Application Process

Welcome to my very first blog post! Here, I will be discussing the 3-step application process for the DCP (Disney College Program) and my experience with it. The process can be tedious and is different from other internships, but hopefully this "condensed" and "brief" summary makes it easier to understand! It can be quite the waiting game in terms of a decision, but it is definitely worth the wait (spoiler alert: I've been accepted). :)

*Side note: Before I begin, I want to give a special shoutout to my brother, Shane, and all of my DCP alumni friends who advised me on this process and answered the many questions I had about the program! I also want to thank all of my family and friends for their constant love and support throughout this process!

Step 1: The Application

The first step in the process is to complete a general work application including topics like previous work experience, contact and college information, and preferences for the different programs offered (Spring vs Spring Advantage, Disney World vs. Disneyland, etc.) In addition, this is where you rank the roles you're interested in by high, medium, low, or no interest. There are more than 20 role options to choose from, ranging from Attractions to Custodial to Lifeguard and so on.

*I applied on the very first day applications dropped, Monday, August 20th 2018. The actual application only took about 15-20 minutes to complete since I had my profile filled out ahead of time and already researched/ranked my role choices. Another spoiler alert: My role is Merchandise which was one of my high interest roles!

Step 2: The Web-Based Interview (WBI)

Once you submit the application, the goal is to hopefully receive a WBI shortly after that. Unfortunately, some applicants are NLIC'd (No Longer In Consideration) at this point. If you do receive a WBI though, it can happen anytime after you submit your application, whether it's several minutes or hours later. For some applicants though, it may take several weeks to move on to this step. The WBI is timed (must take it within three days of receiving it) and asks questions based on personality and company values. There are mostly multiple choice and "range" questions (Extremely Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Extremely Disagree), and it takes about 40 minutes to complete. Immediately after finishing the WBI, you know if you will or will not be moving on to the final application step.

*I received the invitation to take my WBI about an hour and 20 minutes after submitting my application. I decided to also take it on August 20th. It is recommended you use a quiet space with no interruptions to complete it, so I went to an academic building on-campus in the early evening. For me, this was the most nerve-wracking part of the process! The questions can be tricky (multiple answers may seem correct and you often see the same question several times just reworded), but I stayed true to my beliefs and answered honestly.

Step 3: The Phone Interview (PI)

After finishing the WBI, a screen will automatically appear to say you will be offered a phone interview (or that you may not be moving on). You then have the opportunity to select a date and time out of the ones offered. The phone interview lasts roughly 20-30 minutes, give or take. On your scheduled PI date, the recruiter can call anywhere between 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after your scheduled time. Same as the WBI, it is recommended to be in a quiet space with no interruptions. During the interview, applicants are asked questions related to their work experience, role choices, and also DCP specific and program questions.

*After completing my WBI, I was invited to schedule my phone interview! After calling my mom (love you), I immediately returned to my room to schedule the PI. My PI date was Sunday, August 26th, slightly less than a week after submitting my application. Throughout the week, I looked over my notes I had taken and prepared for the interview. It is recommended that you research some of the questions applicants have been asked in the past, but don't over-prepare! I definitely did a lot more research than I had to. Despite having notes in front of me during the interview, I mostly spoke from the heart since I am so passionate about the company and this really helped the most! My interviewer/recruiter called a few minutes after my scheduled time and my interview lasted about 16 minutes which is shorter than the average. After the call, I honestly was unsure of how to feel because it did not go quite as I expected (ex: I had lost my voice beforehand). Though it was tough, I tried to have a positive outlook and I am so thankful for my family and friends who reassured me it probably went a lot better than I thought (which it obviously did!).

Acceptance:

After completing the phone interview, the average time to hear back ranges from 2-3 weeks, give or take. Some applicants may have to wait at least a month while others could hear sooner than 2 weeks. The waiting is definitely not easy! On a side note, most of the recruiters have Twitter accounts through which they communicate to applicants (no DMs allowed) about the DCP application process and programs. They often tweet hints about when acceptance "waves" will occur, which definitely can be nerve-wracking but is also exciting!

*On Wednesday, September 5th around 3pm, I received my acceptance to the DCP just 10 days after my phone interview! I had just gotten out of class and after turning my phone off of airplane mode, I received an automated text to check my email for an "exciting update". I immediately checked my email to see that my acceptance had come during class! Of course, I called my mom instantly (again, love you!) and both she and I were over the moon. This was the very first *official* week of acceptances, and I feel so fortunate to have found out this early on in the process (there was a "test wave" of acceptances the week before where only around 20-25 applicants were accepted, but I wasn't discouraged since only a handful heard back out of the thousands that apply).

So, what now?

After receiving my acceptance, I accepted the offer, paid the fees, chose my arrival and departure dates (January 22nd to August 1st, 2019), completed some additional forms, and here I am! I will receive more information around 60 days before my program. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my time at Gettysburg, while watching as many DCP vlogs as I can and searching for potential roomies. I am so so so excited for what's to come and although January seems far away, I know it will be here before I know it!

Wow, that was a lot! Haha but if you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading and I cannot wait to share more of my journey with you!

Xoxo,

Gossip Girl

(just kidding)

See ya real soon,

Maddi