Guides · By Victor Hardt · Updated · 3 min read
How Metcalf internships work at UChicago
A Metcalf is a paid internship run through the College. Career Advancement says Metcalfs are open to College students, with some limits by year and posting, and reports more than 4,500 of them in 2024-25. When the employer doesn't pay you directly, the standard stipend for a full-time one, eight weeks or 320 hours, is $4,000.
A Metcalf is a paid internship run through the College. Career Advancement says Metcalfs are open to College students, with some limits by year and posting, and reports more than 4,500 of them in 2024-25. When the employer doesn't pay you directly, the standard stipend for a full-time Metcalf is $4,000. Full-time means eight weeks or 320 hours.
How you get paid
The money comes in one of three ways. The host organization pays you, or Career Advancement pays you a Metcalf stipend. Those two are the postings in Handshake. The third way is for an unpaid internship you find on your own. You apply for a Metcalf grant to fund it, and the grant runs on its own calendar.
You get one University-funded stipend per summer, so you can't stack them. The money also counts as taxable income, with one exception Career Advancement explains in its Metcalf FAQ.
Finding them
Metcalf postings are in Handshake. Log in with your CNetID, open Jobs, then the filters, then Labels, and pick “2026-27 metcalf”. Career Advancement also sends a weekly newsletter listing the ones closing soon, and it keeps a spreadsheet of every open position. An employer can limit a posting to certain students, so read the eligibility line before you write a cover letter.
There is no single opening date. Each posting has its own deadline, and the Metcalf program page is the official source.
The grant, for an internship you found yourself
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who | Second- to fourth-years with an unpaid internship |
| Opens | February 1, 2027, for summer 2027 |
| Cycles | February 1 to 24, March 1 to 31, April 5 to May 5, decisions rolling |
| Amount | $4,000 standard for full-time, $5,000 for Odyssey Scholars, merit scholars and career cohort students |
| Not covered | Fee-based internship programs and political campaigns |
From Career Advancement's Metcalf Summer Experience Grant pages, checked September 2026.
Shorter internships get less. For 221 to 320-plus hours in person in the US, the published range is $3,000 to $4,000. Internships abroad get more and remote ones a little less. First-years can't use this grant. If you're in the Class of 2030 and land an unpaid summer role, Career Advancement has a separate funding request form for you.
2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl (from October 8) and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street, plus deals at 12 more Hyde Park restaurants (one from September 29, one from September 30, four from October 1 and one from October 8). Free for verified UChicago students, live Monday, September 28.
Get PoolInternational students
Whether you can take a given Metcalf depends on your visa status, so check with the Office of International Affairs before you apply.
Metcalf Sprints, the short version
A Sprint is a team project for an employer, and the academic-year one is three weeks part-time and pays a $1,000 grant. Fall applications opened September 28 and close October 12, and the Sprint runs November 9 to December 4. It gets an employer onto your resume and leaves your summer open.
Competition and reneging
Career Advancement says the grant is competitive and funding is limited, and it advises you to have a backup plan. Backing out also costs you. If you renege on a Metcalf you accepted, you lose the stipend. Reneging on any accepted offer can cost you your Handshake recruiting privileges.
The recruiting guide has the calendar for when finance, consulting and tech hire.
About Pool
Pool is a food deals app for UChicago students, free and open only to verified students. This quarter that means 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl (from October 8) and 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street, plus deals at 12 more Hyde Park restaurants (one from September 29, one from September 30, four from October 1 and one from October 8), live from Monday, September 28.
On Pool this quarter. The app is free right now.
- 2-for-1 12 oz açaí bowls at Deep Purpl
- 2-for-1 subs at Subway 53rd Street
- 2-for-1 half chicken plates at Nando's PERi-PERi
- 2-for-1 Philly sandwiches at B'Gabs Comfort Cafe
- 2-for-1 jerk or honey wings at Ja' Grill
- 2-for-1 Wagyu Steak Frites at Chemistry
- 2-for-1 wraps, salads and bowls at Litehouse Whole Food Grill
- 2-for-1 chicken shawarma wraps at Cedars
- a free refresher with any treat at StruggleBeard Bakery
- a free third taco or a free drink with a Taco Dinner at 5 Rabanitos
- 2-for-1 Indian combo meals at Rajun Cajun
- 2-for-1 chicken and waffle bites at Dawn A.M. Eatery
- 2-for-1 lattes at Sweet Drip
- 2-for-1 sushi, pizza and more at The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar
Live Monday, September 28. StruggleBeard Bakery starts Tuesday, September 29. B'Gabs Comfort Cafe starts Wednesday, September 30. Rajun Cajun, Dawn A.M. Eatery, Sweet Drip and The Sit Down Café & Sushi Bar start Thursday, October 1. Deep Purpl and Nando's PERi-PERi start Thursday, October 8.
Questions people ask
- How much does a Metcalf internship pay?
- When the employer doesn't pay you directly, the standard Metcalf stipend for a full-time internship (eight weeks or 320 hours) is $4,000. Odyssey Scholars, merit scholars and career cohort students are eligible for up to $5,000 for a full-time summer experience.
- Are Metcalf internships taxed?
- Yes. Career Advancement says Metcalf payments are taxable income, with one exception it describes in its Metcalf FAQ.
- When does the Metcalf grant open?
- The Metcalf Summer Experience Grant for summer 2027 opens February 1, 2027, in three cycles ending February 24, March 31 and May 5. It is for second- to fourth-years with an unpaid internship.
- Can international students do a Metcalf?
- Whether you can take a given Metcalf depends on your visa status, so check with the Office of International Affairs before you apply.