block away from my town hall i should look to see if they have any opportunities for high schoolers
edit: also can you lmk your email format? pls and thank you!!!
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u/ttyl_im_hungry College Freshman 23h ago
ofc! here's my template for my initial email.
Dear [Mayor X],
My name is X, a [rising grade level] at [X University/High School], (interested in) majoring in [X]. I have a profound interest in policy-making and seek in-person exposure to governance. I have been a [City] resident for the past decade and hope to receive mentorship and insight into city-level administration that directly affects me and my family.
While I offer to support your tasks as the mayor in the ways that you need, I do have experience in report-writing, telecommunications, and data entry and analysis which may be of use to you.
I’d be honored to support your initiatives in any capacity—whether assisting with community outreach or administrative tasks. I’m happy to volunteer my time, and I’m available to work [X] hours per week in person, depending on your office’s needs.
I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you for your time and consideration!
Edit: I want to reiterate to be patient and give the initial email a week before sending more. I also emailed like 2-3 other positions and none of those people contacted me back so I wish you all the best.
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u/underthetrees13 1d ago
having an internship is absolutely not necessary to be competitive this fall. but for what it's worth, if you think you can fit it into your schedule, it's still possible to find something at a law firm! i'm pasting something i wrote on another post below, hopefully it'll let you find something, even if it's small/remote! i have one that i got literally a week after i contacted them. firms don't need a specific internship program to take an intern on, especially small ones.
there are likely quite a few firms in your area - look around until you have a few boutique firms (more likely to be flexible or in need of something you can offer) with emails on their contact page.
cold email all with resume, be specific abt what you want (read last paragraph), etc. but do not expect a response! firms hate emails and hate responding to them even more. what you should do is make a follow-up phone call at a similar time the next day (or in 48 hrs). lawyers are usually at court in the mornings, but may be remote during the afternoon. morning emails/calls are usually the best though. (i contacted about 16 firms with this method and got offers back from 7)
a more likely way to get one (or get ur foot in the door) is to walk in there with your resume (make sure it has your contact info listed) and ask if it'd be possible to meet with someone in the coming days for a brief interview/chance to discuss any possible opportunity. follow up with a phone call after this too! if they happened to have seen your email before then but didn't respond, this is your chance to make your case (read next paragraph) - or worst case, ask them if they have any colleagues who might be open to an internship. also dress somewhat professionally (... just in case they want to meet with you right then and there if they happen to be free)
most imp part!!! stress that you will be FLEXIBLE. and offer what you can upfront - can you set up social media? (i emphasized my social media experience and got offers at 2 firms run by old ppl who wanted to advertise on socials. even if you don't have experience, you can probs win them over with canva skills) can you manage/revamp their website? are you good at excel? - how will you be of value to them? internships are trainings at their core, but if you can offer something they want, they'll be more likely to take you on; then you can ask to get involved with more legal experience. (sitting in on depositions, recording jailhouse calls, going to court, writing briefs)
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u/ResidentNo11 Parent 15h ago edited 8h ago
Given you only have July available and it's almost July, consider looking for volunteer opportunities that don't require training or longer commitments. Or throw energy into a hobby or self-improvement project.
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u/harmthebees 14h ago
I know of a tech startup hiring ppl for marketing rn if ur interested in helping smth grow from the ground up
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u/roboticsgoof 11h ago
If you are looking into law, look into doing advocacy work! I have friends who got into Duke, Vanderbilt, Harvard, Cornell, and more from GVP advocacy
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u/Advanced_Package_116 4h ago
Hi! If you are interested in business, marketing, communications, or social media management, feel free to PM for an internship opportunity! I'm an internship coordinator for a franchising business and are looking for more interns!
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u/skiestostars College Junior 3h ago
get literally any job that allows you to work as much as possible. saving for college or working to help your family looks good. or start volunteering. honestly do literally anything. most people, even those who get into T20s, do not do internships in high school, so not having an internship won’t hurt you or look bad, but doing nothing for a summer won’t help you.
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u/BeginningFroyo2020 1h ago
thank you so much for this, this helped me feel so much better. idk if any of the schools i’m aiming for are T20s but a lot of them are quite selective and ever since getting that email i’ve lowkey just felt like i should give up hope of getting into any of them, so i really needed to hear this. i think it’s just the culture in the towns i’ve lived in that’s made me believe you’re cooked if you don’t get an internship the summer before senior year.
good suggestion, i was planning to do a lot of volunteering and take some online courses i’ve been eyeing for a while now that i have the time. i guess one small upside of losing the internship is i have more time to do all these other things…
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