Teach For America corps members are assigned to teach a subject in grades pre-K through 12 in one of our regions across the country.
After your TFA interview, you’ll have the opportunity to rank the regions where you prefer to teach. Corps members teach in our regions across the country, each with a unique opportunity for impact.
We know that landing in a region that matches your priorities is incredibly important. Our placement process is designed to assign you to the region you’re most interested in as often as possible.
You’ll be notified of your admissions decision and, if admitted, your regional and subject placement approximately two weeks after interviewing.
85%
Applicants in 2018 placed in one of their top three regional choices
90%
Applicants, on average, assigned to one of their most preferred regions
Determining Your Placement
Three key factors are taken into consideration when determining your placement:
1. Need and Opportunity
We aim to place you where you can have the best possible impact on student outcomes. We also have regions of focus that have a higher demand for TFA corps members, designated as “high priority regions.”
2. Qualification Requirements
The courses you took in college will be used to determine your certification and eligibility for your preferred regions. Each region has its own set of requirements. Read more about certification and earning a license.
3. Your Personal Preference
After attending your interview, you’ll choose and rank your preferred regions. Read more about the five steps to selecting your preferences below.
Five Steps to Selecting Your Preferences
After interviewing for the corps, you’ll have the opportunity to research and select your preferred regions.
Use the compare regions tool to learn about our regional offerings, including requirements for your teaching certification, master degree options, and more.
To join TFA, you must be able to complete all of our summer training. Although our 2021 summer training dates are not yet finalized, you can expect to start virtual summer teaching training sometime between late May and early June. Feel free to use these dates for general planning purposes, but note they are subject to change.
Read more about corps member training and development.
Expenses associated with the cost of living, travel, and certifications vary greatly by region. Check out the compare regions tool to see costs side-by-side.
Once you review the costs and benefits available in each region, you might determine that you need additional funding to cover the transition. TFA offers the opportunities to apply for transitional funding.
As you consider TFA regions where you want to teach, you should place them in three different buckets:
Of your 10 regions, you can indicate which ones you:
- Strongly prefer: You would be excited to teach in this region. We recommend you include 4-6 regions here.
- Prefer: You would strongly consider teaching in this region if you were accepted into the corps. We recommend you include 4-6 regions here.
- Would consider: You would need to learn more about this region and your potential for impact before joining the corps if placed here. Most applicants include 2-4 regions here.
You can indicate your preference of subjects to teach and grade level, including:
- Elementary school (pre-K through grade 5)
- Middle school (grades 6 through 8)
- High school (grades 9 through 12)
While your choices do not impact your likelihood of admission, please consider one of these high-need focuses:
- Early childhood education
- Math and science
- Special education
Still not sure where you would like to work or what you would prefer to teach? Meet a recruiter to receive support as you go through the admissions process and decide on your rankings.
Redefine Opportunities
Make a lifelong impact on students while growing your own leadership skills.