CWS Identified Internship Programs

Overview and Information Sessions
Eligibility and Application Process
Participation Guidelines and Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions

Overview and Information Sessions

Overview
The Center for Work and Service (CWS) Identified Internship Programs place Wellesley sophomores and juniors in pre-selected internships with organizations across the United States and around the world. Each summer approximately 75 students are matched with internship opportunities in their areas of interest, including human rights, laboratory research, ecological conservation, social service, public policy, and business. Students live together in housing provided by the CWS, allowing them to compare, share, and deepen the insights they gain from the internship experience. Whenever possible the Identified Internship Programs connect interns with Wellesley alumnae in the city or country of the internship for mentorship and social outings.

A CWS Identified Internship recipient is awarded the following: 1) direct airfare to and from her internship site. Originating and destination points must be Boston, a study abroad site, or current residence; 2) housing at the internship site; 3) $3,500 stipend. Local housing is arranged by our site coordinators. Although we take much care to ensure the safety of all students, not all cities around the world offer the same level of development and comfort. For this reason, housing in the developing countries where we offer internships may be more humble than the norm in most U.S. cities. Please see the Wellesley College Internship and Stipend Programs page for more details, and attend our information meetings.

Information Sessions
The CWS holds general and specific informational meetings. Our workshop, “Finding an Internship,” will help students search for their own internships as well as answer general questions on CWS Identified Internship and Stipend Programs.

Specific informational meetings for all CWS Identified Internship programs will be held after Thanksgiving break, please see the CWS Calendar for details. These sessions will provide students the opportunity to ask questions to the CWS staff on specific programs, as well as hear from students who participated in past years.

The Lumpkin Summer Institute for Service Learning Information Session: February 4, 2008 - 4:30-5:30 p.m.
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Eligibility and Application Process

Eligibility
CWS Identified Internship programs are open to sophomores and juniors. Neither first-years nor seniors are eligible to apply. First-year students are encouraged to attend our informational meetings to learn about the programs and become familiar with the application process and requirements. Good ways to prepare for our selective application process are choosing relevant courses, strengthening language skills, and pursuing other summer internship opportunities.

Students may submit only one application to the CWS Identified Internship programs per deadline, indicating both their first and second choice placements each year. Please see the Wellesley College Internship and Stipend Programs page for more information.

Since the purpose of the program is to provide new learning experiences, students may not apply to internships in their city or country of residence. For example, a San Francisco resident may apply to all internships except the American Cities Internships in San Francisco. A Seoul, South Korea, resident may apply to all internships except for the Elizabeth Luce Moore ’24 Internship program in Korea. The Lumpkin Institute for Service Learning is the only exception to this rule, as a goal of the program is to gain a new perspective on and develop connections to the local community.

Application Process
The deadline for most Identified Internship programs is noon, January 8, 2008. The Lumpkin Institute for Service Learning, Low Vision Center, Social Accountability International, and SoundWaters is noon, March 5, 2008. Applications for the Low Vision Center, Social Accountability International, and SoundWaters have a different deadline than those for the rest of the CWS Identified Internship Programs. For details please click on the specific program on the CWS Identified Internships chart. You are welcome to send your application early, but we will not begin to review applications until these deadlines; applications are not on a rolling basis.

Applying to the CWS Identified Internship program is a four step process:

Complete the CWS Online Identified Internship Application. Please note: When completing the application, examples of Site Names include: Action India, ProParques, High Museum of Art, and Astia. You selct the program you are applying to from the drop-down menu (first and second choice) and enter the site name you are interested in from that program.
Register with monsterTRAK and upload essay, resume, and transcript.* Don't forget to apply via interviewTRAK! Click here for important detailed directions.
Ask a faculty member to submit a letter of reference in your name. Click here for directions.
Ask a faculty member to submit a language reference form in your name. There is no language requirement for the Lumpkin Program. Click here for directions.

* Your transcript may be unofficial. You may use the version available from Banner.

Application Essays
The essay is an important component of the application and is treated very seriously by the selection committee. Applicants are strongly encouraged to write, review, and have their essays critiqued for content and grammar. The writing tutors at the PLTC are a great resource. For information, please see The Role of the Essay in a Competitive Selection Process.

Write an 800-word essay, addressing the following:

Briefly outline your expected responsibilities at the organization.
Describe what you expect to gain from the program and how the internship for which you are applying relates to your career goals.
Explain specific qualifications you have that will contribute to your success at this internship (e.g., academics, language fluency, past domestic and international experiences).
If applicable, include a paragraph describing how your second choice organization also matches your goals and skills.
How would you represent Wellesley’s values and purpose if selected for this program? What legacy representing Wellesley would you leave?

Selection Process
The first step in the selection process is a review and ranking of applications by faculty members and CWS staff. The selection committee will then invite a number of selected students to interview in person, or on the telephone if the student is studying abroad.

Priority will be given to juniors over sophomores. With all other things being equal, preference is given to students with financial need and those who have not previously received a CWS sponsored internship or stipend.

Selection will be based on the following criteria:

Evidence of preparation for specific placements through relevant course work, employment, previous internships, travel, or other experience;
Demonstration of initiative, maturity, adaptability, and responsibility, as indicated by a candidate’s application materials, research of the organization, and interview;
Enthusiasm in conducting herself as a representative of Wellesley College;
Overall diversity of the group;
Level of required proficiency in the foreign language of the host country and enthusiasm for learning languages, depending on the needs of each internship.

Selections will be announced at the end of February for all programs with a January 8 deadline and the end of March for programs with a March 5 deadline. Once a student has been accepted to an Identified Internship program she will have one week to accept or decline her internship placement. If she accepts the opportunity, she will be required to sign a letter of commitment to the program. Additionally, students who choose to participate must sign a letter agreeing to abide by listed responsibilities as explained in the Wellesley College Honor Code.

Internships are nontransferable. If a student is selected to work for one organization, she will not be able to transfer to another organization. An Identified Internship award may only be used for the organization listed on the application.

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Participation Guidelines and Requirements

Guidelines
Students pursuing an internship in the U.S. are advised to conduct research on the city or town in which the internship is located, paying particular attention to visitor services, safety, and crime statistics. This information may often be found on the official Web site of the area police department, or on the Web site of the local mayor. Staff members at the internship site may also be able to provide this information.

Students pursuing international internships are required to read and sign the Wellesley College Safety Policy for International Programs and visit the U.S. Department of States Web site at http://www.state.gov.

Program participants should read the following materials prior to the orientation meeting to become acquainted with further details of the program. Students are also encouraged to visit the International SOS Program. International SOS provides emergency medical services to all Wellesley College students participating in a CWS Identified Internship outside the USA.

CWS Internship Program Handbook

Guidelines for CWS Identified Internship Travel

Pre-Travel Screening Form

International SOS Program

here

Requirements
All internship awardees will be required to attend a CWS orientation. Dates and times of these meetings will be posted in the CWS Calendar.

Participation requirements:

All internship recipients are required to complete 350 hours over a ten week internship that will start on or before June 4, 2008.
Participants in the program are required to contact the CWS internship staff prior to the beginning of their internship and provide a fairly detailed description of the internship opportunity as agreed to with their immediate supervisor.
Award recipients are required to:

attend a series of mandatory meetings prior to departure. At these meetings, students will be given a CWS contract, which must be completed and returned to the CWS before the beginning of the internship and before an internship stipend check can be issued.
complete a mid-summer summary review of their experience. This review must be received at CWS no later than the 7th week. Please check the CWS calendar for this year’s deadline date.
Submit an essay reviewing their summer experience. These must be received by 3rd week of fall semester. Please check the CWS calendar for the specific deadline date.
students are required to submit a thank you note to their organizations no later than three weeks from the start of the fall semester.
students are required to attend an individual “debriefing” session with a CWS Identified Internships staff member. If she is unable to attend, the student must make arrangements to meet or speak by phone with a CWS Identified Internship staff member before the 4th week of classes. The CWS office is able to make arrangements to speak by phone or skype with students going abroad after the internship, so students living abroad will not be excused from this requirement.
all materials must be submitted to the Identified Internships 2008 conference by October 3, 2008, except for the thank you note which will be submitted to the CWS. Failure to meet all these requirements will result in the forfeit of the remainder of the internship stipend.

4. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Tanner Conference, a one-day conference held each fall that celebrates the incorporation of students’ off-campus learning experiences into their education. The conference provides a venue for students to reflect critically upon, analyze, and share their off-campus experiences with others in the college community through panel presentations, roundtables, and information sessions.

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Identified Internship FAQs

Who can apply for the Identified Internships Programs?
When is the deadline for the Identified Internship Programs?
Can I apply to more than one internship? Can my site choices be in two different programs?
Last summer I received an Identified Internship from the CWS. May I apply again this summer? What if I received a stipend?
I am a first-year student. Can I apply to the Identified Internship Program?
Do I have to select a second choice placement?
Do I need to write about both my first and second choices in the essay?
Can I participate in the Identified Internship in my city or country of residence? What if I live in the suburb of the city?
What are the dates for the Identified Internship Programs? May I start late or end early?
Do I have to be fluent in the language of the country of the program to which I am applying?
I am applying to an Identified Internship that does not have a language requirement. Do I still need a language reference form? What if I am a native speaker of the language?
Does my transcript need to be official?
Are taxes taken out of my stipend?
What kind of housing is provided by the CWS? Can I opt out of the provided housing?
May I layover in another country for a week on my way home from the internship?

Who can apply for the Identified Internships Programs?
Sophomores and juniors are eligible for the Identified Internship Programs, with one exception - only juniors are eligible for the American Cities Internship Program. Please see the internship Eligibility and Application section for complete details.

When is the deadline for the Identified Internship Programs?
The deadline for most Identified Internship Programs is noon, January 8, 2008. The deadline for the Lumpkin Institute for Service Learning, Low Vision Center, Social Accountability International, and SoundWaters is noon, March 5, 2008.

Can I apply to more than one Identified Internship? Can my site choices be in two different programs?
Yes, students may select up to two Identified Internship placements. However, students will complete only one application, indicating both their first and second choices. Your site choices can be in two different programs. For example, a student may indicate Studio Shanghai, LUCE China, as her first choice and BCV Architects, American Cities, as her second choice. Students may submit one application to the CWS per Identified Internship Deadline (January 8th and March 5th, 2008). A student may also submit an application to the CWS Summer Stipend Program.

Last summer I received an Identified Internship from the CWS. May I apply again this summer? What if I received a stipend?
You may submit one application per deadline to the Identified Internship Programs each academic year, even if you received funding from the CWS before. While you may receive only one CWS stipend during your time at Wellesley College, the opportunity exists to participate more than once in the Identified Internship Programs. With all else being equal, preference is given to those students who have not previously received funding for an Identified Internship.

I am a first-year student. Can I apply to the Identified Internship Program?
No, first-year students are not eligible to apply either to the Identified Internship Programs or to the CWS Summer Stipend Program. However, the CWS will help you find an internship on your own! Please come in for a drop-in session with a counselor.

Do I have to select a second choice placement?
While you do not have to select a second choice placement, doing so increases your chance of participation in the program.

Do I need to write about both my first and second choices in the essay?
Yes, you must write about both your first and second choice placements in ONE essay. Please see the Application Process for details.

Can I participate in the Identified Internship in my city or country of residence? What if I live in the suburb of the city?
No, you may not participate in an Identified Internship in the city or country of your residence. If you live in the vicinity of the greater metropolitan area of the city in which the program is held, you may not participate in that program.

What are the dates for the Identified Internship Programs? May I start late or end early?
Most Identified Internship Programs begin on June 2, 2008, and last for ten weeks. If you are studying abroad before or after the internship, and your program dates conflict by a short period, you may request permission to change the dates. Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis. Please contact Tere Ramos: tramos@wellesley.edu before signing your letter of commitment to the program.

Do I have to be fluent in the language of the country of the program to which I am applying?
While the CWS does not require you to be fluent in the language of a host country, language requirements vary by program and organization. Depending upon the specific placement to which you are applying, you may not need to be fluent in the language of the country in which you are seeking an internship. You should check the organization description on the CWS Identified Internship Blog to see if the organization you are applying to has a language requirement.

I am applying to an Identified Internship that does not have a language requirement. Do I still need a language reference form? What if I am a native speaker of the language?
Unless you are applying to the American Cities Internship Program or AKES Uganda, you will need to complete a language reference form. Please read the Language Reference Form Instructions for details. If you are a native speaker of the country and Wellesley has a department in that language, please contact the department and ask them to provide verification of your language skills. If you need help with this process contact, Tere Ramos: tramos@wellesley.edu.

Does my transcript need to be official?
No, your transcript does not need to be official. You may copy the online version from Banner.

Are taxes taken out of my stipend?
Tax information for U.S. citizens:
Fellowship and Scholarship Grants are not payments for services rendered but may still be taxable. The taxability is dependent upon how the funds are used. To help students determine the taxability of these payments the IRS issues Publication 970, “Tax Benefits for Education.” To obtain a copy of Publication 970, go to http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/index.html. The IRS publication is updated each calendar year.

Tax information for non-resident aliens:
Fellowship and Scholarship payments made to non-resident aliens are subject to a 14% federal tax withholding. Tax treaty provisions may allow non-resident aliens to claim exemption from federal tax withholding on teaching assistantships and fellowships. The IRS requires the college to report fellowship and scholarship payments to non-residents aliens on a 1042-S form. Non-resident aliens are required to file Form 1040NR each calendar year using the information provided on Form 1042-S. To help students determine the taxability of these payments the IRS issues Publication 970, “Tax Benefits for Education.” To obtain a copy of Publication 970, go to http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/index.html. The IRS publication is updated each calendar year.

What kind of housing is provided by the CWS? Can I opt out of the provided housing?
Housing provided by the CWS varies depending on location. The housing is always simple, clean, and safe. You may not opt out of the housing provided by the CWS.

May I layover in another country for a week on my way home from the internship?
If you choose to adapt your travel plans to any route other than the most direct or cost-effective, or extend your travel time, you will be responsible for all additional costs incurred. Please read the Travel Overview and Guidelines.

For more information contact Tere Ramos, CWS, tramos@wellesley.edu, ext. 2607.

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