Question regarding EPQ and Internship

An EPQ is worth doing if you are applying to top Unis - it gives you an obvious example of 'outside the A level syllabus' to discuss in your PS, and at some Unis you may get a lower grade offer including an EPQ grade. However, many schools do not offer EPQ and therefore is is NOT a requirement, and it will not in itself make it more likely that you will get an offer. Internships are a vocational activity, not 'academic' - they may show you what a particular career area is all about but it wont make any difference to your UCAS application.

Advice about 'Why do an EPQ' from Uni of Bath here : https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/taking-the-epq-to-strengthen-your-application/

The point of an EPQ is that its your first 'research project' - and that you have a mentor to guide you through this process and you learn about research and independent study not just the subject topic. To do it on your own as self-study therefore is a bit self-defeating and likely to fail. This online course tells you how to do an EPQ - https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/epq-success - but I would never recommend anyone to attempt a distance-learning EPQ as self-study. Many students I have guided through UCAS applications actually drop out of their EPQ without assessment - its simply too much work on top of A levels - and thats with good school support.