Welcome to my Washington, D.C. blog! For anyone who isn't aware, I'm spending Fall Quarter 2012 in D.C. with the UCDC Program. In this blog I'll be talking about my experiences in D.C. as well as tips for any prospective UCDC students. If you have a question for me, feel free to leave a comment and I'll address it in my next post!
As of right now, I have seven weeks before I leave for D.C. Still a while, but I can't wait! I have my plane ticket booked already (for anyone in the logistics stage, I'd recommend Southwest Airlines since you can check two bags for free) and have been accepted to my dream internship with the US Department of State.
I have some friends who are still searching for an internship, so I'll talk a bit about the timing. For a fall internship in D.C., you want to apply early... but not so early that your application gets lost in the summer internship files. For Congressional internships or most of the executive departments (Justice, Defense, etc.), I'd recommend May/June. If you want to work in a smaller organization, you can even wait until July, although getting your application in earliest is always best! However, some internships (like the State Department and White House) require an intensive background check, so you may need to apply as early as February/March. I applied for my State Department internship back in the beginning of March, before the UCDC application was even due. If you want one of those hyper-competitive internships that make you apply before you even know if you'll be going to D.C. at all, I'd say go for it! It never hurts to send in an application. And the truth is that if you're a great enough applicant to be accepted to a high-profile internship, then you're a great enough applicant to be accepted to the UCDC Program.
As of right now, I have seven weeks before I leave for D.C. Still a while, but I can't wait! I have my plane ticket booked already (for anyone in the logistics stage, I'd recommend Southwest Airlines since you can check two bags for free) and have been accepted to my dream internship with the US Department of State.
I have some friends who are still searching for an internship, so I'll talk a bit about the timing. For a fall internship in D.C., you want to apply early... but not so early that your application gets lost in the summer internship files. For Congressional internships or most of the executive departments (Justice, Defense, etc.), I'd recommend May/June. If you want to work in a smaller organization, you can even wait until July, although getting your application in earliest is always best! However, some internships (like the State Department and White House) require an intensive background check, so you may need to apply as early as February/March. I applied for my State Department internship back in the beginning of March, before the UCDC application was even due. If you want one of those hyper-competitive internships that make you apply before you even know if you'll be going to D.C. at all, I'd say go for it! It never hurts to send in an application. And the truth is that if you're a great enough applicant to be accepted to a high-profile internship, then you're a great enough applicant to be accepted to the UCDC Program.
