The Young Leaders Summit (YLS), presented by the Youth Leadership Consortium (YLC), is a free, five-day, college empowerment conference for a diverse cohort of 200 low-income high school juniors, selected through a competitive application process. It is designed to give these young leaders the practical tools they need to successfully apply to top universities, have full access to scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and set a course for academic and career success.
| Who should apply? | Low-income students |
| Eligible Grade Levels | Juniors |
| Cost | Free |
| Opens | April 2022 |
| Deadline | May 2022 |
| Decisions Released | mid-June 2022 |
| Location | University of Chicago (free five-day overnight program) |
| Selectivity | 200 students selected |
| Link | https://ylc.hsfts.net/yls-application |
Application Requirements
- HS junior (c/o 2023)
- cumulative UW GPA above 3.0
- low income (defined by Pell eligibility)
- attends HS in the US or US territory
- US citizen, permanent resident, or DACA
- Plan to enroll full-time, in a 4-year degree program, at a US accredited, not-for-profit, private or public college or university after high school graduation
Application Process
required materials:
- personal + academic + extracurricular + financial information (must verify pell grant eligibility)
- top 10 colleges you want to apply to
- ONE 300 word essay