How Many Internships Should I Apply To?
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1 Indeed. (2023, Nov. 14). 10 benefits of doing an internship. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
2 Kaplan, Z. (2023, May 16). How many internships should I apply for? Forage. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
3 Indeed. (2023, April 24). How many internships should I apply to? Retrieved March 19, 2024.
4 Indeed. (2023, June 9). When should you apply for a summer internship? (With 6 tips). Retrieved March 19, 2024.
5 Ciotola, F. (n.d.). Timing is key: When to apply for internships. Collegiate Parent. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
Approved by the executive director of Career Services on April 18, 2024.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
Now that you know the importance of internships, you’re likely wondering, How many internships should I do in college, exactly? There is no universal standard, although some colleges may require you to complete a set number of internships to graduate. Generally, you should consider one internship to be the minimum, but two to four is preferable.2 If you definitely know what you would like to do after college, and your first two internships focused on that area, then you may not feel the need to do more.
On the other hand, if you complete your first two internships in a field that you later decide isn’t quite right for you, you may benefit from pursuing more internships in your preferred field. The general rule of completing two to four internships (but at least one) holds true no matter your field of study and intended industry.
As a college student, you can do an internship any time of the year, including during a semester. However, you may prefer to do internships during your summer breaks so you aren’t distracted from your studies. This is particularly true if you tend to participate in a lot of extracurriculars during the school year. If that sounds like you, then you should know when to apply for summer internships.
If you’d like to do an internship in the spring, you’ll need to start looking for opportunities and submitting applications during the late summer or early fall. To pursue a fall internship, plan on going through the application processes in the spring. For winter internships, you can expect applications to open in late summer and early fall.5
Now that you know the basics of internship timing — such as when to apply for summer internships — it’s worth taking a look at exactly how to go about doing so. It’s likely that your college offers career-related resources, including help finding jobs and internships. It’s also likely that your college will host a few career fairs.
Your first step is to take advantage of the resources available to you.
Internships can be an invaluable experience, both for current college students and recent graduates. They can offer the following benefits:1
The collegiate learning experience involves more than attending lectures and completing homework assignments. Ideally, your college experience will also include hands-on experiential learning opportunities. Internships are a common way to enrich the college experience while also gaining exposure to important professional skills.
If you didn’t complete an internship in high school, it’s only natural to have some questions. You may be wondering, How many internships should I apply to? and When is it too late to apply for summer internships? Let’s explore these and other common questions about college internships.
The question, How many internships should I apply to? is a little different from the question of how many internships you should complete. This is because it’s unlikely that you’ll be offered an internship at every company you apply to.
You should expect to apply to about 20 internships in order to get accepted to one.3 Of course, this is just a general guideline; it isn’t set in stone. It’s a good idea to create a spreadsheet with a list of companies and internships. Keep track of where you’ve applied, where you intend to apply and whether you’ve heard back from the company or not.
At Grand Canyon University, we aim to provide student services that help prepare you for life after college. The Career Services team supports students with a range of services, including identifying internship opportunities, hosting career fairs, resume review and providing interviewing practice. Fill out the form at the top of this page to learn more about becoming a GCU student.
Although you should plan on submitting applications for summer internships starting in November and extending into January, it’s really never too late to apply. Let’s say you didn’t land an internship from the batch of applications you submitted during that time period, and now it’s spring and you’re scrambling to find a position for the summer.
It may not be possible to land an internship at your preferred company or even for your preferred type of position. However, you’re likely to find ads for internships popping up on job boards throughout the year. If you’re persistent, you may still be able to find a position — so don’t give up.
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