Instructions

When should I start applying to externships? Is there a deadline?

It is best to apply for externships about 3 to 5 months before the start of the semester. Here are a few things to be aware of.

• To apply you must email a completed Externship Application Form (PDF) to the Externship Program Office and send cover letters for your three top sites.
• Most sites do not have a deadline but fill their positions on a rolling basis. Some have lengthy background checks that can take 4 to 5 months.
• A few sites have deadlines and won't accept applications after that point. If the sites have told us about these deadlines, we will include them in our Externship Clinic Newsletter.
• Each seminar has a cap and seminars often fill up well before the start of the semester. Once the seminar is filled, you won’t be able to earn credit, even if you found the site on your own,
• It generally takes 2-4 weeks to get through the whole process — this includes sending a resume and cover letter, scheduling an interview, receiving an offer, and asking the externship program to register you for the seminar. Because of this time frame, we don't usually take applications in the last month before the semester starts.
• There are always more externships looking for students than students looking for externships, so if you start early and keep applying to sites, you are guaranteed to find a position!