Volunteers who hope to join the Peace Corps will find it easier to enlist as a result of an updated, streamlined online application, according to a Friday press release.
The Peace Corps’ application, formerly 60 pages long, has been modernized to address issues of volunteer accessibility, increase recruitment and enhance outreach, said Peace Corps spokeswoman Shira Kramer.
“We don’t want applicants to be deterred by eight-hour applications, massive uncertainty and an endless selection process,” she said in an email. “We are revitalizing our recruitment and outreach to remain competitive and recruit the best and brightest our country has to offer.”
With an application that can be completed in less than an hour, applicants can now choose specific programs and countries to apply to, allowing them to choose a path that fits their personal and professional goals, Kramer said.
“The response to these application reforms has been tremendous, whether measured by all-time highs in web traffic to PeaceCorps.gov or record-breaking application numbers, including the highest number of applications in a single day since the implementation of our current tracking system,” she said. “Demand for the Peace Corps is incredibly high right now.”
Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet is encouraging college seniors to apply by the end of September to secure a volunteer position of their choice and depart shortly after graduation, she said in Friday’s press release.
Zach Hobbs, director of the Community Service Center at Boston University, said the improved application is likely to catch students’ attention and encourage them to apply.
“BU, being such a global institution in terms of where our students are coming from and what they are studying, I would guess that the Peace Corps will continue to be a popular perspective service opportunity for students moving forward,” he said. “Making it [the application] more accessible is going to make it more appealing and solicit more interest.”
Hobbs said he hopes students explore all opportunities to serve domestically and abroad at some point during college or after graduation.
“Volunteering and service connects what students are learning in their classes and academic experience and gives them a connection to the real world with things they’re learning from books, lectures and professors,” he said.
Archana Beeram, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said the application appeals to students like her who are interested in volunteering, but are unsure which service organization they would like to join.
“Everyone is different when it comes to charitable causes that are important to them, so people should be able to choose where and what they spend their time doing,” she said. “There will probably be more people inclined to apply, which will increase participation.”
Sile Robinson, a senior in CAS, said while she supports the streamlined process, she worries about the quality of applicants.
“This could lead to a lot of people who may not be qualified to apply,” she said. “The Peace Corps acceptance process can take up to a year to complete and is extremely serious. You have to be very qualified to be chosen.”
College of Communication junior Marina Mahfuz said the improvements to the application are innovative and empower students to make a difference in their communities.
“I would definitely look into the new application, and it should be something that is promoted more,” she said. “Volunteering gives people the opportunity to be proactive and make a change instead of waiting for someone else to take action. The initiative should come from within.”
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