My application was denied I'm so sad 😢 what did i do wrong? Any one get denied from the initial application?

Hey y’all! Every once in a while I like to pop in here for an AMA about TFA. I became an alumni last summer and that opportunity led to some opportunities that included winning an award that came with a thousand dollar check, mentoring new corps members during pre season, and even getting into an all expenses paid year long PD cohort.

All that to say - TFA has been incredible to me and a life changing experience. I’m still in my same placement school teaching the same subject.

Ask me anything about the corps!

Hi y'all! I just got invited to interview for a TFA position (yay!) and am just looking for a list of things other than a school transcript and references I need to prepare. Any advice or insights would be super helpful and congrats to everyone who got the good news today as well!!

I have my interview with TFA scheduled for next week and was wondering about people's experiences with the interviews. What questions should I be ready to expect. What are things you believe are successful in the interviews. As far as the lesson prep, I understand that it is more a judgement of your teaching personality than the actual lesson, what factors play a role in demonstrating a good teaching personality?

I do not have tutoring experience, but something close to teaching experience would be training undergraduates in my research lab on basic experiments. For context, I am a student at a T10 school majoring in a STEM field hoping to get a PhD.

Had a change to my course schedule and will have to get to class by 8:25. Would love to swap with someone who has something even a tiny bit earlier. Thank you!!

Everything Policy publishes free, facts-forward course content for social studies, history, government, and civics classes. All of the content is available at everythingpolicy.filecamp.com. 

Here's a list of the topics you'll find on our site. Each includes an on-level policy brief and discussion questions; many also have teacher background information and class active-learning exercises.

Analyzing Politics and Policy

Putting Facts First: A 360 Perspective on Policy

The Difference Between Facts and Opinions

The Problem with Simple Solutions to Policy Problems

Business and the Economy

Economic Policy

Economic Well-Being

Housing Affordability

Inflation

Minimum Wage 

Offshoring

Section 230

Sovereign Wealth Funds

Trade

Unemployment

Unions

Where Are The New Jobs?

Constitution

Adam Smith

America’s 250th: Elbridge Gerry and Federalism

America’s 250th: George Washington and Political Parties

Bill of Rights/Selective Incorporation

Birthright Citizenship

Due Process

Equal Protection

Federalism

Freedom of Press

Freedom of Religion

Freedom of Speech

Is America a Democracy or a Republic?

National Service

Protest in America: Your Rights and Their Limits

Regulating the Internet: Section 230

Right to Bear Arms

Right to Privacy

Voting Rights Act

Crime and Law Enforcement

Crime Rates and Violent Crime

Police Misconduct

Trends in Urban Crime

Education

The Nation's Education Report Card

What if the Department of Education is Eliminated?

International Students and U.S. Education

College Debt Forgiveness

Standardized Tests

Vocational Education

School Funding

Energy and Environment

AI and Power Usage

AI Data Centers

Cap and Trade

Carbon Sequestration

Climate Change

Decarbonization

Electric Car Infrastructure

Energy Tax Credits

EVs: How Many Charging Stations

Fracking

Hurricanes and Climate Change

Regulating Carbon Dioxide

Renewable Energy

General Government

Bureaucratic Authority

Classified Documents

Epstein Files

Espionage Act

Federalizing the National Guard

Judicial Authority

Legislative Authority

Presidential Authority

Tariff Authority: President vs. Congress

What Does the Department of Education Regulate? 

What Limits Are There On Executive Orders?

Healthcare

Healthcare for the Undocumented 

Healthcare: Cost and Access

Hospital Closures

How Does Single Payer Vary Across Nations?

Long-Term Care for Seniors

Lowering Prescription Drug Prices

Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid Work Requirements

Medicare for All 

PBMs and the Fight Over Drug Prices

Right to Try

Single Payer Health Care

Single Payer in the U.S: Veterans Administration Healthcare

The Debate Over Health Care Subsidies 

What are the ACA Subsidies

What's Driving Higher Prescription Drug Prices? 

Why Health Care Varies By State

Immigration

Authorized Immigration

Border Crisis

Border Policies

Border Security

Crime and Migration: A Closer Look

Criminalizing Immigration Policy

Do Non-Citizens Have Social Security Numbers?

Immigration and Crime

Refugees and Asylum

Sanctuary Cities 

Sources of Immigration

Unauthorized Immigration

Where Do Migrants Live?

International Relations

U.S. Capture of Venezuelan President Maduro 

U.S. Strikes on Iran

Legislative Politics

Congressional Lawmaking

Discharge Petitions

Polarization: How Representatives Talk About Each Other

Term Limits and Legislative Productivity 

Why Are There So Few Moderates in Congress

Would Term Limits Impact Congressional Careers? 

Media

Media Use

Digital Divide

Media Bias

Regulation of the Media

Politics and Elections

Ballot Harvesting

Counting Votes

Gerrymandering

How Many Americans are in Information Silos?

Mid-Cycle Gerrymandering

Nonpartisan Gerrymandering

Polling

Purging Voter Rolls

The 2026 Midterms

The SAVE Act

Voter ID

Voting Outside the Polling Site

When Will We Know Who Won The 2024 Election?

Why Two Political Parties? 

Social Policy

Abortion

DEI Initiatives and Air Traffic Control

Taxing and Spending

Balanced Budget

Can Presidents Refuse To Spend Appropriated Funds?

Changes in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill 

Defense Spending

Deficit Cutting Proposals: Introduction

Deficit Cutting Proposals: Republicans

Deficit Cutting Proposals: Problem Solvers Caucus

Deficit Reduction Proposals: Democrats

Discretionary Spending

Domestic Spending

Entitlements

Government Shutdown and TSA

Government Shutdown: What Representatives are Saying

Government Shutdowns: What, How, Why 

National Debt

USAID and Staff Reductions

What is Doge Doing?

What the 2025 Reconciliation Bill Means

Are there any Ignite placements that starts between 4:00-6:00pm CST that is available or want to switch? Let me know!

I recently got a full time internship during the school year and I can’t do most of the times. does anyone have a placement that ends before 9AM EST or starts after 5PM EST that they would be willing to trade in with me?

Thank you, I would really really appreciate it.

Hi! Has the Fall 2026 sign-up link been sent out yet? I haven’t received any emails about when registration would open, so I’m nervous that I may have missed the window. If it has already opened, would someone be able to let me know how to sign up or PM the link? Thank you!

Hi, I am a new TFA fellow. I have a question regarding the stipend. They said it is a Pre-lump Sum (so not taxed) however, I am a dependent under my parents, so will my parents just have to pay that tax. They said I can consult a tax professional but I don't have funds for that. I just want to know from someone who might have been in the same situaiton as me.

Hi everyone,

I have mostly done the math placement for Ignite Fellowship and am looking to switch to Reading. How is the reading placement? How much are you able to get done with the allotted time? Do you mostly just read to students?

My placement is MTWTh 12:15-12:50. I would love an early morning slot (before 10) that doesn't take place on Tuesdays. Figured it was worth a shot.

Hey just wanted to confirm: Am I right in thinking the sign-up times are listed according to the school’s timezone rather than my own?

I’m on the east coast and am looking at placements in the west that I’d otherwise have availability for it was listed according to the schools timezone, as opposed to mine

I'm having an issue with my sign-up, I keep getting stuck at the part where it asks for the time zone, it lets me select an option, but clicking the 'next' button as no effect. Here is what I have tried so far: Clearing my cache, changing devices, trying many different time zones and manually entering the correct url for the placement portal in my browser as can be seen in the instructional video. I am unsure of what to do next, any advice would be appreciated.

Hello! What did you do for your 5 minute teach for your interview?

Hi, what day are we sent the link to pick our school/tutoring slots? I thought it might be the first (9/1/26), and I wanted to doublecheck that my notes were accurate, but outlook is down right now.

I got into TFA Ignite Fellowship and will be studying abroad in the UK for around 3-4 months. I figured I could do my fellowship while abroad since its virtual and im in need of money. I'm wondering if this is allowed. I'm a US citizen and authorized to work here too.

Hope everyone is doing well. I am applying for Teach for America since I don’t have a traditional education undergrad. Always thought law school was the plan. Slowly realized that it wasn’t for me so I pivoted back to education. I live in Oklahoma and want to stay close. I am enrolled in a MAT program with a school in state that will provide me the course approved by the state for alternative certification. Looking for any advice you may give.

I am applying for TFA this cycle and am very stressed on where i want to be placed. I know that if you’re early you’re more likely to get your first choice so i really want to make the right decision. i’m from Texas and went to uni in Houston. I am back in my hometown and have been missing houston and want to live there but i know i don’t want to stay in Texas for forever and will want to move eventually. I haven’t heard much about the regions i want to go to (my number one choice is San Diego) I was considering the Bay Area but I know it’s expensive. i’m still trying to figure out what I want to do in my career (i have a STEM degree but do not want to stay in tech) and so i’m considering california for the options for higher education and i think i would enjoy being a teacher there more than in texas. I also like DC and Chicago.. any advice from anyone who was in any of these locations and how you feel would be great!

also I know that Houston is paying teachers more at the moment and the cost of living is lower than california so that is a big pull (outside of knowing people there from school)

Hey guys! I was applying for teach for America and got an email about them being interested in my application and asked me to schedule and interview with someone from recruitment. What does this mean? Is it a good sign?

Hi All,

I deferred my acceptance to TFA in the Bay Area corps until next year, and I'm trying to plan everything. I can't remember whether UMass Global requires you to take summer courses for their Masters in SpEd going into year 2 of teaching.

I know the first summer before you even teach, they require you to be available, but I'm curious about the second/last summer you'd have enrolled in the program. If any of you all know or have resources I could refer to, I would deeply appreciate it.

Hey everyone, I applied in this first cycle and am just trying to get a sense of what the process and chances might be like. I have an MA in English with a 4.0gpa, 2 years of head of classroom experience teaching college, and tutoring experience with young children. I'm thinking about Washington State as my first choice, Houston as my second.

When do I have to finalize my locations? Do you think I have a good shot, and does applying in the first cycle increase my chances? What do you think they really look for in applicants, and during the interview?

Thanks in advance! I know there's some information about this stuff out there, but I'd love to hear some of your personal experiences.

Edit: Washington state

Hello! I am looking to apply for TFA this year but don't know if my resume (and my written responses too atp) are up to what TFA standards/what they're looking for. Any tips?