Apply to PiA

Thank you for your interest in Princeton in Asia. Unfortunately, we are no longer accepting applications for the 2013-2014 fellowship cycle. The application for the 2014-2015 fellowship cycle will be posted by September 1, 2013.

If you have already applied to PiA for 2013-2014, you can access the stored copy of your online application here.

PREREQUISITES 

PiA applicants are generally college seniors or recent graduates, but anyone who meets the prerequisites is welcome to apply. Please remember this is a fellowship program. Though a local salary will be provided, a position with PiA is generally not a money-making venture. The emphasis of a PiA fellowship is service and cultural immersion. Working hours and vacation time vary greatly among the diverse PiA offerings. Some teaching fellowships require fewer teaching hours and provide longer vacations, allowing fellows the opportunity to pursue language study or other personal projects. Teaching fellowships in Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan, as well as the workplace fellowships, however, provide less vacation time and generally require longer hours.

The basic prerequisite for placement is a bachelor’s degree. In addition:

• English teaching positions require native English speaking ability. PiA recognizes that citizens of any country may have that ability, but occasionally we have had problems convincing Asian institutions of that fact.
• Asian language ability is not a prerequisite for most positions. Non-teaching positions typically require some language skills or specific academic or work experience.
• All applicants MUST be able to attend one of our interview sessions, located at Princeton University in January or on the West Coast (CA and WA) in early February. (Interviews are also occasionally offered in New England and the Midwest in late January, depending on the number and location of applicants.)
• All applicants who receive placement in a teaching position MUST attend the 20-hour TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification course held April 19-21, 2013 at Princeton University. While attendance at TEFL is mandatory for all fellows in teaching positions, you are not required to have this level of TEFL training/experience prior to applying to PiA.
• All applicants who receive placement MUST attend the PiA orientation held May 17-20, 2013 at Princeton.

COSTS

1. Application fee: $50.
2. Transportation and housing expenses for trips to interviews in January or February.
3. Transportation expenses to Princeton, NJ in mid-April for TEFL and mid-May for orientation. Housing will be arranged for you during these weekends.
4. TEFL fee: $150 (for fellows in teaching positions).
5. Fellow contribution: $350. Paid upon acceptance of a PiA fellowship. This contribution represents only a fraction of the total costs of arranging a fellowship. Payment is mandatory for all accepted fellows.
6. Vaccination and pre-departure health expenses.
7. Visa application fees.
8. Round-trip transportation to Asia for most positions.

PiA is dedicated to offering these experiences to as diverse and talented an applicant pool as possible. We will work with each applicant to ensure that financial considerations do not preclude anyone from applying or participating in these service opportunities.