After five grueling interviews and one six-hour flight, sophomore Sarina Ying landed a prestigious summer internship with investment bank JPMorgan.

A few weeks later, Ying received another offer-this time, from the Haas School of Business' undergraduate admissions office.

But new enforcement of a Haas policy may prevent her and others from accepting both.

Each year, Haas requires admitted students to attend a six-week summer session where students enroll in two major-required courses and participate in activities to promote class unity.

In the past, students have been allowed to petition out of the summer session if they present proof of extenuating circumstances or a valid internship, later making up the necessary coursework in the fall or spring semesters.

While the option to petition still exists, Haas' administration said they plan on making it extremely difficult to opt out of its summer program this year.

"There is no intention to make

exceptions based on internships," said Erika Walker, the executive director of the undergraduate program.

Starting this year, Haas will only offer the two required courses during the summer, making it virtually impossible for students who miss the summer session to graduate, Walker said.

Many students said they are upset by this new administrative decision, and said the policy makes it harder to land internships and jobs in an already competitive pool.

"Most Ivy League schools have a winter break that's long enough so students can intern during the winter and summer. We only have one chance and they're trying to take that one chance away," said senior Victor Ho, a student at Haas and a member of the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi.

But the benefits of the introductory courses and the program's community-building experiences exceed those of a summer internship, Walker said, adding that students should not have assumed they could opt out of the summer session simply because students in the past had done so.

"We are very confident ... that this structure makes sense. It doesn't put students at a disservice," she said.

But some students disagree, saying that campus business groups already foster the unity the program promotes.

"I definitely think that the fact that these people have to choose between an internship and Haas shows that Haas is going about this the wrong way. They're sacrificing the real tangible benefits for temporary class camaraderie," said Hisham Zarka, a junior at Haas and member of Berkeley Consulting.

The program has received positive feedback though, according to Walker, who says it serves as a helpful transition into the major and is scheduled to allow students to pursue part-time internships in the Bay Area.

Some students feel, however, that the administration's decision hurts not only them but the school's reputation. In recent BusinessWeek rankings, Haas dropped from the third best undergraduate business program in the nation to eleventh, with some students saying the policy would lead to a further drop.

"Everyone I've talked to feels (the policy) is incredibly counterproductive on Haas' part. Especially since it's falling in the rankings," Ying said.

Walker acknowledged that the administration's decision could lead to the loss of some students, but said the school's caliber would remain high.

"I don't think it will be a significant change to the reputation of the program but I wouldn't want to lose talented students either," Walker said.

Despite the program's reputation, many students plan to pursue their internships over attending Haas.

"My rationale is I signed with this firm already and I shouldn't cancel that agreement. I've signed the offer letter," said sophomore Christopher Lin, who landed an internship with Merrill Lynch's Hong Kong Investment Banking Division.

Many students added that backing out on an internship offer could have unfavorable long-term consequences when looking for a job.

"You made them fly you out to New York, and get so far in the process only to back out later," Ying said. "It's a little bit like burning the bridge."

Tags: JP MORGAN, INTERNSHIPS, HAAS