New York and Boston have long been internship meccas for students during the summer and off-terms. The appeal of working and living in New York is understandable, and the number of people going there certainly doesn't seem to be decreasing. But the abundance of Dartmouth opportunities through the Rockefeller Center and on Capitol Hill have recently made Washington, D.C., an attractive option for off-terms, especially for those interested in public policy. So is D.C. becoming the new Boston?
D.C. has always been a popular choice for Dartmouth students looking for internships, said Monica Wilson, associate director of Career Services.
"Some [of our advisors] have said there may be a slight increase and some say they haven't seen a difference," Wilson said. Because many students utilize the Rockefeller Center or find internships on their own, Career Services does not have comprehensive data on the shift from Boston to D.C.
Interest in D.C. internships through the Rockefeller Center has been very consistent from year to year, program coordinator Thanh Nguyen said. About two-thirds of the ones funded through the Rockefeller Center are in D.C.
"It seems like [there is] more legal opportunity in Boston, more policy in D.C.," Nguyen said.
The Rockefeller Center runs the First-Year Fellows program, supporting a group of 20 freshmen with policy internships. While the number of applicants for the program has not increased dramatically, the caliber of students applying for the program has increased in recent years, program coordinator Robin Frye said.
Arden Arnold '16, who spent the summer interning at the Project on Government Oversight through First Year Fellows, said many other students had Rockefeller-funded internships or other opportunities they found on their own.
"The wealth of programs in D.C. offered at Dartmouth makes the District a really attractive and accessible place to spend a term," he said. "It's hard not to run into Dartmouth students during the summer in D.C."
Sheya Jabouin '15, who is currently interning at the National Organization for Women in D.C., said she is surprised more Dartmouth students aren't interested in spending a term in D.C.
"I went to boarding school in Massachusetts, so I've seen Boston. Therefore I had no strong desire to do an internship there," said Jabouin.
While some find the D.C. heat to be a little too sweltering, the weather was a welcome relief after spending nine months in Hanover, Arnold added.
The number of D.C. alumni turning out for events for First-Year Fellows and Civic Skills Training has also been increasing each year.
"I think that as you build momentum, there's an increasing interest in a particular city," Wilson said. "It seems like a safer place to look at."
However, the increase in interest in D.C. is probably higher for internships than for jobs, Wilson said. Many students like to experience D.C. but do not necessarily want to live there after they graduate.
"Over the years I've had a few employers who were disappointed, because they made offers to students who decided to take jobs in Boston over D.C.," she said.
A shift toward D.C. internships may be due to both the political climate in Washington and a broadly changing economy and job market.
"The new Obama healthcare initiatives, the impending election and a bit of a downturn in the private sector economy may have contributed to an increase," Wilson said.
This phenomenon is not exclusive to Dartmouth students. The 2010 Census found that D.C.'s population is growing faster than that of any state.
It seems, then, that D.C. hasn't become quite as popular as Boston for employment after graduation.
The significant resources Dartmouth provides for students to intern, however, make it appealing to many students, and this appeal doesn't seem to be going anywhere. After all, who doesn't want to rub shoulders with the people running the nation?
