<p>I just googled it because it is late and I am bored and reading 'new posts' because that's such a handy function, and here is what I got:</p>
<p>Confidential
Secret
Top Secret
Top Secret with Single Scope Background Investigation
Top Secret with Sensitive Compartmentalized Information.</p>
<p>So... secret is the middle rung?</p>
<p>I was told I would need "secret" clearance to intern at a US embassy, and they dont give out secret clearances to 16 year olds(last summer I wanted to intern)</p>
<p>Patrick Henry College sends enormous amounts of students into the clandestine services.
It's very Christian and very conservative. (But this has to be your cup of tea if you're going into CIA/NSA/etc. in the first place)
It's not academically that respected though.</p>
<p>Cambridge is the major mi5/6 recruiting place I believe.</p>
<p>Would being in ROTC (NROTC at Cornell, specifically) help me start a career with the CIA or other areas of government (international law, foreign policy, etc.)?</p>
<p>WAIT.....about drug testing.....do they disqualify u if u have taken one at Any point in time, or just at the time of the application?</p>
<p>If they can detect it, it's bad. Illegal drugs are illegal. To an official organization like the CIA, it's especially strict.
I don't know which kind of test they use, but hair follicle tests can pick up anything for a year (or many years if you have long hair, but I think long hair gives you away already! ;)</p>
<p>Don't breathe in cafe's in Switzerland or the Netherlands... ;)
Don't eat poppy seed cake... ;)
Don't inject heroin into your veins while interviewing the CIA. :O</p>
<p>Bumppppppppppp</p>
<p>I'm not sure about ROTC but all servicemen are given preference (provided they are qualified) for government jobs, it's an act passed by Congress a ways back; I'm not sure if ROTC falls under this.</p>
<p>"Because they are going to "polygraph the hell out of you" as my background investigator put it." - Mine told me the same :)</p>
<p>You also sign a clearance for them to check everything, I must have signed at least 6 clearances for my background investigation.</p>
<p>Here's a concept: instead of asking people whose frame of refernce in this situation is no greater than yours, see what the CIA actually says on its website regarding working for them. They have a FAQ
<a href="http://www.cia.gov/employment/faq.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.cia.gov/employment/faq.html</a></p>
<p>They also have a link for undergrad interns although I cannot tell you why the program is suspended (could be permanent or something that happens seasonally)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cia.gov/employment/student.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.cia.gov/employment/student.html</a></p>
<p>Link to the Professional Trainee Program</p>
<p>The Central Intelligence Agency's Clandestine Service has entry-level employment opportunities for recent college graduates. Applicants accepted into the Professional Trainee (PT) Program will be assigned to Washington, DC for up to 18 months, during which time they will work at two disciplines - Staff Operations Officer and Collection Management Officer. At the end of the program, PTs will be assessed and evaluated for movement into the Clandestine Service Trainee (CST) Program, the traditional pipeline to serving overseas as an Operations Officer or Collection Management Officer, and in Washington, DC as a Staff Operations Officer.</p>
<p>Minimum requirements include a bachelor's or master's degree and an excellent academic record (minimum 3.0 GPA), with a strong interest in international affairs and solid interpersonal and communications skills. Foreign travel, foreign language proficiency, prior residency abroad, and a background in Central Eurasian, East Asian and Middle Eastern languages and cultures are preferred. Other degrees of interest include international business, finance or relations, economics, physical science or nuclear, biological or chemical engineering. Competitive candidates will also possess impeccable personal integrity and the ability to handle ambiguity and to take calculated risks.</p>
<p>All applicants must successfully complete two personal interviews, a thorough medical and psychological examination, a polygraph interview, and extensive background investigation. (Processing generally takes between 4-6 months.) Maximum age for entrance into this program is 35. US citizenship is required.</p>
<p>I would think you should also be very circumspect about what you post on the internet on message boards, blogs, livejournal, etc.</p>