Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the application process and the program are below.

1. What are the requirements to be a City Hall Fellow?
2. What cities host City Hall Fellows programs?
3. How many Fellows were selected for the 2008-2009 class?
4. How do you decide in which city to place Fellows?
5. Do I have to be from a particular city to be selected for its class?
6. Can I apply to be a Fellow in a city other than Houston or San Francisco?
7. Can I apply to be a Fellow if I already have a graduate degree or am in the middle of a graduate degree program?

8. What is the application process?
9. Can I apply to work in a specific city agency?
10. When is the application deadline?
11. How do I submit my application?
12. Is there an application fee and how much is it?

13. When will I be told if I am invited to interview?
14. What if I can’t make the in-person interview date?
15. When will I be told if I have been selected to be a Fellow?

16. When does the fellowship year start?
17. How long does the fellowship last?
18. What will I be doing during the fellowship?
19. Can I have other employment during the fellowship?
20. Can I attend school during the fellowship?
21. Can I apply to graduate or law school during the fellowship?
22. Will any fellowship or job-related travel be required of me?

23. How much are Fellows paid?
24. What health benefits do Fellows get?
25. Can I take a vacation during the fellowship?
26. Does City Hall Fellows provide housing?


1. What are the requirements to be a City Hall Fellow?

The City Hall Fellows program is designed primarily for recent college graduates who have not yet attended graduate school. For the Inaugural Class of Fellows, City Hall Fellows accepted applications from persons who earned a bachelor’s degree in 2006 or after. Applicants need not have earned their bachelor’s degree before applying, but must earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution prior to their fellowship start date. Applicants from all majors and academic disciplines will be considered and are encouraged to apply. Fellows are expected to possess the following characteristics: (i) academic achievement, (ii) written and oral communication skills, (iii) leadership potential and ability, (iv) dedication to contributing to society; and (v) an entrepreneurial spirit appropriate for participating in the very first year of an exciting new program. While there is no GPA cut-off, the fellowship is competitive. Additionally, preference is given to applicants who have a demonstrated connection to the city for which they are applying.

2. What cities host City Hall Fellows programs?

In 2008-2009, the City of Houston and the City and County of San Francisco are hosting City Hall Fellows programs. City Hall Fellows expects to add more host cities in future years.

3. How many Fellows were selected for the 2008-2009 class?

In 2008-2009, 21 Fellows were selected -- 10 will be placed in Houston and 11 will be placed in San Francisco.

4. How do you decide in which city to place Fellows?

Applicants must designate on their application form which city they are applying for. Applicants may apply to be placed in more than one city, but must answer an additional essay question if they do so.

5. Do I have to be from a particular city to be selected for its class?

No. But you will be asked on the application to explain why you have chosen the city you are applying for.

6. Can I apply to be a Fellow in a city other than Houston or San Francisco?

You can only apply to be a Fellow in a City Hall Fellows host city. In 2008-2009, the City of Houston and the City and County of San Francisco are the only cities hosting City Hall Fellows programs. City Hall Fellows expects to add more host cities in future years.

7. Can I apply to be a Fellow if I already have a graduate degree or am in the middle of a graduate degree program?

Persons who have earned or are in the process of earning graduate degrees may apply for the fellowship so long as they earned their bachelor’s degree within 2 years of their fellowship start date. However, applicants who are in the middle of a graduate degree program must be prepared to take a year sabbatical from their graduate studies to participate in City Hall Fellows. Fellows may not attend graduate school during the fellowship. The compensation package is the same for all Fellows in a city, regardless of whether or not they earn a graduate degree before beginning their fellowship term.

8. What is the application process?

City Hall Fellows has a two-stage application process: a written application followed by finalist interviews. Select applicants are invited to participate in ½-day in-person interviews in their potential host cities. The application process for the 2008-2009 class is now closed.

9. Can I apply to work in a specific city agency?

No. Fellows will be selected for cities, not for specific city agencies. You may only apply to a specific city. During the fellowship orientation, Fellows will learn about the specific work placements available and will be matched to those positions based upon their interest, skills and rapport with the position supervisor. However, there is no guarantee that, even if selected for a fellowship, you will be matched to your first-choice city agency. Therefore, if you strongly desire to work for a particular city agency, we encourage you to apply for a regular position within that agency.

10. When is the application deadline?

The deadline for the 2008-09 program year was February 29. If you're interested in applying for the expanded 2009-10 program, check back in the fall. To be notified of when the application process opens again, sign up for our mailing list (on our home page) or by sending your contact information to apply@cityhallfellows.org.

11. How do I submit my application?

At this point, we are no longer accepting written applications.  The deadline for the 2008-09 program year was February 29. If you're interested in applying for the expanded 2009-10 program, check back in the fall. To be notified of when the application process opens again, sign up for our mailing list (on our home page) or by sending your contact information to apply@cityhallfellows.org.

12. Is there an application fee and how much is it?

If you visited our website earlier this year, you may have seen that City Hall Fellows assesses a modest application fee of $25 to offset its costs. Thanks to the generous contributions of City Hall Fellows' supporters, we are happy to announce that we were able to waive the application fee for the Inaugural Year.

13. When will I be told if I am invited to interview?

Invitations for interviews are expected to be extended in early spring each year.  The exact application calendar for the 2009-2010 class will be posted later this year.

14. What if I can’t make the in-person interview date?

The interview is an extremely important part of the Fellow selection process. Consequently, applicants are expected to make every effort to attend the interview in person in the city for which they applied. In the rare case where personal attendance would constitute a severe personal or financial hardship, City Hall Fellows will consider requests for telephonic interviews. Instructions on the process for requesting alternative arrangements will be provided at the time interview invitations are extended.

15. When will I be told if I have been selected to be a Fellow?

In 2008-2009, persons offered fellowships were notified during the week of April 7, 2008. Persons invited to be Fellows must commit within twenty-one days of being notified of their selection or their invitation to be a Fellow may be rescinded.

16. When does the fellowship year start?

The fellowship year starts at the beginning of August. The 2008-2009 fellowship year starts Monday, August 4, 2008. All Fellows must be available to report to work in their host city that day.

17. How long does the fellowship last?

The fellowship lasts twelve months - from August through July. The 2008-2009 City Hall Fellows program will run from August 4, 2008 through July 31, 2009. Fellows are required to be available for full-time employment in their host city during this entire period.

18. What will I be doing during the fellowship?

The City Hall Fellows fellowship is an intensive, full-time experience. It has two primary components:

Work Placement: Each Fellow will be placed in a single city office working directly for a senior-level city official during the course of their fellowship year. Fellows serve as full-time staffers and perform work that is critical to the mission of their host agencies. Fellows will be matched to their work placements during a 3-week fellowship Orientation and will begin working at their placements promptly after Orientation. Each placement will allow Fellows one afternoon off each week to participate in the Civic Leadership Development Program.

Civic Leadership Development Program: City Hall Fellows' proprietary Civic Leadership Development Program teaches Fellows how cities, local governments and metropolitan regions function, why they function as they do, and how citizens can change them for the better -- all in ways that are relevant to Fellows' own on-the-job experiences. The Program is divided into four phases: Orientation, Structure of Local Government Functions of Local Government and Creating Public Policy. As part of this Program, Fellows will visit their state capital and convene in Washington, D.C. with other City Hall Fellows from around the country. The Civic Leadership Development Program spans the entire fellowship year.

19. Can I have other employment during the fellowship?

No. The City Hall Fellows experience is extremely intensive. Fellows will not have time for outside employment during their fellowship.

20. Can I attend school during the fellowship?

No. The City Hall Fellows experience is extremely intensive. Fellows will not have time to attend school during their fellowship.

21. Can I apply to graduate or law school during the fellowship?

Yes. But you may not begin studying in a graduate degree program until after your fellowship ends. The end date for the Inaugural Class is July 31, 2009.

22. Will any fellowship or job-related travel be required of me?

As part of the Civic Leadership Development Program, Fellows are required to travel to their state capital and to Washington, D.C. While most work placements are not expected to require substantial travel, Fellows will be expected to undertake travel appropriate to their jobs when and if requested by their work supervisors.

23. How much are Fellows paid?

Fellows will be paid a reasonable entry-level salary, commensurate with the local cost of living in their host city. Compensation may vary by locale. Within each city, the compensation package is the same for all Fellows.

24. What health benefits do Fellows get?

Fellows will be provided basic health benefits.

25. Can I take a vacation during the fellowship?

Fellows will get a reasonable number of personal days similar to the number of days given to regular new employees of their host cities. However, Fellows are expected to attend all Civic Leadership Development Program sessions and to plan their vacations accordingly. Fellows may not take vacation during any part of Orientation or during the trips to the state capital and Washington, DC.

26. Does City Hall Fellows provide housing?

No. Fellows are expected to secure their own accommodations.