Pathways Internship Program (PIP)

PIP is a guaranteed career-related experience for the summer after your sophomore year! See eligibility requirements below.

The College of Arts & Sciences Pathways Internship Program provides funding for first-generation students to pursue a career-related experience of their choice during the summer after their sophomore year. Selected students will work closely with Arts & Sciences Career Development during the school year to ensure they find an appropriate career-related experience. In return, Arts & Sciences will provide a Summer Experience Grant up to $8000 for an unpaid/minimally paid experience and cover the Student Contribution (as designated by Financial Aid) for the following academic year.  

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PATHWAYS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, STUDENTS MUST:

• Be currently enrolled in a degree-granting program in the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell and working towards their bachelor’s degree
• Not be on a leave of absence
• Be graduating in December 2026, May 2027, or December 2027
• Be a first generation college student (as defined by Cornell Admissions)
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above
• Have received financial aid and have submitted their financial aid forms

COMMON ITEMS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN PIP FUNDING:

• Travel to and from summer experience location at the beginning and end of the summer
• Living expenses if living away from home, such as rent and groceries
• Commute to/from summer experience site: public transportation/gas
• Professional attire or uniform if that is expected for the experience
• Student Contribution for financial aid the following academic year
• Professional Development opportunities during the academic year

EXPENSES NOT COVERED BY PIP INCLUDE (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO):

• Clothing other than a required uniform or professional attire
• Insurance
• Personal travel
• Entertainment
• Gym membership
• Purchase of a vehicle
• Tuition

STUDENTS WHO PURSUE THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCES WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR PIP FUNDING:

• Fee based programs - any program that charges tuition or a fee. Exceptions may be made for programs in the performing arts, on a case-by-case basis. (Students outside of performing arts: if you believe that your experience should qualify, please contact us to discuss)
• Cornell in Washington, Practicing Medicine, Cornell Pre-Law Summer Program, Global Health minor programs, or any other college-based program charging tuition/program fees (at Cornell or any other university) Exception: Cornell in Hollywood
• Personal research projects
• Personal projects or personal entrepreneurial ventures
• Taking classes, at Cornell or elsewhere
• Research that is supervised by a graduate student. Research experiences must be supervised by a Principal Investigator or faculty member.

Priority will be given to students who are:

• First generation, first-year student status
• Demonstrated high financial need
• Interest in social sciences or humanities
• Intending to pursue a summer experience away from Ithaca and/or their hometown
• Intending to pursue a summer experience that is unpaid or minimally paid

• Meet frequently with your career counselor
• Complete all career related assignments throughout the program
• Complete at least 10 summer experience applications
• Complete and submit a summer budget
• Complete a career-related summer experience
• Complete and submit summer reflection

You can expect the following short answer questions in the application:

• Tell us more about you. This can include where you are from, family, what you involved with in high school or at Cornell, or other information about what influenced where you are at today.
• Tell us about your career interests and goals. It is fine to still be exploring! But if that is the case, share with us what you have or are considering career-wise.
• Tell us about the kinds of summer experience(s) you hope to pursue next summer (Summer 2025). You may include the type of experience, the location, what you hope to discover. Again, it's fine if this is a tentative plan or if you're not sure what you want to do but share some insight into your ideas. Please note that PIP cannot fund study abroad, personal entrepreneurial ventures, taking classes for credit, or any program that requires a fee to participate.
• How will receiving guaranteed funding for Summer 2025 influence the options you consider for a summer experience, if at all?
• In addition to funding, this program is designed to support your career development during your sophomore year. What are you hoping to learn through this career development process?

Applications for the 2024-2025 year are available here

Deadline: September 9, 2024 at 8am eastern time

Contact A&S Career Development at as_careers@cornell.edu with questions about this program.