How to Apply

We can only accept current juniors who live in New York City. We prioritize first-generation college-bound students from low-income families. Students must be able to commit to the full summer and academic year program. Read more here.

Your parents or guardians will need to sign your application, promising to:

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

• Allow you to live in the dormitories Sunday through Friday afternoons for the four weeks of the summer program.

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

• Support your participation in the full summer AND year-long program.

You'll need to submit a high school transcript, an optional letter of recommendation, and three short essays. You can submit your counselor and recommender's email addresses into the application and we'll send them an email requesting the appropriate materials. Read more here.

Visit our application home page for the application portal. Applications cannot be saved if you log in from a new browser or computer so we recommend waiting to start an application until you're ready to submit. You can view a sample application and the application checklist before beginning.