How To Apply - Saturday Academy

How To Apply
If you experience technical difficulties during any of the online applications, please contact us
IMMEDIATELY by phone (503-200-5861) AND by email ase@saturdayacademy.org.
IMPORTANT!! You will be sent a confirmation e-mail immediately after you submit each online
application AND after your teachers submit their online recommendations. Please save the
confirmation e-mails in the case of lost materials. It is your only record that you applied for the
program. The first confirmation e-mail will also include your application reference number. You
will also need your application reference number for the other portions of the application so
please write it down and save the e-mail. If you don’t receive a confirmation e-mail, please check
your junk email folder first, and then contact ASE immediately at 503-200-5861 AND
ase@saturdayacademy.org.
OPTIONAL ASE Information Sessions
October – January
Thinking about applying for ASE? Come to an information session in your area. We are continually
adding new sessions on the website through December.
Step 1 of 2: Preliminary Application
Due January 22, 2013
Students complete a basic application form and write three short answer essays. Please note that
you may only apply via online form. Applications will not be accepted on paper, unless approved
in advance. If you have difficulty accessing a computer, please contact ASE staff.
Your application will be sent to mentors EXACTLY as you fill it out, so be sure to present your
information professionally. Write your short (300 word) answers to the 3 narrative questions ahead
of time using Word or another program, carefully proof them, then copy and paste them into this
form. ASE staff members do not read through all application materials, nor do they use this
information to pre-screen applicants.
Use one email address throughout the application process. Please list YOUR e-mail address and
not that of a parent. We will provide the address that you submit on the form to mentors in order
to contact you for potential interviews – make sure your address is professional.
Students who turn in the preliminary application on time are eligible to complete the final
application.

OPTIONAL Essay and Interview Skills Workshops
January – March
Each winter ASE conducts essay and interview skills workshops taught by local professionals. These
are FREE workshops and are valuable for learning how to write application essays and how to
conduct interviews.
Step 2 of 2: Final Application
Due February 25, 2013
Part 1 of the final application: Official Transcript
We strongly suggest that you print out and use our transcript request handout to give the details
below to your school registrar.
Transcripts must be postmarked or hand delivered into the ASE office by the due date above. WE
DO NOT ACCEPT ELECTRONIC TRANSCRIPTS. The official (hard-copy) high school transcript should
be signed or stamped by an administrator, AND sealed with a signature, stamp or label over the
envelope seal by a school administrator. Please contact ASE before the deadline if you foresee
any difficulties with meeting the deadline. Mailing Address: Saturday Academy, 5000 N. Willamette
Blvd., Portland, OR 97203
Part 2 of the Final Application: 2 Adult Recommendations
We strongly suggest that you print out and use our recommendation request handout to give the
details below to your recommender.
ASE applicants must submit two (2) adult recommendations as part of their final application via
online form. The recommender can be a teacher, counselor, coach or some other non-relative
that knows your intellectual interest, academic ability and character. We strongly suggest that at
least one of your recommenders be a science, math or computer teacher.
You must give your full name, application reference #, email address, the recommendation
deadline and the recommendation form URL to your recommenders. Your email address will be
used to send you a confirmation email, letting you know the recommendation has been
successfully completed. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact your
recommender first to confirm that the letter was submitted, then contact the ASE program.
Please give the person recommending you at least 2 weeks or more to complete the form. If your
recommenders submit their forms late, and you did not give them a 1 week notice, we will not
accept their recommendation. Please contact ASE before the deadline if you foresee any
difficulties with meeting the deadline for your recommendations.

Part 3 of the Final Application: Online Application
(includes 3 parts)
1. Three position specific essays targeted to those internships that the student prefers
2. A generic essay (optional)
3. A $25 application fee (waived for those eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch
Program)
Selecting & Ranking Three Positions
ASE will post the internships available on the ASE Position Description page after the Preliminary
Application deadline. More may be added, so check the website regularly for updates on
positions and stipend amounts. Following are details about choosing ASE positions and submitting
your application.
Disciplines
ASE positions will fall under one of the following general disciplines: Archaeology, Biology,
Biomedical, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Engineering,
Mathematics, Physics, and Social Science.
We have done our best to categorize each position. However, many positions are interdisciplinary
and involve knowledge of many subjects. We suggest that you scan through all position
descriptions before deciding on your three choices. You may discover that a specific position in a
category that you might not otherwise have considered appeals to you.
Technical Language in Descriptions
Don’t be intimidated by technical language in descriptions. Technical professionals generally
describe their work in technical language. If you are selected as an intern, you will know what the
language means by the end of the summer. If you’re really curious, we recommend you do an
online search of the words/phrases to gain a basic understanding.
Prerequisites
For each position description, notice specific background, skills and course work that are either
suggested or recommended. If something is required it will be noted at the end of the description,
under the heading “prerequisites.” If a particular course or group of courses is required, that
means those courses must be successfully completed by the end of this school year. If age or
grade requirements are listed, you must be of that age or have completed that grade before the
internship begins. Don't decrease your chances of getting an internship by applying to positions
for which you do not meet the qualifications. Most of the positions have suggestions or
recommendations, rather than requirements. Mentors will expect you to learn both content and
skills while in the internship. If a course or other background is suggested or recommended, the
mentor may still choose you based on your other qualities even if you don’t have all of the
suggested or recommended attributes.
Stipends
Note that not all positions offer a stipend. Stipend levels can change during the application period

(usually they increase). Please let us know if you are eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced
Lunch Program. If you are accepted for an ASE Position and qualify for free/reduced lunch, you
will receive a $1,000 stipend regardless of the position, even if the position says that no stipend is
provided. ASE wants all students who are selected to be able to participate in the program,
regardless of family finances.
Locations and Commuting
The ASE Program does not provide housing or travel to and from the workplace. Therefore, you
should only apply for positions for which you can arrange your own housing and transportation.
If you apply for positions that are greater than 50 miles from your home, ASE will ask for details on
where you will live and how you will travel to and from your internship. If students are living away
from their main home during the summer, the student must live with an adult that assumes
responsibility for the student during the summer and the parents must sign a form approving the
student's housing situation. It is up to the discretion of the program to accept a student's housing
plan before the beginning of the internship.
You may also choose to describe your accommodation arrangements to the mentor in your
application essay. Otherwise, the mentor may think you have made a mistake in applying for
his/her position.
Writing the Position-Specific Essay
We recommend that you print out our essay writing guide on the ASE website to get more tips on
how to write your position-specific essays.
Note: Please place a ^ where you would like a paragraph to appear in your essay. If you omit the
^, your essay will not have paragraphs. To type a ^ first hold down the Shift key and then press the
6 at the top of your keyboard.
Write an essay for each of the three positions, describing to the mentor why you are interested in
and well-suited for the particular position the mentor is offering. Your essay should be brief (no
more than 500 words).
Address your reasons for being interested in that particular position, and describe how your skills,
background and interests match what the mentor is looking for as indicated in the position
description. Applicants often write a general “I want this job” essay and many of those go
unselected. This essay, unlike those in the Preliminary Application, should address the mentor’s
specific concerns as described in the Position Descriptions. Be honest and straightforward. For
example, if you haven’t had a burning desire to be an engineer since you were in third grade,
don’t say that you have.
Because a mentor may want to interview you, your essay should specifically state when and how
s/he can get in touch with you. Indicate when you are available after school and during spring
break (include dates), what time of day is best for you to receive calls or messages, and any other

information that will help the mentor contact you. Keep in mind that most mentors will want to
contact you during reasonable business hours – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. If
you have a particular free period in your school schedule that can be used to return a mentor’s
call, your essay should give the time of day for that free period. Remember: a mentor doesn’t
know what “3rd Period” means.
If you have definite plans established for any time during the summer, mention this in your essay.
For some positions it may not matter if during one week you will be gone for a family vacation,
camp or any other event. But for other positions this may matter a great deal. If you do know the
exact dates you will be missing, please be sure to talk these plans over during a personal interview
or phone interview with the mentor. It is best to be up front about your time commitment. If you
cannot meet the time requirements of 8 weeks, the equivalent of “full-time,” and both
conferences, please do not apply for ASE this year.
If you indicate in your essay that email is the best way to contact you, be sure to check your email
frequently in March and April, and make sure your email address is professional. Addresses like
“hotbabe” or “hotdude” can give mentors the wrong impression.
The Generic Essay
You may increase your chances of getting a position by writing and submitting a generic essay
(also 500 word maximum). If mentors join the program after the final application deadline, we
select applications from students that match the requirements for the new position and submit
generic essays to the mentor. In other words, if you submit a generic essay, you may be
considered for more than the three positions for which you applied. In your generic essay, specify
the scientific fields types of positions that you are interested in (such as all biology and engineering
internships, etc.) as well as your academic strengths, special skills, previous work experience,
relevant or volunteer activities, or personality traits that would make you a strong candidate. For
example, if you are interested in computer science, include the programs and computer
languages you know, classes you have taken, etc. In the online Preliminary Application you will
have a chance to indicate which disciplines interest you in so that ASE may match newly arrived
mentors with your interests.
Selection Process
All students who complete the preliminary application are eligible to submit their transcript and
final application. ASE does not correct or take out student applications (unless they use
inappropriate language). After the final application deadline, ASE staff collates all of the
application materials and sends them to the appropriate mentors of the positions. The mentors
select their interns based upon the paper application and also possibly interviews. Do not be
discouraged if you are not called for an interview, many mentors do not conduct interviews. The
mentor then gives their selections to ASE staff and ASE staff notifies the students if they have
received an internship. This process takes until mid-May. Please call ASE staff, not the mentor of
the position if you have questions about this process.

Student and Mentor Interviews
We recommend that you print out our interview skills guide on the ASE website to get more tips on
how to write your position-specific essays.
Some of the mentors decide to conduct either phone or face-to-face interviews with applicants.
Don't worry if you aren't called in for an interview, many mentors pick their interns based upon the
paper application only. It is in the student's best interest to be responsive to phone calls and emails
at this time to accommodate mentor's interview requests.
Starting the Internship
Students who are accepted are required to attend an orientation in late May or early June.
Paperwork formalizing the internship and the $250 program fee is due in late May or early June
and most internships begin in mid to late June.
Other Information
Use of Animals in Research
Some positions involve using animals as research subjects. We have tried to indicate where that is
the case, but if the mentor did not tell us, we’re not in a position to know. If you are applying for a
position that sounds as if animals might be used as research subjects and you are opposed to
using animals in research, you should state that in your essay for that position. Any intern
accepting a position in which animals are used as research subjects should support animal
research for moral, educational, humanitarian and medical reasons.
Please contact us at ase[@saturdayacademy.org if you have any questions or would like to be
added to our email list.
Single Summer Participation
A student may only have one ASE internship during their high school career except under special
circumstances negotiated with ASE program mentors. This is to ensure that the maximum number
of students are able to participate in the ASE program.