The Disney College Program has been a dream of mine since I learned about it in the 10th grade while doing a college research project. I am now a Freshman in college which means I am officially able to apply for the Program and make my Disney dreams come true, but it is not that simple. Around 50,000 college students apply to be a part of the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World and only a few thousand each semester get accepted.
If you aren't familiar with what the Disney College Program is, it is a paid internship at either Walt Disney World or Disney Land during the Spring or Fall Semester. You get to work at the parks (or resorts at Walt Disney World,) live with roommates in company-sponsored housing, earn college credit, and have an opportunity to work for an amazing company.
Applications dropped for Spring and Spring Advantage on August 15th and I woke up and applied at six AM. The initial application is just your basic information, job experience, and you have to rate each role according to whether you have interest or not in working that role. After submitting that initial application, a few things can happen. You can be put in submission (like I am currently,) or you can be 'in progress' which means you move right on to the Web Based Interview.
Applicants dread being put in submission, as most people don't get out of it. Submission does not always mean this though! You can get out and people have before! Submission basically means that they need more time to look over your initial application, it does not mean you are out of the game! You can get out of submission within hours, weeks, months, and there has been submission waves before where a bunch of applicants got out. Another way you can get out of that "dreaded submission" is by attending a Disney College Program Character Performer Audition! If you make it past the audition and are chosen to be a character performer, you're out of submission!
Some applicants are never put in submission as they automatically move into "in progress." Once you're in progress, you get an email to take the Web Based Interview. After taking the Web Based Interview, two things can happen: you can pass it and move onto the phone interview or you can fail it and be "No Longer In Consideration" (or NLIC.) If you do get NLIC'd, you have no chance of participating in the program for that semester, but you can apply for the next one!
Once you pass the Web Based Interview, you get an email to schedule a phone interview. The phone interview is the last step in the application process. After your phone interview, it's a waiting game. If you pass it, you will eventually get an email saying you were accepted. If not, you are no longer in consideration.
The application process is lengthily and it defiantly tests your patience. It's a big o' waiting game, especially if you're waiting to see whether you get out of submission. Some applicants make it into the program their first time applying, some don't make it in until their fifth time applying. You can keep applying up till six months after you graduate from college.
If you are thinking of applying or have already, I wish us all the best of luck! It is an amazing opportunity and alumni of the program constantly refer to it as "the best time of their live."
