Selection is conducted on a rolling basis through the following five-stage process.
Stage 1: Online Application (Due January)
Students apply online through SurveyMonkey Apply. Applicants are asked to describe their policy interests, relevant experience, and internship goals.
Stage 2: Interviews (Early February)
Applications are reviewed for eligibility and overall fit for the program. Selected applicants are invited to interview.
Stage 3: Hiring Pool and Government Internship Search (March-April)
After campus interviews, strong candidates are invited to join the hiring pool. Inclusion in the hiring pool does not guarantee an internship or Schaeffer Fellowship.
Candidates in the hiring pool have two pathways to pursue an internship:
- Independent internship search: All hiring pool candidates are encouraged to search independently by applying directly to government offices and agencies of interest. Internships must:
- Be in direct government service (excludes non-profits, NGOs, think tanks, political campaigns, and similar organizations)
- Last 10 weeks and begin no later than the first week of June
- Be full-time (at least 30 hours and 4 workdays per week, excluding state or federal holidays)
- Partner Office referral: Candidates may apply through the program’s referral process to a designated list of government offices. A “Partner Office” is a government office with an established relationship with the program that has agreed to consider strong fellowship candidates for a summer internship. Each Partner Office runs an independent hiring process and makes its own hiring decisions.
- Partner Office opportunities vary each year and are announced in the spring as they are confirmed. They offer a pipeline for consideration, not guaranteed placements.
- Openings are typically with California elected officials or government agencies based in Los Angeles, Sacramento, or Washington, DC.
- Candidates who apply for and receive a referral then apply directly to the office and participate in its hiring process. Once Partner Offices make their internship decisions, the program makes final fellowship decisions.
Stage 4: Final Selection (April)
The program selects 10 USC undergraduate students with qualifying government internships from the hiring pool as Schaeffer Fellows. Selection decisions consider each candidate’s written application, campus interview, and internship placement, with the goal of building a cohort of Fellows from different backgrounds, political perspectives, and academic disciplines. Final fellowship selection decisions are targeted for mid-April.
Stage 5: Schaeffer Fellows Program Begins
Selected Fellows are expected to participate fully in all program requirements, including:
- Early May: USC welcome lunch for newly selected Fellows
- Mid-May: Schaeffer Fellows Virtual Orientation
- Late May: Internships begin (by the first week of June)
- Late June: Schaeffer Fellows Summit in Washington, DC
- September or October: Fall Recognition Event at USC