FAQs
Please visit the Eligibility page.
No. Applicants are eligible only if they are attending a U.S. Department of Education accredited institution.
The MES Program welcomes applications from individuals with any undergraduate major. Past internship recipients have had a wide range of majors, including Political Science, Business, Economics, English, Engineering, Computer Science, and others. While there is no required course of study, the MES Program is interested in applicants who have coursework and/or interest in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Justice, Renewable Energy and/or other areas of interest to the US Department of Energy
Please visit the MES Host Labs page.
No. The MES Program staff will make every effort to accommodate requests based on areas of interest, but, the labs will choose interns based on their application, career interest, and suitability. Once the lab has been assigned you will be given an opportunity to accept or decline the opportunity. Under no circumstances are geographic request accommodated.
You can check the status of your application, including uploaded materials, in your online application. You will also be able to check whether we have received your letters of recommendation. You may e-mail MESProgram@precollegeuniversity.com if you have any questions.
Your application will be automatically submitted at the deadline time. If you want to submit it earlier, please e-mail the MES Program staff at MESProgram@precollegeuniversity.com and advise them that you are ready to submit your application.
The MES Program will select finalists by early April and inform them of the lab at that they have been assigned for the summer internship. Applicants will be given 10 days to accept or decline the offer.
Applicants should check their applications to make sure they added their recommenders' correct email addresses. If they did, an email invitation should have been sent to the recommender. However, based on the security settings of the recommender's email, automated notifications may get sent to "Junk Mailboxes" or "Spam Folders". Recommenders must log into the system using the email address that was provided. If recommenders are unable to find the notification, please contact the MES Program staff at MESProgram@precollegeuniversity.com.
Application Tips
Each applicant is judged based on a variety of different criteria. MES seeks individuals who show clear interest in a career dealing with Environmental Science and other areas of importance to the US Department of Energy, along with a strong academic background, a commitment to service, leadership skills, diverse interests in areas such as environmental justice and renewable energy, writing skills, and an ability to work well with teams. A good application introduces the individual to the Department of Energy and shows his/her unique motivations, experiences, accomplishments, and career goals. Thus, there is no specific formula for preparing a competitive application, as each applicant is unique. However, below are a few tips.
Contact the MES Program staff if you have any questions after reviewing the website. We are happy to answer e-mail or talk by phone.
Applicants should review all requirements as stated on the Requirement page. Applicants should make a plan to complete all aspects of the application on time. This will require steps such as securing letters of recommendation and transcripts, preparing a resume, and writing a statement of interest. The FAQ section of the website can answer many application questions.
This internship provides a unique pathway to a career at the US Department of Energy and related industries. A strong interest to pursue such a career should be the main reason for you to apply. Thus, a first step should be to research the work of the Department of Energy (https://energy.gov/jobs/jobs). Your statement of interest should highlight why you want to pursue this career and why you believe you will be successful. Each statement should be 500 words or less. If your statement is too long, cut out non-essential information.
Applicants should provide official transcripts for ALL colleges or universities that they have attended. Failure to submit all transcripts up front can slow consideration of an application. Applicants should request transcripts early and ensure that they are submitted to the MES Program before the deadline. There is no specific requirement for an academic major, and the MES Program is interested in the applicant's overall academic background.
The fellowship requests three letters of recommendation; two from faculty members and one from a community leader. The community leader should be an individual in a position of responsibility who can comment on the applicant's non-academic accomplishments and potential, including work ethic, initiative, dependability, composure, goal-orientation, inter-personal skills, etc. Examples of community leaders could include an internship supervisor, a faculty advisor for a student organization, or a work employer or supervisor. Applicants should seek individuals who know them and their work well. Titles of recommenders are less important than the substance of recommendations. Thus, a professor with whom you've taken several classes will likely be able to give a more compelling assessment of your strengths and areas for improvement than the Department chairperson whom you may not know as well. Applicants should approach recommenders early, provide them needed information, and monitor to ensure that they submit the recommendations on time. The best letters of recommendation directly address the applicants' suitability for this internship program and the Department of Energy. Generic letters of recommendation. Missing letters of recommendation are one of the most common problems in applications; it is the applicant's responsibility to make sure that all letters arrive on time.
The MES Program is particularly interested in extracurricular, community, or volunteer activities that show a commitment to environmental justice, renewable energy, environmental monitoring, environmental policy, and related issues. Applicants should list all such activities and indicate any leadership roles that they have had in such activities, including creating programs or organizations or serving as an officer in an organization. The MES Program also values work experiences that show an interest in such issues.
The internship selection process is very competitive. Applications that are polished, well written, address all requirements, and arrive on time and complete generally create a favorable impression. To ensure that all supplemental materials are submitted on time, an applicant may want to consider preparing/collecting all materials and uploading at one time.