NYU College Access Leadership Institute

CALI students will participate in a variety of online workshops and activities that are designed and led by NYU Admissions counselors. Each of the sessions tackle a specific aspect of the college admissions process. During the week you will participate in group sessions facilitated by various members of the NYU community and our friends and colleagues from other colleges and universities. The session topics include essay writing, financial literacy, standardized testing prep, and more. 

Throughout the week you will also participate in small group workshops that will allow you to work more closely with CALI program advisors. One of the aspects that makes NYU CALI unique is the fact that our sessions are taught by NYU admissions counselors. This means you are getting the information straight from the source about what admissions counselors look for when they review applications, and what sets great applications apart. This is what admissions counselors do for a living and they want to share this information with you. Each and every one of them are committed to helping CALI students build the best possible college application, and to giving students confidence and clarity as they embark on the process of applying to college.

In addition to admissions counselors, you will also interact with school counselors who are equally committed to college access. We understand some of you come from under resourced schools or perhaps you are unable to meet with your school counselor because the class size is too large. During the program you will receive individualized attention and construct your very own college/university list to apply to based on what you’ve learned. 

By the time NYU CALI is over, our participants will feel very accomplished. In addition to the online workshops mentioned above, our students will get practical experience in various areas. Last year we served students virtually by leveraging technology to gauge how lessons, activities, and speakers resonated with them – and all in real time. We kept it interactive by using tools like a virtual scavenger hunt as an icebreaker and breakout sessions to enhance the connections within micro-communities that make up our larger community. Program graduates will be certified college access ambassadors and will be charged with sharing what they learned to their communities.

Successful applicants to the NYU College Access Leadership Institute come from underrepresented communities and are academically strong high school students. The program requires you to be a rising junior or senior when the program takes place over the summer. This means you should be a current sophomore or junior when applying to NYU CALI. The program will be conducted exclusively online in Summer 2021. All students attending school in the U.S. are welcome to apply.

Applications for NYU College Access Institute are live and will be due April 5th! Don’t forget to mark your calendar.