1. Copyright © 2011 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Applying for Summer Internships John W. Young, Ph.D. NERA President Director, Higher Education Research Group Educational Testing Service Princeton, New Jersey NERA Webinar #1 December 4, 2013

2. Copyright © 2011 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Introduction I will start by describing the application process for assessment organizations as these companies have the most well-established internship programs. I will also describe internship possibilities in other educational settings. I will also discuss how to approach an organization that does not have an internship program so to create an internship for you. Lastly, we’ll have time for Q&A. 2

3. Copyright © 2011 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Assessment Organizations These assessment organizations have internships: ACT (Iowa City, IA); www.act.orgwww.act.org College Board (Newtown, PA); www.collegeboard.orgwww.collegeboard.org CTB/McGraw-Hill (Monterey, CA); www.ctb.comwww.ctb.com Educational Testing Service (Princeton, NJ); www.ets.org www.ets.org Law School Admission Council (Newtown, PA); www.lsac.org www.lsac.org Measured Progress (Dover, NH); www.measuredprogress.org www.measuredprogress.org Pearson (various); www.pearsonassessments.comwww.pearsonassessments.com 3

4. Copyright © 2011 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Assessment Organizations These internship programs share some common features: Programs are highly competitive Doctoral students are given preference Decisions are based on academic qualifications, fit with a specific project, diversity goals International students with F1 visas are eligible Typically 8 weeks long (June/July; July/August) Includes a stipend + travel expenses Deadlines are generally around February 1 st Decisions are usually made by March 15 th 4

5. Copyright © 2011 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Assessment Organizations What makes for a successful application? Strong academic record (grades, coursework, research experience) Good fit for a specific project (prior related experience, interest) Strong recommendations from faculty Well-written statement of interest Well-organized application materials Enthusiasm!!! More similar to applying for jobs rather than admissions to graduate school. 5

6. Copyright © 2011 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Other Internship Settings Other settings that have internship opportunities: U.S. Department of Education State departments of education RAND Corporation (Santa Monica, CA); www.rand.orgwww.rand.org Large school districts Publishing/media companies Not-for-profit organizations On-campus departments and offices Note that most of these internships are unpaid, although you can receive college credit. 6

7. Copyright © 2011 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Other Internship Settings If there is an organization that you would like to eventually work for, consider submitting a proposal to create an internship for yourself. You will need to make a compelling case: How would the company benefit from having you? It helps if you already have a contact person in the organization. It helps if you can describe how this internship fits with your career goals (particularly if you would like to work there after graduation). 7

8. Copyright © 2011 Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. Comments? Questions? jwyoung@ets.org (609) 734-5037 8