AmeriCorps Review: Is AmeriCorps Worth It?

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases.

Last updated on November 20th, 2023

Community service, traveling, working for a mission instead of for money – AmeriCorps sounds amazing on paper! But I reckon you’re reading this and wondering: is AmeriCorps worth it, low stipend and all? This AmeriCorps review will help you figure out if AmeriCorps is worth it for you.

Choosing to commit to a term of service is a big decision. Even if you’re 100% certain that AmeriCorps is for you, you’ll have a better experience if you have the right expectations.

This AmeriCorps review is reflective from my year of service. I’ll share my honest AmeriCorps review and my biggest piece of advice for anyone who’s considering joining AmeriCorps.

Pause now and pin this so you can find it later!

What Does A Year In AmeriCorps Mean?

Per the organization’s mission statement, a year in AmeriCorps is a year spent “improving lives and fostering civic engagement.”

That sounds great, right?! But doesn’t give you any indication at what daily life is like.

Not every AmeriCorps position is the same. Some AmeriCorps members travel around the country or region in a cohort.

Other service members are stationed in one location and do the majority of their work in an office.

Some work mostly in the field and are in schools teaching kids first aid, on construction sites building homes, and so on.

You can read more about program specifics online. For my term of service, I went through an AmeriCorps state program, and was under the umbrella of the Washington Service Corps.

For me, and I think for many service members who complete the program, AmeriCorps is a very unique, sometimes challenging, quick-and-dirty year, unlike any experience that college or the corporate world can offer.

No AmeriCorps review could give you a final answer to your question “is AmeriCorps worth it for me?”

What Attracts You To An AmeriCorps Position?

Even though it’s only 1 year of your life (or less, depending on the program), committing to national service is a big decision.

The truth is, no one can answer the question “is AmeriCorps worth it” for you. Because no one can tell you exactly what your experience will be like.

But taking a look at what is motivating you to consider joining AmeriCorps will help you see if your expectations are realistic.

I don’t know what’s motivating you to read this AmeriCorps review, and maybe you’re not sure either. Something excites you about the AmeriCorps program but you can’t articulate it quite yet.

Let me share my personal motives for joining the program, and see if any of these resonate with you.

My 1st Motivator: I wanted an experience different from a corporate job.

At 21 years old, the prospect of sitting behind a desk, chained to my email inbox felt bleak.

I wanted to find career fulfillment, not begin my 4-decade cubical slog. Helping people and having exciting new experiences sounded much more exciting

Ironically, after my AmeriCorps term of service, I actually did go into a corporate environment, but the experience confirmed that it wasn’t for me so I left to become a digital nomad.

My 2nd Motivator: I wanted to do something unique, and stand out from my peers.

All humanitarian and intrinsic rewards of public service aside, I still cared about how AmeriCorps would help me compete on the job market.

Before I signed my contract, I realized I could only go into a year of service if I felt confident that it would help me get a good job post-service or be accepted into a top master’s program.

After researching, I found that the program seemed to have a lot of respect, and many universities even offered incentives for AmeriCorps alum to join their programs.

My 3rd Motivator: I wanted to travel and move across the country

You can serve in AmeriCorps all over the country, so you don’t have to serve where you live. I grew up and went to college in Pennsylvania, but I only seriously considered positions in Washington State, Tennessee and North Carolina before choosing WA and moving from PA to Seattle.

I was 22 years old, had never been to the Pacific Northwest or road-tripped cross-county before. But, I said yes, packed up my Ford Focus and hit the road with one of my best friends.

The night before I left, my parents threw a big going away party, with a beautiful cake that read “Good Luck In Seattle, Kayla.” I was so excited. But I still cried like baby saying goodbye and backing my stuffed-to-the-brim car out of my parent’s driveway.

What You Should Understand About AmeriCorps Before You Apply

Understanding #1: You don’t need a degree for all national service programs and can join AmeriCorps right after high school.

It’s so common for college students to graduate with an expensive degree and still have no idea what they want out of life.

Why not enter college with some more clarity, life experience and money for education?

Every year in high schools, military recruiters speak to students nationwide, trying to recruit them to the armed services before attending college. Why are the armed services pushed to teenagers and the non-armed national service branches hardly ever are?

I didn’t hear about AmeriCorps until after I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree, but I could’ve benefited greatly from a service experience prior to entering college.

It’s impossible for AmeriCorps to not help you find clarity.

Understanding #2: Where you serve has a huge impact on your experience.

You can choose from anywhere in the entire country – where would you like to live and explore? If the urban jungle calls to you, do not choose a placement in the middle of Montana. If you love the sun and beach, do not take a placement in Washington State (take it from me).

Quite frankly, figuring out an answer to this question question goes far beyond the scope of this AmeriCorps review: this is just a wildly important goal to tackle in the years after graduation.

Even if you love where you live now but have always wondered about the other side of the country, go! You can come back. You are not buying a one-way ticket. And it’s only a year, max (program lengths vary). Be brave, and go! You can do anything for a year.

The experience of moving somewhere new and building a life for yourself is so rewarding and builds so much character.

Understanding #3: AmeriCorps is considered volunteering

This fact won’t change your experience per se, but it’s an important detail that you don’t want to be surprised by after you’ve signed your contract.

I somehow missed (or didn’t want to hear) this fact in my interview and research process. When I realized I was classified as a volunteer, I was initially upset. I felt like the year lost validity or status on my resume.

That it wouldn’t be respected or seen as real experience.

That anxiety was incorrect. People know and respect the AmeriCorps program. Having it on your resume sends a positive message to a potential employer.

Also, being a volunteer doesn’t mean you’re not paid, but more on that here.

Are you hearing your gut starting to whisper an answer? Is Americorps worth it to you? 

Have a question, comment or thought to add? Leave a comment at the bottom and I’ll reply right away 🙂

AmeriCorps Review: Pros And Cons

AmeriCorps Review: Cons

Con #1: The stipend is really tight. 

Every AmeriCorps review covers this conversation point, but I would be remiss to skip it.

Instead of being given a normal-sized paycheck, in AmeriCorps, you’re typically given a “living stipend,” which is a small amount of money you receive twice a month.

At the end of your term, you’re typically given another form of reimbursement, like an education award, for a larger lump sum of money.

But your week-to-week income? It’s skimpy. That’s probably the biggest drawback to a year of service. If you’re living in a city, that means that happy hours, lunches out and Ubering from A to B will not be regular occurrences.

But this can also be positive (see pro #1).

Con #2:  You’ll be job searching again by the end of your term. 

AmeriCorps is a temporary placement. In some ways, this makes the experience more enjoyable: I went into my term thinking that even if I hated it, I could handle anything for 11 months.

But there is some stress that goes along with taking a position with an end date.

This is unavoidable and just something to be aware of going into a term of service. My term was September through July (11.5 months) and I started job searching in April.

AmeriCorps Review: Pros

Pro #1: There are actually upsides to making little money

Learning to budget and enjoy the cheap and free things in life is a wonderful and invaluable life skill to foster. A term of service with AmeriCorps is a heck of a crash-course in lifestyle deflation that will serve you for years to come and help you live your ideal life.

Not being able to pay for things like happy hour and drinks every night means you learn how to socialize without alcohol (this can be a surprisingly rare and lovely thing).

When I moved on to a corporate job post-AmeriCorps, I found myself brought down by the fact that people rarely tried to socialize outside of the bar.

What happened to an old fashioned game night? A potluck? Spending an afternoon with friends in the park? These are wonderful staples in an AmeriCorps social life.

Pro #2: AmeirCorps members qualify for food stamps, so you never have to worry about going hungry

You may never eat better than during your AmeriCorps term of service. The food stamps can you recieve only be used on groceries, so there’s no eating ramen for a month to save money for a weekend trip.

With groceries paid for and restaurant visits almost non-existent, this is the perfect stage of life to learn how to cook.

Plus, since cooking is the one thing you and your AmeriCorps team members can all afford to do, cooking becomes a lovely communal activity between members.

Trade recipes and learn to cook certain styles from each other.

Pro #3: Many graduate schools match the education award

Most AmeriCorps programs give alum an education award, which can vary in size but is a couple of thousand dollars that can only be used for education.

There’s also a significant number of universities that will match the education award (meaning you get twice as much). I’ve been told by a number of AmeriCorps alum that their graduate schools asked them about their AmeriCorps experience in interviews and felt their experience helped them gain acceptance.

Pro #4: You’ll be different from other job applicants (in a good way)

At first when I was searching for a job post-AmeriCorps, I was nervous that it would sound soft or somehow less legitimate than a normal position. I actually got quite the opposite reaction.

The program was respected by the people who interviewed me, or at the very least I think I earned points for being unique and having done something unconventional.

Asking The Right Questions In Your AmeriCorps Interview

If you’ve been gnawing on the question “is AmeriCorps worth it?” and you’ve arrived at a yes – AH-MAZING! You just made a major life decision to serve your community. I’m proud of you, friend.

And, if your answer to the question “is AmeriCorps worth it?” came out a resounding NO – there’s no shame. This is a judgment-free AmeriCorps review. Good for you for doing your research and making an informed decision.

If you’re thinking that more of less of the AmeriCorps experience sounds like something you’re interested in, maybe it’s time to start applying.

It’s true of any job that you want to be properly prepared for the interview, but due to the range of opportunities in AmeriCorps, it’s imperative that you ask the right questions.

The importance of this cannot be overemphasized: accurate expectations are going to make or break your AmeriCorps experience.

Important Question #1: What percentage of the time for this position is spent in the office versus in the field?

If you’re doing a year of service to be active and not sit behind a computer, make sure you’re not signing up for a desk job. I sat behind a computer screen in a cubical most days.

My roommates, who served in AmeriCorps with a different organization, were off wearing hard hats and building houses. There is a HUGE range of opportunities.

Important Question #2: What is the appropriate wardrobe for this position?

Some positions mandate a uniform. Others don’t. You should know what to expect.

Important Question #3: How many other AmeriCorps members will I work with daily? How often will I see my supervisor?

Some AmeriCorps are in teams, and some members work alone. I was 1 of 6 AmeriCorps working in the same office, and that team environment shaped my experience greatly. The answer to this question will drastically change your experience.

Important Question #4: What have previous AmeriCorps members in this position gone on to do?

Have the previous AmeriCorps members have stayed on as volunteers? Have any of them gone on to be hired by the organization?

Or have none of the past 5 members even finished their terms?

The answers to these questions will offer a lot of insight.

After my AmeriCorps term ended, I moved to Chicago for a marketing position at an architecture firm. Some members choose to serve more than one term.

Important Question #5: Can I speak with the service member serving in this position currently and ask them questions about the experience?

If you read this entire AmeriCorps review and only take away 1 thing, let it be this. When I narrowed my decision down to 2 final service sites (one in Washington State and another in Tennessee), this question determined my destiny.

First, I spoke to an AmeriCorps member in Tennessee who told me that I would need to be comfortable with a lot of spare time and be able to occupy myself if I accepted that position. The member in Washington State gave a glowing review of her experience and the program, and was even hired to stay on as an employee.

With that insight, it wasn’t hard to decide.

Are you hearing your gut starting to whisper an answer? Is Americorps worth it to you? 

AmeriCorps Review Summary: My Biggest Piece of Advice

If you accept a position in national service, go into it with low expectations.

Not because it will be bad, but because it’s an odd, quick and dirty year that is very unlike both college and a typical job and you can’t know exactly what it’ll be like until you’re living it.

Entering my term, I had a very clear picture in my head of what I wanted it to be like, and I spent months being unhappy before I accepted that the year I was living wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I initially wanted it to be.

AmeriCorps for me, and I think for many people, is a very challenging but worthwhile experience and the effect of that year ripples through many areas of my life in invaluable ways.

“Is AmeriCorps worth it?” Do you still not know the answer? I do. You just read 3,000+ words and are still here, interested. Curious. Wanting to know more. That’s your gut telling you to go for it. GO!

Is AmeriCorps Worth It For You?

If you did a term of national service, do you feel similarly about your experience? Do you agree with the points of this AmeriCorps review? What advice do you have for anyone considering the program(s)?

If you still have questions, please comment or email me at [email protected]. Il do my best to help. AmeriCorps was a challenging experience for me, but Iit was really formative in my 20s and helped lead me to the non-standard lifestyle of travel and being a digital nomad.

And if you’ve served in AmeriCorps, do you have any pros or cons to add? Did you have an answer to the question “is AmeriCorps worth it?” right away or did you find your answer through service?