Making the Cut for The Corp and GUASFCU

As far as the application process goes, leaders of both organizations emphasized the need for a good personality. “You just have to be a fun, social person. … We’re going to be working in close quarters; we want to be working next to people who want to have a good time,” Cohen said of potential credit union interns.

“Part of working for the credit union is about being part of a team,” Cohen said. “So we’re definitely looking for people who are aware of what that means and are looking to add that aspect to their college career.”

Try, Try Again

For Lucius Lee’s (SFS ’15) friends, getting a “no” from GUASFCU dealt a blow. “They said it was really tough. Most of my friends didn’t get in.”

Although Aramide Alaka (MSB ’15) said she did not get an interview after applying for The Corp, she said she would definitely consider giving it another shot.

“There’s always next semester, or next year,” she said. 

But for some freshmen, the allure of telling behind the credit union counter or serving up a latte at a Corp coffee shop only becomes apparent once they’ve settled in after the first few weeks — past the fall semester application deadlines.

“I didn’t consider applying for the Corp. I thought I would go over and just brew coffee for people. I didn’t want to just brew coffee,” Phil Seiler (COL ’15) said. “I didn’t know that the Corp does much more, because I would have applied, but now it’s too late.”

Need for Friendly Connections

Although The Corp starts its application process with a name-blind form before hiring teams decide interviewees, Pon said that it can be beneficial to know who you’ll be working with once the identities are revealed at the interview stage. 

“We’re balancing avoiding looking at names and playing favoritism … however, if you have somebody’s best friend applying then you know more about their character,” Pon said. “It’s not fun being rejected from anything … but at the same time we have an obligation to pick the right people,” Pon said. After all, it’s more fun to be working with friends, he admitted, adding that he had many Corpie friends prior to applying. 

For some students, a perception of a possible who-to-know culture prevails in GUASFCU as well. “I heard it’s really hard to get into and people inside the credit union only give jobs to their friends,” said Seiler. “So for me, going in not knowing anyone and as a freshman, it would be hard to get in.”

Making it Social

For those students not on the invite list to the credit union’s annual holiday gala or The Corp’s semesterly employee appreciation event commonly referred to as “Holiday Inn,”  overhearing chatter from the night before at a Leo’s Sunday brunch can serve to fill them in. 

“They have a lot of fun,” James said about The Corp. “But basically all my friends got rejected.” Sitting with a cup of Corp coffee in hand, it did not seem to deter her from visiting their services, which she describes as “great.”

With the absence of an on-campus Greek life, students tend to seek out other social outlets — and for many, The Corp and GUASFCU may fill this void. Perhaps for this reason, The Corp has gained a reputation of being the “unofficial frat,” says Pon. “Right now I think it’s kind of upsetting that The Corp still has this reputation.” 

For Cohen, the social perks should be thought of as customary for on-campus groups, no matter their acceptance rate or if they ask for an application at all. 

“There’s an entire social component that comes along with the internship, which I think tends to happen with nearly every organization on campus because we don’t have a Greek system,” Cohen said. “It’s a very natural flow for social life to come from where people gather in groups, whether that’s a sports team or a club or The Corp or GUASFCU,” she added.

While these organizations may come off as highly social entities, Pon emphasized that not all members opt in to that part of the culture. “Being a part of The Corp’s social aspect is a choice. … We have fantastic employees who never show up to a single social gathering.”

Finding a Niche 

Seeing members sporting their Corposaurus shirt or GUASFCU pullover may create an in-group, out-group dynamic for non-members — but for some it becomes a defining part of their Georgetown experience. For those cashing checks to toasting bagels, being a part of these two organizations becomes more than your typical job or internship.