How I Got Into Teach For America

I promised myself that if I was accepted into Teach for America that I would write an entry and publish it somewhere in the blogosphere detailing how I had done it. I felt that I owed it to applicants who came after me, because I spent an absolutely ridiculous amount of time googling phrases like "How I got Into TFA" or "TFA Acceptance" or "Secret to TFA." Every time I found a blog post with that title, of course, I was disappointed. Nothing gave me any new information, and I ended up feeling more lost than when I'd started, mostly because of the time wasted.

But here's the thing. I know you, prospective applicant heck-bent on addressing educational inequality in this country, don't want to hear this. I know everyone says it, but it's true: you already know everything you need to get in. I got in by displaying some combination of the following traits, as listed on TeachForAmerica.org:

• Demonstrated past leadership and achievement: achieving ambitious, measurable results in academic, professional, extracurricular, or volunteer settings
• Perseverance and sustained focus in the face of challenges
• Strong critical thinking skills: making accurate linkages between cause and effect and generating relevant solutions to problems
• Superior organizational ability: planning well, meeting deadlines, and working efficiently
• Respect for individuals’ diverse experiences and effectively working with people from a variety of backgrounds
• Superior interpersonal skills to motivate and lead others
• Thorough understanding of and desire to work relentlessly in pursuit of our vision

The only remotely helpful thing I did in my preparation was to go through this list and jot down ways I exemplified these qualities,but when I got down to it I forgot all of them and don't think I covered half of the points I had hit in my interview practicing. But something went right somewhere, somehow, and if it's meant to be for you it will go right too.

But just so I don't end on that vague abstraction, I will tell you some things that probably(maybe) helped me. I had one or two leadership positions, but nothing ridiculous. I founded Sewing Club and kept it running for three years, I worked as Arts Director at a teeny Girl Scout camp and helped expand the program there, I designed some costumes for my old high school theater department, I was a member of a design league, and I work at a costume shop at school.

I know how nerve-wracking it is: I know how bad you want to do it and how scary the whole process is, but in the end no amount of googling is going to help you... and if any prospectives are actually reading this, the best advice I can give you is just to stop googling.