Each year, ten USC students are selected as Schaeffer Fellows to complete full-time internships (35-40 hours per week) for ten weeks, typically running from late May through mid-August.
Before starting an application, applicants should carefully review the “Selection Process” page. Applicants may also view a recorded information session from November 2026.
2026-2027 Application Timeline
- November 2, 2026: Online Application opens
- January 19, 2027, 11:59pm PT: Application Deadline
- Early February: First-round interviews with USC staff
- March-April: Hiring pool for government internships
- Mid-April: USC Schaeffer Fellows cohort confirmed on a rolling basis (timeline subject to change)
- Mid-May: Schaeffer Fellows Virtual Orientation
- Late May: Internships begin (no later than June 1st)
Application Components
Applicants must submit the following by the application deadline:
- Online Application Form including: personal and academic information, a brief statement of interest in becoming a Schaeffer Fellow, policy area(s) of interest, and internship interests (e.g., government level, home representatives, specific positions the applicant plans to pursue independently).
- Résumé (2 pages max.) including education, work history, public service experience, and other relevant skills.
- Two recommendation forms, with at least one from a USC faculty member. Applicants invite their referees to complete a form through the online application (preview recommendation form). Referees must submit their forms by the application deadline.
Before starting the application, applicants should carefully review the “Selection Process” page, which explains each stage of the selection and internship pathways available to candidates.