The George Washington University provides students the best internship opportunities among 650 colleges and universities in the United States surveyed by the Princeton Review.
GW bested 24 schools for the top rating in the “Best Schools for Internships” category announced Tuesday with the release of the 2015 edition of “Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Best Value Colleges and What It Takes to Get In.”
“This recognition is a terrific reflection of the GW community,” said Assistant Provost for University Career Services Rachel Brown. “It reflects our smart, ambitious students who make the most of these experiences, our committed alumni, parents and Board of Trustees who refer internships to us, and the faculty and staff who help students translate their academic and co-curricular experiences into professional development and—ultimately—success.”
Data was collected from surveys of students and administrators at 650 colleges and universities during the 2013-14 academic year. Payscale.com surveys of alumni also were considered.
A survey of GW’s class of 2013 revealed that more than 65 percent of undergraduate students put their studies into practice at internships or co-ops around the world. The diversity of GW students’ experiences range from the halls of the White House and galleries of the Phillips Collection to top-rated newsrooms, nonprofit organizations and architecture and engineering firms.
Ms. Brown said the university has more than 15,000 internships, part-time jobs, co-op and service opportunities available to students through GWork. Last year, new or expanded internships were offered at Boeing, Berkeley Research Group, Morgan Stanley, Mary Kay, Turner Construction Company and the NFL Players Association. She said that these learning experiences are a part of an ever growing roster of opportunities made possible by alumni and parent referrals, the strong interest of employers, the efforts of the Employer Development team and the Career Services Enhancement Inititiative.
According to the 2014 National Association of Colleges and Employers Internship and Co-op Survey Report, nearly 65 percent of employers offered full-time positions to student interns last year.
The statistic holds true for GW’s class of 2013 graduates— nearly 92 percent have found full-time employment, continued their education or engaged in military and philanthropic service, among other activities, according to the university’s post-baccalaureate survey.
Ms. Brown said that the bi-annual Career and Internship Fair is an opportunity for students to talk one-on-one with prospective employers. More than 100 employers will attend the Spring 2015 Career and Internship Fair on Feb. 11 at the Charles E. Smith Center. The Division of Student Affairs will host a Twitter chat on Feb. 10 to help students prepare for summer internships and other opportunities.
She added that the Career Services Council’s Knowledge in Action Career and Internship Fund supports students participating in internships at organizations that lack the resources to pay a wage. To date, the fund has awarded more than $255,000 in funding to more than 140 GW undergraduate and graduate students.