Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program
Discover D.C.
The Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP) provides Hillsdale College undergraduates the opportunity to participate in academically intensive, semester-long internships or teaching apprenticeships in Washington, D.C., while continuing their Hillsdale education. WHIP is open to Hillsdale sophomores, juniors, and seniors of all majors. All WHIP students must have completed Politics 101, “The U.S. Constitution,” prior to leaving for D.C., as well as participated in a one-hour one-on-one meeting with Career Services. This meeting is not to be scheduled until the student has been accepted into WHIP.
Register for Our Next Informational Session
Apply to WHIP
Early Decision Applications for the Spring 2025 WHIP semester open on August 16, 2024 and close on September 13, 2024.
Regular Decision Applications are due by October 4, 2024.
With questions or for more information, please contact Mary Wheeler Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Internships
Work On The Hill
WHIP students have the opportunity to intern for the White House, Congressional offices and committees, various think-tanks, media and news outlets, national security agencies, museums, lobbying firms, international trade organizations, charter and private schools in the D.C. area, or private sector companies.
Classes
Continue Your Education
In addition to their internships or apprenticeships, WHIP students select two or three academic courses. Offerings might include “American National Security Studies,” “The US and the World Since 1945,” and “Statesmanship and Public Policy.”
Living Arrangements
Live With Fellow Students
Students live in either the Hillsdale House (a renovated townhouse on Capitol Hill) or in other College-arranged housing on Capitol Hill.
Activities
Explore The Area
WHIP students also participate in a variety of activities sponsored by the Kirby Center. Opportunities might include visits to the Civil War battlefield at Antietam and George Washington’s historic estate at Mount Vernon or tours of the Pentagon and the FBI Headquarters.
Networking
Build Your Network
Being part of WHIP offers undergraduates the opportunity to build their professional and networking skills by connecting with Hillsdale alumni in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Living in D.C.
Experience D.C.
Living in Washington, D.C. gives Hillsdale students the chance to live on their own, explore the capitol’s rich history and culture, and pursue personal and professional growth in a challenging environment.
“WHIP opened the path for me that was the foundation for future success. A brief six-month internship with a one-term United States Senator from Iowa allowed me to build a foundation in Washington, D.C., meet my wife (of 40 years) and be taken under a Senator's wing. Specifically, the Senator's previous successful sales career taught me much.
Had WHIP not occurred, I know I would not have had the momentum to succeed in my business career. I owe much to Hillsdale College and WHIP.”
— Walter "Tripp" Howell, III, '80
“The WHIP program has been one of the greatest blessings of my time at
Hillsdale. Interning in D.C. for a semester has helped me feel more prepared for life after graduation. I'm also thankful for the friends and mentors I met through Hillsdale and my internship at Alliance Defending Freedom.
I wish I could repeat WHIP!”
— Abigail Snyder, ‘23
“WHIP allowed me to experience the city that I would later call home, surrounded by students, alumni, faculty, and staff, who cared about my professional, as well as intellectual formation. I also learned what it means to apply the classical principles I was learning on campus to contemporary issues in the nation’s capital, ultimately leading me to pursue the career of my dreams as a Foreign Service Officer!
Thank you WHIP!”
— Victoria Watson, ‘18
“I taught the first WHIP class. This was part of an organized process to come up with projects that the conservative movement should be involved in for the future but were not at that time. One of these projects was to bring interns to Washington, starting with Hillsdale. My book and lectures stressed the importance of Congress as the first branch and the need to understand its primary role; and how students and the public could help to restore it. The project was the start of several other now major institutions, but none more important than the Hillsdale arrival in Washington to help reclaim American Constitutional government.”
— Don Devine, First Hillsdale in D.C. Professor
“WHIP was fundamental to my decision to work in D.C. It helpfully informed and encouraged my early career in ways I wouldn't have experienced only attending the main campus. I still utilize the connections I made during that semester and it's been extremely encouraging to make new ones with the recent WHIP interns.”
— Peter O’Rourke, ‘18
“WHIP was, much to my surprise, my favorite semester of college. From interning with the creative department that hosted Easter Sunrise at the Lincoln Memorial, to attending the NBC White House correspondents’ dinner, “Nerd Prom,” and experiencing some of the best courses I've ever taken—I am so thankful that I spent a semester in D.C.”
— Gabrielle Bessette, ‘23
“WHIP allowed me to gain serious, professional experience all while continuing my Hillsdale education. The opportunity to explore D.C. with friends, to learn from exceptional professors, and to gain a sense for life after college was wonderful.”
— Aidan Wheeler, ‘21
“WHIP gave life to Virtus Tentamine Gaudet. We all believe knowledge is better than ignorance, kindness better than selfishness, and excellence better than indifference, but on WHIP, we had to decide whether to act on those beliefs. Grace, civility, self-sacrifice are exemplified by the Hillsdale in D.C. team and my fellow WHIP students; I now appreciate how intentional and courageous we have to be to live well. I would not have had a Hillsdale education without WHIP.”
— Abigail Elwell, ‘23
“The English 201 class with Dr. Mehan gave me a deep appreciation for Shakespeare and lifelong learning that inspired a select group of my WHIP alumni friends to found a Shakespeare book club. Additionally, it was great to experience the big city with my close friends. We decided to all move back to the area after graduation.”
— Ryan Goff, ‘21
“I went to Hillsdale knowing I wanted to participate in the WHIP program as a non-negotiable and I am so glad I did. The relationships you build both professionally and personally during this semester will last a lifetime. I am in my current role thanks to someone I met through Hillsdale and some of the bridesmaids in my wedding are friends I made on WHIP, people I would not have connected with otherwise.”
— Gwendolyn Hodges, ‘17
“WHIP was an amazing opportunity to take advantage of at Hillsdale. I got to explore the nation’s capital with my good friends, and I have decided to move back to D.C. as a result of my time on WHIP.”
— Dennis Fassett, ‘21
“WHIP encapsulated Hillsdale's motto of virtus tentamine gaudet. There are a million things I can say to recommend this program, but here is my advice right now: No matter your major, consider and pray about going on WHIP. Then go where God leads. Practice that enough with this and other things in life and you may just acquire some of that 'prudence' you will hear Dr. Spalding talk so much about if you become a WHIPster.”
— Natalie Spaulding, ‘24
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