Yes! We're so excited to help you have the adventure you've been dreaming about. We do have limited spots in each group, though, so keep reading to find out how spots are assigned, what happens when a country fills up, and when to apply to snag a spot in your dream location.
So, you're ready to volunteer with ILP and spend a semester living abroad? Awesome! We're all about helping you step outside your comfort zone, try new things, and make memories you'll be talking about for years. Living in a new country and experiencing a different culture firsthand is one of the best ways to grow, gain confidence, and have the adventure of a lifetime.
With ILP, you can volunteer alongside other young adults your age in destinations all around the world—from Peru to Romania to Thailand (and so many more destinations—see all our available trips here).
Haven’t started your ILP application?
Fill one out, right here!
There is a limited number of volunteers that we can assign to each trip, based on the needs of that particular location (things like housing, the number of students we're working with, etc).
So, how does the country assignment process work? And what happens when all the spots fill up? This post goes over all the details so you know what to expect when you're applying to volunteer with ILP. We've also sprinkled in some tips on how to get assigned to the location you're hoping for!
Yes, but there may be some limitations, depending on when you're applying.
When you apply to volunteer with ILP, we'll set up a phone interview so we can get to know you better and answer any questions you have before you finalize your application. During that call, we'll also chat about the countries and programs you're interested in!
While every ILP program includes the core experiences that make ILP so unique, each destination has its own vibe. Some programs have larger groups of 20–30 volunteers living together, while others are smaller and more close-knit with just a few volunteers. Some locations are laid-back communities near the beach, while others offer more of a city experience. In some programs, you'll teach English to children, while in others, you may volunteer in an orphanage program. We also have some locations where housing allows for married couples, whereas others may be single females only.
You may already have a few favorite destinations based on travel opportunities, but we'll help you compare programs based on factors you might not have considered yet—so you can find the one that's the best fit for you. All of these details can be found on our website (just tap on a country to see the details for that particular trip), but we've found that having someone to talk to and ask questions is so helpful. So we're here for that.
We have a limited number of volunteers that we can assign to each particular trip. After you finish your phone interview with us, you'll also complete what we call "Orientation". It's an online form that collects a little more information for your application and offers different options—things like how flights work and which payment plan you'd like to use.
In Orientation, you'll also let us know which countries you'd like to volunteer in before it's sent over to the assignments team to get your official country assignment. Keep reading to see how that process works.
In Orientation (remember, this is part of your application), you'll let us know all the countries you're interested in going to for your trip.
You'll first choose your "top choice" location. This is the country you most want to go to!
Next you'll list out any countries you don't want to go to. We won't consider you for any of these countries.
When your application is complete, these country notes from your Orientation will be sent over to our assignments team. If your first choice country is available, we will assign you there. If it's not available—maybe all of the spots have already been assigned—then we will look at the next country options available to assign you to. We won't assign you to any country you've listed that you don't want to go to.
Here are a couple of examples of what that might look like:
1) Let's say I list on my Orientation that Uganda is my top choice country. I'm actually open to going to any country ... but I just would pick Uganda first if I can! So, I don't put any countries in the section of countries I don't want to go to (because I'm open to going anywhere, I just really want to get a spot in one of the Summer trips).
Then I submit my Orientation and my application is complete. After I'm accepted as a volunteer, the assignments team looks at my Orientation. There is a spot open in Uganda, so I get assigned there! ILP then sends me an email to make it official. I'm going to UGANDA!
2) On the other end of the spectrum—maybe I am really excited about one country and one country only. I've always wanted to go to Thailand and have friends that went there and loved it. In my Orientation I put Thailand as my first choice country. Then in the section of countries I don't want to go to, I list all other countries (meaning I only want to be considered for Thailand and no other country).
Then, I hear back from ILP—Thailand is actually already full, unfortunately, for this semester. In this case, we may say something like, "Hey - if you've changed your mind and are interested in going to __________, we do have a spot available right now that you could take. Or, if you want to wait and see if a spot in Thailand opens up, you'll be placed in the lottery."
Essentially, when a spot opens up in a country that was once full, we will do a random draw from the names of any applicant who is waiting for a spot in that country. We'll do this up until the semester starts, so there may be multiple opportunities to receive a spot.
If you find yourself in the lottery, don't panic! We do have spots that open up for various reasons.
Maybe we've started working with new schools in that country and need more volunteers in areas where we're expanding our program. Maybe the school we're working with has grown, and more students are signing up (which, again, means we need more volunteers). Maybe something unexpected happens to a volunteer in their personal life, and they need to switch to another ILP trip happening at a later date.
Either way, we do have assignments shifting around, and when that happens, we do a random pull from the lottery first to make that new assignment.
A few things to keep in mind if you’re in the lottery:
1. Being open to volunteering in one or two particular countries increases the chance that you’ll be in the lottery. The more countries you’re open to going to, the more likely it is that we’ll be able to get you a spot.If you are told that the countries you want to go to are full, there are options. Your ILP representative will be in touch to help you with those decisions. They're basically your go-to person when you have questions throughout the application process and helping you get your location assignment.
1. The Lottery: You can be put in the lottery for your first choice country (and really any countries you're interested in going to), and we’ll let you know when/if a spot opens up.
2. Avoid the Lottery: You might consider going to another country that you weren't considering going to before, to avoid waiting it out in the lottery. We can chat with you about current options to help you make that decision.
If you choose to wait it out in the lottery, but a spot doesn't open up (or your name isn't pulled for one of the spots that does open up), then we'll chat about more options at "the release date". This date is a determined date that happens just before the semester starts—at this time we can say, "It looks likely that we won't have a spot available in one of these countries that you're waiting for, and we know you need to start making other plans."
In this case, you can defer to another semester or cancel your ILP trip. Maybe we have an opening in that country, but it's just at a later date—we can transfer your application to the new semester. Or if another semester doesn't work for your schedule, you may need to cancel altogether. We'll do our best to avoid this, but it does happen from time to time. Normally there aren't refunds, but if we cannot get you a spot in a country that you want to go to that semester and you've waited until the release date to see if one opens up, but it's out of your control, you will receive a refund for any payments made toward your ILP program fee.
Do people usually get assigned to the country they want to go to? We often assign volunteers to their top-choice country, but a lot of times it's not their top choice (it's another one they were open to going to). Maybe it was actually their 2nd or 3rd choice country ... or maybe it was one that they hadn't really considered that much, but they didn't consider it one that they wouldn't go to.
Over and over again, we talk to volunteers halfway through their trip, and they say something to the effect of, "This wasn't actually the country I put as my first choice, but I'm so happy I was assigned here. I love it here!"
We love each of our countries—there was a reason we chose to start a program there! They're all unique in their own way and we have a feeling you'll fall in love no matter where you go. If you're assigned to a country that you weren't originally envisioning, we recommend that you stay open to the idea. Do some research. Talk to volunteers that have gone there. We have an Instagram account where ILP volunteers host the account for a week and post about their experiences. Go follow that account to get a closer look at your assigned country. That's a great way to DM the volunteer who's hosting and get more insights into this new destination you hadn't considered yet. Find it on Instagram: @ilptakeovers
How early should I apply to have the best chance of getting my top country? We open applications about 1.5 years in advance. We don't have deadlines, and we accept applications even after the country is full because we often need to utilize the lottery system.
If you're particular about which country you go to, we recommend applying as early as you can. The earlier you apply, the bigger the chance is that spots will be available. We do have some volunteers who apply right when applications open because they're excited to snag a particular trip. Most volunteers apply around 6-12 months before the trip starts. And we do have applications that come in even right up until the trip starts. But again, the earlier you apply, typically the more country options you have.
If you want an email notification when we open up applications for a particular semester, you can leave your email on this form. Otherwise follow us on Instagram @ilpadventure where we also announce when applications officially open up for different trips.
Do you have more questions about how it all works?
If you’ve got a few more questions about the whole “volunteering with International Language Programs” thing, we’re here to help with that too. ILP sends college-aged volunteers all around the world to teach English and make a difference. And the lottery helps us make that happen for a lot more volunteers each semester — which is great news for you.
Get in touch, right here: