← Back to InternstampHow Internstamp works
Internstamp has two layers: a public, shared directory, and your own private tracker. Here's exactly how each part works.
1. Finding opportunities
Search by keyword, and Internstamp checks two places at once: the existing shared directory, and the live web for new matches. Anything found can be added to the shared directory with one click — this contributes to the pool everyone sees, it's not a private save. If something you find is already in the directory, it'll show as "Already in Directory" instead of letting you add a duplicate.
2. Verifying what's real
PublicEvery listing in the directory has a "still open?" vote. Any verified student can vote yes or no based on what they actually know — so instead of trusting a list that might be months stale, you're trusting a live percentage built from real people checking in.
3. Tracking your own applications
PrivateSeparately, when you mark yourself "applying" on a listing, it's added to your own My Applications tab — your personal tracker, sorted by what you're actively going for, visible only to you.
4. Outcome intel
Once a listing's deadline passes — or once you've contributed a note yourself — real outcome notes unlock: interview questions, timelines, results, shared by people who actually went through the process. Notes stay sealed while a deadline is still active, so sharing what happened never helps someone else beat you for the same spot. This data compounds over time, which is exactly the kind of thing a static list can never have.
5. Talking to other applicants
Each field has its own forum, so you can find and talk to other students going for the same programs, not just browse a list alone. Forum posts are public and shared, same as the directory.
What's public vs. private, in one place
PublicThe directory, "still open?" votes, outcome notes, and the forum.
PrivateYour profile, and your My Applications tracker.
Why is the directory shared instead of personal to me?
That's the entire point of Internstamp. A private, per-person list is just a bookmarking app — there's no way to know if a listing is actually still open, because no one else is confirming it. Sharing the directory is what makes the "still open?" verification real, and it's why the data gets more valuable over time instead of going stale like a GitHub list nobody maintains.