Fund Your Unpaid Internship

The Eagle Intern Fellowship provides financial support to Boston College undergraduates who obtain summer internships with organizations that are not able to provide a salary. By eliminating financial barriers, this program provides an opportunity for you to explore your career interests and experience the world of work.

Details

Dates

Summer 2021

Class Years

First Years, Sophomores, and Juniors

Majors/Schools

All Welcome

How to Apply

Applications open January 2021

Overview

Selected Eagle Intern Fellows receive:

  1. A $3,500 stipend to support your summer experience
  2. Individualized career coaching throughout the summer to help you make the most of your internship and connect your experience to future career goals
  3. An opportunity to present about your experience to the Boston College community

By participating in the Eagle Intern Fellowship program, you will be able to:

  • Identify at least one skill you hope to incorporate into your career paths that aligns with the skills employers are seeking in recent college graduates.
  • Connect the skills, interests and values you are gaining at Boston College to specific opportunities of interest.
  • Articulate how you will become a person for others in your career field of interest. 
  • Articulate 1-3 next steps in your career discernment and planning.

 

Eagle intern fellow

Application Information

Print

How to Apply

Before you begin

  1. You must secure an unpaid internship offer prior to applying to the Eagle Intern Fellowship
  2. Review the eligibility requirements to ensure you are eligible to apply
  3. Note that you may only apply to one deadline and no late submissions will be accepted

Submit a complete application

To apply, you will need to submit the following items:

  1. Online application and essay questions
  2. Letter of recommendation
  3. Official offer letter
  4. Resume
     

Dates

TBD

The difference between the early action and regular deadline

The early action deadline provides an opportunity for students to potentially secure funding for their unpaid internship if they obtain their internship early on in the spring semester. If you apply and are not awarded the fellowship in the early action deadline process, you cannot re-apply to the regular deadline process.  Applicants who do not submit complete applications (e.g., missing a letter of recommendation, etc.) by the early action deadline will be automatically folded into the regular decision applicant pool, so long as they submit all outstanding documents.

Suggested Timeline

Fall Semester

  • Make an appointment with a career coach to get help launching your internship search.
  • Work on your resume, you will need a strong resume to both secure an internship and apply for the Eagle Intern Fellowship.
  • Depending on hiring timelines of your industry of interest, begin applying to internships.
  • Request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member or supervisor

Spring Semester

  • Apply to organizations of interest and secure an internship.
  • Compile your application materials:
    • Secure a formal offer letter from the organization.
    • Request a letter of recommendation or confirm that your reference completed the letter. Provide your reference with information about how to properly submit the letter by the deadline. We encourage you to confirm that your recommenders are still able to provide you with a letter by the EIF deadline (April 14 at 11:59 p.m.). If they are not, we suggest contacting other potential recommenders as soon as possible.Drop-in to the Career Center to have your resume reviewed.
    • Complete the online application and essay questions.
  • Submit your application by the deadline. No late applications will be accepted.

Eligibility Requirements

Below are the eligibility requirements for the 2020 Eagle Intern Fellowship. Please review in full prior to applying. For questions, contact the Career Center via email at career.center@bc.edu.

Student Eligibility

  • Priority will be given to students who can demonstrate the existence of financial barriers to completing an unpaid internship through their responses to application questions.
  • Open to undergraduates in good academic standing with the university and must be matriculated in both the spring semester before and fall semester after the internship (seniors graduating in May 2020 are ineligible). Students studying abroad are considered actively enrolled.
  • Students may only submit one application to one deadline for consideration.
  • Students who have previously been awarded the Eagle Intern Fellowship award from the Career Center or the M.L.K. Internship Grant are not eligible. 

Internship Eligibility

  • UPDATE: Due to University travel restrictions, this year the Eagle Intern Fellowship will not fund internships that require U.S. citizens to travel to internships outside of the United States. 
  • Available to qualifying students working unpaid internships for Summer 2020, for a minimum of 250 hours for at least 6 weeks.
    • Note: If you are unable to complete what is required of you, it is your responsibility to immediately notify the Program Coordinator in the Career Center via email (career.center@bc.edu). Please Note: Failure to complete all requirements will negatively affect your compensation and will result in discontinuation of  your disbursement until such missing requirements are complete. In addition, you will lose Career Center privileges such as access to your Eaglelink account. Please remember the BC values and ideals in which have been instilled in you.  
  • No on-campus internships with Boston College faculty and/or staff will be eligible.   Students must secure an off-campus internship.
  • Internships must be unpaid. However, you may receive from your internship organization up to $500 in total compensation, including, but not limited to, monetary, transportation, food, gas, and housing and still be eligible to apply.
    • Note: This does not restrict students from pursuing other paid work experiences to supplement their living expenses over the summer beyond their internship. 
  • To ensure this is a meaningful experience, the internship must include established learning goals and supervision from an organization’s staff member on site. This should be demonstrated on your offer letter from your internship organization; see the sample offer letters here.
  • While some remote and/or online work is allowed, at least 200 of your hours must be spent on-site at your host organization. Independent and unsupervised internships will not be considered.
    • UPDATE: In light of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on summer internship opportunities, this year the Eagle Intern Fellowship is waving the requirement that at least 200 hours of your internship must be on-site. Internships in which all, or most, of the work will be completed remotely are now eligible. Internships must still conform to the requirement that students work for at least 250 hours over at least six weeks. Likewise, students should still be communicating consistently with their internship supervisor(s) to assess progress on their goals and responsibilities.
  • A member of the applicant’s family cannot run or have a substantial management interest in the host organization nor serve as the applicant’s supervisor directly or indirectly.
  • If you’ve previously worked at the same site for which you are currently applying for funding, you must clearly explain how the responsibilities of this new internship position are significantly different from your previous position. Funding will not be granted for an internship that you have already done.
  • Pay-to-participate international or domestic internship programs coordinated through third-party vendors will not be eligible for funding (programs in which you pay a fee to complete an internship).
  • The internship must be unpaid and in compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act.

FAQs

Who is eligible to apply? 

Open to all rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors (graduating in 2023, 2022, or 2021) in good academic standing with the university and must be matriculated in both the spring semester before and fall semester after the  internship (seniors graduating in May 2020 are ineligible). Students studying abroad are considered actively enrolled.

Please note: Priority will be given to students who can demonstrate the existence of financial barriers to completing an unpaid internship through their responses to application questions.

What is the difference between the Early Action Deadline (March 10) and the Regular Deadline (April 14)?

The early action deadline provides an opportunity for students to potentially secure funding for their unpaid internship if they obtain their internship early on in the spring semester. If you apply and are not awarded the fellowship in the early action deadline process, you cannot re-apply to the regular deadline process.  Applicants who do not submit complete applications (e.g., missing a letter of recommendation, etc.) by the early action deadline will be automatically folded into the regular decision applicant pool, so long as they submit all outstanding documents.

Can I apply to more than one deadline?

No.

How are applications scored?

The Eagle Intern Fellowship is a highly selective opportunity, and students will be screened and chosen to receive the fellowship based upon the following criteria: 

  • Strength and quality of responses to application questions
  • Strength and quality of resume
  • Strength and quality of offer letter from hiring organization detailing supervisor's name and learning goals, responsibilities, timeline of experience, number of hours
  • Strength and quality of letter of recommendation from BC faculty member, staff member, or former/current work supervisor 
  • The applicant’s level of financial need/the articulation of any financial barriers to being able to complete an unpaid internship

What if I am not awarded the Eagle Intern Fellowship? Are there still options to secure funding?

Yes, but they will not be through the Career Center. There are several ways to proceed.

Can I do two separate internships that equal the required length and number of hours? 

No. The Eagle Intern Fellowship is designed to fund a single internship at an organization providing an opportunity to learn about and explore your career related goals. The benefit of one internship is that it fosters a deeper learning experience, commitment, and supervisory relationship between the intern and organization.

Please note: You would not be restricted from pursuing other paid work experiences to supplement their living expenses over the summer beyond their internship.

What if I don't have an internship secured by the deadline? 

We do not accept partial or late applications. You must submit a completed application by either two deadlines (Tuesday, March 10 & Tuesday, April 14). While we would love to extend the deadline even further, we know students who have secured an internship are waiting to see if they have received funding before accepting their internship offer. Many employers are willing to expedite their decision-making process if they are aware that you are applying for funding from Boston College. You should follow up with the organization to indicate your timeline.

Please note: All application materials must be submitted by the deadline, regardless of circumstances. Applicants who upload “place-holder” offer letters or letters of recommendation in order to submit the actual documents after the deadline will not have their applications considered. It is up to you to ensure that you, and your internship organization, are able to provide all necessary materials on time.

What are the deadlines and schedule of notification?

TBD

Can I still apply if my internship meets the hour requirement, but is less than 6 weeks? 

The minimum requirements for the Eagle Intern Fellowship are to complete 250 hours for at least 6 weeks by August 27, 2020. While your internship could be more than 6 weeks, it cannot be shorter.   

What if I am studying abroad in the spring?

Students who are studying abroad in spring 2020 are welcome to apply. The application process is all online through MyBC and allows flexibility of the student’s geographic location. If you are selected as an Eagle Fellow, we will work with you to obtain your pre-internship information and your disbursement. You can log into your EagleLink account and schedule a Google Meet career coaching appointment with any specific questions.

What does a successful application look like?

A successful application will be clear and show that the applicant has reflected on how this internship opportunity will allow them to grow and better understand their professional skills and their career interests. Successfully applications will also be clear: they will clearly articulate the importance of their internship to their career goals and discernment, the skills they will develop during the internship, and any financial need they have. Successful applications will also have a strong resume, a strong letter of recommendation, and a clear offer letter from the organization.

Can Career Center staff provide assistance on the Eagle application? 

Yes, we are here to help! If you have any remaining questions please schedule a career coaching appointment, visit us during drop-ins hours, or email career.center@bc.edu for any further assistance. 

Application Resources

“I couldn’t have done this internship without the Eagle Intern Fellowship. What [the Career Center does] for us is amazing. I really couldn’t have stayed here in Boston and built the connections I have now without their support.”
2018 Eagle Intern Fellow Matthew Alvarado '20, Interned with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay; offered full-time position after graduation

Meet Past Eagle Fellows

Meet a few of our past fellowship recipients who interned across the country and globe in industries ranging from medical research to federal government to magazine publishing. 

Back To Top