Application Components

The following guidelines provide an outline of the Extern application requirements.

1.    Read the General Information section and make sure you are participating in the Extern Program for the stated purpose. To learn more about the program, and to address your questions, attend an Extern Information Meeting on September 21 or September 30. After the first session, a recording of the session will be available online.

2.    Review the extern sponsor listings online or in notebooks in college career offices or 103 Barnes Hall. The Web listings have the advantage of a search function and are updated as new listings become available. The notebook listings are arranged in broad career field categories and are sorted by state, city, and organization within those categories. Notebooks are not updated after the launch date. 

3.    Select up to four listings in which you have genuine interest. You may be placed in any of your choices, so make sure all are externships you would enjoy and complete. Record the listing number and organization name of externships you are interested in for your online application (Some organizations offer more that one externship which may pertain to different career fields).  

4.    Use the following guidelines to identify externships, to determine your eligibility for a particular externship, and to assist in completing the application. 

Externship listings include the following information to help you determine whether an opportunity would be a good fit for your interests and goals. See below for further explanation of asterisked items.

• Listing # (record this number for your application)
• Sponsor's Position/Title
• Sponsor's College/Major/Year*
• Sponsor's Company or Organization (of the sponsor)
• City/State*
• Date/Duration: Length of externship and specific date (if given)*
• Source (optional): Notes a new Sponsor or group which helped generate the externship*
• Externship Description
• Location/Housing Availability*
• College/Major/Class Requirements*
• College/Major/Class Preferences*
• Other Requirements or Preferences*
  

5. Online extern applications are due and must be complete and submitted prior to October 5. You may continually make changes to choices, essays and information up until the deadline. 

City/State: The location of the externship will help you to determine the cost of travel and accommodations before applying for the externship.  Please read the extern description to confirm the location of the January visit.Date/Duration/Specific Date (if listed): The sponsor has pre-determined that this is the length of time for the externship. Do not expect the sponsor to shorten or lengthen the time. If a specific date/day of the week is given, this is the only date(s) when the sponsor is available.

Source: If noted, this refers to the group that helped recruit the alumnus to participate in the extern program, and/or designates new sponsors. Women are encouraged to apply for the externships sponsored by The President's Council of Cornell Women and minority students are encouraged to apply for externships developed by the minority alumni associations. This is not intended to limit student participation to the group's demographic group.  All matriculated students who meet the sponsor's requirements are eligible to apply.

Location/Housing Availability:  Location of the externship and whether or not the sponsor offers housing.

College/Major/Class of Alumni Sponsor: With a few exceptions, sponsors are Cornell alumni. Consider whether the alum's academic background or level of experience is important to you; for example, you may find it more comfortable to visit someone who has recently entered the workforce rather than the president of an organization.

College/Major/Class Requirements and Preferences: If a sponsor lists requirements, you must meet the requirements to apply for the externship. If a sponsor lists preferences, you may apply for the externship even if you do not meet the preferences; however, students who meet preferences will have priority.

a) If a sponsor specifies a College and majors within that same college, you must meet both the College and major requirement. For example, if requirements state "Arts & Sciences; Economics; Human Ecology", only Econ majors within Arts can apply but all HumEc students can apply.

b) If a sponsor specifies a college and also lists majors outside of that college, you can meet either the college or major requirement. For example, if a listing states: Engineering; Biochemistry; Physics, all engineering majors can apply as well as Biochemistry and Physics majors.

Other Requirements or Preferences: If an externship lists other requirements or preferences, you must explain in the online application how you meet or do not meet the "other" sponsor requirements or preferences specified; otherwise, your application will not be considered complete.