"PSG is where the work is real and the people actually care about what they're doing."
Ella Hogan • President
PSG recruits driven, curious students who want real political experience. Not a resume line. Not a simulation.
Sign up for our interest form to stay up to date with recruitment information and events.
Members join PSG because of their passion for our work. They end up staying because of the community they find. They leave with tangible outcomes delivered for clients and strong relationships that last them throughout Cornell.
PSG works with real candidates, and the research and strategy you produce goes directly to those campaigns. There are no practice scenarios. The work has actual stakes behind it.
Over a 10-week engagement, you'll build things that actually get used. Research memos that shape a candidate's messaging. Digital plans that go live. Fundraising materials that end up in front of actual donors.
The political space rewards people who've done real work. A PSG project opens doors because it's not a simulation. You can point to exactly what you did and what happened because of it.
PSG has hosted members of Congress, democratic operatives, and leaders of the 2016 Clinton campaign, 2020 Biden campaign, and 2024 Harris campaigns for direct small-room conversations with members. It is the kind of access you won't find anywhere else on campus.
The people in PSG are genuinely interesting and they care. You'll end up doing late-night research with people who become real friends, not just club connections.
PSG has only existed since 2024. There's real room to shape what it becomes: the culture, which clients it takes on, how it grows. If you want to help build something from the ground up, this is it.
PSG recruits once per semester. The process is competitive but straightforward. Here is what to expect from application to offer.
Short written application with background, interests, and a response about why PSG.
E-Board reviews all written responses and resumes. Top applicants advance.
A 30-minute interview with the leadership team covering three components: your experiences, background alignment with PSG, and a political case.
Selected candidates receive offers and are onboarded to begin project work.
Open to every major and every background. No prior political experience required. What we do need is this:
Not "I want to work in policy someday" interest. We mean you follow elections, you have opinions about how campaigns are run, you know what a GOTV operation is. That kind of interest.
The campaigns we work with are counting on real deliverables. That means deadlines get met, meetings don't get skipped, and the work hits a standard that actually helps someone trying to win an election.
Every project runs as a team. The people who thrive in PSG are the ones who show up for their teammates, not just for their own tasks.
The best analysts ask why something works, not just what to do. We want people who dig into voter data, question assumptions about messaging, and don't settle for whatever answer comes first.
Hear directly from the people who have been through it.
PSG offers students at Cornell a real front row seat to politics. Regardless of your background in politics, PSG has a place for you.
PSG is built around causes, candidates, and people that members genuinely care about, creating a warm, collaborative community where strategy is learned through real, hands-on work, surrounded by smart, driven people who support and push each other.
Being part of PSG means more than just being a political consultant. It's the opportunity to contribute something new at Cornell, work on meaningful campaigns, and help build something that will forever be a part of Cornell's history.
Working directly with grassroots candidates is incredibly rewarding, because I can actually see how our work helps real people and local communities while I'm learning how campaigns really operate on the ground.
PSG's energy as a new club immediately stood out to me the second I walked into the interview room. Going through the process helped me realize how passionate they were about creating tangible change. Since then, it has been an invaluable source of learning, community, and growth in a career area that I am incredibly interested in.
Recruitment happens once per semester. Join the interest list and we will reach out the moment applications go live.