Applicant Prerequisites

In order to apply to Teach For America, you must satisfy the following prerequisites:

• You hold a bachelor’s degree by the first day of your assigned summer institute
• Your undergraduate cumulative GPA is at least 2.50 on a 4.00 scale
• You have U.S. citizenship or national/permanent resident status

Bachelor's Degree

You must have received your bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university by the first day of the summer institute, which varies depending on the region to which you are assigned. You also must have received a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate. In some instances, your assigned region may specify an earlier date by which you must have obtained your bachelor's degree. Exceptions to this policy may be granted for applicants who provide documentation that they have fulfilled all graduation requirements but do not yet have a degree conferred. This may not be possible for all institute or regional district sites. Applicants may direct questions about this policy to admissions@teachforamerica.org.

2.50 Minimum Cumulative GPA

You must have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale (as measured by the institution awarding your degree) at the time we receive your application, as well as at the time of graduation. The GPA requirement is mandated by the school districts and credentialing programs with which we work. Graduate school GPAs should not be used or averaged in with undergraduate GPAs. If you are accepted into Teach For America and your final GPA falls below a 2.50, you will forego your position with Teach For America. Applicants must also pass any coursework indicated on their transcript as “in progress” at the time of their interview.

U.S. Citizenship or National/Permanent Resident Status

Due to the hiring restrictions of many of our partner school districts, Teach For America may only accept U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal permanent residents for admission into the corps. Individuals who are in the United States under a student, work, or tourist visa are not eligible to become Teach For America corps members. Similarly, individuals who have refugee status but nothing indicating permanent resident alien status are not eligible to become Teach For America corps members.

Therefore, if you are invited to a final interview, you must provide legal documentation that proves you are a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States. Visas are not acceptable.

If you are not from the U.S. and are from a country that is part of the Teach For All network, you may be eligible to join one of our partner programs. Learn more about Teach For All.