anyone done americorps?

[wrigleygirl]

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If so, was the living wage really enough to get by on? I think I would only get about $12,000 for the year, and I'm worried it won't be enough for rent, food, other expenses, applications, flights and hotels for interviews (hopefully), etc.

Any feedback would be much appreciated 🙂

 

[ATN19]

I have a number of friends doing AmeriCorps for this upcoming year and I'm thinking about doing it for 2006-7. The stipend they give you is pretty low and it depends on location, rent, extra expenses, etc. if you're going to be able to stretch it across the entire year. And, I think some taxes are still taken out of that stipend. This I'm not sure about though so don't quote me. My friends in Chicago are having their parents help them out a lot ($700-1000/month). But I do have a friend in NYC doing a public health stint who's also applying to med schools this year as well and she's been okay so far with with some help from family. I think a few hundred here and there every month; however, she's also going to get $150/month in food stamps, which a lot of service members do. Not all, but it depends on what your stance is re: welfare. It's there though if you need it. And most places will give you a public transportation pass as part of the benefits package, saving you money on commuting if you don't have a car.

I think AmeriCorps is a great way to spend a year, but that stipend is low. In some cities, it's not even $12,000 b/c I'm pretty sure in Chicago, it's a little over $10,000. It MIGHT last your for just living expenses if you're really frugal but if you're getting a lot of interviews and having to fly a lot, it might be really tough. It'd help a lot if you had other sources of financial support, i.e. parents 😛 Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. I can always ask my friends for you.

 

[Chrissy]

I am currently doing AmeriCorps VISTA in NYC....vista just means we do "indirect" service like curriculum writing and teaching and grant writing instead of saaaay building houses or painting buildings. My experience has been good and bad. I'd say the two best reasons to do americorps is 1) you have a burning desire to be of service to your community or 2) you have a year to kill and dont know what to do. I say that because no matter where you go after (except maybe finance or business) it will look great on a resume. also, I know a few people who's service was a large part of their med school interview....and honestly rightfully so....it really is not easy to work 40 hrs per week as a volunteer in an underprivileged area...it really isn't.

Money:well my experience has been different/better than most becaise i was born and raised in NY so i live at home and do not have to worry about rent...the sad part about this is i STILL have infinitely less money than all of my friends who make even entry level salaries....between just bills, cell phone, bill, and commutation there is every little left do use for enjoyment....having to pay rent on top of that is extremely difficult. I know many many people who are in that situation....we make about $800/month...in NY it is impossible to find rent below say $6-650 month (and even that will be tough to find)....so as you can see there is very little left over after you buy food and necessities....the upside is the support is amazing...everyone in your team or program is in the same boat so you learn from each other and rely heavily on what your peers do/say. It is doable but very difficult. I hate to say it but you can help the poor all you want....but it's only when you walk in their shoes that you begin a deeper understanding of such a problem...

Overall, i think it's a wonderful thing to do. Not many jobs are so difficult and fulfilling AND only last one year (which is convenient when you're on the grad school clock)....so in those respects its great....however, it is difficult as hell, sometimes boring, and sometimes can get you down....if you are not committed to having a difficult job for a whole year def initely dont do it. If you are then theres no better program. PM me with any specific questions.

good luck

 

[mspe22med]

For Idaho Full-Time (1700 hours): stipend is $10,600; w/ $4725 educ. grant at end of service. In Idaho, you can live on this. Not so in most other places, so I imagine stipends are a bit higher. But additional help may be needed (parents, etc). So many opportunities out there though. Good luck

 

[wrigleygirl]

For Idaho Full-Time (1700 hours): stipend is $10,600; w/ $4725 educ. grant at end of service. In Idaho, you can live on this. Not so in most other places, so I imagine stipends are a bit higher. But additional help may be needed (parents, etc). So many opportunities out there though. Good luck

Thanks for the responses guys. This is a pretty hard decision - I've had some requests for interviews, but I sort of wanted to decide for sure if I'm doing it before interviewing (only fair to the programs). And I just found out that it's also a little over $10K in Chicago too, and I'm not sure if that would be enough to cover everything. I totally hear ya on the assistance from parents - I think they would be willing to help me if I really needed them too, but I was looking forward to being on my own (and I know they were too after financing a Northwestern education). Anyway, I really appreciate your input - I'll let you know if I have any more questions!

 

[ATN19]

Haha. I'm in the same position. I just graduated from Northwestern in June and my parents want to be rid of all financial obligations stat. But I just told them that I may be doing AmeriCorps next year ..

Which ones are you applying to in Chicago? I interviewed with Chicago Health Corps and Campaign for Better Healthcare. I got CBH but decided that I need to go back to school to bring up my ug sci gpa first.

 

[Supercluster]

hey there,
I just completed a VISTA program and am heading off to med school in a few days 🙂 Overall I had a good experience, but the poor pay was a constant issue. I lived at home and have no idea how I would have done it otherwise. For the first few months of my service, I spent every cent that I made on applications and then travel expenses.
I don't want to dissuade anyone, because I think it helped my applicantion a lot and I have some fond memories of my year off from school (I would definitely recommend taking time off, no matter what you do!). But honestly, it would be nearly impossible to apply to med school while living on an AmeriCorps salary if you had no savings and no help from parents. You will rack up some serious credit card debt. I got paid the maximum stipend because I worked in NYC, and I made just under $400 every 2 weeks. Realistically, how would you pay for apps? I think if you can get a hand from parents or if you have some good savings, then you would be fine. But otherwise, I know a few AmeriCorps members who *aren't* applying to med school who are totally overwhelmed because they can't figure out how to pay all of their bills, so it's really tough.

 

[prav]

Hi there,

I'm currently finishing up an AmeriCorp program (Community HealthCorps) in Boston and I'll be starting a Pre-Med Post Bacc. program at Harvard this fall. E-mail me if you have any questions... I can go on-and-on about my experience. 😉

Pravin
([email protected])

 

[goodcook]

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[brn07]

I'm currently working for the AmeriCorps in OR and having a great time. After taxes I make about $800/month. Our program doesn't provide any assistance with housing, but we do qualify for food stamps, which helps a lot. I'm definitely not saving any money this year, but I do have enough to pay rent and go out. I think you can make it work.

 

[BalletGirl]

I have done AmeriCorps for the last two years (yep... loved it that much that i went for two years of poverty). The living stipend is a little low, but you can make it work. After taxes I get about $800/month, but hey... food stamps are AWESOME! Plus, you learn a great deal about social services in this country and how difficult it is to aquire them. I actually have a second job to help pay the bills (especially for paying for med school applications). So I dont have a great personal life (read: free time to hang out, eating elaborate meals out)... but sometimes you have to make sacrifices for stuff...

One thing that makes it a stellar program is the education award, which breaks down to $4,7500 (give or take).. I dont know about you, but if I made the extra $5,000 a year I would spend it... so if forces you to save money for school.

Secondly, you can get some great on the job training. Consider some HealthCorps programs, which are a subset of AmeriCorps (find out more about them on the National Association of Community Health Center's website)... you can get some great clinical exposure in some very high need areas... plus learn about the whole side of public health.

Hope this helps. I really recommend it. I am not saying it is a walk in a park, you will work hard for few dollars.. but what you walk away with is truly eye-opening and you will have PRACTICAL experience... plus other AmeriCorps members are cool people, so you can make some friends.

 

[goodcook]

thanks for sharing guys...just curious, did they do interviews in person or over the phone?

 

[ADeadLois]

AmeriCorps is not a standardized program. Depending on the program, the application process, stipend, service length, service focus, etc. can be completely different.

 

[xcdance]

Secondly, you can get some great on the job training. Consider some HealthCorps programs, which are a subset of AmeriCorps (find out more about them on the National Association of Community Health Center's website)... you can get some great clinical exposure in some very high need areas... plus learn about the whole side of public health.

I am currently doing the Philadelphia Health Corps. If you are going to med school I think this is a great program. You get to work in a health clinic, work with an underserved community and have plenty of opportunities to interact with patients. I work with Patient Assistance Programs, programs that Pharmaceutical companies offer for patients are uninsured and are below a certain income. Basically I help patients in the clinic get free meds. I have learned so much about insurance and the pharmaceuticals. Really a great experience and recommend it to anyone.


I am also applying to med school. I have applied mostly to Philly schools because I love Philadelphia, so traveling expenses have not be an issue, but I have broken down and asked my Dad for money to help with the application fees. But you the living stipend is do-able, plus like others said, its definately a way to empathize (at least on some level) with the patients you are serving.

 

[wjustice]

I am in my first year of AmeriCorps, and I am considering serving for another year. I am going to apply to medical school as well next year, and while I expect it's going to be a very tight year financially, one advantage of AmeriCorps is that a full year of service is 1700 hours, which works out to just under 33 hours a week, which gives you some flexibility for going to interviews, writing essays, etc., or getting a part time job or volunteering at a hospital.

I'm actually curious to ask. . .does anyone know if schools will waive the application fees for AmeriCorps? I feel like they really should, but maybe it's a stretch to ask them. I make slightly over $900 a month, my loan payments are defered (which saves me $60 in interest a month), and the educational award will be helpful. My parents put $100 into my account every other month or so, which helps a little. Still, I am taking on about a $100 in credit card debt (O Apr till mid-2008 saves the day).

It has been a great experience for me. I get to work on a variety of projects, which includes teaching to diverse groups, working with the disadvantaged, serving on a public health committee, organizing events. I've really tailored it a lot to my interests, which I can do since they are paying me so little. So you aren't getting rich, but if you can find a program that really interests you, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something that's not immediately "cost-effective," but which IS making a psotive difference in some people's lives. Of course, this isn't true for every experience. My brother did a VISTA program for a summer and didn't like the work too much. . .editing program evaluations. He had a bad supervisor and most of the other volunteers ended up surfing the internet at work for the whole summer.

 

[goosie]

I did Americorps last year through City Year Boston. I made $650 a month and received some help from my parents b/c I did not go on food stamps. This year I hear the stipend is a bit higher b/c it is just impossible to live in Boston on that kind of money....

While parts of my service year were wonderful, overall I would not recommend doing service through City Year.

For people who have done Americorps, did you list this experience as "volunteering" on AMCAS or as "employment" since *technically* we were paid......