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How to Get Involved

Learn How to Mentor a Student Extern

Alumni sponsor requirements

  1. MIT alumnus/a
    To qualify as an externship sponsor, you must be an undergraduate and/or graduate alumnus/a of MIT.

  2. Public office space
    We cannot accept externship opportunities from alumni who operate a business from their home.

  3. Human resource clearance
    Before submitting your sponsor application to MIT, please obtain permission from your company's human resources department. It is also the sponsor's responsibility to determine whether any specific information from the student (i.e. security clearance, liability and waiver forms, vaccinations) is required.

  4. Enrichment
    Please insure the opportunity offered provides a structured experience for the student through mentoring, job shadowing, and/or handling different project responsibilities.

  5. Infinite Connection account: Alumni sponsors are required to access the online application with an Infinite Connection account. If you have forgotten your login or password consult please consult the Infinite Connection Login/Password help page. If you have a non-alumnus/a staff member assisting you with the process, please have him/her contact Katie Casey Maloney at 617-452-3372 or kcasey@mit.edu to coordinate the application process.

  6. U.S. State Dept. Travel Warning/Embargo List: Potential international sponsors, please note the Institute restricts official MIT travel including student externships to certain countries based on the U.S. State Department's assessment of safety conditions. Alumni in countries listed on the State Department travel warning lists or travel embargo list are not eligible to offer externships, see http://informit.mit.edu/epr/3.1travel_risk.html for information.

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How to get involved

  1. Prepare by reviewing the sponsor timeline and the student timeline and sponsor requirements. Before an externship offering is posted, it must approved by your company's human resources department.

  2. Submit your externship offering through the online application, which will be available in May 2009. The deadline to submit your externship offering is September 22, 2009, by 5:00pm.

    Please add these addresses to your email safe list to ensure you do not miss an email from the Externship Office:
    Externship[at]mit[dot]edu
    kcasey[at]mit[dot]edu
    bethn[at]mit[dot]edu

  3. Review student applications: Externships are posted on the Alumni Association's Web site for students to review from September 23-October 13, 2009. Interested students (grad and undergrad) will submit their applications to the Alumni Association. Sponsors will be sent an email from the Alumni Association with the link to their offering's online applications. Sponsors will be able to login and review the student applications online on October 15, 2009.

  4. Select: The sponsor will review student applications. Sponsors may choose to (and it is highly recommended) meet or speak on the phone with the student applicants before indicating the applicants they find qualified for the position(s). The sponsor will indicate which student applicants are qualified for their position directly on Alumni Association website. Alumni must post their selections by November 5, 2009 at 9 a.m.

  5. Receive matching results: The Alumni Association will run its matching program and offer a match to students marked as qualified by the sponsors. Students may accept or decline this match. Due to its success in 2008, the matching program will run a second time to fill any vacancies with unmatched students as a result of first-round matched students declining offers. If a student declines an offer in the first round of matching, they will not be eligible to be matched in the second round. Please note: students may apply for up to three externship offerings. The Alumni Association will try to match you with one of the applicants you find qualified. The matching system seeks to maximize the number of alumni/student matches. In some cases, a match cannot be made, but every effort is made to match as many students and sponsors as possible. Both rounds of matching will be completed by November 25, 2009. Alumni will be notified via email from the Alumni Association of their accepted matches on November 30, 2009.

  6. Connect: Once a match is made, the sponsor and the student(s) will be put in contact with one another to discuss goals for the externship, the logistical details, office hours, appropriate dress, etc.