How to Apply - Teach For America

Admissions

How to Apply

All applicants must submit our online application by one of the deadlines below. Applications are non-binding.

All incoming corps members will attend the summer training institute in summer 2011 and begin teaching in fall 2011, regardless of the deadline at which they apply. Read more about how to choose a deadline.

Step 1: Apply Online The Online Application Includes: Personal, academic, and/or professional information Resume: one page strongly recommended; two-page limit Letter of intent: 500 words	Aug. 20, 2010	Sept. 17, 2010	Oct. 27, 2010	Dec. 17, 2010	Feb. 4, 2011
Step 2: Check online to see if you have been invited to attend an interview. Sign up for a phone interview, if invited. View your status on the Applicant Center. If invited to a phone interview, sign up for a 30-minute timeslot Complete an Online Written Activity	Aug. 27 *Sign-up on Sept. 23	Sept. 23	Nov. 4	Jan. 12	Feb. 15
Step 3: Participate in a 30-minute phone interview with a Teach For America representative	Sept. 25 - 28	Sept. 25 - 28	Nov. 6 - 9	Jan. 20 - 24	Feb. 17 - 22
Step 4: Check online to see if you have been invited to attend a final interview View your status on the Applicant Center If invited to advance to the next stage, sign up for an interview location and date and review directions to your interview Access information about preparing for the final interview, including preparation for your five-minute sample teaching lesson and articles for reading and reflection	Oct. 6	Oct. 6	Nov. 17	Jan. 26	Mar. 1
Step 5a: Submit regional and subject/grade preferences and transcript information online Submit the following forms online: Assignment Preference Form Transcript Information Form An official transcript from every undergraduate and graduate university you have attended A clear scan of each acceptable supporting document proving that you are a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States Applicants to the International Students Pilot Program: You must provide documentation that proves that you meet the eligibility requirements of the pilot program Enter course titles, departments, and grades for every undergraduate course you have taken or are currently enrolled in	Oct. 18	Oct. 18	Nov. 29	Mar. 14	Mar. 14
Step 5b: Deadline for recommenders to submit Online Recommendation Forms	Oct. 18	Oct. 18	Nov. 30	Mar. 10	Mar. 10
Step 6: Attend a day-long final interview	Oct. 18 - 22	Oct. 18 - 22	Nov. 30 - Dec. 3	Mar. 9 - 18	Mar. 9 - 18
Step 7: Check online to see your acceptance status and regional and subject/grade level assignment View your final admissions status on the Applicant Center If admitted, receive details about your regional and tentative subject- and grade-level assignment	Nov. 9	Nov. 9	Jan. 18	Apr. 4	Apr. 4
Step 8: Learn about your assignment and make a decision Read about your assigned region and talk to members of the Teach For America community, including regional staff members, corps members, and/or alumni	Nov. 9 - 22	Nov. 9 - 22	Jan. 18 - 28	Apr. 4 - 15	Apr. 4 - 15
Step 9: Accept or decline our offer Make your decision to join Teach For America on the Applicant Center	Nov. 22	Nov. 22	Jan. 28	Apr. 15	Apr. 15

Preparing for the Application Process

Read the requirements for applying
Review our application and interview preparation tips
International students: Learn about the International Students Pilot Program
Check out the 2011 institute schedule

Choosing a Deadline

Our final admissions criteria are consistent at all deadlines. The advantage to applying early is more time. Earlier deadlines provide you with more opportunities to plan for your transition into the corps should you be accepted. Specific advantages to selecting our earlier, lower-volume deadlines are:

Earlier notification of your admissions status
Access to more available phone and final interview timeslots
Additional time and flexibility to prepare for your transition, which can include relocating, passing required tests, completing pre-service reading and classroom observations, and interviewing with school districts

That said, you should choose a deadline based on the timeline that works best for you. Please review the timeline for each deadline to ensure that you will not have any scheduling conflicts before selecting your deadline.

Questions? Visit Frequently Asked Questions.