Application Deadlines
Upcoming Term: Fall 2025
All prospective Cato interns must fill out an application to be considered. This includes graduate students, legal interns, Harvard IoP applicants, Peter G. Peterson Foundation Fiscal Interns, TFAS Capital Semester students, Metcalf Fellows, FTE interns, Stand Together Fellows, etc.
Applicants living abroad and international applicants are encouraged to apply but will need to be authorized to work in the United States and must be able to work in person in Washington, DC to participate. The Cato Institute will sponsor a limited number of J‑1 visas.
Spring Semester: Late January to Late April
- For the upcoming Spring 2026 term, the application will open on September 19, 2025, and must be completed by 11:59 p.m. ET on November 2, 2025.
- You will be notified if you advance as a finalist by November 25, 2024. You will receive a final decision by December 16, 2025.
Summer Semester: Late-May to Mid-August
- For the upcoming Summer 2025 term, the application opened on January 10, 2025, and closed at 11:59 pm ET on February 18, 2025.
- You will be notified if you advance as a finalist by March 18, 2025. You will receive a final decision by April 11, 2025.
Fall Semester: Mid-September to Mid-December
- For the upcoming Fall 2025 term, the application will open on May 23, 2025, and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 22, 2025.
- You will be notified if you advance as a finalist by July 22, 2025. You will receive a final decision by August 12, 2025.
Note: As of the Fall 2022 term, applications are no longer accepted on a rolling basis. Applications submitted outside the specified application window will not be considered.
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