Abroad Award
Term Length: 7 weeks
Financial Need
US Citizenship Required

• • If you are a United States citizen, legal permanent resident, or DACA recipient you are eligible to apply to all JSI programs. (International students are eligible for select JSIs – Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, and University of Washington – and must be enrolled in a U.S. based institution.)
  • Applicants must have an expected graduation date between December 2022 and August 2023.
  • If you will have already completed a bachelor’s degree prior to the start of Junior Summer Institute, you are not eligible to apply.
  • Must be committed to pursuing a Master’s Degree in public policy and/or international affairs at one of the PPIA Consortium graduate schools.
  • Must be committed to and demonstrate an interest in pursuing a professional career associated with public service such as government, nonprofits, and humanitarian and international organizations.
  • Must be interested in contributing to the diversity of perspectives present in the PPIA Junior Summer Institute Program. You must specifically demonstrate involvement in working to improve historically underserved or underrepresented communities, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Latinx, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders.
  • Economic need is given consideration during the review of applications.
  • All academic majors are welcome to apply!

All prospective PPIA Fellows are expected to dedicate themselves to the objectives of the PPIA Junior Summer Institute Program, have a strong commitment to public service, and contribute to diverse perspectives in public policy and international affairs.

• Full tuition at a PPIA Junior Summer Institute.
• Eligibility to receive assistance with travel expenses.
• A stipend for incidentals not covered during your JSI (funding determined and varies by each JSI).
• University housing with most meals covered.
• Books and related course materials at your JSI.
• Each JSI may offer additional benefits, such as GRE preparation and study resources at their discretion.
• Minimum of a one-time $5,000 scholarship at a PPIA graduate school if admitted for a Master’s degree. PPIA Fellows often receive financial offers above and beyond this minimum from their graduate program.
• Fee waiver when applying to schools that are members of the PPIA Graduate School Consortium.

Demographics, Financial Details, Academics

• A key part of your application are sections that capture information about you, your educational background, and financial situation. To complete this you will need the following information:
• Percent breakdown of college costs being paid by loans, grants, parents/guardians, yourself, and/or other sources.
• Your parent/guardian’s gross income and savings/assets from the previous year.
• Your gross income and savings/assets from the previous year.
• Unofficial academic transcripts from all colleges or universities that you have attended so that you can enter information about relevant courses and GPA.
• Your preferred ranking for the Junior Summer Institutes.
• A list of all paid work positions, volunteer/service positions, and extracurricular activities in which you have participated since starting your undergraduate studies, including the experiences you have listed on your resume AND the positions/ experiences you did not include on your resume.

Letters of Recommendation

• One letter should be from someone familiar with your educational accomplishments (i.e. professor, academic advisor, etc.).
• One letter should be from someone familiar with your public service activities or interests.
• Once you submit this information, an email will be sent to the individuals with instructions for writing and submitting their letter.
• These letters will be submitted through our online system, but it is your responsibility to remain in contact with the individuals you ask for letters of recommendation and ensure they submit those letters by the November 1 deadline. For additional questions regarding the recommendation process, please see our FAQ section.
• Applications without two letters of recommendation submitted will not be reviewed for admission.

Personal Statements

Essay 1: All Applicants

Please upload a statement of approximately 800-1,000 words, double-spaced, 12-point font that addresses the following questions regarding your background and goals:

• What are your public service career goals?
• How has your background influenced those goals (you may include family, community, education, obstacles that you have overcome and other relevant life and work experiences)?
• What experiences will you bring to this program that will enable your fellow participants to have a fuller understanding of your commitment to public service, cross-cultural and social issues?

Essay 2: All Applicants

Please upload a statement of approximately 500-600 words, double-spaced, 12-point font that addresses the following questions regarding your motivation for applying to PPIA and your interest in pursuing a master’s degree:

• How will participating in a PPIA Junior Summer Institute help you achieve your career goals? What specific skills do you want to gain this summer?
• Given your interest in PPIA, why do you want to pursue a master’s degree related to Public Policy or International Affairs?

Essay 3: All Applicants

Please upload a statement of approximately 500-600 words, double-spaced, 12-point font about the following:

• Your experience working with diverse communities, particularly American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders communities.

Essay 4: UC Berkeley Law Fellow Applicants

Please prepare a brief statement, approximately 1 page, double-spaced, 12-point font about the following:

• Your interests for wanting to pursue joint degrees in law and public policy, what skills you would be seeking to acquire and how you will apply such skills to further your public service career goals.

Essay 5: Carnegie Mellon, Policy + Data Analytics Track

Please prepare a brief statement, approximately 1 page, double-spaced, 12-point font about the following:

• Please describe your interests for wanting to pursue a policy + data analytics degree and how you will apply such skills to further your public service career goals

Extenuating Circumstances Statement – Optional (word limit 250)

• If you have any extenuating circumstances that you would like to share with the admissions committee.

Resume (PDF Format)

• Please include, in two pages or less, all professional experiences you’ve had since the start of your undergraduate education.

Transcripts (PDF Format)

• Unofficial academic transcript from all colleges or universities that you have attended. Note: Students who are accepted to the Junior Summer Institutes will be required to submit official academic transcripts.

Financial Documents

Please include the following information:

• A copy of your financial aid award letter issued by your school for 2021-2022.
• A copy of the FAFSA Student AID Report (SAR) OR your parent/guardian’s tax forms for 2020. If you are classified as an independent student for financial aid purposes, you may upload your own tax forms for 2020 instead.
• Please only upload the first few pages of the tax form such as the 1040 form.
• Remember to black out all social security number information before uploading the documents.
• Do not mail or email any financial documents to PPIA. They must be submitted through this application system to be considered.