LATINO MUSEUM STUDIES PROGRAM
UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP
SOLAA APPLICATION GUIDE
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OVERVIEW
Thank you for your interest in the Latino Museum Studies Program (LMSP) Undergraduate Internship. All
applications will be submitted through the Smithsonian’s SOLAA Application system. If you have any
questions, please reach out to LMSPinf[email protected]. The required steps are listed below, and will be
explained in detail in this document:
• Creating a SOLAA Profile
• Filling out your application
1. Personal Information
2. Current Affiliation and Academic History
3. Upload Program Application Materials
4. Applicant Question Section
5. Reference Letter Request
• Review and Submission
For additional guidance and to minimize system errors, please reference the notes in the grey boxes
for tips on using SOLAA.
CREATING A SOLAA PROFILE
NOTE: Do not enter your information in all caps or all lower-case letters. Do not use special characters.
Please enter information using English characters. Do not use the browser back button to navigate
within the system. Please use “User Menu” on the top right corner.
• Visit SOLAA.si.edu
• Select “Create an Account”
• Fill in all required information.
NOTE: Be sure to use an email address you check regularly.
• You will receive an automated email to the email address you provided asking you to activate
the account. Click the activation link.
• You will be asked to create a password and two security questions. Your username is your email
address.
• You will now be directed to your dashboard. Click “Start Your Application”.
LATINO MUSEUM STUDIES PROGRAM
UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP
SOLAA APPLICATION GUIDE
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• Next, search for the program you are applying to. You will not be able to view the LMSP
Undergraduate Internship application within SOLAA until it opens on Friday, March 4, 2022:
o For Program Category, choose “Internship”
o For Program Name, enter “Latino Museum Studies Program Undergraduate
Internship”
o For Office/Museum/Research Center, choose “National Museum of the American
Latino”
o Click “Search” and the program should come up. From here you can fill out your
application when you click “Apply Now”.
• You can use the SOLAA account you created to apply to other programs in the future.
FILLING OUT YOUR APPLICATION
NOTE: You will upload all application materials directly to the SOLAA portal, and you will answer short
form questions within the system. You can save your progress and return to the application at a later
time. You are encouraged to submit your application in advance of the final deadline, as the system
can crash when it becomes busy. The special instructions in the box below will be listed in SOLAA.
Please read the special instructions carefully and follow all directions.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Visit National Museum of the American Latino website for detailed
instructions and practicum descriptions https://latino.si.edu/learn/internships-and-fellowships/latino-
museum-studies-program/latino-museum-studies-undergraduate
*Deadline to apply is 11:59pm ET, Friday, April 1 ,2022*
*Please note that the LMSP Undergraduate Internship is only open to students of the following
partner colleges and universities: Arizona State University, University of Texas at El Paso, New Mexico
State University, The City College of New York*
*Submit all files as PDFs*
*For Essays:
• Personal Statement – Choose ONE of the following options:
o Answer the following prompt in 500-750 words. Include final word count at the end
of your essay: The Latino Museum Studies Program (LMSP) Undergraduate Internship
aims to increase access to art museum career pathways for Latinx-identifying
undergraduate students. Explain why you want to participate in LMSP. Be sure to
address the following points:
LATINO MUSEUM STUDIES PROGRAM
UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP
SOLAA APPLICATION GUIDE
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▪ Describe your interest in the museum field.
▪ What do you want to take away from this experience? Clearly explain how
participating in LMSP would help you accomplish your goals in your
coursework and your desired career.
▪ What do you hope to contribute to this experience? How do your identities,
life experiences, and/or perspectives shape your work (academic,
professional, or community work)? How would they shape your contributions
to your internship project, the LMSP program, and the Smithsonian more
broadly?
---------------- OR ----------------
o Answer the following prompt in at least 250 words AND submit a 2–3-minute video.
Include the final word count AND a link to your video at the end of your essay. Your
video must go beyond what you share in your essay: The Latino Museum Studies
Program (LMSP) Undergraduate Internship aims to increase access to art museum
career pathways for Latinx-identifying undergraduate students. Explain why you want
to participate in LMSP. Be sure to address the following points:
▪ Describe your interest in the museum field.
▪ What do you want to take away from this experience? Clearly explain how
participating in LMSP would help you accomplish your goals in your
coursework and your desired career.
▪ What do you hope to contribute to this experience? How do your identities,
life experiences, and/or perspectives shape your work (academic,
professional, or community work)? How would they shape your contributions
to your internship project, the LMSP program, and the Smithsonian more
broadly?
• Practicum Selection – Write a statement indicating your top three choices for a practicum
by project name and number. (175-word minimum for each practicum; include final word
count at the end of each)
o Clearly explain why these practicums are of interest to you and how they will benefit
your area(s) of study.
o Please describe how your skills and experience will contribute to your practicum
work.
Personal Information
NOTE: You will be asked to fill in personal information such as contact information, birth date, country
of citizenship, etc. Much of this information is blinded from reviewers.
Current Affiliation and Academic History
• First, fill in your current academic affiliation, including your college or university, academic year
(second-year, sophomore, etc.), and your major.
LATINO MUSEUM STUDIES PROGRAM
UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP
SOLAA APPLICATION GUIDE
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• Next fill in any previous academic history (other colleges or universities you may have attended).
Program Application Materials:
NOTE: All materials must be uploaded as PDFs.
• Resume/CV (no more than 2 pages)
• Transcripts (Unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
NOTE: SOLAA sometimes has trouble processing password protected files. Though not
required, you are encouraged to submit transcripts without password protection.
• Personal Statement
• Practicum Selection (Upload together as one document)
Applicant Question Section (short form):
NOTE: These questions are used to understand your background and to facilitate internship
placements. You will NOT be assessed on these questions and your answers will NOT impact selection.
• Please describe your proficiency in English and Spanish.
• Please list any previous museum, gallery, library, and/or archive experience.
• If you are submitting the optional video, please include the link here.
• Have you made arrangements with your college or university to receive academic credit for an
internship if it is awarded?
NOTE: You do not need to have this arranged by the time you apply. This question is for
reviewers to understand if you are seeking course credit and for you to begin to think about
this step. You may answer “no” if you are not seeking course credit or if you are still exploring
how to fit this into your academic schedule. You will not be assessed based on your response.
Reference Question Section:
NOTE: You will need to request one (1) reference letter from an individual who will NOT be part of the
selection committee and who is NOT a relative. Reference requests are sent directly from SOLAA when
you enter the referee’s email address. We highly recommend you request the reference letter as soon
as you intend on applying and at least two weeks before the deadline. Referees will respond to the
following questions within the SOLAA system and will upload their recommendation letter.
LATINO MUSEUM STUDIES PROGRAM
UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP
SOLAA APPLICATION GUIDE
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• How long have you known the applicant?
• In what capacity do you know the applicant?
• Please rate the applicant's emotional maturity. (1-5 rating)
• Please rate the applicant's independence and initiative. (1-5 rating)
REVIEW AND SUBMISSION
• Please take time to carefully review your application. Be sure that all required fields are filled in
and that the correct application materials are uploaded.
• You will receive on-screen confirmation once you submit your application.
• Whenever you log back in to the SOLAA system, your dashboard will show the status of your
application, and you will be able to check the status of your reference letter.
Good Luck! Please feel free to reach out to LMSP[email protected] with any questions.