Application Checklist

• Address
• Year in high school
• High school
• Vaccination status
• Availability for after-school civic leadership meetings

• Your family's taxable income 
• Your household size
• Your parents' highest level of education
• Your country of birth and your parents' country of birth
• If you're enrolled in any of our partner college access programs

• High school transcript
  • We'll email your counselor for you to ask for your transcript if you give us their email address
• Letter of recommendation (optional)
  • We'll email your recommender for you and ask for your letter of recommendation if you give us their email address
• 3 essays
  • Please answer all of the following questions with answers of 300 - 500 words per essay:
     
  • Only PDF, Word, or Pages documents can be attached. If you would like to send a google document with your responses please skip this entry and share the document directly with us at: [email protected] You may also email your essays to us at that address at a later time.
     

  • 1. In Freedom & Citizenship we ask the big questions about how humans live together in society. We use ancient texts to help us think about the world today and our own place in it. Tell us about yourself and why you’re interested in asking big questions about humanity. What specific questions are you interested in? 

  • 2. Former students describe the summer seminar as both exciting and challenging. How are you looking for a challenge? What kind of skills would you like to improve, or what new experiences would you like to have? 

  • 3. During your senior year you’ll work with a group of students on a civic leadership project. What topic would you like to work on, why are you interested in that topic, and what kind of changes would you like to make?

You and your parent will need to sign before you submit. 

You'll promise to...

• Participate fully and to the best of my abilities in both the summer and academic year segments.

• Attend the complete summer seminar--I will not ask to be excused from any class or study session.

• Attend every civic leadership project meeting during the academic year except for unavoidable medical, religious, or academic conflicts.

• Communicate with Freedom and Citizenship staff whenever problems emerge or I need help.

Your parent will promise to:

• Give permission for my student to participate in the Freedom and Citizenship program at Columbia University.

• Avoid scheduling medical or other appointments for my student during the summer program.

• Support my student's participation in the full summer AND year-long program.