…apply to 12 internships “just for fun.”
...APPLY TO 12 INTERNSHIPS “JUST FOR FUN.”
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Remember that feeling? The endless cycle of resume tweaks, cover letter drafts, and online applications. Not just for one or two dream roles, but for a dozen, sometimes more, across every industry imaginable. Investment banking, consulting, tech, non-profit, startups – you name it, we applied. And we’d casually say it was “just for fun,” a way to "keep our options open," or "see what’s out there." But deep down, wasn't it also about something else?
It was about the game, wasn’t it? The unspoken competition, the drive to build the most impressive resume, to land that "prestigious" name, even if the work wasn't our ultimate passion. It was about belonging to that elite club of those who "did it right," securing multiple offers before spring break. The pressure wasn't just external; it was ingrained, a part of the air we breathed in these hallowed halls. Clubs became launching pads, networks became lifelines, all geared towards that next big step, that next impressive line on the CV.
For current students, are you feeling it now? That peculiar mix of ambition, anxiety, and a touch of dark humor about the whole charade? For alumni, do you look back and smile, or perhaps cringe a little, at the sheer intensity of it all? That period of frantic application wasn't just about internships; it was a microcosm of the Ivy experience itself: striving, performing, often for the sake of performance, all while navigating a complex social and academic landscape. It shaped us, for better or worse, into the driven individuals we are today.
So, did you even go to one of these institutions if you didn't cast that ridiculously wide net, often with a shrug and a "just for fun" excuse? We know the truth.