<p>Hoping that today is the day…</p>
<p>Does anyone know if the Office of Energy & Climate Change has contacted applicants for interviews?</p>
<p>I have not heard anything yet, though I think we should know soon (at least I hope). Admittedly, I’ve become a little jaded with the process, but there is no help for it. Chin up. Think positive thoughts. </p>
<p>I had one interview, and I’ve written two policy papers–in addition to the papers I submitted with my application. Has everyone else done that too?</p>
<p>haven’t heard anything yet. next week will be week 4. </p>
<p>Grfl, I didn’t have to write an extra two policy papers lol, may i ask what offices you interviewed for? I just had to write a response letter to a hypothetical constituent letter for the office of scheduling and advance.</p>
<p>BTW, don’t bother calling the phone number that was listed on past years’ websites. It’s disconnected.</p>
<p>That certainly is not a good sign. I hope they had streamlined the process and given us a decision time frame. The process also seems different for each department. Some had to submit additional writing samples and some where interviewed while others never heard back after submission of vitals and writing samples.</p>
<p>Lets hope the outcome is positive :-)</p>
<p>Policy papers: Domestic Policy Council, Interview: Office of Political Affairs.</p>
<p>The two additional policy writing samples were the basic requirement for Domestic Policy.</p>
<p>Yea honestly, this process is really ridiculous, and they should be ashamed of theirselves.</p>
<p>hey did anyone who received the vitals not interview?</p>
<p>i’m in the opposite boat interviewed but not vitaled.</p>
<p>also what did the vitals email include. like height, weight, etc.?</p>
<p>DOB, SSN, email, name etc.</p>
<p>wasn’t that all part of the regular application too?</p>
<p>The application asked for DOB and last 4 digits of the SSN #. Therefore they sent out another form (vitals) asking for the full SSN # and other details to do a background check prior to the selection process.</p>
<p>[Stripped</a> of White House internship, Kennedy-King student wonders why | Chicago News, Events and Culture | Chi-Town Daily News](<a href=“http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Stripped_of_White_House_internship_KennedyKing_student_wonders_why,26791]Stripped”>http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Stripped_of_White_House_internship_KennedyKing_student_wonders_why,26791)</p>
<p>I found a story about a woman who was accepted into the White House internship program, but then the offer was rescinded. The explanation given to her was that they received “additional applications.” This sounds really shady and really unfair. The website explicitly states that no applications are accepted after the due date. That’s either a BS explanation after a background checked revealed red flags, or that the White House internship program really does do whatever it feels like- accepting last minute requests for intern placements from connections, or maybe then-current interns requested an extension? I’m just trying to think of reasons why this term’s selection process is taking so much longer than previous terms. My mom is already joking of how they don’t want any one of us in this batch. And my friends think I’m delusional like I’m still holding onto hope when I’ve already been rejected without realizing it. Whatever the case, I hope they understand (and to respect) that we have flights to book, living situations to look into, give answers to other opportunities, etc. </p>
<p>White House Internship Program- I hope you’re reading this.</p>
<p>Okay guys, take a deep breath.
I read that article last summer and was similarly puzzled by the injustice. The Internship office really should have A) handled it with more tact and B) offered an explanation for the article. If you read closely, you’ll notice that she was turned down for the internship at first and then weeks later offered a position in the correspondence office. As anyone who’s been through this process at least once can attest, if you don’t make the cut you’re still offered an opportunity to volunteer in the correspondence office. This is NOT an internship. But volunteers ARE recruited from internship applicants. Here’s a line from the email of which I speak:</p>
<ol>
<li>The White House Office of Presidential Correspondence is looking for Fall Volunteers; please see the attached flyer for more details. Their email address is <a href="mailto:fallvols@who.eop.gov">fallvols@who.eop.gov</a>.</li>
</ol>
<p>Clearly lots of wires got crossed in the case of Ms. Faulkner. That shouldn’t have happened, but let’s not think that they’re in the business of vetting someone through the whole security apparatus and then yanking the offer away at the last minute without cause. I don’t know why this term is taking so much longer. But I imagine that getting all of the offices in the Executive Office of the President to respond on their chosen interns is a lot like getting cats to walk in a parade. There’s really nothing to do but wait. I’d love it if the people cut early in the process would get their emails at that time rather than waiting until the notifications go out, but you WILL be notified. One way or another, the answer is coming. Let’s just all keep our fingers crossed for the proverbial “thick letter.”</p>
<p>Also, on the topic of friends and family: I’ve just stopped telling people that I’ve applied. Frankly, you guys are the only ones who know why I’m so on edge and why I keep checking my email over and over again. The waiting IS really unpleasant. It can also be unfair. But it’s also what it takes to get into the White House. THIS. IS. WHAT. IT. TAKES.</p>
<p>lol, oh really, THIS. IS. WHAT. IT. TAKES. ?</p>
<p>Well good luck everyone! another weekend but it could come anytime–prepare yourself!</p>
<p>I’m guessing that the White House is really busy right now, both with a Republican-majority Congress and the President being in Afghanistan. It’s also entirely possible that applications are waiting for the approval of someone who is on vacation. I can think of a dozen–if not more–reasons for why we haven’t heard, so we definitely shouldn’t take the delay personally. I would be surprised if the reason we haven’t found out yet was a consequence of what any of us have written in our applications or said in our interviews. Further, I don’t think the delay is a test of our endurance, to see if we can handle the pressure of not knowing whether we’re accepted. </p>
<p>Notifications will come out soon enough. Good luck to everyone.</p>
<p>Your argumentation is honestly just as speculative as ours. Through previous posts, we’ve already been able to gather that the internship office has about one staffer and plenty of interns and volunteers, I doubt their interests would be tied up with the recent elections and presidential tours. Don’t forget previous intern classes have been selected with due dilligence in times of intense political pressure here and abroad also.</p>
<p>The truth is we don’t know why this is taking so long; all we can know is that this process has been extremely unfair and insensitive to the applicants so of course people are going to take it personally and be stressed.</p>
<p>Hopefully we find out next week.</p>
<p>thanks heavenlystardust! i knew i had a right to feel at least a little bit ****ed…</p>
<p>caramel and/or the rest of you with other deadlines, what did you end up telling them? just wondering so i know what to do in the future. in the past, i was up front with a summer offer that was given to me in the fall, and i asked if i could decide in the spring the next year (i know, ballsy) because i wasn’t sure what i wanted to do with my major yet. by january, i got a call that they wanted a decision from me, and i was pushed to say no. it turned out to be the right decision, i applied for and got my dream internship (second to this one!) later in the third academic quarter for that summer…but i am very confident that i burned a little bit of that bridge. i know they <em>have to</em> understand that i was young and i had a right to change my mind, my major, etc, but they did not like to feel like i placed them as backup.</p>
<p>Honestly, I’m taking my other offer by Tuesday. </p>
<p>A. I am tired of waiting and need to solidify something as part of my master’s program, and B. It’s an incredible internship opportunity and I’d kick myself for turning it down, especially not having anything else lined up. Yes, the White House would be amazing, and I’ve put an incredible amount of time and effort into the application process. But I’ve waited long enough and have something just as amazing knocking on the door.</p>
<p>I hope that those of you with other great opportunities think hard about whether it’s worth it to lose them by waiting too long for a ‘maybe.’</p>