About the application

The Life-Health Sciences Internship Program application consists of information to determine basic eligibility (year in school, year graduating, GPA, full-time enrollment), a resume, and short answer questions. We have an advisory committee to score and give basic feedback on short answer responses; meeting basic eligibility and the short answer scores are the only deciding factor on who moves to interviews. The director and program coordinator review and give feedback on resumes, encouraging applicants to visit or revisit career services prior to sending it to you at the interview stage.

Assistance with the application

We want applicants to succeed and the short answer questions are designed to prepare them to write a cover letter to you and answer your interview questions. Our ambassadors lead information sessions for applicants with information about the application process, tips on writing answers with depth and specificity, provide time to draft their responses, and assist with finding their career services office to make a resume review appointment. They also hold drop-in hours and appointments for applicants to bring draft responses and score themselves using the rubric used by the advisory committee. Students selected to move on to interviews are also encouraged to visit career services for a mock interview (practice interview with feedback) prior to meeting with you.

Applicants providing extremely brief or vague responses do not typically advance to interviews or are encouraged to heavily revise before the interviews. You may notice a difference in interviews based on who has or has not accessed assistance from our team or their career services office.

The short answer questions

We advise applicants to keep their responses to approximately one paragraph, be specific, and give examples. Students selected to become interns will also receive their responses in the spring of their internship to reflect back on what they initially wanted and think about their growth.

These questions can be turned into a cover letter or introductory message to send to you before the interview, and as responses to your interview questions. We advise that it’s ok to say they’re still exploring options and they should explain how this will help them explore.

• Why did you choose this internship site? How will an internship at this site help you explore, confirm, or move you toward your career goals? (answer for each selected site) 
• Transferable skills are skills you have that can be applied in any new experience or job such as communication, teamwork, attention to detail, etc. Share at least two transferable skills that you already have and tell a story about how you used each skill. How will these skills help you in the internship? 
• What are your goals for after graduation or what options are you exploring? How will this internship help you explore, confirm, or reach your goals? 

These questions help us assess how applicants will engage with LHSI programming, activities, and reflections. We also do goal-setting and want to get an initial idea of their plans in college.

• LHSI is more than just an internship: we want to help you build on what you already know about yourself. We have required program activities and assignments that support your learning, help you decide what’s next on your career journey, and build community with other interns. By the end of the LHSI program, what do you want to have learned about yourself, your work values and preferences, or your career goals and next steps? 
• Tell us at least two other hands-on experiences you are considering over the next few years to explore career options and gain transferable skills. How will these experiences contribute to your long-term goals?