Peace Corps

[viciouspenguin]

I'm considering joining Peace Corps after I graduate from college. At the moment my top choices are business development and urban planning in either Cambodia, Thailand, or the Phillipines.

Anyone have any advice, stories, actual experience, etc.? Thanks. If you guys are curious why I'm considering Peace Corp, I'll post my situation/mindset later

www.peacecorp.gov

[Badger]

You only get to pick your preferred locations right? I recently got back from a trip where I spent 3 weeks staying on the dirt floor of a Peace Corps Volunteer's hut in Panama.

I met maybe a dozen or so PCVs on my trip and most of them were really cool. It sounded difficult at times and quite rewarding at other times. I couldn't handle the 27 month commitment, which is why I'm involved in another organization that does shorter trips. The area I was in had a high concentration of PCVs because it was rather poor. High concentration meaning from where I was there was another volunteer a 45 minute hike away and about 5 more within another 2 or so hours of hiking.

Most everyone I met was really well adapted to their surroundings. Drinking the water and getting sick was fairly routine for the volunteers. A lot of health risks that you wouldn't normally take seemed to be not a big deal given they were adjusting to their surroundings. I experienced this to a smaller degree in the short time I was there. The nearby volunteer we were working with didn't seem to get that she was in a 3rd world environment and still complained about a lot of the small things.

The community I was in was very friendly and dedicated to working on our project. A lot of the community members couldn't tell the difference between me and the volunteer I was staying with. We looked nothing alike other than we were both white.

A lot of people don't realize that one of the main goals of PC is selling America, or rather showing America works, this is how we do it. All in all though it's a really good program and there are some good people out there doing some great work.

[TiK]

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I couldn't handle the 27 month commitment, which is why I'm involved in another organization that does shorter trips.

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Would you mind telling us the name of this organization? Or could you PM it to me if you don't mind? Thanks.

[steel108]

I had a HS friend that did this upon graduating from undergrad and she said that Peace Corps is REALLY selective about who they take on. Kind of surprised me; just an FYI

[TiK]

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I had a HS friend that did this upon graduating from undergrad and she said that Peace Corps is REALLY selective about who they take on. Kind of surprised me; just an FYI

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Well, I'm sure training is expensive, and they don't want to train someone just to have them flake out halfway through. So I'm sure they make certain that the people who go are people who are most likely gonna stick it out for the entire length of time.

[Badger]

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I couldn't handle the 27 month commitment, which is why I'm involved in another organization that does shorter trips.

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Would you mind telling us the name of this organization? Or could you PM it to me if you don't mind? Thanks.

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Engineers Without Borders. It's a relatively new non-profit that grew out of the student org. in Boulder, CO. I'm part of a professional chapter that recently did our first trip. I've been meaning to post a trip report, maybe I'll get around to that someday. It was a simple project, basically just delivering spring water to a small 4-household community to improve some sanitation problems for them.

[Badger]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I had a HS friend that did this upon graduating from undergrad and she said that Peace Corps is REALLY selective about who they take on. Kind of surprised me; just an FYI

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I'm sure training is expensive, and they don't want to train someone just to have them flake out halfway through. So I'm sure they make certain that the people who go are people who are most likely gonna stick it out for the entire length of time.

[/ QUOTE ]
I heard a story of someone bailing immediately after training. In her exit meeting or whatever they have a supervisor said to her something along the lines of how do you feel about wasting $15,000 of the governments money?

I don't recall the exact figure, but no, it's not cheap. Maybe someone can chime in and say what percent of applicants they accept, but I'm pretty sure it is around 20%.

[effang]

don't do it.

[2/325Falcon]

Look for old posts by TheMainEvent in OOT about this. He got jerked around so much he wound up not going.

[viciouspenguin]

Thanks for the responses so far.

I've heard 60% get accepted, I didn't know they were as selective as 20% acceptance but it does make sense that they want very committed individuals.

I'm probably not the "standard" applicant. I'm a senior at a top 25 university majoring in Economics and minoring in Urban Planning. I'm on track to be the stereotypical future finance/accounting bitch. But I don't think I can ever work in the finance industry. I'm very financially stable for my age (thanks to poker), and because of poker I've realized life isn't about making money, but about doing something that makes you happy. I've had two finance internships but if the high income which I could probably get through finance doesn't interest me, then why should I be unhappy and toil in the finance industry? At the same time, I've developed a geniune interest in social work, helping society, blah blah etc. That's why I picked up my minor. At the moment, I don't have much community service experience and not much outdoorsman experience (besides boy scouts, but I quit my freshman year in high school). But in terms of intelligence, work ethic, genuine interest, etc. I feel I am superior than other Peace Corps applicants... although I'm definitely lacking in some important areas.

And honestly, I don't know if I could hack it.