What does it mean to be a “leader” to you personally? How does one choose to be a leader? How can you create a better future for yourself and your community by leading with courage, capacity, and wisdom? Students attending high school in China, who are in 10th grade, are eligible to apply for a scholarship to participate in a one-week long introductory course, "Choosing Leadership: Learning and Leading in the 21st Century.” In this course, students will learn about the importance of leadership and civic discourse from a variety of academic and social perspectives. The objective of this course is to help students develop essential leadership skills and create open dialogue and debate through lectures with UChicago faculty, thoughtful exercises, and hands-on activities. Through readings, lectures, discussion, and hands-on application of course material, students will learn from leading faculty across a range of departments.
Program Description
This residential program will be hosted on campus, and program participants will reside in campus housing for the duration of the program. Through readings, lectures, discussion, and hands-on applications, students will learn from leading faculty across a range of departments and be introduced to a vast range of topics. Several examples include:
- Discovering what it means to learn and lead in the 21st century from a global perspective
- Understanding and building skills in leadership, communication, and cultural competence
- Exploring the College's distinctive Core Curriculum and understanding free expression through texts by John Stuart Mill and Frederick Douglass
- Improving presentation and oral communication skills for further success in high school and beyond
- Diving into experiential learning activities focused on growing collaboration, teamwork, and problem solving skills
- Learning about the highly selective admissions process and pursuing workshops on admissions-related topics
Students will become part of a close-knit community and will be exposed to the kinds of opportunities available in a large urban center for academic work, professional development, and fun! Activities and excursions may include:
- Experiencing Chicago's beautiful downtown architecture and history on a river boat cruise
- Learning about "Yes, and..." through an improv comedy workshop
- Tasting a variety of local flavors at some of Chicago's well-known restaurants
Some programming and excursions will be shared with the Emerging World Leaders program.
Program Contact: All questions should be directed to Linqing Wang at linqingw@uchicago.edu.
Application Requirements
Eligibility: Current 10th grade students, who are at least 15 years old and enrolled in a high school in China, are invited to apply.
Applications will be accepted online. The deadline to apply is March 5, 2024. All application decisions for this program will be released at the same time in late April.
Applicants must complete the Summer Session Application, and all the related requirements, which can be reviewed in the How To Apply section.
Application materials include:
- Online application
- Transcript
- Supplement & essays
- A nomination from a counselor or teacher, which can be completed here.
- At least one parent/guardian confirmation email received
Applicants will be asked to respond to the following essay questions in the application:
- Why did you choose the particular program/courses for which you have applied? How are they related to your current interests and future plans? Please be as specific as possible, and make sure your response covers each of the courses you elected. (Limit: 500 words)
- “Since its founding, the University has been committed to the idea that a culture of rigorous inquiry requires an environment where diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas inform and stimulate intellectual exchange, challenge, and engagement.” -UChicago Office of the Provost. How would you contribute to this culture of inquiry in this program? What do you hope to gain or learn by engaging with peers from all over the U.S. or from different parts of the world? (Limit: 300 words)
Review the Application Overview pages for more detailed information.
English Proficiency Requirements
The University of Chicago Summer Session only admits students who have demonstrated a superior level of English language competence. Admission to our programs is highly competitive. UChicago does not offer an ESL program for summer students. All students participating in this program are expected to be fluent in academic English, and there is no ESL support provided as part of this program.
- Applicants are invited to submit scores from any English proficiency examination they believe represents their English language ability. Applicants who choose to submit English proficiency scores may share either official or self-reported scores. Any applicants who provides self-reported scores may be required to submit official score reports if they are admitted and choose to enroll in the program.
- If an applicant feels as though mastery of the English language is already represented throughout the application, then they are not required to submit formal exam scores for this particular program. For the application, if you do not have any test scores to report, then please enter 555 for the section that requests Duolingo test scores and today’s date under "Test Scores" in order to submit the application.
Costs & Fees
The application fee is automatically waived for any applicant who selects any Enrichment Program as their first choice.
Selected program participants will be expected to pay a one-time, non-refundable $1,000 program fee. This fee covers housing, dining, and confirms a student's registration in the China Emerging Leaders program. Students will need to have their own U.S. health insurance coverage and will need to provide their own roundtrip transportation, including airfare, to and from campus.
Some financial assistance is available. Students who require financial assistance for roundtrip transportation to and from campus may apply for additional funding by completing the Financial Aid Application as part of the Summer Session application.
Program Dates
July 14-19, 2024
- Arrive on campus: Sun. Jul. 14
- First Session: Mon. Jul. 15
- Final Session: Fri. Jul. 19
- Move-out: Fri. Jul 19