Capetown Policy in Action Program

July -November 2012

Minimum Program Requirement: GPA of 3.0 or higher

Note: Applicants are strongly advised to attend a program information session or contact the Coordinatoe of Experiential Education at pconsoli@williams.edu for application details. Expedited application review and early committee interviews are available to students facing decision constraints though no early decision program is in place.

Stage 1: Williams Pre-application

Submit the following information in electronic form to the Williams Policy in Action Pre-Selection Committee (care of pconsoli@williams.edu) by 5pm on February 17th, 2012:

A)  A personal statement which answers the following questions:

1. Why do you want to participate in this program?
2. How do you expect the Cape Town Policy in Action Program to further your intellectual goals?
3. What is the extent of your experience or knowledge about Third World countries?
4. How will the program and fieldwork relate to your coursework at Williams?
5. Which Economic Policy Research Institute projects interest you and why? (See the website,  and contact Bryant Renaud at brenaud@epri.org.za  for more information).

B)  A copy of your resume.

C) The name of at least one Williams faculty member who will serve as a reference (The Committee will contact him/her.)

Stage 2: Interstudy General Application

Once you are notified of acceptance into the Policy in Action Program, fill out all parts of the INTERSTUDY online application (www.interstudy.org) and submit them to INTERSTUDY via regular mail by April 1st, 2012. It is okay if the various parts of the application come in one at a time. INTERSTUDY will begin a file for you as soon as they receive the first part of your application.

The parts of the Interstudy application are as follows:

Part A: The General Form–You will need your Advisors signature on this form.

Part B: Course PreSelection Form–This is how you will select your classes for your semester or year overseas. If you want to attend an Early Start program or are interested in integrating an internship you should indicate this on the backside of the Part B under ‘Additional Information’. Interstudy will then advise you on the best way to proceed. For more information on how the courses you select on the Part B will transfer back to your home institution, see the Transfer Credits section of the site.

Part C1: General Recommendation Form–To be completed by a faculty member or adviser familiar with your general academic performance.

Part C2: Major Academic Recommendation Form–To be completed by a faculty member who instructs courses in your major field area.

Part D: Transcript Request Slip–An official copy of your current transcript issued by your Registrar’s Office.

Part E: Personal Statement—Submit a copy of your Williams pre-application personal statement.

Application Fee: There is a $35 application fee, which can be paid via credit card or by check. (Make checks payable to Interstudy)

Passport Photos: We require 6 passport-sized photos with your name written on the back. A typical passport photo is roughly 2 inches by 2 inches.

Interstudy On-Line Questionnaire: While submitting your application please take the time to complete the four-part online questionnaire using the link below. The information you provide allows Interstudy to forward your housing and living preferences onto our University partners abroad during the application process. The questionnaire has no bearing on your application or possible acceptance as an Interstudy student, but is very important in securing proper accommodations for you overseas.