The Peace Corps?

Question

I am a fifteen year old girl, and have my heart set on joining the Peace Corps. I want to graduate from high school one year early. I have a high GPA [3.75 unweighted, and am taking all AP and honors] and want to volunteer in my community [local shelters, libraries, tutoring, maybe help out at an "old people's" home, or help out with mentally/physically challenged kids] and walk out of high school at seventeen years old.

Would this be enough for the PC to accept me, and let me join them when I turn 18 years old, even though I did not go to college or have four years of high school? I want to go to a college after one year in the PC, and join my age group as I start that journey.

Answer 1

The Peace Corps is a 27 month commitment, so you won't be able to go for just one year. Also, it's better to have a degree from a 4-year college, possibly relating to the field you want to work in with Peace Corps. If you want to go somewhere Spanish-speaking, be sure to have at least 2 courses of intermediate college level Spanish. Having backgrounds in other languages including French (which they are recruiting for) will make you competitive as well.

In short, it's probably best for you to wait until you have graduated college. Keep up with volunteering as that will make you a good candidate. Check out the official Peace Corps website for more answers.

www.peacecorps.gov

Answer 2

First of all, the Peace Corps is a twenty-seven month commitment.  There is no "one year in the PC".  Second, although you are getting some volunteer experience it seems a little all over the place.  I would check out the PC website and look at the sectors in which they work and see if one sparks your interest.  Then you can focus your volunteer work on what they require for acceptance.  You have to realize that it's said that 1 out of ever 4 applicants are accepted to you want to do whatever you can to make yourself stand out.  You also have to realize that the majority of people have a college education and that college is something that really gets you ready for such a big commitment.  I'm headed to Mali with the PC in 2 weeks and I couldn't imaging going right out of high school.  I've been out of college for 2 years now and I honestly couldn't even imagine going directly out of college without some experience in a traditional work force.

Answer 3

No, you can't.

You're looking at a gap year, but federal programs to do that aren't available until you're 18. BTW, the Peace Corps only makes foreign assignments. There are lots of things you can do, but you'll have to make the contacts with agencies yourself to see who'll take a 17 year-old.

Answer 4

I commend you on your desire to join the Peace Corps, but this most likely isn't possible. Yes, the only real requirements are that you must be 18 and a citizen, but they really look for experience. They prefer to see a college degree, work and/or volunteer experience. Very very few people get in straight out of high school, I have never heard of anyone who has, and I think it is enough to count on your fingers.

Also, one year is not an option. Applying in itself can take a year. You fill out an online application that consists of a personal form, health form, 2 essays, and 3 references. Then you receive something in the mail which requires you to fill out a background information form (legal) and supply fingerprints and fill out more forms about your skills in detail (even tho you probably did so on the application). Then you have to have an interview which is usually 1-2 hours, in person, in business casual clothes.  If you pass the interview, they will nominate you for a region, work area, and time. For example I was nominated for Youth Development in Latin America in August of 2008. Then you get a Medical Kit in the mail that you have to get a physical for, dental appointment, optometry appointment. Often people have other special forms based on their medical history (I had 3 extra forms!). Send this in, usually wait months to be "medically cleared," and often will have to redo blood tests or supply more information. If you get cleared then you will be invited to serve. This process usually takes 6-12 months.

Once you are invited, it is a 27 month commitment. You leave with a group to your country and go through 3 months of training. After, you are sworn in as a peace corps volunteer and then placed in a town or village (alone) and work there for 2 years.

Again, I commend you for your desire, and hope you do so--at some point. It is more logical to wait and do so after college when you have more experience.

One option you may want to think about is Americorps. They have programs that are shorter and whatnot.  It is basically "Peace Corps in the United States." YOu won't be abroad, instead you'll be in the US volunteering. Another option, which I bring up because I know someone who did this, is look at study abroad programs. I recently studied Chinese in China for 2 months. But another girl there was from Miami, and after graduating high school, she went to China in July and has stayed there studying Chinese for an entire year. She is coming back to the States in a few weeks and will be starting college in August. So that's something to think about, not just China, but there are other country options as well. The organization that I went through was really great and helpful, World Link Education (WLE): http://www.worldlink-education.com/ (Italy, Spain, UK, Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea) I suggest that because after a year abroad, she's seen all different parts of China, lived in Beijing, visited Mongolia, visited Japan, and is fluent in Chinese! Imagine that. She has an amazing step up in her college aspirations, and after that, career aspirations. So that is a really exciting, adventurous, and very worthwhile option that can put you ahead. Those programs have all different time frames ranging from a few weeks to a year. YOu can also chose to do a short program, but decide to extend it longer once you get there and love it! I hope you consider that option :)

Jenna

http://www.jcorps.blogspot.com

Answer 5

92% of all PCVs have a college degree. The rest have 10 - 50 years of experience. The only 18-year olds they have ever taken had worked on the family farm since they were old enough to walk, just about, and had stellar leadership records in the FFA or 4-H.

Harsh as it sounds, good intentions are not enough. You need to have a skill that a host country has asked for. Host countries, in turn, want people with degrees; people with degrees who are willing to work in the upriver villages, usually.  Most host country college graduates want to work in the big cities, where there is some night life, a large pool of singles, paved roads, electricity 24 hours a day and running water. They aren't that different from the graduates in the USA.

The Peace Corps expects you to train for 3 months and serve for two years, for a total of 27 months.

Hang on to your hopes, but go to college first.