Application
Your Guide to the Peace Corps
Application Process
On average the application process takes nine to twelve months.
If you would like to move your application along quickly it is
important to turn all paperwork in as soon as possible. Before
you are matched with a country and a program, Peace Corps makes sure
you meet at least the minimum program qualifications, and are
medically, legally and financially cleared. Each clearance is one
step in the application process.
You have control over how fast
the process moves along any time you have paperwork in your hand.
The faster you return the requested paperwork, the faster your
application moves along. Some steps in the application process
are out of your control and Peace Corps asks you to remain in contact
with your Recruiter or Placement Officer and be patient.
Your file can be updated throughout your application process. If
your address or telephone number changes, it is important to make the
update through MyToolkit, which you will be able to access shortly after
completing the online application. You can withdraw
your application at any point during the process but you must contact
your Recruiter or Placement Officer IMMEDIATELY so another eligible
candidate can be considered for the position Peace Corps was reserving
for you. You can also put your file on hold for up to one year.
This gives you time to gain more experience or complete something
you have been working on. You must contact your Recruiter or
Placement Officer as soon as you know you need an extension so your
file can be handled accordingly.
Your Recruiter can withdraw your
application if one month has passed with no communication from you, or if you
have missed any established deadlines. It is important to stay in contact
with your Recruiter during the first THREE steps (listed below) of
your application process and as needed through the remaining steps.
To make your application process slightly easier
we've laid out some basic steps for you:
Step 1: Application
- Complete and submit your application
on-line at the Peace Corps web site.
- Peace Corps no longer accepts paper applications. If you have already
applied and filled out a paper application, don't worry - it's still valid.
- To make completing the application as easy as possible, you
will want to have the following information on hand:
- Complete work history including dates of employment, physical
address & telephone number and the name of your supervisor.
- A list of all volunteer programs and activities you have
participated in. Peace Corps is looking for a commitment to
volunteerism and community service. You will need to complete the name
of the sponsoring organization, the dates you volunteered with them and
the activities you were doing.
- A list of all schools you have attended and copies of all
certifications/licenses you may have (CPR/First Aid, Teaching, EMT,
etc).
- A list of all financial responsibilities (credit cards,
mortgages, car loans, school loans).
- A complete history of any prior offenses, arrests or warrants
for arrest (not including parking tickets, speeding or similar).
- The full name, address and telephone numbers for 3 people you
would like to serve as your reference. Do not ask these people to write
you a letter at this point and time. They will be sent a form to
complete once Peace Corps has received your application. Choose your
references wisely. There are many applicants whose files could not be
forwarded to the next step because a reference had not
returned the necessary paperwork. Choose people you know will be prompt
with filling out and returning the form. One reference should be from a work
supervisor, another from a volunteer supervisor, and the last from a friend
or coworker.
- There are two essays you must write. The first is a short essay
describing any cross-cultural experience you have experienced. This
essay is not a discussion of the places you have travelled or sites you
have seen. Rather you should discuss an experience when you realized
you were either in another culture or were interacting with someone
from a different culture. This can be a description a conversation you
had with someone or how you felt being in a different culture or
working with someone from a different culture.
- Once you have all of this information together it should be
relatively easy to complete the application. When you are happy with
how you can answered all of the questions (including the Health Survey)
you can submit it on-line or via the mail. Applications should not be
E-mailed to your recruiter.
Step 2: Additonal Forms
- After submitting your Peace Corps application your Recruiter
will review your application.
- If qualified, your Recruiter will then contact you and send you a packet of
information and a letter outlining how to complete additional forms
also enclosed in the packet.
- The packet will contain information describing the programs you
may be qualified for. The packet will also include additional forms to
complete. Some of the information being requested on these forms may
seem like a repeat of your interview. These forms allow you to expand
upon your skills and really highlight what you can do. Take the time to
complete them as fully as possible.
- Get all this information back to your recruiter as soon as
possible.
Step 3: Interview
- When you have completed the paperwork from Step 2 contact your
Recruiter to set up an interview.
- The interview is a chance for your Recruiter to get to know you
and for you to ask any questions you have about Peace Corps. On average
the interview takes an hour and fifteen minutes (or three hours for couples). Applicants are
expected to treat this as a professional interview and should come
prepared and dressed accordingly.
Step 4: Nomination & Medical
- After your interview and paperwork are complete your
application enters a pool of applications from all over the U.S. Your
recruiter is trying to create a tentative match between
your skills and requests with the needs and requests of all PC country
offices. When you are able to leave, what you are qualified to do and
to a lesser extent what language skills you have play heavily into
creating this match. Your recruiter is limited to what countries and
programs are still open.
- Once he/she has identified a one or more likely matches you
will be contacted and asked to choose the one you prefer. If you have a
regional preference and you do not get it - it is often because you are
not qualified for any of the programs being implemented in that area,
those programs have already been filled or your departure time-frame
does not match when that country/region is receiving volunteers for
training.
- Once you have been nominated to a program and a region you
should expect to receive a medical packet in 2-3 weeks. If you do not
receive this packet by the 4th week contact your recruiter.
- With medical and dental forms in hand, visit your doctor and
dentist to have them completed. Depending on your medical history, you
may need to visit more than one doctor. It is very important to have
ALL forms filled out thoroughly. The information provided will be used
to determine whether you are medically eligible to serve as a PC
Volunteer AND it becomes your medical file in the country you
eventually serve in. Make sure your doctor and dentist understand the
importance of these forms and the will become your complete medical
history for the medical professionals caring for you overseas. If the
paperwork is not completed to the satisfaction of the PC medical
office, you will be asked to complete them again.
- NOTE: you will not be responsible for paying for all
medical and dental appointments during the application process. You
will receive forms to give to your doctor/dentist so that they can bill
Peace Corps insurance.
- Send in all medical and dental forms to the stated addresses.
- Now the waiting begins. It takes a minimum of 6 weeks for
medical to review and process your paperwork. During this time they may
contact you to request more information or ask questions If/When they
medically and dentally clear you, your file moves to the legal and
security departments.
Step 5: Placement
It usually takes 4 to 12 months from the time you first submit your
application until you leave for you country of service.
Step 6: Pack your bags and make a difference!
Peace Corps
207 Morrill Hall
University of Vermont
Burlington VT 05401
Tel. 802-656-8269
E-mail: peace.corps@uvm.edu
Last modified August 27 2009 11:07 PM
