See FRESH home page for the definition of an externship. Internships are longer term (from several weeks to a year), may involve pay or academic credit, and support an organization's work function through individual assignments and projects. In addition, employers select and hire interns, whereas Cornell staff assign students to externships.

Whether or not you are placed in a given externship will depend on how many applicants each externship receives in a given year. There are no shortcuts or backdoors to getting a specific externship.

No. If you try apply any way, your application for that externship will be withdrawn.

You will draw a lottery number at the required Information Meeting on either January 21 or January 23, 2009. Once all single applicant externships have been turned in, we will review sponsor's other requirements and preferences, submission of all required application materials: Introduction Essays, Resumes, and your Cornell CareerNet Student Profile. In the event of a tie, the lottery number is used to determine final placement of the extern.

YES: the lottery number is only used in the event there is a tie between the final two applicants (especially for externships with more than 10 applicants). For example: a student who submits fully developed Introduction Essays but has a high lottery number may be placed in an externship over a student who does not fully develop their Introduction essays and has a low lottery number. (see Determining Placements for more details)

We suggest that all students complete an application for Round 1. But if you've missed the January 30, 2009 deadline, the Open Round is the period during which eligible students can apply for externships that were not assigned in Round 1, if they meet the sponsor's requirements. On February 13, 2009 from 5:00—7:00 pm, students review the list of open externships in 203 Barnes Hall (NOT on the web), select an open externship, complete the online application sections A—F and Essay Questions 1 and 2, and the listing is held until noon on Sunday, February 15, 2009. To be eligible to apply for Open Round, freshmen must have already completed Step 1 and 2 plus sections A—F, Essay Questions 1 and 2 of the FRESH online application, and attended or already listened to the recording of the required information session. Before the noon deadline on Sunday, February 15, students must finish the 3 step online application with Introduction Essays, created a resume, and uploaded and submitted a resume via Cornell's CareerNet.
NOTE: By signing up for an Open-Round externship, you are making a commitment to complete the application and follow through with the externship. Failure to do so would jeopardize your future eligibility for externship programs (see Participation Agreement).

No; this is all arranged by and paid for by you.  There are no funding sources for assistance.

Students who live outside the northeast quadrant of the US and find no opportunities in their home regions are welcome to email NFL1@cornell.edu a brief introduction of yourself, including academic and career interests, and geographic area, about the possibility of identifying a new sponsor in their area.

No. These alumni agree to help students a certain way and at a certain time.

The Cornell FRESH Program is an alumni-based program; approximately 99% of sponsors are Cornellians; therefore, our pool of externships is only as large as the number of volunteers.

We continue to recruit new sponsors every year, and welcome any referrals you can provide!

Try developing an externship on your own. Use your network—the family doctor, your roommate's mother, an officer of a student organization, a former teacher—to identify individuals who may be willing to have you shadow them for a day. Many professionals will take great satisfaction in sharing their expertise if asked.