Background: Computer Science (CS) industry internships are valuable experiences for undergraduate CS students, and participation in extracurriculars predicts internship participation.
Purpose: We seek to understand the specific extracurricular activities that are most helpful in securing internships to help identify what activities students can do to help them get internships.
Methods: We used linear probability models to analyze survey responses from 14,155 undergraduate CS majors. We examine the relationships between students’ internship participation, seven extracurricular activities, and background.
Findings: All seven extracurricular activities increased the predicted probability of internship attainment (p < .05). We found no differences in internship attainment by gender, race, or ethnicity. First-generation status, non-US citizenship, and disability predicted a statistically significantly lower probability of internship attainment. Women, non-binary, Asian, and Black students were predicted to have a statistically significantly higher probability of participating in extracurricular activities than white or male students, while those with lower GPAs or first-generation status had a lower probability.
Implications: Our work uncovers inequities, particularly for first-generation college students, and provides insights that are relevant for students seeking internships.