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Does my institution have a campus liaison? If so, who is it?

To inquire as to whether your school has a liaison and/or co-liaison, please e-mail us at info@twc.edu. If your school is not affiliated with TWC and there is not a liaison there will be a few additional steps in the process, such as identifying a campus sponsor.

What is a campus sponsor? How do I participate if my campus does not have a liaison?

At colleges and universities with which we are not affiliated, students participating in TWC programs must identify someone on their campus that can approve their application to The Washington Center and verify that you will be receiving academic credit for your participation in the program. This person is known as a campus sponsor. The appropriate individual varies from campus to campus, but a good person to start with may be your academic advisor, as he or she should be able to point you in the right direction. We are more than happy to speak with someone you've approached to serve as a campus sponsor in order to provide further information about our program or send him or her a course guide, sample syllabi, and even contact information for liaisons at peer institutions.

What are the deadlines for the application? What do the different deadlines mean?

The Washington Center publishes two deadlines for each semester or term. The first deadline is the “competitive deadline.” Students who apply by this deadline receive priority consideration for The Washington Center’s private financial awards. There is also the “regular deadline,” by which all students applying for any given term should aim to submit their online applications. We are often flexible and accept applications on a case-by-case basis after a given deadline has passed. View the deadlines for the term to which are applying.

It's always recommended that you apply early if possible, especially for the summer (the term for which internships tend to be most competitive in D.C. generally). Please note that internship sites may have internal deadlines to select interns that fall before those in place at TWC. You can learn more on our early deadline page.

What is the difference between summer term and summer quarter?

Both the summer term and summer quarter are ten weeks in length. The quarter simply begins and ends later than the term. This schedule is designed to accommodate students who attend institutions on different academic calendars. Please review the dates for the upcoming terms here.

How competitive is the selection process?

The Washington Center is committed to providing its D.C. internship experience to as many qualified students as possible. Applicants who are approved by their home institution (if participating prior to graduation), meet basic TWC eligibility requirements, and provide a complete application should gain admission to The Washington Center. That said, particular internship sites may be more competitive than others, and the summer is typically more competitive in Washington, D.C. generally (as more students are free to complete a full-time internship experience).

Am I required to pick the program that best corresponds with my major?

Students are free to select any program area. The program that you choose does not need to relate to either your internship or your major. However, verify that there is not such a requirement on your campus by speaking with your liaison or sponsor. For your reference, you may view all of the program choices.

How do I fill out an application?

The first step to applying is creating an account in our student portal. This will allow you to fill out the application at your own pace. Be sure to save your information as you go so that nothing is lost when you log out. Before starting an application, be sure to review the information provided, so that you know exactly what is required.

After submitting the application, when will I hear whether or not I’ve been accepted? How will I be notified?

Upon submitting your online application, you will be contacted by one of our staff to inform you of what supporting documents we are waiting to receive from you. Once all of those documents have been received, your application enters review. From that point, you could expect to hear back from us within two weeks via email to inform you of whether or not you have been accepted into the program.

How do I know whether or not you have received all of my supporting documents?

We are not able to inform every individual when their documents arrive, but we do encourage you to contact us via email at info@twc.edu if you would like to know if we have received your documents.

I have forgotten my username and/or password; how do I reset them?

Your username is your email address. If you have forgotten your password, you may reset it by following the link for a forgotten password provided on our student portal login page.

Are recent graduates eligible to apply?

Recent graduates who have their most recent degree within the last eighteen months are eligible to apply to our Postgraduate Professional Development Program, for which students are not required to receive academic credit. Read more about this program to find out if it is right for you.

Can graduate students apply? What about law students?

Graduate and law students are allowed to participate in our programs. However, the program for which you are eligible will depend on whether or not you want and/or are able to receive academic credit. You should speak with someone at your institution to determine whether or not you will be able to receive credit. Please contact us at info@twc.edu for further guidance on this topic.

Can first-year students participate?

In order to participate, students must have achieved at least sophomore status at their home institutions by the term for which you are applying. Review all of the eligibility requirements.

Where should I send my official transcript?

Your official transcript should be sent to the following address:

The Washington Center

ATTN: Enrollment Services

1333 16th St. NW

Washington, DC 20036

Can I apply to more than one TWC program at the same time?

We do not allow students to apply to multiple programs for the same term. Instead, you should choose which program you would rather attend and devote your time and energy to that application. If you would like to fill out two applications for TWC programs taking place at different times, you may certainly do so.

Can I be considered if my GPA is below 2.75?

We would consider you if you have a GPA below 2.75, provided that you have approval from your campus liaison and submit three letters of recommendation instead of the standard two. Two of these three letters will need to come from a professor. We would review your full application and ultimately make an admissions decision based upon our assessment of whether or not we believe we can find you an appropriate internship and otherwise set you up for success in our academic program.