Frequently in conversations with my peers, I would hear that they were afraid of applying to summer internships because they feared they would not be competitive enough or that they did not have the necessary preparation. Nonetheless, mi peers were excellent students that would have stood out in any internship.

Because sometimes we are our worst critics, here I include some of the common misconceptions I often hear about summer internships:

1) MITH: I need a perfect GPA to apply

REALITY: While a high GPA can indeed strengthen your application, it is not the only component. An application is like a recipe, It has many ingredients! If your GPA is not as high as you would hope, examine what other tools you have that could help you in a summer internship.

2) MITH: I need to know how to program

REALITY: While knowing how to program can help you during a summer internship, it is not a requirement to get one. Internships are in fact an excellent place to acquire and strengthen your computational and analytical skillset. In fact, participating in summer internships can give you a computer programming foundation that can make your graduate school trajectory more easygoing.

3) MITH: I should apply during the final undergraduate years

REALITY: No! It is never too early to begin applying. Remember, if you apply and are not selected, it can serve as a learning experience for the following year. In fact, there are various programs that are designed for students that are in their initial years of undergrad. There are others, that requiere you to have at least one semester left after the completion of your summer program. You just have to start looking and applying early!

4) MITH: I am not competitive enough

REALITY: No! I repeat, we are our worst critics. Always remember that we all have unique stories and strengths. Try to rephrase the idea of not being competitive to the idea that there are areas of opportunity you can strengthen if you were awarded the position.

5) MITH: Internships are not necessary for graduate school, and I can just apply the week-day before the applications are due.

REALITY: While it is possible to be accepted. to a graduate program without summer internship experiences, these offer you an invaluable preparation for graduate school. Some of the undergone experiences include: exposure to scientific research, collaboration with professionals in the field (and potential letters of recommendation), statistical and computational analysis tools, etc. Because the applications to these programs include several components (essays, letters of recommendation, school transcripts, etc.) it is important to prepare your materials with enough time before the deadline.