First, let me say that I can certainly see the benefits and allure of University of Dreams. However, I also come from a family that could not have afforded such a program. Taking a look at the UoD website, I see a lot of talk about “prestigious internships” in the “company and field of your choice” with “99% success rates*. To me, that simply doesn’t reflect the reality of the job market. An unexpected side effect of UoD is that it doesn’t allow for the opportunity to explore or keep an open mind – if students know what industry or what company they want, then that’s what they get. I think that the times when I’ve learned the most from my career experiences are the times when things didn’t go as expected – the adaptability I learned from that was truly important.

In college, I went through lots and lots of searching before finding my first internship – and learned a lot in the process. My internship “linkup” happened through an academic honor society- I saw a posting with LifeBound, sent in my resume, did a phone interview, and ended up with the best internship I could have asked for. Of course, if you had asked me at the time, I would never have had the wherewithal to say I wanted a job in “Educational Publishing” or “Student Success” – I found the job with LifeBound because I kept an open mind, and it was better than I could have hoped.

Here’s the other thing – I would never have learned as much from my summer internships if I had received all of the “perks” that University of Dreams provides. Here’s a list directly from their website:

Included in the program:
* A Guaranteed Internship in the industry of your choice and a company you approve
* Housing at Host Universities
* Meal plan*
* Organized weekend activities
* Career seminars via our weekly Speaker Series
* A professionally revised resume
* Expert interview coaching
* Daily transportation to and from work
* Professional staff assistance
* Welcome Reception
* Orientation
* Closing Ceremony
* Program Gifts
* Visa Sponsorship Assistance
* Contract Academic Course Credit

By taking care of meals, food, budget, entertainment, resume development, etc., UoD seems to minimize the crucial personal development aspect of a summer internship. Having an internship is like a “trial run” of being in the job world after college – finding a place, budgeting for meals, transportation, making new friends, finding work/life balance, developing as an employee – those are all things that I think are just as crucial as the job itself.

I think that, while it’s great to work for a prestigious company and have an “in” as soon as you can, the path you take to get there is equally important. I take a great deal of pride in the fact that I found an internship through my own search in college, and that I was able to turn success in that internship into a great case for getting my first job after graduation.

I think the skills that “Proud Parent” mentions – “how to interview, create a resume, network, and excel in the work world” – are absolutely crucial, and it truly is unfortunate if your school doesn’t provide those for you. However, those are also things I feel I learned by experience – by “pounding the pavement”, seeking advice from friends, family and professional mentors, and simply “diving in” to the work world and learning how to excel by being open to feedback and development.

Proud Parent, it sounds like you had the right intentions in mind and made sure your student understood the value of hard work, humility, and commitment. Sadly, not everyone has that great parental support network, or the resources to afford a program like University of Dreams – so it’s also important to recognize the critical value of the “do it yourself” method – and all of the great experience that can bring.

In regards to the “disadvantaged families” (and by no means is my family advantaged as we took out a loan), I feel a loan, or searching for scholarships for something that has a direct impact on your career (similar to investing in college), is well worth the interest paid.

Certainly some fields–like fashion design–may be harder for students to make those contacts. I am interested in showing all aspects of these options so that students and parents can see the trade-offs of different decisions. Thanks for sharing your perspective and I hope I have helped you to gain a better sense of my point of view.

All the best,
Carol