Application Time Line

Below is an account of the application stages I went through to receive my invitation to serve in the Dominican Republic.

* Note to those considering the Peace Corps: Since I applied a new application system has been put in place, but hopefully the below will give you an idea of what to expect, and keep you from going crazy while you in limbo!

9/12/12 - Began my online application

9/27/12 - Submitted my online application. At the time Peace Corps stated that those who applied by October 1st could expect to be abroad the following fall. However, as I learned at my interview, budget cuts have caused the wait from application to service to be extended to closer to a year and 6 months - (and that is for those without delays in the application process).

10/3/12 - Contacted for an Intelligence Follow-up. The Peace Corps prohibits those from volunteering with certain connections to the C.I.A. In the application they ask if the applicant or any family members have ever worked for the C.I.A. I selected “yes” due to a family connection. I then briefly spoke with a legal eligibility specialist who informed me that he did not believe there was any conflict of interest, and he cleared my application.
Shortly after my phone call, I received an email asking for me to complete a skill addenda with the details of my volunteer/work/educational experiences, including number of hours and duration.

10/17/11 - Received email that my skill addenda had been reviewed, that I had been assigned a recruiter, and that I would be receiving a packet in the mail regarding the next steps of my process. In the packet were my finger printing requirements and other forms.

11/4/11 - Received email that all my paperwork was complete, and that a recruiter would be contacting me shortly for a formal interview.

11/7/11 - Contacted for an in person interview. I was given the option of three different days with two separate times on each day.

11/15/11 - Interview in recruiter lasted 1.5 hours at the end of which I was told I would be nominated to serve - in March! I was not expecting to have to wait so long to begin the next part of the process but I understood that it was the result of budget cuts and not the norm. I was also told I would need to complete an additional 30 hours of educational related volunteering/training to remain competitive. Overall the interview was a very enjoyable experience, it is much more of a conversation than an interview. I also lucked into having my interview at Peace Corps HQ which was pretty cool.
02/16/12 - I submitted an updated skill addendum form, documenting my completion of an additional 30 hours of work.

03/18/12 - Nominated for an English Teaching position in Central, South America and the Caribbean. Shortly thereafter I received my medical packet.

May 2012 - I spent the month getting all of my medical forms completed following college graduation. All forms were submitted by the end of the month.

10/4/12 - Received email that I was dentally cleared but that my medical forms were missing some information. Note to applicants, always make sure your forms are filled out correctly! My doctors seemed to be confused by the level of detail the Peace Corps wanted about my medical history.
10/9/12 - Peace Corps received my updated medical forms.

10/18/12 - Placement office contacts me for an updated resume.

10/22/12 - Received an email containing a series of questions regarding my ability to serve.

10/26/12 - Invited to serve in the Dominican Republic as a Primary Literacy Promoter!

10/31/12 - Following my acceptance I received an email asking me to submit an aspiration statement and to complete the forms enclosed in my blue envelope. The paperwork never ends!