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Cornell University

Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion

A multi-unit group supporting Cornell University's institutional diversity planning initiative

Student Intern Program

About the ADI Summer Internship Program

General information and expectations for all internships: 

  • Internship length is approximately eight weeks, generally between graduation and the first week of August.  Interns are expected to work 30-40 hours per week, depending on availability. Housing is not provided.
  • Interns will be expected to engage in regular group interactions with their peers and in weekly program luncheons that feature guest speakers from Cornell’s administration. The guest speakers will provide in-depth and behind-the-scenes insight into University operations. At the end of the summer, the program will bring everyone together for a showcase event. All interns will provide a five-minute presentation on their projects and overall experience, along with a written executive summary, to senior leadership.
  • Interns are a part of a community beyond the ADI Summer Internship program. Interns are expected to contribute positively to the Cornell community and conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to a professional environment. Interns will be expected to fully participate during normal office hours.
  • Multicultural competence is highly valued. As a diverse institution that welcomes students from all over the world, Cornell recognizes and honors diversity among all staff. Underrepresented minorities and disabled students are strongly encouraged to apply.

To Apply

Application information will be available in 2024.

About the Program

The ADI Summer Intern Program was implemented in 2008, and serves an important role in fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion in the workplace at Cornell. Internships support the areas of Finance, Audit, Procurement, Accounting, Payroll, IT, Retail, Budget and Planning, and potentially various other units at Cornell University’s Ithaca campus. Since 2022, the program has accepted applications from students at other colleges and universities. The program particularly encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups (women, minorities, veterans and students with disabilities).

During the program, the interns participate in a series of events and assignments designed to help them learn about how Cornell departments function and gain valuable work and networking skills they can take with them into their careers. Interns are asked to contribute positively to the Cornell community, conduct themselves in a professional manner, and participate fully.

Testimonials from Student Interns

“I read the new accounting standards, reviewed Cornell’s contracts and financial statements to understand Cornell’s current accounting procedures and drafted some new accounting journals. We got to meet with senior management of the university and all other interns with very diverse backgrounds. I think it would be a great experience for rising sophomores and juniors, preparing them for future internships outside Cornell.”

“Spending a summer at Cornell interning for the university is an experience like none other. Not only do you get to live in Ithaca and explore everything it has to offer, but also making a meaningful contribution to Cornell in either business or technology helps you truly understand what this university is all about. Additionally, the program provides an incredible speaker series with campus administrators that are doing really important work for Cornell. Very few students are lucky enough to say they were part of the summer intern program at Cornell.”

“I believe the program did a great job with teaching the interns about the different departments of Cornell. I definitely learned a lot more about different department functions at Cornell during that summer than I did the three years that I’ve been here.  The free food is always a plus; the compensation was good. In terms of advertising the experience, I thought the information on Handshake was good, but what was even better was during the interview, the managers elaborated on the program.

“I was treated with respect, compassion, and kindness by everyone I interacted with throughout my experience. All colleagues on my team made a genuine effort to get to know me, and although I was there as an intern I felt seen on an equal level as other members of the team. I feel so lucky to have worked with such a fantastic, passionate group of people!”

“I was doing a lot of work I had never done before. This was challenging, but it felt good to apply things I have learned in a classroom setting to a real job.”

“The whole internship was insights! I did not have a great idea of what I was getting myself into, and I learned way more than I thought I would. This has been a huge success.”

“The experiences I had this summer have quite literally changed the trajectory of my post-grad life, and I don’t think that is something to be taken lightly.”