The Application and Selection Process

2004 interns at the Supreme Court

To apply to the Policy Internship Program, you will need to submit an application and get a recommendation (including a letter and a Reference Form). The application also requires an informal photograph, a one-page resume, and a transcript. Download the Application Form and Reference Form to apply to become a 2013-2014 PIP Intern. More detailed instructions are also on the Application Form.

All application materials must be received by 5:00 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012. The application form should be submitted by email to the Program Director at mrodemeyer@virginia.edu; recommendation letters and Reference Forms may be provided by email or in hard copy. (See instructions on Application form.)

The Application Process

1. Learn as much as you can about the program before submitting an application. It will help you to decide if the program suits you and to write a more convincing application.

• Read the whole web site, including papers written by former interns on policy and on their experiences
• Attend the information session on Tuesday, September 25 at 3:00 pm in the Rodman Room in Thornton Hall.
• Talk with internship alumni about their experience (they will be available at the information session and by e-mail)
• Research offices in government and non-government organizations where you might want to work

2. Download an application form and follow the instructions for completing and submitting the application and submit it by the deadline above.

3. Download a letter of reference form and follow the instructions carefully.

• It is your responsibility to remind your referee to submit the recommendation letter and Recommendation Form by the deadline.

Interviews and Selection

1. Applicants will be notified by November 9th if they have been selected for an interview.

• If selected for an interview, sign up for an interview slot using the Doodle poll link you will be sent.
• Interviews will be held the week of November 12th.
• The interview panel will consist of several faculty members and several PIP alumni.

2. If selected for an interview, come prepared.

• Follow the advice in University Career Services' Interviewing For Employment.
• The interview may feature questions from any of the three types listed in the booklet (behavioral, resume-based, and case). Wear clothes appropriate for an interview for a position at a government agency (sport coat or suit and tie for men; skirt, dress, nice pants, or suit for women).

3. Finalists will be notified whether they have been accepted into the program by November 20th. Finalists accepting the offer will then need to enroll in STS 3020, Science and Technology Policy for Interns.

Other Deadlines

Some government agencies, particularly those that require security clearances, require separate applications and may have deadlines BEFORE the application deadline for the Policy Intern Program. In particular, the Department of State application is generally due at the end of October. Students who want to intern at the State Department (either in Washington or abroad) must therefore submit two applications: one to our program and one to the State Department (using its own forms and procedures).

Please note that the application decisions are separate and independent. You might be accepted into the State Department program but not into the Policy Intern Program, or vice versa. If you are accepted into our program but not into the State Department, we will find you another placement in Washington, DC. If you are accepted in the State Department program but not the Policy Intern Program, you may of course accept the State Department position, just as any other student who gets an internship without being a part of the S&T Policy Intern Program.