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Alumni Sponsored Internship Program

NOTE: ASIP is now closed for the ’24-’25 Academic Year. Due to the extraordinary number of applications received, and our limited budget, we will not be reopening for a late round of applications. All of our budget has been spent down. Unfortunately, we have no alternative sources of funding or extra funds available. If eligible, we encourage you to apply next year.

The Alumni Sponsored Internship Program (ASIP) awards summer internship grants between $2,000-$5,500 to currently enrolled first-years, sophomores, juniors, and 1st-semester seniors completing unpaid or minimally paid summer internships. ASIP funds can be applied to a multitude of industries and are increasingly sought after and thus highly competitive-  requirements and application instructions are detailed in the sections below. Any and all questions can be directed to the ASIP Committee at [email protected].

  • All students are eligible to find their internships in whatever way works for them. You can self-source an internship, work with our advising team, reach out to organizations to try to develop your own opportunity, or you can peruse some eligible internships below in the ASIP Opportunities Board.

    To help you in your internship search, we've put together this ASIP Opportunities Board where you can view summer a variety of internship opportunities. The Opportunities Board is updated frequently, so check back often! You can filter by industry and modality, as well as view location, number of open positions, and more. If you are offered one of the internships on the board and accept it, then you still must submit an ASIP application to be considered for funding. Accepting a position on the ASIP Opportunities Board does not guarantee you will receive funding. This is merely a tool we've provided to help you find eligible internships.

    We also encourage you to explore our Summer Experiences Database where you can explore past opportunities that fellow students have taken on over the years. This can be a great way to find opportunities. You should also explore other departments both for their funding and for their own curated opportunities board. You can view other programs and jobs boards on our "All Funding Programs" page, which includes '68 Center programs, opportunities from the Zilkha Center for the Environment, CLiA, Fellowships, the Davis Center, and more!

    Students interested in specialized internships in healthcare should also check out our Health Professions Partnership Grants section below, or navigate straight to the dedicated Health Professions Partnership Grants site to read more about the programs and separate application process.

  • Questions about ASIP? Do you need help or feedback on your essay questions? Are you unsure of where to even start? No problem! Come work with us and talk to '68 Center staff, advisors, and peer career advisors about ASIP. We'll have snacks, cozy workspaces, and answers for all your internship related questions.  You can also always email [email protected].

    Sessions Listed Below

    Work-In 1: Thursday, March 13th from 1-3pm | Mears House, '68 Center Advising Suite

    Work-In 2: Thursday, April 3rd from 12-3pm | Mears House, '68 Center Advising Suite

    Work-In 3: Thursday, April 10th from 1-3pm | Mears House, '68 Center Advising Suite

    Work-In 4: Thursday, April 17th from 1-3pm | Mears House, '68 Center Advising Suite

    Work-In 5: Thursday, April 24th from 2-4pm | Mears House, '68 Center Advising Suite

    Work-In 6: Friday, April 25th from 1-4pm | Mears House, '68 Center Advising Suite

     

    Check back for additional sessions!

  • Whether you've found your internship on your own or through the ASIP Opportunities Board, you must submit an ASIP application to be considered for funding. Please review the eligibility requirements below before applying.

    Students Eligible to Apply for ASIP

    • All currently enrolled Williams College students, or those in a Williams-approved study away/abroad program, who are planning to return for the fall semester. (Graduating seniors unfortunately are not eligible.)
    • Must be in good standing and adhere to the Williams College Code of Conduct.
    • While priority is given to students who have not yet received an ASIP award, you can still apply if you have received funding before.
    • Domestic and International Students are all eligible to apply!
      • International students should be sure to visit Mariia Smirnova in ISS to make sure they understand the requirements for CPT.

    Internship Eligibility Requirements

    • Must be at least 4 weeks for 140 hours minimum.
    • Must occur between Tuesday, May 27, 2025 and Sunday, August 30, 2024.
      • Students may apply to multiple internships as long as they are not concurrent with another opportunity. 
    • Internships can be located anywhere in the world*. 
      • *If you're interning in a country on the US State Department Travel Advisory List with a Level 3 or Level 4 warning, your application will be submitted for further review by the College before we can issue a funding decision. We will contact you for additional information about your housing, safety, and travel plans if this is necessary.

    Supervisor Eligibility Requirements

    • Supervisors must develop substantive projects with specific learning goals, objectives, and deliverables for the duration of the student’s summer internship.
    • Must have at least two consecutive years of full-time work experience. We prefer that an internship supervisor is not a family member.
    • Must provide ongoing mentorship and guidance throughout the summer by:
      • Building and supporting an effective relationship, discussing learning goals and objectives to help guide student success;
      • Facilitating reflective thinking through thought-provoking questions to encourage learning and self-awareness of growth opportunities;
      • Providing objective guidance and feedback on a regular basis (preferably weekly).
    • Complete an Internship Confirmation and Performance Review form at the end of your internship.

    It should be noted that meeting the above requirements does not guarantee funding which is solely at the discretion of the selection review committee. 

    • ASIP funding cannot be awarded concurrently with another full-time funded opportunity through Williams College. Since there is limited ASIP Funding available, students who are not already receiving funding from other sources will be given priority. 
    • Summer coursework and/or self-directed/independent research projects that are led by students do not qualify as summer internships and are not eligible for ASIP funding.
    • Cannabis Policy: The ‘68 Center will not accept applications related to cannabis growing, testing, production, distribution, retail sales, promotion, and tourism. We will accept applications related to compliance, regulation, research, and development within the cannabis industry.

  • Application

    Once you’ve secured an internship, simply fill out the ASIP Application here. Note that you must have your supervisor’s contact information in order to complete the application, as we will send them a verification form (see below).

    Employer Verification Form

    Upon submission of your application, your supervisor will be emailed a form to verify the details of your internship experience and answer a few questions about their mentorship process. They must complete this in order for your application to be considered for funding.

    We highly recommend you reach out to your supervisor in advance to let them know they will need to complete this form, as it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure this is submitted, much like a letter of recommendation.

    • Main Application Deadline:
      Monday, April 28, 2025 by 8:30 am (EDT)
    • Decisions Released:
      Friday, May 9, 2025

    NOTE: ASIP is now closed for the 24-25 Academic Year. Due to the extraordinary number of applications received, and our limited budget, we will not be reopening for a late round of applications. All of our budget has been spent down. Unfortunately, we have no alternative sources of funding or extra funds available. If eligible, we encourage you to apply next year.

    If you accept an ASIP Grant, you must complete  and submit the ASIP Contract and Agreement Form & Williams College Waiver Forms within 48 hours of your acceptance.

    Some students may be placed on a waitlist in the event another student declines their funding or becomes ineligible. If you are offered a spot on the waitlist, you will have 48 hours to confirm or release your spot. Once all funds have been claimed, we will notify anyone still on the waitlist that we have run out of funding.

  • Applications will be reviewed based on a specific set of criteria, including:

    • Student’s level of financial aid
    • Student’s class year
    • Number of previous internship experiences student has had
    • Whether the student has previously received ASIP funding
    • Whether the student is returning to an organization at which they’ve previously interned or are seeking a new opportunity
    • How well the student articulates their:
      • motivation for pursuing this particular opportunity;
      • connection of this opportunity to academic, extracurricular, and career interests;
      • career exploration and internship search process, including engagement with the ‘68 Center.
    • Students applying for internships in fields where more funding is available will have a greater chance of receiving funding. (See below: “Funding Sources”)
    • ASIP grants are awarded in $250 increments between $2,000 - $5,500, and will be evaluated based on a specific set of criteria, including (but not limited to):
      • Number of weeks and number of hours per week;
      • Modality of internship (in-person, remote, or hybrid);
      • Whether a student is receiving any compensation or is provided housing; 
      • Location of internship and transportation required to relocate to that location;
      • Student’s level of financial aid.
    • ASIP grants will be issued through Accounts Payable (AP). In order to process your payment, students will need to have Direct Deposit set up for their student accounts. This is different from direct deposit for Payroll. For more information on how to fill out the form or update banking information, please visit the Student Financial Services website. We strongly encourage you to complete this process as soon as possible to prevent any delay in payment should you be awarded.
    • Your funding may be considered taxable income. You may wish to consult with a tax advisor or call the IRS help line at 800-829-1040. You may refer to IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education for information on the taxability of fellowships and other educational assistance.
      • If you are a U.S. Citizen or a resident of the U.S. for tax purposes, the College will not report your funding on a Form 1099 or a Form W-2, and will not withhold any taxes. You will not receive a Form 1099 from the College reporting this income.
      • If you are not a resident of the U.S. for tax purposes, the College is required to report your funding on Form 1042-S, and withhold taxes. International students should make sure they have registered through Sprintax, to ensure appropriate tax withholding and reporting.

     

  • Thanks to special donations from alumni, we have a few specific opportunities for those interested in Health Professions. Students can apply to intern at Jacobi Medical Center or the San Francisco Free Clinic. Those accepted are automatically granted the Health Professions Partnership Grant of $5,500 and are considered a part of the ASIP summer intern cohort for the year.

    Applications for both of these programs are separate from the ASIP program, and can be found on the Health Professions Partnership Grants site. 

    Applications are due Sunday, March 2nd by 11:55pm EST, so please visit the Health Professions Partnership Grants site for more information and the link to apply.

  • What are my chances of receiving funding?
    The ASIP funding program is a very competitive process with many variables that go into the decision-making process. That said, we have expanded the eligibility requirements to capture a broader variety of summer experiences and have moved to a variable award structure that will allow us to award more students based on their needs for their specific internships. We always endeavor to award as many students as much as we are able, and so we encourage you to apply!

    ASIP typically disburses about $1.3 million. In 2023, we were able to award 203 students all at the same rate. For 2024 with our expanded program, we were able to provide funding for 275 students with an average award of $4,500. 

    Funding is available for any industry, but some industries have more dedicated funds available (e.g. nonprofits typically have more dedicated funds than internships at for-profit organizations). There is also a lot of crossover - for example, if you work at an arts start-up that is also a nonprofit where you'll be doing a lot of tech for the organization, there are some dedicated arts funds, entrepreneurship funds, nonprofit funds, and technology funds we have - any of which could support your internship!

    At the end of the day, you should be taking on the experience that is the best for you. While the industry can sometimes affect the amount of funding available, the Committee is responsible for figuring out that puzzle on the backend. If you have any questions, please schedule an appointment with a career advisor.

     

    One of the application questions asks me how my internship relates to my career, academic, and extracurricular interests. My intended major and extracurricular activities don’t directly relate to my potential career path. How do I answer this question?
    The goal of asking you this question is not for you to choose internship opportunities that directly connect to the subject matter you’re studying or the student groups you’re part of. Instead, it’s to encourage you to reflect on the ways in which the transferable skills, interests, and values you’re exploring could connect to the skills, interests, and values you’d like to explore in this internship. In the spirit of the liberal arts, we want you to explore broadly, but also to be able to articulate your unique story.

    How much detail should I provide about my career exploration and search process?
    Reviewers will be looking for all of the ways you actively engaged in the exploration and search process. Points will be awarded for: seeking advice from various mentors within and outside of Williams, networking (whether it’s with people already in your network or expanding into the Williams network), having put effort into your search as evidenced by having applied to several formal and/or informal opportunities, and some specific examples of engagement with the ‘68 Center through appointments or programs. The more you can highlight your search process and engagement, the better. We've removed the word limit, however, articulating your process clearly and succinctly is still important for ensuring reviewers can understand your search story.

    Note that this is NOT a place to tell us how much you appreciate the career center. Many students last year used up a lot of their character limit for this question by answering the question this way. You just need to detail your search - we know we're awesome. 😉

    When can I expect to know if I will receive funding, and how much?
    Students will be made aware of the status of their application on the following timeline:

    • Main Deadline (Monday, April 28th by 8:30am):
      • May 9, 2025
    • Late Deadline (If funding available, Monday May 19th by 8:30am):
      • May 19, 2025

    Award letters will contain your specific grant amount. Grant amounts are determined by a number of factors including things like length of internship, financial aid status, modality of internship, travel expenses, and more. If awarded funding, you will have 48 hours to accept or decline your award. 

    If I am not on financial aid, can I get funding?
    Yes! Financial aid is just one of the many things we look at when reviewing and awarding ASIP applications. 

    If I’m getting paid, can I get funding?
    Yes! Students receiving pay may still receive funding from ASIP on a pro-rated scale. Based on our funding formula, payment amounts may be subtracted from the overall amount we’d consider funding. Since our top award is $5,500 this year, if you’re making more than that, it’s much less likely that you would receive funding; however, your internship payment is just one of many factors contributing to our funding formula. 

    Because funding is limited, preference is given to students with unpaid internships or internships that only provide a small stipend. If you have questions about your specific situation, please feel free to email [email protected] and we’d be happy to help you figure out if applying to ASIP is right for you. 

    Do I have to have an internship secured in order to apply for ASIP?
    Yes. ASIP provides funding for an existing internship. While we have sourced certain internships with employer partners to help you in your search, you cannot apply for ASIP funding until you’ve been hired. In addition to our ASIP Opportunities Board, we encourage you to work with one of our career advisors to find your own internship that best fits your goals.  

    If I’m receiving funding from another Williams College source, can I still apply for ASIP?
    It depends. As long as the funding from another office is for a separate opportunity that is not full time, thus not happening concurrently with your internship, then you can apply for ASIP funding. 

    If I have secured one of the jobs from the ASIP Opportunities Board, do I still need to apply to receive ASIP funding?
    Yes! We’re so glad the Opportunities Board helped you to land an internship; however, ASIP is a funding program. Therefore, if you need the funding in order to participate in the internship, you must apply to be considered. 

    Who do I contact if my internship situation has changed? Will I have to refund the funds if I am unable to complete the internship? 
    On rare occasions, there have been issues during an internship that change the nature of your involvement or may cause you to have to drop the internship altogether. That’s ok! As long as you contact us right away, we can work with you to figure out a solution and work on the best way forward.

    If any changes do occur, please email [email protected] as soon as possible. Depending on the circumstances, we may be able to help transition you to another opportunity, or figure out another way you can use the ASIP funding. There have been instances where students have been asked to return all or a portion of their ASIP funds, but those situations are rare and we try to avoid them if at all possible.

Get an idea of where ASIP interns have gone by reviewing their final reports below. For Summer 2024 internships, you can scroll through the embedded gallery below, or you can visit the gallery yourself by clicking here. Click on any of the images to open up to an expanded view that shows more details including the final report and additional photos!

The gallery is grouped by award funds and are then in alphabetical order by first name, however, you can adjust how the gallery looks based on what you’re looking for. Use the “Industry Tags” dropdown to select industries in which you’re interested to only see internships with those tags.

Additionally, you can add a filter to further hone your search results. Click “Filter,” then “Add a condition” and then select the fields you want to filter on. For example, you could say, “City, State, Country” contains “Boston” if you’re only interested in internships in that area. Or, you just read through them all. Have fun!

2022 ASIP Book
 
2021 ASIP Book
 

View past ASIP recipients (2017 – 2020).