1. A member of IAESTE United States.
2. A full-time student in a technical field at an accredited four-year university in the United States. U.S. citizenship is not required.
3. At junior-level standing or above by the time you begin your internship.(Sophmores are encouraged to apply). 
4. Between the ages of 19-30.

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What is a technical field?
Engineering, physical sciences, natural sciences, architecture, computer science, agriculture, and more! If you're not certain whether your major qualifies as technical, please contact us at iaeste@aipt.org.

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Where can I go?
IAESTE United States is part of an international network comprised of more than 80 countries. We typically have opportunities in 30-40 different countries every year. 

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When can I go?
Most of the positions are 8-12 weeks in the summer, but fall and long-term internships are also available. 

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When can I apply?
For the best chance of being matched to an internship, you should apply between September 1 and January 10.  Second-round applications will be accepted between February 19 and May 1.  Applications will be accepted for internships in the upcoming summer or fall only (i.e. students apply between September 1, 2007 and January 10, 2008 for internships in summer or fall 2008). 

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Do I have to speak a foreign language?
No. The vast majority of our internships require only English. However, we do prefer students who have some foreign language experience, as it makes day-to-day life in the host country easier. 

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How much does it cost?
A $50 non-refundable application fee must accompany the initial online application. If you are matched to a position, there is a $100 deposit (refundable upon completion of the internship and submission of evaluation forms) and a $750 program fee ($500 for LC members). You are also responsible for the cost of transportation to and from your host country, health insurance, visa fees (if applicable), and other incidental expenses. In return, your employer will pay you a salary which will cover the cost of living in that country.

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How do I become a member?
You can become a member of IAESTE United States if there is an established Local Committee at your university (click here for current list). To become a member, complete the Online Application at the same time you complete your internship application. If you are interested in starting a Local Committee at your university, please read the guidelines.

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Where will I live?
In most cases, our counterpart organization in your host country will arrange housing for you. Most interns live in university dormitories or shared apartments with other IAESTE interns, though private apartments and home stays are also possible.

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What are my chances of being placed?
It is impossible to determine any individual's chances of being nominated to a position due to the many factors involved in the process. These include field of study, willingness to be flexible in place and type of internship, specific qualifications for different jobs, and language skills. Additionally, we can not predict how many international opportunities will be available or how many students will apply.
 
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1. Choose "submit application,"
2. Choose "IAESTE United States - Technical Internships," and
3. Indicate that you agree to the "terms & conditions".

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OK, I think I am finished. Will I get some kind of notice that my application was received?
Yes. We will send an e-mail confirmation to the e-mail address given with your current address. Please be patient, though; it may take a few days (or even a few weeks) to receive confirmation.

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Will I be able to change my dates of availability later?
Yes. At the time you submit update materials, you will be able to change your dates of availability. 

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I'm moving to a different campus address for the spring semester. How do I change that in the database?
Log back in at https://aps.aipt.org/ and choose "change address." Here, you can change any of the information in your initial profile, including mailing address, telephone number, and passport information.

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When do I get to see the jobs?
The jobs list will be posted no later than January 31, 2008. Log in at https://aps.aipt.org/ and choose "view jobs list." Please do not contact us to inquire about the jobs list prior to February 1.
 
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• Resume/CV
• Two essays; topics are as follows: (please address the following two topics in 250 words per essay or less).
  • Explain your motivations for working abroad and what you hope to gain from this experience.
  • Explain how you are technically qualified for the particular positions that you selected and briefly highlight your skills and experience. (Do not simply rehash your resume).
  • Optional - If you apply for a position that does not list your major, you may also wish to submit a very brief essay describing your field of study and how it still qualifies you for the position.
• Official transcript.
• Proof of enrollment.
• List of all relevant courses (course title, number and a brief description).
• Copy of your passport (if possible -- please read the passport section for details).

• Items such as transcripts and proof of enrollment can be scanned and should be saved as .pdf or .jpg files; please try to compress file size to 1MB or less where possible. Files should be saved at actual physical size when possible (i.e. 8 ½ x 11 inches). Please consult your campus computer lab for assistance with scanning files.
• Adobe offers a free trial version of "Create Adobe PDF Online," in which a new user may create 5 PDF files free of charge.
• We can not accept one zip file for all of your documents. However, if you have more than one page to your transcripts you can scan the pages individually and zip them as one file to upload.
• All updates must be completed no later than 11:59pm EST on February 8!
• Please don't wait until the last minute. If you encounter technical difficulties, our staff will not be available to assist after 5pm EST and your update materials will likely not be accepted unless you can document the problem.

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What about recommendations?
Recommendations are optional. If you would like to send in a recommendation, we will accept recommendations via email or postal mail due to privacy of the recommender. Since the letter will be read by our office and an overseas employer (if you are nominated), letters of recommendation should be addressed "To Whom It May Concern."

Please have your recommender send an e-mail with your recommendation either as an attachment or in the body of the message to outbound@aipt.org, or mail a hard copy to:

IAESTE United States
10400 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 250
Columbia, MD 21044-3519

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I'm an architecture student and would like to submit a portfolio.
Portfolios are optional. If you would like to send in your portfolio, you can send it to IAESTE United States using  the address above, or you can upload a document with the Web address if your portfolio is online. All architecture students must present a portfolio if they are nominated to a job; however, it is optional to send it in at the time of the update. 

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How can I give you an official transcript if I can't mail it? I'll have to break the seal, so doesn't that make it unofficial?
We require all materials except letters of recommendation and architecture portfolios to be uploaded through our online system, so transcripts will need to be scanned. This will indeed require that you open the transcript and void its official status, but that's OK. We are concerned with having a good, clean copy of your academic record, not with having a fully official copy of your transcript. 

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How do I scan?
Please go to your university computer lab to ask for assistance in scanning and uploading documents. You must upload and scan all non-text based documents to complete your application update. We greatly prefer that scanned documents be saved at standard physical sizes (i.e. 8 ½ x 11 inches). Once you scan a document, you can click on it to view it; as a general rule, if you can not see it clearly, neither can we. Please check your documents after you have uploaded them. 

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My transcript is more than one page. How do I upload it?
You can scan the pages separately and create a single PDF file. In addition, you can zip the scanned pages and upload the transcript as one document. 

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Does it have to be an official transcript?
Yes, IAESTE will only accept official transcripts. 

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I'm an international student. Do you need a copy of my visa and I-20?
Not at this time. If you are nominated to a position, we will need copies of your pertinent immigration documents. Please make sure you have met with your International Student Advisor to discuss working abroad and that you fully understand the regulations of your visa/re-entry into the United States. 

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Do I really need to get an official statement of enrollment? Doesn't a transcript prove that I was enrolled?
You do need to get an official statement of enrollment. Overseas employers want to see something that clearly states the dates for which you have been a full-time student. Additionally, this is a requirement for visas/work permits in some countries.

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I'm a transfer student/I'm a graduate student who attended a different university for my undergraduate work. Do I need to submit transcripts from both my old and my current universities?
No. We only need a transcript from your current university. If you feel that it would be to your advantage to submit a transcript from your last university (example: you just completed your first semester of graduate school, and want to send your undergraduate transcript), then please feel free to do so. 

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• Student Nominated Form
• Agreement/Release Form
• Offer Commitment Statement
• Payment for fees, by completing the Payment of Funds Form to use a credit card

All of these documents will be included in the materials sent by our office. Please read these materials very carefully; depending on your particular situation, there may be additional forms to return.
 
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Are you going to send me a hard copy of the stuff in this e-mail?
In most cases, no. In order to expedite the process as much as possible, we are only e-mailing your nomination materials unless you need an original copy of a form. If this is the case, it will be noted in your materials. If you would prefer a hard copy for your records, please let us know and we'll be happy to mail one.

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Can I e-mail this stuff back to you?
In almost all cases, yes*! Most of our documents are Word forms that you can complete, save, and e-mail back to us - no need to mail or fax. In some cases, we need your actual signature; where this is noted, you can sign, scan, and e-mail the forms back as well.
 
For students nominated to a position in certain countries, some original documents are required. You will need to mail these documents to our office - we cannot accept faxes or scanned copies. This will be noted in detail in your nomination materials.

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The Student Nominated Form asks about passport information, and I don't have mine yet. What do I do?
If you are in the process of renewing your passport, please include your old passport information if you have it. If you don't have your old passport information handy, please write "renewal pending" in the passport section. If you've never had a passport and are in the process of applying for one, please write "application pending" in the passport section.

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What dates should I put for the "desired period of training" in the Student Nominated Form?
You should list the exact dates for which you would like to begin and end your internship abroad. Please have a calendar handy so that you can commit to these dates. Some countries' governments get cranky if you change your mind later. Things to keep in mind:

• The acceptable range of dates listed by the employer; your requested dates must fall in here.
• Your last day of classes for the spring semester.
• Your first day of classes for the fall semester: give yourself a few days to get over jetlag!
• Any vacations or other personal events (i.e. weddings, family reunions) you've already committed to
• Any special events taking place over the summer (i.e. Copenhagen GetToGether).
• Countries which request that you start and end your internship at the beginning and end of calendar months (i.e. June 1-July 31).
• Starting and ending on a Monday and Friday respectively.
• Employer vacation dates, during which students normally cannot work.

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When is the deadline for returning all of this stuff?
Look on the first page of the "overview" document included in the e-mail sent by our office. The deadline will be listed there, and that date refers to the deadline for your materials being in our office, not a postmarked date. This is normally 10 days from the date the nomination was sent to you. Please make every effort to have your materials to us by that date, and contact us if something will prevent you from doing so.

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So you need money now too, right?
Yes. Please send payment of your $100 deposit and program fee, which is $500 for members and $750 for at-large members. There will be a credit card form included in your materials; we cannot accept checks unless paying via credit card poses a serious difficulty.

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What happens to the money if I'm not accepted?
Please read our refund policy, which is in the Agreement/Release Form included with your nomination materials. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us.

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I'm not sure if I really want this job now. I might be getting another internship in the U.S., but I won't know for a few weeks. Can I wait to give you an answer?
Unfortunately, no. Our program is set up on a strict calendar, and we must ask that you observe the deadline for response as listed in the "overview" document sent by our office. Because of our extremely high placement rate for nominated students, we must ask that you make a firm commitment to the program at this time. If you are not absolutely certain that this internship is what you want, then please have the courtesy to give your spot to a student who is committed. Instructions for how to reject a position are included in your materials.

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When will I know if I've been accepted?
Most employers make a final decision between early April and May, depending on when your nomination was sent and your start date. If your start date is in the fall, you will most likely hear in May or June. Our office will email you the news as soon as we know, and we will follow up with a hard copy of the employer's written acceptance and some more paperwork.

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What are my chances at this point?
Since you are the only student nominated to this position, you have about a 90% chance of being accepted by the overseas employer, based on our past statistics. Occasionally, an employer will cancel the offer due to a variety of circumstances, usually an unforeseen economic crunch. If that does happen, we will inform you immediately. Do keep in mind that this is rare.

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Since I've been nominated, it seems like I've got a really good chance of being accepted. Can I go ahead and reserve my plane tickets now?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. We highly recommend that you not purchase plane tickets until after you have been formally accepted by the employer and you have any necessary visas/work permits/residence permits in hand. Delays at foreign embassies/consulates are very possible, and we don't want you to lose a nonrefundable plane ticket because of that.

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Should I be researching visas and work permits now?
We know what sort of documentation you will need to do to enter your country of training, and will give you detailed guidelines on what to get and how to get it. In most cases, you won't need to do anything until after you've been accepted. However, in some instances, you will need to begin the application process now. If so, we will include detailed instructions in your application materials.

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I remember reading something about health insurance... Do I have to do anything about that now?
No. We won't be asking about your health insurance coverage until after you've been accepted by the overseas employer. If you happen to have some free time now, it might not be a bad idea to find out if your current health insurance plan is valid overseas. If it's not, don't worry -- we offer reasonably priced health insurance coverage.
 
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