Preparation
Preparation for your internship starts even before you apply. To get the most out of the internship and the IE3 program, start planning ahead and considering these areas:
Academic Preparation: The coursework on your transcript is part of your application. Some sites like to see specific academic backgrounds, so find out what courses would help prepare you for your dream internship. A high GPA isn't necessary, but it doesn't hurt your application either, so keep those grades up!
Cultural: If you know you want to do an internship in a specific country, take every opportunity you can to learn about the culture. This could be through a study abroad program, through meeting students from that country, or from reading and research or classes.
Linguistic: Get your language up to speed! Take classes specific to a subject you might use, for example, business German.
Logistical: Think about the timing of your internship. Will you need to rent out your apartment for a term, earn extra money over the summer to pay for travel, apply for a passport?
Professional: Many internships like to see some professional experience already. If your resume is loaded with burger-flipping, consider getting a summer job that will give you some exposure to the professional world. Talk to former IE3 interns about their experiences and what skills they needed.