Metcalf FAQ

To search for Metcalf internships:

• Log in to your UChicago Handshake account
• Click "Jobs" 
• Select "All Filters"
• In the dropdown menu, scroll down to "Labeled by Your School"
• Select “2023-24 Metcalf”

Career Advancement publishes a weekly newsletter highlighting key Metcalf opportunities with upcoming deadlines, as well as a comprehensive spreadsheet with all available positions. You are encouraged to sign up for the newsletter here. 

• Log in to your myUChicago account
• Click the dropdown icon on the "Academics" tab
• Hover over "Academic Records"
• Select "View Unofficial Transcript"
• In the "Report Type" dropdown menu, select "Unofficial Transcript"
• Click "View Report"
• Save the document as a pdf
• Log in to your UChicago Handshake account
• Go to the listing for the job or internship you'd like to apply to
• Click "Apply Now" on the righthand side of your screen
• Upload the unofficial transcript with the rest of your materials

Metcalf internships are available to all College students. Individual internships may be restricted to certain types of students depending on the criteria set by the employer. To view hiring criteria for specific internships, please consult the job description in UChicago Handshake.

Metcalf opportunities are open to all undergraduate students in the College and thus students studying abroad are encouraged to apply for Metcalf internships. We encourage you to inform the employer that you will be studying abroad in your cover letter and any subsequent email exchanges and ask if they can accommodate a remote interview process.  Please check individual postings in UChicago Handshake for details regarding study abroad student eligibility.

International students in the College are eligible to apply for many Metcalf internships. If an international student will be paid directly by the employer, the student must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work authorization for this internship. If CPT is required, please click here or contact the Office of International Affairs at international-affairs@uchicago.edu for more information. CPT authorization must be obtained prior to the start of employment.

Career Advancement advisers are happy to provide personalized assistance with application materials or interviews. Students can make an appointment via phone or video for questions about applying for internships, including cover letter and resume reviews. Career Advancement also offers handouts on writing resumes and cover letters in the resume and interview toolkit.

You can also schedule an appointment with our Practice Interviewers to prepare for internship interviews. Practice interviewers can assist students with general behavioral interviews and specialized interviews (e.g., consulting case interviews).

No applications will be accepted after the internship deadline.

Employers typically expect a response to an offer within one (1) week of the day the offer is made. Given the staggered deadlines of the Metcalf Program, you may receive an offer for an internship while you are still waiting to hear whether or not you were selected for another internship. We strongly encourage you to contact Career Advancement if this is the case.

Please note that reneging on an offer is grounds for permanent deactivation from accessing campus recruiting in UChicago Handshake.

Yes, Metcalf fellowships are considered taxable income with only one exception (more details below). Students may or may not need to file a tax return depending on the total amount of income they received during the tax year of their internship. For more information on whether you need to file a tax return, please visit the Internal Revenue Service website. 

Students with a tax liability are responsible for reporting their Metcalf income on their U.S. tax return. Depending on the internship location and the student's state of residence, students may also be responsible for paying state or local income tax for their Metcalf fellowship. For more information, please consult the appropriate state or local department of revenue (for example, the Illinois Department of Revenue).

Exception: The only students whose Metcalf payments are not subject to U.S. taxation are international students who meet both of the following criteria: (1) non-resident for tax purposes and (2) had a Metcalf internship that was outside of the United States. In this case, your Metcalf fellowship is considered foreign-source income and is not subject to U.S. taxation. You may still be responsible for paying income tax to your destination country or home country. For more information on determining whether you are a resident or non-resident for tax purposes, please visit this page of the IRS website.

Students who were paid directly by their Metcalf employer will receive tax documentation from the employer.

Students who had a University-funded Metcalf internship AND received their payment as a lump-sum payment will not receive a W-2 or any other tax form. This is considered taxable fellowship income rather than wage income. For more information on taxable fellowship income, please visit this page of the University's financial services website.

If your Metcalf internship was funded by the University and paid with a lump-sum fellowship, please consult the "Reporting Scholarship and Fellowship Grants" section of IRS publication 970 for instructions on how to report this on your tax return. 

If you have income where taxes are not taken out at the time you receive it (for example, nonqualified scholarships, stipends, University-paid student health premiums, and fellowship payments), you may be required to make quarterly estimated income tax payments to the IRS and State of Illinois. These are payments of the estimated income tax you owe on these sources of income, paid quarterly in advance of the date you file your personal income tax return. 

Federal: You can make these determinations by completing the IRS 1040-ES form.  In general, if you are a domestic student or foreign resident alien for tax purposes and estimate that you will owe more than $1,000 in federal tax, you will need to make an estimated payment. Foreign nonresident aliens already have a federal withholding of 14% and should not be required to submit a federal estimated tax payment.

Illinois State: You can make these determinations by completing the Illinois IL-1040-ES form.  In general, if you are a domestic or foreign student and estimate that you will owe more than $500 in Illinois state income tax, you need to make an estimated payment. 

Information on making payments, payment mailing address, payment deadlines and making the estimated calculations can be found within the form and instructions on the IRS and Illinois State websites. Please note that if you are required to make estimated tax payments but fail to do so, or do so late, you may owe penalties in addition to the tax.

The University is providing this information to make you aware of your personal tax obligations.  The University cannot provide personal tax advice to individual students, but if you need help obtaining additional information, please contact Angie Gleghorn at gleghorn@uchicago.edu. 

Students with further questions are encouraged to consult with a tax professional.

For Domestic Students:

• IRS (Federal Tax Filing) www.irs.gov
• Illinois Department of Revenue: http://www.revenue.state.il.us
• IRS Publication 970 – Tax Benefits for Education http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf
• IRS Publication 505 – Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p505.pdf
• IRS Publication 596 – Earned Income Credit http://www.irs.gov/publications/p596/index.html

For International Students

• IRS (Federal Tax Filing) www.irs.gov
• Illinois Department of Revenue: http://www.revenue.state.il.us
• IRS Publication 505 – Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p505.pdf
• IRS Publication 596 – Earned Income Credit http://www.irs.gov/publications/p596/index.html
• IRS Publication 901 – U.S. Tax Treaties http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p901.pdf
• IRS Publication 519 – U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p519.pdf