CAPS FAQ

CAPS is more than just an internship experience. It’s an opportunity to connect one’s studies and service experiences, and to learn lessons that can guide future success. In order to make these connections, we emphasize the importance of making space for reflection, both in group settings and individually. Reflection helps you pay closer attention to what you’re experiencing and explore what it means for you moving forward – for your life after graduation, your sense of purpose, and how you see yourself working and serving in the world. As a CAPS Fellow, you will be invited to think, write, and talk about your internship with other Fellows, and to learn from other Fellows’ experiences as well.

Undergraduate students of all majors who are current sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a minimum 3.0 (preferred) cumulative GPA (per the official transcript) are welcome to apply.

Students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 due to extreme circumstances who believe they would be a good candidate for this program may submit a statement explaining their GPA, accompanied by a letter from their academic advisor confirming the extenuating circumstances in question and recommending their application to the program.

Applicants with a cumulative GPA lower than 3.0 according to their official transcript must submit the accompanying documentation described above by the application deadline in order to be considered for the 2026 CAPS Fellows Program.

Please select status according to your year in school and not according to number of credits.

Please visit the CAPS Application Page for more detailed application information. Below is a brief overview of the application process.

• Fill out the online application form.
• Have a supervisor fill out the reference form.
• Upload your unofficial transcript from DataVU as a PDF file on the online application.
• Submit your resume in PDF form through the online application form.
• Submit your personal statement in PDF form through the online application form.

Be sure to include your name and ID number on all documents. Guidelines for the personal statement are provided in the application form.

The application deadline for the 2026 CAPS Fellows Program is Monday, January 19th, 2026. All application components must be submitted by 8 AM on January 19th, including the reference form from a supervisor, in order to be considered for the CAPS Fellows Program.

Please download an unofficial transcript through DataVU and submit it as a PDF file on the online application.

Applications require one reference form from a person (supervisor) that can attest to your professional/work/cocurricular experience, to be received by the application deadline. This could be a faculty advisor for an on-campus job or student organization or trip, a fieldwork or internship supervisor, a supervisor at your off-campus job, or similar person.  If you have questions about how to identify a reference, please contact us at lead.serve@valpo.edu.

You are also welcome to secure an additional reference from another Valpo faculty or staff member who can speak to your leadership and service experience and/or add other important information about your candidacy. Send your referencer(s) this link to fill out the reference form.

The reference is an important component of your application, so be thoughtful in identifying a supervisor who can answer the questions knowledgeably and can attest to your character, skills, and capacity for leadership and service. Be sure to contact your reference(s) as soon as possible to give them plenty of time to fill out the reference form. Please do not have more than 2 individuals submit references on your behalf. References must use the required form and will not be accepted in a different format.

The stipend for the 2026 CAPS Fellows cohort is $3000 each.  It is our desire that ILAS support will make this summer fellowship opportunity financial feasible for all who wish to participate, and that financial support will make the program financial comparable to the students’ “regular” summer plans.

Some CAPS placements also provide full or partial housing, or housing and meals.

For any questions regarding finances, travel, or housing, please contact ILAS Assistant Director, Kat Peters (kat.peters@valpo.ed).

You can see a full list of past placements here on our website. CAPS continues to grow in the variety of its placement options, and offers internship placements in NW Indiana, Chicago, IL, and Washington State. You have the opportunity on the application form to indicate your interests regarding geographic location, social issues, topical areas, and skills you are interested in developing. CAPS placements are relevant to a broad range of majors, and students will find relevant, meaningful experience no matter where they are placed.

We do not have students seek out or propose individualized internship placements. The CAPS Fellows Program is not a job placement program, but instead a program that seeks out and develops partnerships with placement organizations that can provide meaningful and intensive learning experiences to a variety of students.

After you have submitted all application components, your full application will be reviewed by ILAS staff and the CAPS Fellows Program Advisory Committee, which is comprised of faculty and staff members. (Note: ILAS Staff are not allowed to write recommendations for applicants.)

The Advisory Committee will then select a group of Semi-Finalists for in person interviews with Committee members on Interview Day. (Note: If you know in advance you are not available on this date, please contact Institute staff as soon as possible to provide alternate dates in the event you are selected as a Semi-Finalist.)

The Advisory Committee will identify a group of Finalists, who will then participate in a matching process with placement sites. Finalists will receive a folder of the available placement sites, schedule an individual consultation with ILAS Staff to discuss, and rank their top choices of organizations where they would like to interview. ILAS Staff will assign and coordinate interviews with 2-4 placement sites, either in-person or via Zoom. Both students and placement site will fill out evaluation forms after the interviews, and based on these evaluations, ILAS Staff will match finalists to placements sites to find the best fit. Finalists will then be offered a placement site, and if they accept this placement, they become a CAPS Fellow.

Semi-Finalist interviews with the Advisory Committee will take place on Saturday, February 14th, 2026, and Finalist interviews with placement sites will be in late February. Fellows and their placements will be confirmed by April 14th, 2025.

Applicants who have a conflict and will be unable to come for the Interview Day must contact the Institute for Leadership and Service as soon as possible at lead.serve@valpo.edu to offer dates and times in order to work out an alternate interview time. Having this information in advance will expedite the interview process of scheduling interviews for all Semi-Finalists.

The Finalists become CAPS Fellows when the Learning Agreement is signed by the placement, the Fellow, and Valparaiso University.

Yes! We are able to conduct interviews via Zoom or Google Meet. If you have times of limited Internet access, the application form will prompt you to let us know so that we can plan ahead to schedule interviews in a timely manner.

If I applied for a previous year but was not selected, can I apply again?

Yes, you are welcome to apply again. There is no penalty – or benefit – for repeat applicants. You are also welcome to speak to Institute staff for any feedback on improving your candidacy.

ILAS provides some resources for housing options. Ultimately, CAPS Fellows are responsible for their summer housing. Some Fellows live together, look for opportunities closer to home, or look for family connections in order to mitigate housing costs.

Please email us at , for any questions on this topic.

For the 2026 CAPS Fellows Cohort, travel expenses are to be paid from the stipend offered to Fellows.

Please contact Kat Peters () about this topic with questions.