When I was in the process of applying, seeing timelines was very helpful so I am sharing mine here!

2010 – Discovered the Peace Corps and decided I would join someday! (May or may not have checked volunteer openings every few months for the past decade until I was finally eligible to apply…)

July 31, 2018 – Applied for Community Economic Development position in Macedonia and submitted Health History Form

August 29 – Placed Under Consideration for English Language Co-Teacher position in Macedonia

November 17 – Placed Under Consideration for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) position in Benin, West Africa

November 20 – Invited to interview

November 27 – Interview

November 30 – Invited to serve in Sierra Leone! (I received a phone call while I was on a train in between terminals at O’Hare Airport asking if I was interested in being a health volunteer in Benin instead because the education positions were filled up. I said no and a short while later while I was in the security line, I received another call asking if I would be interested in going to Sierra Leone to teach English. I said yes!)

December 20 – Received dental clearance (after racing to the dentist five minutes before they closed to get last minute X-rays done)

February 26 – Received medical clearance (after a very thorough check-up with many blood tests)

March 2 – Received legal clearance (after visiting the local police station alone at night to complete a fingerprint card)

June 14, 2019 – Departed for Sierra Leone. See you in September 2021, Chicago!

During this time I also had to apply for a visa and a special issue Peace Corps passport which was quite the hassle because I already own a passport and my local post office was not familiar with the process. Bring all the proof and paperwork you can!

I also want to point out that my application was moved around quite a bit. The Peace Corps will place you where you’re needed most, and in true Peace Corps fashion I said I was willing to go anywhere (although I limited myself to three of the six sectors: education, community economic development, and youth in development). Everything happens for a reason!