9
particular White House Offices with the added benefit of a formal
program of speakers and informal opportunities for "face time"
with administration notables, including the President and the
First Lady. As one guide to Washington internships put it, if
there were a ’prestige meter’, "The White House internship would
shatter its limit." 4/
Applicants to the White House Internship Program were not only
required to send supporting materials, including letters of
recommendation, but they were asked to match their interests with
a long list of participating offices. These materials were then
circulated for review. 5/
This systematic and careful application process, however, was not
the only means of entry into the White House Intern Program.
While many applicants touted good grades, practical political
experience and glowing academic recommendations, others sought
the assistance of powerful political patrons. As Karin Abramson,
Director of the White House Internship Program during Lewinsky’s
tenure described it, "Some interns would have advocates" and
their recommendation "is a factor in determining who gets
selected. . ." 6/
Convention