OCS-Students: Global / Weissman

International Funding: Weissman International Internship Program

The Weissman International Internship Program was established in 1994 by Paul ('52) and Harriet Weissman to help foster the development of Harvard College students' understanding of the global community in which they will live and work. The Weissman Program, administered through the International Experience Program (IEP) of the Office of Career Services, provides financial support for specific full-time overseas internships arranged and proposed to the selection committee by sophomores and juniors of Harvard College.

Internship proposals from students will be accepted in any professional area, including both the profit and nonprofit sectors, and must be located in any non-U.S. geographic region. Internships, which must be a minimum of eight weeks, ordinarily take place during the summer. Internships are usually 8-12 weeks in duration, but longer internship proposals or those at other times of the year may be considered. Students develop their internship proposals independently or in consultation with Weissman Program staff; in either case, Office of Career Services resources are fully available.

HOW TO APPLY TO THE
WEISSMAN INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:

The application deadline for 2008 has now passed.
Please check back in late fall for 2009 application information.

If you experience any problems with printing or preparing your application materials, please contact the International Experience Program (IEP) well before the noon deadline on Tuesday, February 5, 2008. We strongly recommend that you review the Applicant Instruction Sheet as soon as possible.

1. REGISTER with CARAT ~ Common Application for Research and Travel. NOTE: Although the Weissman Program funds career exploration (not thesis research or travel), you are still required to register with CARAT. The cover sheets that you complete are for the purposes of data collection only and are an important part of your completed application. Please print a copy of your CARAT cover sheets (registration and budget) to include with your application.

2. DOWNLOAD required application materials:

- Applicant Instruction Sheet
- Supplemental Weissman Program Forms (This includes the Supplemental Weissman Program Application Form, the Supplemental Weissman Program Budget Form, and the Waiver Forms for Letters of Recommendation.)

3. SUBMIT in person no later than 12:00 noon on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 in the OCS Conference Room the following documents. Note: This is a non-negotiable deadline, and applications received after this deadline will not be considered. Early submissions are encouraged!

o CARAT cover sheets (registration and budget)
o Supplemental Weissman Program Application Form
o Supplemental Weissman Program Budget Form
o Resume
o Official Transcript
o Internship Proposal
o Letter of Invitation from Employer/Sponsor
o Information on the Internship Sponsor
o Two Letters of Recommendation
o Waiver Forms for Letters of Recommendation

If you have problems or questions about using these forms, please contact Lisa Unangst at lunangst@fas.harvard.edu or (617) 495-3530. For CARAT technical questions, please contact FAS Administrative Computing Support at admincmp@fas.harvard.edu or 617-495-7983.

Eligibility and Selection

Only students who are in their sophomore or junior year at the time of application are eligible to apply to the program. Students must have written confirmation of their internship by the application deadline. Applications without an official letter of invitation from the host organization for a specific internship will not be accepted. Since the program's goal is to foster new, work-related experiences, applications will not be considered from students proposing an internship in their own country or for thesis research or study. In addition, because the process of finding and arranging an internship is a key educational component of this experience, internships arranged by a third party organization will not be considered.

Students are selected to be Weissman International Interns based upon the quality of their internship proposal and their own academic and personal accomplishments. Evidence of appropriate academic background, relevant work or research experience, and language preparation sufficient to meet the demands of the internship will be important criteria in the selection of the interns. Academic performance and personal recommendations from faculty and others will also be considered.

The internship should offer an exceptional opportunity for professional, intellectual, and personal growth through a combination of work, observation, instruction, and cultural immersion. The commitment of both internship sponsor and student to making the experience something more than simply a "typical summer job" will be weighed in selecting a student to become a Weissman International Intern. It is important that the sponsor and the student communicate personally about the internship, sharing their expectations and goals in order to build a foundation for a successful experience.

Program Administration

A committee chaired by the Director of the Weissman Program and including members of the University faculty and administration will be responsible for selecting Weissman Interns. Awards will be announced in April. Students selected to participate as interns will be expected to commit to fulfilling the terms and duties of the Weissman Program as well of those of their internship placement.

A pre-departure orientation program will provide a forum for interns to become acquainted with each other and the different internships on which they will be embarking. It will also help them prepare for their experience by providing an opportunity to discuss the varying roles and expectations of interns in a new work environment, how to form positive relationships with internship sponsors, health concerns, and cultural sensitivity while living abroad.

Interns will be expected to stay in touch with the Weissman Program staff at the Office of Career Services during their internship experience. Upon their return, interns will be required to file a written report and to attend a program debriefing. They will also be expected to participate in group meetings to share their experiences with the Harvard community and to serve as mentors to other students in the College who may consider pursuing a similar overseas internship.