This paper presents findings of a study that examined how the internship experience serves as a rite of passage for the teacher making the transition to aspiring principal. The experiences of 54 participants in an administrator internship program at Bank Street College of Education in New York City were analyzed. Data were derived from analysis of the interns' journals, reflective papers, and field notes; a focus group session with graduates from two cohorts; and followup interviews with graduates. The participants' selection, entry, and joining processes are viewed from both institutional and individual perspectives, which set the stage for the internship as a rite of passage. Nearly all of the participants reported themselves changed during their internship experiences. They viewed themselves, their home-school principals, their mentor principals, other key personnel, and their teaching roles differently than before. Some began with doubts about the administrative role and evolved into enthusiastic aspirants. Recommendations are made that internships offer sociostructural supports, provide experiences related to stages of the passage, acknowledge the use of multiple ways of knowing, view principal roles in the wider societal context, and integrate administration and instruction. The appendix contains the program-evaluation form. (LMI)