American West Internship Application FAQs

Photo credit: Melanie Langa

Every summer, the Bill Lane Center for the American West offers many opportunities for Stanford undergraduates (including co-terminal and master's students) to work with organizations throughout the West. Through these internships, students can explore careers in natural history, conservation, ecology, land use, museum curation, resource management, water, energy, literature, policy, politics, and more. 

Bill Lane Center internships are part of Cardinal Quarter opportunities and students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. The opportunities are full-time (40 hours a week) for 9 to10 consecutive weeks during the summer. Specific start and end dates can be coordinated directly with the internship organization's supervisor. 

All internships are fully funded by the Bill Lane Center.

Summer internships are posted and open for applications at the end of fall quarter/beginning of winter quarter.

Summer 2026 applications were due Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 11:59pm and are now closed.

Applications can be found on SOLO, Stanford's portal for On- & Off-Campus Learning Opportunities (solo.stanford.edu).

Students may submit applications for up to *three* internships. Each internship has a unique application.

To learn more about the internship experience and read student reflections, browse the Out West student blog and the Lane Center Instagram channel featuring posts by summer interns from the past several years – many of them are the same organizations open to applications.

Bill Lane Center staff will review all the applications and then conduct first-round, in-person or Zoom interviews (for those abroad) for selected applicants. After first-round interviews, finalists will be forwarded to the host organization(s) for a second-round of consideration and selection. The host organizations make the final selection and that applicant will receive an internship offer from Bill Lane Center staff by email.

The applicant is expected to respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to the offer or the offer will be rescinded and another candidate may receive the offer.

Once an applicant accepts the offer, they should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied and withdraw their candidacy from those other opportunities.

Applicants not selected will be notified by Lane Center staff as soon as possible.    

All administration of the internships, including awards, is managed by the Bill Lane Center. 

To find out more about the program, please contact Education Manager Corinne Thomas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What materials are required to apply?

A: The Bill Lane Center application includes specific questions and will also prompt you to submit a cover letter describing your interest and experience, a resume, two references, and an unofficial, most recent transcript.

Please make sure your resume and cover letter address the specific qualifications and requirements of the specific internship to which you are applying.

Please do NOT make false exaggerations or claims; Lane Center staff really do check. Humility is important. 

For more resources, including how to write a cover letter and resume, please see Stanford's Career Education resources webpage.

Q: What should I include in my cover letter?

A: Please address your cover letter to both the Bill Lane Center, that is funding and administering this internship, and the organization to which you are applying.

You must address the following three questions in your letter:

  1. What are your motivations behind applying for this position?
  2. How will participating in this program further your academic and professional pursuits?
  3. Do you have any prior internship or relevant experience? 

Tips for writing a cover letter:

  1. Do not begin your cover letter by stating your name.
  2. Read the internships's required and desired skills carefully on the SOLO page and address your qualifications in your letter.
  3. Use different, tailored cover letters for different internship positions; address specific qualifications and interest in the work.
  4. Proofread and edit thoughtfully, and please remember the value of humility.
  5. Do not make exaggerations or false claims; Lane Center staff will check.
  6. Make it easy to read; use at least 11-point font and paragraphs. 

For more resources, including how to write a cover letter and resume, please see Stanford's Career Education resources webpage.

Please refer to the Office of Development's Style Guide for general writing help.

Q: Does the internship selection process require interviews?

A: Yes, for some selected students. Bill Lane Center staff will review all the applications and, for selected students, conduct in-person or Zoom interviews (only for those abroad) for first-round interviews. Finalists will then be forwarded to the host organization for consideration and a possible second-round interview. The host organization makes the final selection; the Lane Center sends the award email and required paperwork.

Q: Can I still apply if I am abroad and not available for an in-person interview?

A: Yes, in these circumstances, if you are selected for the first round of interviews, Lane Center staff will conduct a Zoom interview.

Q: Where do I find the application?

A: Applications can be found on SOLO, Stanford's portal for On- & Off-Campus Learning Opportunities (solo.stanford.edu) and linked on the Lane Center webpage: https://west.stanford.edu/westinternships.

Q: May I apply for more than one internship?

A: Yes, you may apply for up to three internships. You must submit a separate application and cover letter, including your references, resume and transcript, for each internship in which you are interested. However, you may submit the same references, most recent unofficial transcript, and resume for each of your applications.  If you apply to more than three internships, Bill Lane Center staff will decide which three internships to consider you for. 

Q: Can I find out more about the experiences of previous interns at the organization I'm interested in?

A: Student reflections about the internship experience can be found by visiting the Out West student blog and the Lane Center Instagram channel.

Q: Are the internships funded?

A: Yes, the Bill Lane Center provides a base stipend of $8,000 with additional funding depending on the internship location and the student's financial aid level. The final stipend is between $8,000 and $10,000. 

The stipend is provided to cover living expenses and, if applicable, part of the summer earnings expectation of the Office of Financial Aid.

Graduating seniors, if eligible to apply in a second round, are not eligible for financial aid. 

Interns who will be working in high cost-of-living areas, e.g., the Bay Area, will receive additional cost-of-living supplements. 

The stipend is not intended to be, and is not, a paid, hourly wage or salary. Stipends are intended to support travel to and from the host organization (if applicable) and living expenses (e.g., room and board, daily commute) while at the host organization. An internship is an educational and experiential learning opportunity intended for the student to apply their academics and gain real-world experience. 

Students must give the Bill Lane Center permission for the Office of Financial Aid to release their aid level. This information is kept confidential. If student permission is not given, the financial aid supplement cannot be provided. If you have questions about your financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at Financialaid [at] stanford.edu (Financialaid[at]stanford[dot]edu).

The Office of Financial Aide strongly recommends all the stipend recipients to set up the direct deposit immediately if they have not done so.

If you have not received your stipend two or three weeks after processing,  please contact the Student Services Center. 

Please note: A stipend is considered a resource and it may have an impact on a student’s financial aid. To comply with US Department of Education regulations, student payments, awards, prizes, and gifts that are made available to the student because they are a Stanford student, must be reported to the Office of Financial Aid. The Office of Financial Aid is responsible for the disbursement of stipend funds to undergraduates.

  • For more information, please visit the Office of Financial Aid's webpage about the student stipend policy.
  • The Office of Financial Aid expects students to check their own eligibility for research stipends. Students can access their Financial Aid Notification/Award Letter by following the steps below:
    • Log on to AXESS.
    • At the top of the AXESS page, hover over STUDENT.
    • Under Quick Links, select View financial aid notification.
    • If the student’s award notification shows a remaining balance under “Student Responsibility,” then the student can be awarded an academic year stipend up to that total amount.

Q: What does it mean that "housing and transportation are the responsibility of the intern"?

A: Students are expected to budget for their living expenses, which can include housing and transportation, from the stipend provided. 

Host organizations may assist with finding housing and, in certain instances, provide housing for free or at a discounted rate. Please check each internship description for details. 

Though most internships do not require a car throughout the summer, some internships are in a rural location and students are responsible for getting to and from the internship site. 

Please read each internship description carefully for details on SOLO, Stanford's portal for On- & Off-Campus Learning Opportunities (solo.stanford.edu).

Q: I am a graduating senior or co-term. Am I eligible for the internships?

A: Co-terminal students are eligible to apply. Graduating seniors are only eligible to apply in certain second-round application processes. A few internships are also open to master's students. Only Stanford students are eligible for these internships.

Please note: Graduating seniors, when eligible to apply, can only do so if they are graduating in spring quarter but not earlier, e.g., fall or winter quarter of that academic year. 

Q: Do I need to submit a transcript for each internship to which I apply?

A: Yes, please submit the most recent unofficial transcript with each application. The transcript must be from the quarter during which you apply.

 Separate cover letters, two references and  a resume also need to be submitted for each internship to which you apply.

Q: Do I need to request a letter of recommendation?

A: No, you do not need to request a letter of recommendation. You are required to submit two references, however. These references may be contacted so please ask for their permission before submitting your application.

Q: Are the internship start and end dates flexible?

A: Yes, interns may work out start and end dates with their host mentors as long as the total duration is 9 to 10 consecutive weeks, depending on the individual internship, over the summer for the full-time internship position. Please check each internship description carefully since some do require a minimum of 10 weeks.

Q: Where can I find more information about each internship?

A: Students are invited to contact Education Manager Corinne Thomas to ask more questions about the internships or to contact the Bill Lane Center student ambassadors.

In addition, students can learn about the day-to-day aspects of each internship experience by reading student reflections about the internship experience in the Out West student blog and the Lane Center Instagram channel.

Contact Education Manager Corinne Thomas if you would like to get in touch with previous interns or need more information.

Q: When will I hear back about my application?

A: The Lane Center strives to work with the host organizations to fill the positions by early- to mid-March, though the interview process can extend to the end of winter quarter. If you have any questions about the status of your application during the review and interview process, please contact Education Manager Corinne Thomas.

Q: I’m not a Stanford student. I am still eligible to apply?

A: Unfortunately, our summer internships are only open to Stanford students.

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