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First-Year Fellows

The First-Year Fellows program gives first-year students the opportunity to engage in public policy early in their Dartmouth careers. Each year, 20-25 students are selected for summer placement in a diverse range of policy internships in Washington, D.C. with Dartmouth alumni mentors. Students gain valuable professional experience, live with their peers, and develop leadership, writing, and critical thinking skills during the fellowships. Applications are accepted through March 17, 2023 at 11:59pm. The application is available here.

  • The Class of 2022 First-Year Fellows on Capitol Hill during the Civic Skills Training week in Washington, D.C. prior to the start of their eight-week fellowships.

  • Class of 2018 First-Year Fellows being briefed by U.S. Senator Rob Portman '78 at Capitol Hill during Civic Skills Training week in Washington, D.C.

  • The annual Student and Alumni Reception during Civic Skills Training provides an opportunity for First-Year Fellows to meet alumni mentors, supervisors, and other friends of the Center.

  • First-Year Fellow Sarah Solomon '21 during Civic Skills Training prior to the start of her eight-week fellowship at the Congressional Research Service.

  • Class of 2020 First-Year Fellows volunteering at the N Street Village nonprofit while in Washignton, D.C. for their eight-week internships.

COVID-19 Update

For the past couple of years, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the First-Year Fellows program has been offered virtually. In the summer of 2023, the Rockefeller Center is excited to return to an in-residence program in which Fellows will live together for Civic Skills Training and the 8-week fellowship that follows the training. Mentors will be offering virtual, in-person, and hybrid (virtual and in-person). Fellows will be accepted into the program, but Fellows will be matched based on Mentor and Rockefeller Center criteria.

Fellowship Includes

  • Placement in an eight-week fellowship in Washington, D.C. at a public policy organization with a Dartmouth alumnus mentor.
  • Housing in Washington, D.C. provided by the Rockefeller Center with a stipend of $1,500 for living expenses.
  • Civic Skills Training, which covers public speaking, networking, resource mobilization, media relations, goal setting, program management, workplace skills, professionalism, and much more.

Application deadline is March 17th, 2023.

Prerequisites for Participation

  • Complete Public Policy 5: Introduction to Public Policy (PBPL 5) during the winter term.
  • Complete a course conveying quantitative or qualitative social science statistical methods during the fall, winter or spring term of a Dartmouth student's first year. Options include: Public Policy 10, Economics 10, Government 10, Mathematics 10, Psychology 10, Sociology 10, Quantitative Social Science 15, Geography 11, Geography 50, Sociology 11, or Education 11.
  • Participate in the Dartmouth Leadership Attitudes and Behaviors (D-LAB) program during the winter term and complete all requirements. Completion of D-LAB means completing all 7 sessions. You are considered to have attended a session if you participated either in-person or virtually or completed catch-up work.

Application

Interested applicants must submit:

  • A filled out application.
  • Resume. Save as a PDF with first and last name in the file name. Upload within the application.
  • Unofficial transcript. Ensure the transcript has the required statistical methods course and final winter term grades. Save as a PDF with first and last name in the file name. Applicants selected for interview will submit their unofficial transcript at the time of their interview.
  • Faculty/Administrator recommendation. Don't forget to give them the recommendation handout so they have a chance to draft responses in advance. The URL to the Faculty/Administrator recommendation can be found in the handout.

Review the Tip Sheet for relevant deadlines and more details.

Applications are open until March 17th at 11:59pm EST. Application is available here.

For more information, contact Mary-Margaret Chaffee.

Civic Skills Training

A component of the First Year Fellows Program, Civic Skills Training (CST) provides the competencies necessary to excel in the fellowships and beyond.

Program Alumni

Over 275 students have participated in the First-Year Fellows program and nearly 50 Dartmouth alumni have served as mentors.