Application Timeline

August 8, 2011 – I start the online application.

September 2011 – I go to an information session to meet my recruiter. He advises me to complete the application by October 1, so I can qualify for Fall 2012 departures.

September 30, 2011 – I submit the Volunteer application and Health Status Review application.

October 7, 2011 – I receive a letter from Peace Corps, containing username for MyToolkit. 

*Peace Corps is no longer using MyToolkit. Their new system goes live August 15, 2012.*

In a separate packet I receive forms to get fingerprinted, a background check, and instructions on other forms I need to mail in (transcripts and financial responsibility letter). 

October 10, 2011 – I get fingerprinted. Mail my recruiter two fingerprint cards, background check form, transcripts, and notarized financial responsibility letter from my mother.

November 9, 2011 – I email my recruiter, asking for an update.

My recruiter responds, stating that he has not received my packet. He says that he will contact me the following day to let me know if he receives it in the daily mail.

November 14, 2011 – I email my recruiter again regarding packet.

My recruiter emails back, stating that he has been having problems with his mail. He informs me that he is recruiting and will be out of his office until November 21. He says that if he doesn’t receive my packed by his arrival, an interview will be arranged for the week of November 21st, and he will provide me with fingerprint cards and a background check form to redo.

November 23, 2011 – I email my recruiter regarding packet and interview.

November 28, 2011 – My recruiter calls to schedule an interview for December 2, 2012, at the University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque, NM. He then emails me, attaching an Education Skill Addendum, a document titled “Issues and Challenges of Service” to read over, along with info on what I need to bring to the interview: financial obligation form, copies of CPR/AED card, Educational Assistant License, new recommendation form, and questions to think about (obstacles, family reactions, concerns, etc.).

I spend days before interview getting transcripts, notarized financial letter, and requested documents.

December 2, 2011 – My interview is scheduled at UNM, which is the school I attended, but it is in a building I’ve never heard of/been to. I arrive into Albuquerque about an hour early so I can find the building and prepare for my interview. I cannot find the building, resulting in me showing up to my interview 10 minutes late! What a great impression, right? Luckily my recruiter understands.

My interview lasts around 1 hour 15 minutes. My recruiter says that my interview went well and he will nominate me once programs open in January or February, the latest. He says that the region New Mexico is in usually gets 1,000 nominations. This time the region only got 33 nominations! Darn budget cuts. He tells me to write a statement on how I plan on remaining competitive throughout the application process. The interview ends with him giving me extra sets of fingerprint cards and a background check questionnaire.

*If you are a prospect PCV and haven't interviewed yet, I suggest looking at the interview questions on Peace Corps Wiki. My recruiter asked me most of the questions listed: http://www.peacecorpswiki.org/Interview_Questions

December 6, 2011 – I complete and mails fingerprint cards and background check form, along with statement on how I’ll remain competitive.

December 7, 2011 – My recruiter emails me stating that I need to update him every two weeks regarding additional skills I’ll be gaining. This is to keep me a competitive applicant.

December 12, 2011 – My recruiter emails me to inform me that he received my packet (fingerprint cards, background check questionnaire, and notarized financial letter).

December 13, 2011 – I receive an email at 3 am indicating MyToolkit has been updated.

I receive a call from my recruiter asking if I will be willing to live with a host family for 27 months, swim, boat, and bike as my main modes of transportation.  Instantly I know that the nomination region is near a large body of water. He then asks if I am available October 2013. Yes, 2013, not 2012, which surprises me. I say yes. He says that he will nominate me for Primary Education Teacher Training. He can’t tell me the region until I am officially nominated. All he can tell me is the region is not West Africa (not enough French courses) or Central/South America (no Spanish courses). He officially nominates me in the system, taking about 30 seconds to do. Then the BIG NEWS: the region!

PACIFIC ISLANDS!! Peace Corps applicants aren’t able to choose a region, but if it were allowed, the Pacific Islands region would be on my list of top choices. My other choices are: the Dominican Republic, Thailand, and the Philippines. I’d go anywhere, though.

He asks me to write a letter stating that I have no problem living with a host family (I know my parents, especially my mother, will be excited by this because of safety reasons), and no problem with transportation: swimming, boating, and biking. At this point I am so excited because God has really answered my prayers!

December 14, 2011 – I receive a call from my recruiter stating that the nomination is actually for 2012, not 2013. I am happy about the year change.

December 23, 2011 – I receive the medical packet.

I spend the next few weeks getting medical and dental forms complete. I’ve heard stories of people spending several thousand dollars on the medical process. Luckily, I am still on my dad’s medical, visual, and dental insurance plans, so I only spend $20 on medical visits (I had to see my doctor twice), $20 on a visual appointment (that includes a new pair of prescription glasses), and a couple hundred dollars on my dental visits. The Peace Corps will reimburse applicants for some of the costs incurred during the medical process. The $20 I spent on medical (the entire amount), $12 on visual (which is only a portion), and $60 on dental (which is only a portion of what I paid) will be reimbursed. I just need to send in the reimbursement forms, along with receipts.

January 20, 2012 – I mail the medical packet.

February 1, 2012 – MyToolkit updated as receiving my medical packet.

March 22, 2012 – MyToolkit updated as being medically and dentally cleared.

I receive official letter in the mail, verifying medical and dental clearance.

June 11, 2012 – I email my recruiter to tell him that I still haven’t heard from Placement, and need to know if I am still being considered for a Fall departure, so I can weigh options in regards to employment. My recruiter emails back, giving me the email address to the Education Placement Desk.

June 12, 2012 – I email the Education Placement Desk, asking for an update. I immediately receive an automatic response, informing me that my email will be answered within three business days.

June 18, 2012 – It has been four business days, and I still haven’t heard from the Education Placement Desk. I call and talk with a Placement Associate. He tells me that he will send me an Education Skills Addendum form to complete, and to start revising my resume. He instructs me to send in my resume when Placement asks for it.

I receive an email from the Placement Associate I spoke with on the phone. He attaches an Education Skills Addendum and an Education Questionnaire.

June 19, 2012 – I receive an email from a different Placement Associate who informs me that I’m still being considered for the program to which I am nominated. I am also told that my file is currently undergoing a preliminary skill review with a Placement Associate, and I will hear from them in the next week or so.

June 21, 2012 – I receive the email I’ve been waiting anxiously for: the one asking for an updated resume! The sender is the Placement Associate I spoke with on the phone days earlier. He also asks me to rewrite my Cross Cultural Essay—I need to go into more detail, and he needs an updated availability date. He gives me two weeks to send the requested information.

June 25, 2012 – I email the requested materials to the Placement Associate. I also attach the Education Skills Addendum and the Education Questionnaire he emailed me the week before.

June 26, 2012 – I receive an email from the Placement Associate who thanks me for the quick response and notifies me that my Placement Officer will be in touch with me in the coming weeks.

July 10, 2012 – I email the Placement Associate asking for an update. I immediately receive an automatic response notifying me that he is out of his office due to a family emergency, and my message will be forwarded to the Placement Education Desk.

About 45 minutes later I receive an email from my Placement Officer (PO)! She informs me that I am still being considered for a Fall departure and includes a list of 19 questions I must answer. I am asked to list the top 3 challenges I expect to encounter as a PCV; How have I been preparing?; Am I still available for my original nomination?; Am I able to swim, bike, and travel by boat and a small plane? The other questions I am asked are similar to the questions asked during the interview I had with my recruiter.

My PO asks me to email my responses or contact her to schedule a time to talk through my responses.

I waste no time and begin working on the questions. I finish answering them that night and email my PO my responses.

July 13, 2012 – I email my PO and ask if she received my email with the attachment.

I hear from my PO a few hours later. She says that she did receive my email and attachment and is in the process of reviewing my application.

July 19, 2012 – MyToolkit updated as: “Complete. Peace Corps has completed your placement review. There are no holds on your account at this time.” I email my PO to inquire about this update. About an hour later my PO emails me to inform me that she is still in the process of completing her review of my application for placement. She also states that a final decision has not been made regarding where I will be placed. She ends the email by stating that she expects to complete her review by next Monday, which is two business days away.

July 21, 2012 – MyToolkit updated as INVITED!!!

July 23, 2012 – I’m so anxious, I email my PO asking if she can give me the slightest hint, such as the region. She emails me back literally one minute later, almost as if she was expecting to get an email from me, and already had a draft ready to send, haha…. The region is revealed. DUN, DUN, DUN! THE PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION! I can’t believe it. My nomination remained the same as my invitation. There’s a 50% chance that an applicant’s region will be different once their invitation arrives. Mine stayed the same! After doing research on Peace Corps Wiki and a Facebook group called “Future Peace Corps Volunteers,” I come to the conclusion that my assigned country is either Samoa or Vanuatu. I am once again thanking God for answering my prayers!

July 24, 2012 – I receive an email from UPS that gives me a tracking number. My PO sent my initiation 2nd Day Air! Wooo! I am able to track down my invitation and I know the expected arrival date. 

*Let the excessive status updates begin.* 

July 25, 2012 – I receive my invitation in the evening. I am going to SAMOA working as an English Literacy and Community Development Volunteer. Staging is October 5, 2012. There’s a ton of reading and paperwork I must get done, including an updated resume and Aspiration Statement. I have 7 days to respond to the invitation.

I spend the next several days reading the Volunteer Assignment Description, the Welcome Book, Core Expectations, and Pre-departure Safety and Security Information. I also work on my resume and Aspiration Statement.

July 31, 2012 – I complete the readings, updated my resume, and Aspiration Statement. I email Placement, accepting my invitation. I then email my updated resume and Aspiration Statement to Samoa’s country desk.

August 1, 2012 – I receive an email from Placement and from Samoa’s Country Desk Officer, both congratulating me on my invitation.

August 3, 2012 – After taking my passport photos twice (my first set looked like a mugshot, haha), I mail my “no-fee” passport application (DS-82 form) and all that’s required: current passport and block letters. The DS-82 form was simple because I didn’t have to go to the Post Office to get an official signature, and I didn’t have to pay any fees.

Samoa doesn't require a visa, which is great because that's one less thing to do.

So there you have it, my application process from the last year. While at times my patience was tested, and I was probably a nuisance to both my recruiter and my PO, I did get my invitation. 

I often wonder if I weren’t as persistent, how much longer would I have waited?? Hmmm…