How to prepare
This page provides tips for ensuring your application is as strong as possible.
General
It is important that you demonstrate an understanding of Teach For America in your written application and interviews. Learn more about our mission and impact by browsing our website, speaking with a recruiter, or requesting a copy of our brochure.
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Application
While this may sound obvious, we recommend that you complete your application carefully and thoughtfully, highlighting your strengths and avoiding typos or other errors.
The best way to begin is to start an application and review the questions. Knowing what is required and not required will help you allot enough time to complete the entire application. As a quick preview, you will be asked to submit personal information as well as:
Unlike most graduate schools, we do not require recommendations at the application stage, though we do collect and consider two Online Recommendation Forms if you are invited to a phone interview.
Writing
Given that most corps members are required to pass teacher entrance exams in reading and writing skills regardless of the grade level taught, we purposefully evaluate each candidate’s level of proficiency in writing. Before submitting your application, we encourage you to review your application against our writing proficiency standards.
Applications that contain multiple errors may be rejected on this basis.
Writing Proficiency Standards
| Not acceptable |
Exemplary |
Essays or letters characterized by any of the following:
- Does not answer the question or significantly veers from initial point
- No clear thesis or point
- Paragraphs include unconnected ideas
- No logical transitions
- Short undeveloped paragraphs
- Inadequate reasons, examples or details to explain ideas
- Contains multiple errors in word usage, grammar, and mechanics
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Essays and letters characterized by all of the following:
- Clearly answers application questions, makes a profound point; stays on topic
- Has a logical and insightful progression of ideas throughout the essay
- Clearly explains key ideas, supporting them with well chosen reasons, examples, or details
- Varies sentence structure effectively
- Chooses words carefully and correctly
- Contains no errors in word usage, grammar, or mechanics
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Resume
An effective resume will highlight your achievements in clear and specific language, and generally will not exceed one page. While you can choose to order your resume’s topics in a sequence that makes the most sense given your recent history, be sure to address each of the following areas:
- Academic Achievement: You should include name(s) of degree(s), major(s), minor(s), cumulative GPA, and GPA in major. You should also describe any other academic achievements (thesis, honors program, academic awards, etc.).
- Work Experience/Extracurricular Activities: You should include information about your recent work experience and/or involvement in extracurricular activities. If you have served in a leadership role, (e.g., founder, vice president, executive board member, manager, trainer, supervisor) describe the nature of your role and the size of the group/team you led. Please also include any specific, measurable achievements and awards (if applicable).
Letter of intent
All applicants write a 500-word letter of intent that asks:
Why do you seek to join Teach For America? What do you hope to accomplish as a corps member?
We recommend outlining your response to the letter of intent question before beginning to write. This will ensure that you've answered the question thoroughly and that you've structured your response logically. We will evaluate the quality of your writing in addition to the substance of your response. Given this, before uploading the final version of your letter of intent, evaluate it against the writing proficiency standards and make any necessary edits.
Essay
All applicants write a 500-word essay in response to the following prompt:
Describe a time when you encountered serious obstacles to success while working on a project. You may choose any academic, professional, or extracurricular project you have worked on during the past four years.
Your essay should address all of the following questions:
- What was the aim of the project?
- What were the specific obstacles that arose, and why did they occur?
- How specifically did you respond to those obstacles? What specific actions did you take? You may describe more than one approach, if relevant.
- What was the ultimate outcome with respect to the initial aim of the project? Why did this outcome occur?
Here are some tips to consider when writing and/or choosing the topic for your essay:
- When considering potential topics for your essay, choose an academic, professional, or extracurricular challenge from the past four years - not a situation that is of a personal nature or focuses mostly on internal challenges.
- Choose a topic that allows you to best answer the questions. Your essay will not receive special consideration if the topic relates to children and/or low-income communities.
- While you should completely describe the obstacle(s) you faced, please do not focus your essay primarily on the obstacle(s); it is more important that you thoroughly explain your reaction and describe the steps you took in response to the obstacle(s). If you choose to write about a project that involved a group of people, make sure you clearly describe your individual approach to the obstacles faced. You should articulate your individual responses to the obstacles and your individual actions.
- Pay close attention to the quality of your writing. Before uploading your final version of your essay, evaluate it against the writing proficiency standards and make any necessary edits.
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Phone interview
The phone interview is designed to give members of the selection committee an opportunity to get to know you better. Some applicants will not be required to participate in the phone interview, and will pass directly to the final interview. Nevertheless, given the short timeframe between invitations to participate in a phone interview and actually participating in a phone interview, we encourage all applicants to prepare for this step. To prepare, you should:
- Review your application and be ready to comment on specific experiences discussed or listed within it.
- Complete the short 30-60 minute pre-reading assignment and be prepared to discuss your reactions. You can download the pre-reading materials on the Interview Preparation page of the application even before being invited to an interview.
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Final interview
Applicants selected to advance to the final interview stage will be given additional, detailed information about how best to prepare for the final interview when they are notified of their interview status. Below is a list of general best practices when preparing:
- Plan and practice a 5-minute sample-teaching lesson. Specific instructions on how to plan the lesson will be available to invited applicants on the Applicant Center.
- Read pre-reading materials carefully.
- Ensure that your recommenders submit your Online Recommendation Forms by the deadline, in advance of your interview. You are required to submit two Online Recommendation Forms.
- Collect required paperwork in advance. This includes:
- Two official transcripts from every college or university that you have attended, including study abroad, summer coursework, co-op programs, and all other credits applied to your bachelor's degree. If the course names, credits, and grades from your study abroad program appear on your transcript from your degree-granting institution, then an official transcript from the abroad institution is not required.
- Photocopies of documentation that proves your identity and your citizenship status.
- If applying for transitional funding, send supporting documentation according to the instructions on the transitional grants and loans application.
- Review the directions to your interview site and make transportation plans in advance.
Professionalism
As community leaders entrusted with the welfare of children, it is important that candidates demonstrate good judgment and professionalism. Applicants should make certain that they:
- Arrive to the interview early and prepared with all required documents
- Dress professionally
- Many applicants wear suits though it is not required. Professional dress may also consist of a button-down shirt, tie, and slacks for men; and a skirt of a reasonable length or slacks and a blouse, or a dress for women. Casual attire such as jeans is not considered professional. As is typically recommended for job interviews, we recommend you use your best judgment and err on the conservative side when making decisions regarding dress. Many online job search resources provide guidance on this subject: we recommend about.com.
- Speak in a professional manner
- Profanity or cursing of any kind is not considered professional. Again, we suggest you use your best judgment and err on the conservative side.
Applicants who do not meet basic standards for professionalism (due to an egregious violation of one of the above or by consistently demonstrating a lack of professionalism) may not be selected for the corps regardless of other strengths.
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Who we're looking for
Corps and Alumni