How desperate is this?

There's this one Asset Management firm I found that I think would be great to intern at. It's a legit team, great people, great track record, all that jazz. I honestly wouldn't mind ending up there FT.

I just reached out to them this Tuesday and I think the talks went pretty well but they're not sure if they want an intern class this year; it's to be determined. They normally compensate interns rather nicely, and I suspect that might be why they're hesitant (they're not sure how much work will be available during the summer and whether or not I'll be a value-add for the cost).

I place a GINORMOUS premium on the experience, and quite frankly i can cover living expenses on a couple thousand less per month than their normal internship pay. Would it look bad/desperate if I suggested a major comp. cut to get a position? Or what about a major comp. cut + bonus structure all the way up to normal pay if I can deliver results/perform well? How long should I wait before reaching out to them with this idea?

Or do you guys/gals think that the situation is: the time invested into me wouldn't be worth having an intern plain it (even though I have a decent finance background and I feel that I'm an independent worker who can figure out stuff/get stuff done without someone holding my hand.)?

Thanks WSO community for helping me out so far. I humbly look forward to any advice you guys are willing to impart, and hopefully I can walk out of this recruiting season a success story!

Best, BankingWaffle