Grinnell Corps

 

Grinnell Corps Applications

Selection Process Timeline

  • Monday, February 4, 2013: Completed applications due to the Office of Social Commitment, 1233 Park St., by 5:00 pm
  • Late February/Early March: Interviews of qualified candidates (see individual dates, below)
  • Early March: Notification of Fellows and alternates
  • Friday, March 15, 2013: Deadline to accept or decline Grinnell Corps offers (may be extended on a case-by-case basis)

UPDATE: Selection Process Timeline for Thailand

The Grinnell Corps: Thailand search has been reopened in order to find a second fellow.  The deadline for applications for this second fellowship will be on Monday, April 22 at 5:00pm.  The application form and recommendation form have not been updated with this date, so please be sure that your recommenders know of the correct deadline.  We expect that interviews will be held sometime in early May.  The committee members are likely to be the same as those listed below.

Committee Members

For the New Orleans and Thailand programs, our host partners will also have a voice in the review of written applications.  Doug Cutchins administers each committee, but is not a voting member of the committees.

Grinnell:  Susan Sanning (Community Service), Rachel Porath (MICA), Chris Hunter (Sociology), and Janet Davis (Computer Science) 

Lesotho:  George Drake (President Emeritus), Jean Ketter (Education), Jon Andelson (Anthropology), and Gwen Varley '11 (returned fellow)

Namibia: Kathy Jacobson (Biology), David Campbell (Biology), Eliza Willis (Political Science), and Emily Westergaard Hamilton '02 (returned fellow) 

Nanjing:  David Harrison (International Studies), Scott Cook (Chinese), Lesley Wright (Faulconer Gallery), and Claire Moisan (ALSO) 

New Orleans: Dan Hirsch (Student Affairs), Elizabeth Trimmer (Chemistry), Deanna Shorb (Chaplain), and Tim Dobe (Religious Studies)

Thailand: Cori Jakubiak (Education), Mark Peltz (Career Development), Johanna Meehan (Philosophy), and Roger Vetter (Music) 

Overview of Application

Each Grinnell Corps program requires the following application elements, which should be submitted in the following order:

  1. Application Form
  2. Permission Form and Waiver
  3. Passport Copy
  4. Relevant Coursework
  5. Personal Statement
  6. Unofficial Transcript
  7. Resume
  8. Letters of Recommendation

Explanations of all of these elements follow. Please ensure that all application documents comply with these submission guidelines. Applicants who are applying to more than one program must turn in separate copies of similar forms for each program; for example, if you are applying for three different programs, you must turn in three separate copies of the application form, as well as three unofficial transcripts, even though they will be the same for all three programs. The exceptions to this are the Permission Form and Waiver and the Passport Copy; we only need one copy each of the permission form/waiver and passport copy, no matter how many programs you are applying for.

Application Form

You must submit a separate copy of the application form for each program for which you are applying. This has been formatted in Adobe Acrobat to allow applicants to type directly onto it and print it, though you may not be able to save your work. Please note that there are three program-specific questions on this form; you may leave these spaces blank if they are not applicable.

Permission Form and Waiver

All applicants must initial and sign this form. Please note that having been convicted of an academic honesty or conduct offense does not carry an automatic disqualification from the Grinnell Corps; each committee will review the details of an applicant's infraction and make their own decisions.

Passport Copy

Attach one copy of the photo and signature page of your passport; make sure that the information is legible and your photograph is clear. If you do not have a passport, you must apply for one and include a copy of the paperwork demonstrating that you have already done so. The passport copy is requested only for administrative reasons, is not a part of the selection process, and will not be given to committee members. This is not required of candidates who are only applying for domestic programs in Grinnell and New Orleans.

Relevant Coursework

No form is included for this application element, but it is required for all applications. On a separate piece of paper, list any courses (including foreign language study) you have had which you consider relevant to your interest in the Grinnell Corps program to which you are applying. For each course, please list the course number, title, the number of credit hours you received for this course, the semester you took this course, and the grade you received. Also include a short (1-2 sentences) statement as to how this course is relevant to the position you are applying for. Be aware that committees may also ask you to explain the relevance of certain courses during an interview.

Personal Statement

Write a three- to four-page double-spaced essay in which you explain in some detail why you wish to participate in this program. You should discuss your background, your college years, and your personal goals and aspirations. Include any particular strengths that you feel would contribute to your successful participation in this program (e.g. academic background, previous overseas travel or contact with other cultures, extracurricular activities, special interests, hobbies). You should also address what you perceive to be the key challenges to participating in this program, and how you expect to handle these challenges. The personal statement provides an opportunity for you to give us a sense of yourself as a person likely to derive genuine benefit from the opportunities which the program provides, so you should also explain how participating in this program will impact your future plans. Given the large differences between programs, students who are applying to multiple programs would be wise to submit a different essay with each application.

Advice on writing personal statements

Unofficial Transcript

Each application must include an unofficial transcript, which you may obtain from the Registrar's Office in the Chrystal Center. Please note that a copy of your academic history printed from PioneerWeb is not acceptable.

Resume

Include a one-page resume specifically tailored to address the program to which you are applying. Resumes should include your extracurricular activities, employment history, and honors and awards. Except in extraordinary cases, students are well-advised to keep their resume to one page.

Letters of Recommendation

All programs require two letters of recommendation for each applicant. Letter-writers should be chosen carefully, and should be people who know you well and can speak to your ability to carry out the Fellowship to which you are applying. For example, students who are applying for teaching Fellowships would be wise to choose faculty members who can address the student's oral and written presentation skills, or the student's study of a foreign language. At least one of the letters must come from a Grinnell College faculty member. Grinnell Corps committee members may write letters of recommendation if they so choose (some faculty members have an individually-formulated policy against writing letters when they will serve on the committee). Letters should be submitted directly to the Office of Social Commitment by the author.

Advice for students on obtaining letters of recommendation