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Guide

When do summer internship applications open in the UK?

Updated

For the following summer, most UK summer internship applications open between July and October. Banks open earliest, typically August to September, with deadlines in October and November. Consulting, the Big Four and tech open through September and October, and law firms' vacation schemes mostly close in January. Many firms review applications as they arrive, so the first weeks after opening are when most places go.

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The dates by sector

Investment banks are first. In recent cycles the large US banks have opened their UK summer internship applications in July and August, the European and UK banks in August and September, and most have closed in October or November. Online tests arrive within days of applying and interviews run through the autumn, so the whole process for a bank can be over by December.

Consulting firms open from September into October and run to deadlines in October and November, with assessment through the winter. The Big Four and other professional services firms open in September and October and recruit on a rolling basis until each programme fills. Tech firms open from late summer and close as teams fill, which for the most sought-after teams can be weeks.

Law firms are the clearest exception. Summer vacation schemes mostly open in October and close in January, review everything after the deadline, and interview in February and March. Engineering, FMCG, energy and retail schemes open between September and December with deadlines through the winter and into spring.

What rolling recruitment means for the dates

Outside law, a published deadline is the latest a firm will accept applications, not the date it stops making offers. Many firms send tests and schedule interviews as applications arrive, fill places as they go, and close the form early once they have enough. Applying in the first week or two after a programme opens is the strongest single thing a candidate controls.

What to have ready before the window

Because opening day matters, prepare in the summer. A finished one-page CV, a reusable answer on why the firm and the division, and practice on the online tests the sector uses, since the test typically arrives within days of applying. The CV rater, the cover letter tool and the assessment drills on this site are free and are built around these programmes.

If you have missed the main window

Off-cycle internships open through the year, often for starts in January or in the autumn, and are a common route into the same firms. Smaller firms, boutiques and startups recruit when they need someone. Spring weeks, for first years, open in the autumn for the following Easter. The live tracker shows all of these as they open and the alert emails you when one matches your filters.

Common questions

Do summer internships open before September?
Yes. Several large banks open in July and August for the following summer. Treat the summer before penultimate year as the start of the cycle, not the autumn term.
Is it too late to apply in January?
For most banks and consultancies the summer internship forms have closed by then. Law vacation schemes, many engineering and corporate schemes, off-cycle roles and smaller firms are still open. The tracker's deadline filter shows what closes soon.
Should I apply on the first day a programme opens?
Apply in the first few days with a finished application rather than on the first day with a rushed one. Early matters because of rolling review, but a weak application submitted early is still weak.
When do offers come out?
Banks that recruit on a rolling basis can make offers from October onwards. Firms with a fixed deadline make offers after their assessment centres, typically between January and March.

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