New York Program/International Commerce

Established in 2004, the Program in International Commerce supports colloquia, faculty development and student internships in international commerce and policy. 
The NY Internship Program is an intense educational experience.  It entails a full-time internship and participation in an interdisciplinary, credit-bearing seminar.  During the Spring term, students work full time as an intern in any of several financial firms, journalism organizations or government offices in New York. Past and current placements include

• Goldman Sachs
• JP Morgan
• Investment Technology Group
• Morgan Stanley
• Forbes.com
• CNBC
• Ark Media
• East River Development Alliance
• Marsh & McLennan
• New York City Office of Tax Policy
• Barclay’s
• Redbook Magazine
• Lehman Brothers
• UBS

Beginning in 2010, the program has expanded to include internship postings at Sands Capital in Washington, DC.
Depending on the organization, internship placements can be in:

• Internal Auditing
• Sales and Trading
• Investment Banking
• Portfolio Management
• Research
• Program Production
• Web Design

During the last half of Winter Term and concluding in the Spring Term, interns participate in a six-credit interdisciplinary seminar with a team of W&L Faculty and guest speakers. Topics have covered:

• The banking crisis
• Terrorism, crime and international business
• Women’s issues in international economic and political development
• The rise of China and its impact on the global economy
• Demographics and economic development
• The relationship between democratic and economic development
• Health care issues
• International accounting practices
• Sustainability and economic development

Past program and colloquium guests include:

• Catharine MacKinnon, Harvard Law School and the University of Michigan Law School
• Samantha Power, Harvard University
• William Dudley, President, New York Federal Reserve Bank
• Roger Kubarych, Council on Foreign Relations
• Stephen Flynn, Council on Foreign Relations
• Michael Cherkasky, CEO, Marsh and McLennan
• Edward McKelvey, VP and Chief Economist, Goldman Sachs
• Peter Peterson, Chairman, Blackstone Group and Chair, Council on Foreign Relations
• James Glassman, Director, US Economics and Policy Research, JP Morgan
• Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed in America
• Robert Kaplan, noted author and correspondent for The Atlantic
• Michael Klare, Five Colleges Professor of  Peace and World Security Studies, Hampshire College

Depending on the placement, interns may have the opportunity to continue on as an intern for the summer as part of their firms’ standard summer internship program.

Housing
Students are housed during the Spring Term at the West Side YMCA (63rd Street and Central Park West). In late May, students can move to the student housing at New York University. Housing at both locations is arranged through Washington and Lee. Students are free to arrange for their own housing as well. However, if they have not secured housing by the YMCA application deadline, they must agree to take a room at the YMCA for the first 5 weeks of the program (to ensure that they do, indeed have housing).  In Washington, students have similar housing arrangements in coordination with W&L’s Washington Term Program and George Washington University Summer Housing.

Finances and Program Fees
The fee for the New York Program is $2,600.00. This covers the administrative costs of the program. In some cases, sponsoring firms provide a stipend that will offset living expenses for both Spring Term and the firms’ own summer internship programs. Fees are payable after you have accepted an internship position and are billed to your W&L account.

Application Process
Applications must be submitted electronically to the Office of Career Services. Application deadlines are normally in October and will be announced early in the Fall term of each academic year. We assemble a package of student information and forward it to the internship sponsors who then conduct interviews on campus. To be eligible for this program, students must be available for Spring and willing to continue with their sponsor for 10-12 more weeks in the Summer.

Applications consist of:

• a cover letter that includes a statement of interest in the program
• current resume with cumulative GPA

Requirements and Expectations
The New York Program entails a special commitment on the part of all participants because it provides a unique and valuable career opportunity. All interns must (along with their parents) sign the Washington and Lee Agreement of Responsible Travel and Study.

For more information contact:
Professor Mark Rush (540) 458-8904 RushM@wlu.edu
or
Professor Robert Culpepper (540) 458-8442 CulpepperR@wlu.edu

Student Intern Comments
“The New York Term Seminars allowed us to explore a number of global economic and political issues that we rarely get to address in our standard classes.  We were also privileged to meet with several renowned scholars and business leaders throughout Spring Term.  This combination made for a very rewarding academic experience.”
“The best choice I could have made junior year was to apply to the New York Spring Internship Program.  The learning curve was steep, but knowing that every day I would learn something new made the work more rewarding.”
“I’ve been very involved with a number of projects, meetings and different groups. My sponsors have been great mentors. They engage me to help with substantive work, but they are also very active in educating me about the financial world.”

”All in all, a great program. I would recommend it to any other W&L student. It is truly a unique experience and something that many other students never get. Thanks for all of the hard work and careful planning that each professor had to do in order to make the NYIP a success.”

“This internship is unbelievable. I have learned more in the past 6 weeks than I learn I n an entire semester of academic classes. You’re forced to learn quickly and it’s been great to see how all the stuff I’ve learned in class at W&L applies in the real world. The networking opportunity here is also great. I’ve done only substantive stuff. Have only touched a copy machine once and it was for less than 5 minutes. Everyone has made a real effort to include me in all parts of the bank’s dealings, from listening in on conference calls with clients, to working on presentations and most importantly understanding the logic behind all they do (both the qualitative and the quantitative). Getting here 6 weeks before the other interns is also a huge advantage. I went through training with the rest of the intern class (about 75 people) and realized that I had learned an incredible amount in the past 6 weeks. I am so ahead and will therefore be put on more meaningful projects than I would be if I had just arrived. It has also given me a chance to work with more bankers, which is good, because more people will be able to review me”

“I learned more than I ever thought was possible and the course work overlapped significantly with on the job concepts. I think the program is an incredible opportunity for Washington and Lee and its students.”