<p>The son of a family friend is graduating from college in a couple weeks, he just told his mom that he intends to apply to the Peace Corp instead of going directly to grad school as they had originally discussed. His mom is very unhappy, she says she’s heard stories of unhappy people who have been stuck in bad situations for 2 years, I’ve only heard stories about people who’ve had good life altering assignments. What are your experiences with a recent graduate going into the Peace Corp?</p>
<p>My daughter completed two years of PC in a very rural village in Rwanda. She really liked it, and found it to be a valuable experience. </p>
<p>No one is “stuck” in a bad situation. PCVs can ask go home at any time in their service. My daughter also says that they can request an in country change in assignment, but that would depend on the circumstances. There would have to be an open position. PC would not just create one. </p>
<p>We were thrilled that our daughter chose to become a Peace Corps volunteer after college graduation. It really gave her an opportunity to be fully independent. She met fabulous people both in her PC group and in her country. </p>
<p>The application process is a doozie. Peace Corps does a great job of screening applicants. About 20% of those who apply actually progress to being assigned a PC position. The training in country is very good in terms of the culture, and language. </p>
<p>If someone is truly unhappy, they can return home at any time during their service…and simply be done. No one has to feel stuck.</p>
<p>As an FYI…the process from initial application to actually leaving for assignment was 14 months for my daughter, and this is very typical. She applied in august prior to her senior year, and received her assignment in August after she graduated…a full year. She departed in October.</p>
<p>Thanks thumper1, that’s great information!</p>
<p>The Peace Corps website has a good amount of information.</p>
<p>I will add, we have five returned Peace Corps volunteers in our family, and one current PCV. All college grads, all had great and different experiences.</p>
<p>There absolutely are some folks who get to their country, and even complete part or all of their training, and then decide it’s just not going to work. And that is OK.</p>
<p>I don’t want to imply that it is perfect for everyone. But I do think this mom should let her college grad son make up his own mind. Having the Peace Corps on your resume is a good thing.</p>
<p>Boy, you are a fabulous source of useful information! That resume remark is intriguing, are you referring to impressing future employers, graduate schools, both? </p>
<p>Yes. Peace Corps is a very known commodity…and well respected. </p>
<p>Peace Corps looks great on a resume because it is very selective and says a lot about your character.
If you have been chosen for PC & have completed your assignment, that is having an additional recognition most applicants will not have.</p>
<p>my son’s friend finishing PC in S.America. He was offered a job with his supervisor and also got many law school acceptances. A fellow bookclub member’s daughter still in Madagascar & Mom has visited her there. My sister’s friend was a trainer until she retired.</p>
<p>Joining the P.C.s was the young adult’s decision, but the families are very proud and supportive. </p>
<p>After being on the waitlist for Peace Corps for 2 years, close family friend’s d (and Dad is Peace Corps alum from bakk in the 70’s and active in Peace Corps Alumni group) received placement to Ukraine. The group she was in arrived in around beginning of October. She was evacuated about six weeks ago and their program was cancelled. Haven’ t yet heard exactly what happens to those in this group as they received training for specific program in Ukraine and would now have to wait for another opportunity to begin next training program. </p>
<p>I never realized that you could be put on a waiting list, this must be very disruptive for a young person’s life, but it is their choice. Then to have the program cancelled on top of the waiting to be placed, yikes! </p>
<p>DD did a little over two years of PC service in Georgia. Like Thumper said, it was a year or so long process. She did it as part of a masters/PC program, so did one year of grad school, her service and her last semester of grad school and was 21 when she went overseas. She started the process during her last year of college. She loved her time and is now living in Turkey for the second year. </p>
<p>A group before hers was evacuated from Georgia and several of them returned the next year when the assignments opened back up.</p>
<p>You have to pass the physicals and all the interviews and the jobs of certain family members can affect where, or even if, you can serve. </p>
<p>cap, thanks for sharing, the masters/PC program sounds very interesting, I just quickly googled that for more information and it looks like there partner schools and masters programs that are integrated with PC for certain fields. Does acceptance into one of those programs enhance someone’s PC application?</p>