<p>I know I made a post about Americorps already, but can anyone tell me anything about Peace Corps too (besides what is given on their website)? Has anyone here participated in it or know someone who has that can give me information on their personal experience with the program? Is it extremely competitive?</p>
<p>My older son’s college roommate is a Peace Corps volunteer in a Central American country right now. He is working hard but enjoying himself as well, and he feels that he is doing a small part of the world some good. </p>
<p>My son visited him for a week on his own vacation, and together they traveled around the country. My son was very impressed with his friend’s Spanish!!</p>
<p>I don’t think is it extremely competitive.</p>
<p>You could read “First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria” by a Peace Corp veteran.</p>
<p>You should expect about a one-year lead time between beginning the process and getting posted to an assignment, so a college senior could apply as early as the summer before their senior year. I’m sure a lot of people don’t make the cut, but probably not because of grades so much as health issues or perceived lack of fit. I was ineligible as a result of a former job in intelligence.</p>
<p>The volunteers I met in Mauretania (back in the dark ages) were dedicated and independent. One was emaciated from an intestinal virus but was fighting against being sent home. A bunch of the embassy personnel and other expats were former Peace Corps volunteers. If you want to work in a government or not-for-profit environment in Africa, I would consider the Peace Corps to be an excellent interim step to those jobs. </p>
<p>My son, who spent the past three summers in South America, has run into a number of current and former Peace Corps volunteers on his travels. They love what they do and thrive on a back to basics lifestyle. I beleive the Peace Corps probably does an excellent job of pre-screening.</p>
<p>Peace Corps is becoming more competitive, we are told, largely due to the job market issues. As pointed out, PC suggests allowing up to a year between submission of an application and posting to a PC assignment if selected. DD did her application in August 2009, had her interview already and has now moved on to completing the exhaustive health forms. According to PC info…better than 95% of applicants do NOT have health issues that preclude them from an assignment. </p>
<p>We’re keeping our fingers crossed for DD who really wants to do this upon graduation in June (or late summer 2010).</p>