u/Heavy-Albatross-7955

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to apply for research internships at Max Planck Institutes in Computer Science for Summer 2027, and I had a few questions for people who have experience with this or have been selected before.

1. Do Max Planck CS internships accept non‑EU applicants? I’m from a South Asian country, currently in the U.S. on a student visa and working here. I would need a German visa if selected — is that usually a problem, or is visa sponsorship common for interns?
2. Is it usually in person or remote ?
3. How competitive are these internships overall? I’ve heard they’re quite selective, especially for AI/ML/CS labs, and I’m trying to gauge what the realistic odds look like.
4. What do they typically look for in candidates? Is it more research background, strong fundamentals/projects, publications, prior internships, or overall fit with a specific lab
5. For those who were selected: If you’re comfortable sharing, what was your general education or work background when you applied? (Totally fine if you’d rather not share.)
6. Funding question (conflicting info): The official Max Planck websites say these internships are fully funded (stipend + housing/travel support), but I’ve seen a few Reddit comments saying some interns were partially or self‑funded. Can anyone clarify how funding usually works in practice?

Thanks a lot in advance — I really appreciate any insights or experiences people are willing to share.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to apply for research internships at Max Planck Institutes in Computer Science for Summer 2027, and I had a few questions for people who have experience with this or have been selected before.

1. Do Max Planck CS internships accept non‑EU applicants? I’m from a South Asian country, currently in the U.S. on a student visa and working here. I would need a German visa if selected — is that usually a problem, or is visa sponsorship common for interns?
2. Is it usually in person or remote ?
3. How competitive are these internships overall? I’ve heard they’re quite selective, especially for AI/ML/CS labs, and I’m trying to gauge what the realistic odds look like.
4. What do they typically look for in candidates? Is it more research background, strong fundamentals/projects, publications, prior internships, or overall fit with a specific lab
5. For those who were selected: If you’re comfortable sharing, what was your general education or work background when you applied? (Totally fine if you’d rather not share.)
6. Funding question (conflicting info): The official Max Planck websites say these internships are fully funded (stipend + housing/travel support), but I’ve seen a few Reddit comments saying some interns were partially or self‑funded. Can anyone clarify how funding usually works in practice?

Thanks a lot in advance — I really appreciate any insights or experiences people are willing to share.