I wanted to wish everyone the best of luck, the best of caffeine intake, the best of sleep needed, and the best patience hoped for!
I will start my post-doctoral fellowship this August. I was in your position two years ago - the aches and pains, the hopes and wishes. I was selected as 1 of 8 for an internship that reviewed nearly 400 applications. I am quite fortunate indeed, and as you all know, the "internship crises" is very much on everyone's minds. YOU. WILL. GET. THERE.
Everyone and their mother will be submitting applications up to the varied deadlines of the programs. However, if there are a few things I can impart to ease the process, here they are:
1. START NOW. Do the things that are in your control (e.g., essays, CV, etc.).
2. Research if and how you can earn mileage points on all the traveling you will inevitably be doing. Does your credit card offer mileage points? I know some colleagues who earned "executive class" status by the end of the application cycle.
3. Tailor your answers to interview questions with the internship site in mind. Obviously, it goes without saying for the cover letters, as well.
4. This is not "just" one year of your life. It is ONE YEAR OF YOUR LIFE - and it is important that you enjoy it, that it has particular meaning to you, and that you take pride in it. If you are able and can afford, spend a day or two outside of the interview day to check out the local environment. You may love the site, but will you tolerate a less than ideal home?
5. With that, I also advise giving serious consideration in the day-to-day, outside of internship. Are you applying to the site because it is a "safety" site, but will you be accepting and ultimately happy with living in a place less than ideal to you? Because there is a very real possibility you might just be ranked high on their list.
Again, best of luck!