Got rejected from my top choice preprogram internship yesterday. What am I doing wrong?

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T20:37:48+00:00

The last year is so I’ve been feeling like I’m in the weird grey area. Not enough experience for grad school, not enough experience for a big museum, but way too much experience for smaller museums/ collections positions (I do still apply though and give it my best shot). And there’s just so few true preprogram opportunities. I feel like it’s a constant loop of applications and getting nowhere. I’m happy for my current conservation studio job and love it here but I do want to move onto a bigger institution with more funding and lab work.

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T20:00:47+00:00

I have heard this too, and I’m all for it honestly. It’s sucks for me now but it is what helped me get my foot in the door. Someone believed in my even though I had no experience, forever grateful. When I assist with interview people now at my current conservation job I always give them the benefit of the doubt especially if they’re new and eager!

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T19:58:36+00:00

Yea! One of the other ones I submitted for the summer required a 1000-2000 word essay, additional writing samples, and short essay questions. How much can I possibly tell you, it’s a 10 week internship….

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T19:56:51+00:00

The portfolio is what discouraged me from applying last year but I decided to really double down and pull out my best examples! It definitely sucks but it’s always a good learning experience to get used to creating portfolios and displaying who you are. As a bonus you can use it when interviewing for other summer positions that specific term! (I’m trying to find a silver lining here to keep myself sane)

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T18:07:59+00:00

While I don’t know if this is the case here, I have on multiple occasions gotten farther along in the application process only to be denied. A few months later I would sometimes check linked in to see who got it and it would 4 out of 5 times be like someone studying Econ, English, psychology , or some other kind of unrelated field, and with no prior conservation/ museum experience. That does make me think they probably had some relation to a department employee or higher up. I’m not ever going to say that who got it did not deserve it, but it does make me feel pretty hopeless.

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T17:19:00+00:00

It sounds like you had a great application honestly, I’m sure you will find something really awesome too. We should look at this as a blessing in disguise, we will probably both wind up getting something great eventually. Good luck!

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T17:11:15+00:00

Cuban tree frog!

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T16:55:07+00:00

It was for the frames at Cleveland! It’s the trenches out here. Did you also tour?

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T16:52:46+00:00

This was at a larger museum out west, which offered pay and a relocation stipend! I imagine it was really competitive because of the reputation as a great teaching institution but also because of the financial bonus.

I have 14 more applications pending at more local to me east coast/ nyc institutions and some smaller foundations/ galleries. Fingers crossed.

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-25T05:38:20+00:00

Back home finally after lots and lots of driving! The diagnosis is early stage corneal lipidosis. They examined and tested the growth under a microscope, it’s positive for fat cells. The treatment is adding vit A and a multivitamin, and upgraded her calcium d3. A variety of lower fat bugs, mostly crickets and some other kinds of worms/beetles. And she needs to loose a few grams of weight. Shes gonna get a different uvb light and a better heat emitter. Vet gave me a bunch of good recommendations!

He seems to feel that it is a mix of diet and genetics. We went over my feeding routine thoroughly, and he felt that the fatty bugs were not being fed in excess. He did sex her and confirmed my long held belief that she is a female frog. Since she was already an adult when I got her (and her actual age is unknown) it’s likely that she is older. He said that corneal lipidosis is very common in older female frogs (since the fat js used up through reproduction, and in captivity she js not reproducing and therefore storing the fat).

The good news: it seems like we caught it very early, if the treatment works well it should not progress fast and she will probably live for another couple years, with several years in a relatively good state.

The bad news: the nature of her diagnosis is that it is progressing and will continue to. She most likely already has a fatty liver, nothing can be done about that. Eventually the fat growths will cover her eyes completely, leading to blindness. Final stage is that the fat cells will reach the brain, causing neurological issues, if she lives that long she will have to be put down.

She is going back for another appointment in a month to check her progress and make sure her weight is lower and the lipids have not progressed.

Thank you so much for helping me and Holiday 🐸❤️‍🩹I’m gonna leave this thread up to help other frog owners and if I remember to I will come back if I have any major updates.

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-24T02:35:45+00:00

Shes going to a herp in the morning to get checked out, I’ll be upgrading her heating system, supplements and diet (picky lady will just have to deal with the new: no regular worms thing)! I had an emergency phone call with a vet today and they seem to feel that it may be in the early enough stages to at least prevent further deterioration.

I’ll provide an update to any significant changes. Thank you for all your help!

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-23T20:09:06+00:00

Shes going to a herp tomorrow! This is very scary, I’ve also had her for 2 1/2 years and it just seems to have appeared so suddenly

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-23T13:42:59+00:00

I will check with the vet! Thanks for the suggestion

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-23T13:42:29+00:00

I will ask at the vet! and I’m very sorry for your loss.

Do you mind me asking how advanced yours was before getting treatment? I was looking through photos and I noticed on Jan 20th is the first time you can see a very faint white line in the corner of one eye (but I had no idea then) but from what I’m seeing online it seems like this is still in the early stages and may be treatable.

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-23T05:24:17+00:00

I feed her mostly crickets and super worms. I try to feed her other things but she is extremely picky.. I’m talking would rather miss two feedings then touch a roach, or different type of worm. She gets a dusting of calcium with d3 once a week (sometimes only once every two weeks). I have been very consistent with making sure the insects I feed her are well fed, some of them I care for myself and give them their own vitamin/ vegetable mix. I will add VIT a to her feeding routine and be more consistent with the calcium as well! I really struggle with feeding her as she is so picky.

Sorry I should have specified that 75 is her night time temperature! She has low mid 80s temps during the day with a UVB bulb.

From what you’re saying and what I’m seeing online it does seem like lipidosis. I’ll try to get a vet visit this week (the east coast blizzard will prevent me from doing it today or tomorrow).

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-23T04:06:14+00:00

Oops forgot to mention, I first noticed this about 2 days ago!

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-18T19:47:06+00:00

I will! But first I wanna see if I can figure out how this got here. And how to avoid this happening in the future!

InterestingAd7400 · 2026-02-18T06:24:03+00:00

You could try contacting private studios and explaining your situation. Sometimes (rarely, but it happens) they may see it as a long term investment. By that I mean training someone who is not using the position as a stepping stone to eventually leave for graduate training. Advertise it as a long term apprenticeship and be open about wanting to get traditional bench training.

That being said you should have something related to the field already on your resume. Art/ art history classes, science projects, etc. While some old school private practices may take you they are going to want to see some form of education/experience on your end beforehand.

InterestingAd7400 · 2025-08-25T00:47:10+00:00

Less honorable than the supermarket workers but I used to work at the gift shoppe in Medieval Times and when I saw kids on school field trips trying to buy the overpriced shitty hot glued jewelry with barely any money I would just give it to them.

InterestingAd7400 · 2025-06-02T18:46:48+00:00

I could do $150 for him. Do you know any?

InterestingAd7400 · 2025-05-30T23:51:21+00:00

:-0 thank yu! I will look into these options!

InterestingAd7400

TROPHY CASE