How to Get an Internship at the White House

If you get an internship at any of 22 White House offices, you will spend weeks working at a variety of unpaid tasks and projects. Most White House interns work in the Old Executive Office Building, which is next door to the White House. They never even get to see the Oval Office.

Things You'll Need

• White House Internship Applications
• Newspaper Subscriptions
• Career Counseling
• Postage Stamps
• Personalized Stationery
• Computers

Instructions

1. Realize the competition is intense for the 200 internships offered each year. Applicants must be undergraduates, recent graduates or graduate students.

2. Ask your guidance counselor for an application for the internship.

3. Choose from spring, summer or fall internships and make certain you meet the application deadlines: March 1 for summer; June 1 for fall; and October 15 for spring.

4. Be prepared to submit letters of recommendation, writing samples, transcripts, a cover letter and other informational forms. Ask teachers and employers for letters of recommendation well in advance of your deadline.

5. Consider carefully which White House department you would like to work in. You will be asked for your top four preferences. Try to choose those that will give you valuable experience for your future career.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware that these internships are nonpartisan.

• For further information, send your request to The White House, Intern Program, Old Executive Office Building Room 4, Washington, DC 20500. Or call [phone].