Why English and Creative Writing Majors Should Be in DC this Fall
The deadline for the fall semester Illinois in Washington program is April 1, and you don’t need to have your internship lined up in advance. In fact, many employers don’t even start advertising internships until May, so you’ll have plenty of time over the summer to find the right internship for you.
Once you express interest in the program by emailing Prof. Susan Dimock, you will start getting announcements of internship openings. You’ll get even more once you officially apply.
Prof. Dimock, who lives in DC and has been running this program for years, knows everything there is to know about getting a job in Washington. She will help you craft a first-rate resume and cover letter to get the internship you want. (She’s also really nice and approachable!
There are a LOT more opportunities in DC in the fall than there are in the summer. Most are unpaid, but everyone has a better shot at the available paid internships simply because there is less competition.
The cost is similar to spending a semester living in the dorms, particularly if you budget to account for the higher cost of living in DC.
You don’t have to find your own housing and social life comes ready-made. You’ll share a studio apartment with a fellow student in a building housing student interns from all over the country.
You’ll take 12 credits, 3 of which can be an online course of your choosing.
Contrary to popular belief, government agencies and non-profits in DC aren’t looking for political science majors, econ majors, or hard-core politics junkies. They want people who can communicate well. They like the sound of “English major”–that sounds like a person who can write. They want that and don’t see enough of it.
International students can’t get internships in the federal government, and paid internships can be complicated, but they ARE eligible for jobs in congressional offices, think-tanks, not-for-profit organizations, and the embassies/consulates of their home countries. Organizations that have an international focus are particularly open to hiring international students, regardless of home country.
semester Illinois in Washington program is April 1, and you don’t need to have your internship lined up in advance. In fact, many employers don’t even start advertising internships until May, so you’ll have plenty of time over the summer to find the right internship for you.
will start getting announcements of internship openings. You’ll get even more once you officially apply.