Thank you for your interest in the Paul Edwin Potter Internship. The application period ended on February 15th, 2026. Applications for Summer 2027 will become available towards the end of the year.
Application Guidelines
Verify your Eligibility:
Applicants must be actively enrolled at an accredited U.S. college or university in the academic term immediately following the summer internship.
Eligible applicants include:
- Undergraduate students who will be enrolled as a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior in the semester following the internship
- Master’s students who will remain enrolled in a graduate program in the semester following the internship
The following applicants are not eligible:
- Undergraduate students who graduate in the semester prior to the internship and are not enrolled in a master’s program for the following semester
- Master’s students who graduate prior to internship period
- Any applicant who will not be enrolled in an academic program in the semester immediately following the internship
- Enrollment must be verifiable at the time of hiring. Exceptions cannot be made.
Review the projects that interest you prior to starting the application. 2026 Potter Projects
Prepare your documents in advance.
You will be required to submit the following documents as PDFs:
- Cover Letter (1-Page)
- Resume
- All post-high school academic transcripts.
- A letter of recommendation from a faculty member at the academic institution where you are currently enrolled.
- A second letter of recommendation. This reference is NOT required to be from your current academic institution. This can be from an academic or professional source.
NOTE: Submitting Blind Letters of Recommendation
Letters of Recommendation can be submitted directly within the application. However, blind letters of recommendation are also accepted. If your Recommenders prefer to submit a blind Letter of Rec, they can be emailed directly to potterinternship@isgs.illinois.edu. Inform your Recommenders to attach the letter to the email as a PDF with the format [ApplicantsLastName]_AcademicRec.pdf or [ApplicantsLastName]_Rec.pdf. Ensure that each letter contains the Recommenders’ name, job title, institution, and contact details.
Make note of the email address you submit in Question 3. This is where the ISGS will send all future communications.
For questions regarding the application, please email us at potterinternship@isgs.illinois.edu.