University of Chicago Pre-College Program

Chicago, IL
Flexible 3-week sessions between June 22 – July 30, 2020

Number of scholarships: 2
Age: current 9th – 11th graders
Member Program Tuition Cost: $900 per student (textbooks/supplies/activities could be an additional $400)
Market Value Price: $7100 per student

SEA Primary Contact: Sonia Gonzalez; sonia.gonzalez@squashandeducation.org
UChicago Primary Contacts: Jenna Goldberg; jennagoldberg@uchicago.edu and Stephanie Friedman; sfriedmn@uchicago.edu

TIMELINE
January 13 – Programs notified of student selections
January 24 – Programs must confirm that selected students will move forward with application process
February 1 – Deadline for full UChicago summer program application and financial aid statement submitted directly to UChicago
June 1 – Member Program tuition due to SEA via online payment system

SELECTION & APPLICATION NEXT STEPS **time sensitive
SEA will announce the nominees who have been chosen to submit their application to UChicago on January 13, 2020. After confirming participation, selected nominees will then be required to fill out the full UChicago Summer Program application and follow the steps below. All application materials should be uploaded and submitted via the UChicago Summer Application portal.

1. Member Program advisors and students should read overview of Pathways and Immersion and select which program they will be applying to. You may also select both programs to be considered for either if you are flexible (with two different courses each). You will only be admitted to one program and one course in one session.

2. Create an application account for the UChicago Summer Application portal – Please be sure to create only one account per applicant. **Provide an email address that will get checked regularly!

3. Complete Application Form and Essay – Your application provides basic information about you. In addition, students should be prepared to write an essay telling us:
what you hope to learn in the program to which you are applying; why this is of interest to you; what contributions you hope to make; and any further information you want to convey to UChicago admissions.
**Advisors, the essay is the most important part of the application and needs to show thoughtfulness. Please proofread your students’ submission.

4. Identify as an SEA Partner Student – On the online application, in question number 3 you will be asked if you are applying through a CBO scholarship partner. Please select Squash and Education Alliance (SEA), and upload a financial statement** letter from your program.
**Advisors, you should be uploading a short paragraph letter about the student being part of the SEA network that states that they qualify for full financial assistance available. Feel free to ask Sonia for an example template if needed.

5. Submit Academic Transcript – Applicants must submit a transcript that contains grades for current academic term and all years in high school. Students currently in 9th grade should also submit their grade report from 8th grade.

6. Supplement and Writing Sample – Students applying for any courses or programs must submit a legible copy of one of their essays or research papers which is typed, written in English, and includes their teacher’s grade and comments. Students may submit a marked handwritten paper if it is accompanied by a typed copy. Some courses may require additional requirements.

  • Lab notes or math sets will not be accepted; the writing sample should be English expository prose.
  • Please note that Immersion’s Creative Writing course applicants should instead submit a piece of fiction, which does not need to be graded.

7. Parent Confirmation Email and *Required* Response – Advisors, please put your email here and keep an eye on your inbox. Applications are not considered complete until you receive the Parent Confirmation Email, and you must respond to this email in order to have your application reviewed.

8. Letter of Recommendation – You can request up to 3 letters from teachers. At least 1 letter must be from a teacher in a subject related to the course(s) for which you are applying.

Note: If students are accepted to the program, billing letters are sent out automatically via email to families and may be ignored.

SUMMER SCHOOL TUITION, FEES, ADDITIONAL COSTS

Tuition, Fees and Additional Costs

Member programs should be prepared to contribute $300 per week for private school and pre-college. Tuition for UChicago gets sent directly to SEA.

PLEASE NOTE that each school may require additional funds (between $200-$500) for books, supplies and incidentals that are not included in the tuition. Programs may be asked to pay for these costs upfront upon acceptance of each student and is an additional cost to the tuition. In certain cases, an initial enrollment fee upon acceptance may also be requested and will vary in amount depending on the school and the financial documents submitted by the students’ families.

Member Program Contributions

Member Programs should be prepared to contribute for each student accepted:

  • $300 per week for private school and pre-college programs, and pay for student travel costs.
  • Additional stipend for books, supplies, and incidentals (between $200-$500). Each school may require additional funds for books, supplies and incidentals that are not included in the tuition. Programs may be asked to pay for these costs upfront upon acceptance of each student
     (an additional cost to the tuition).
  • In certain cases, an initial enrollment fee/deposit is required upon acceptance. Amounts vary depending on the school and financial documents submitted by the students’ families. Any enrollment fee/deposit will be deducted from the total member program contribution ($300 per week).
  • Programs may consider splitting some of these costs with the families. See below for details.

Family Contributions

  • Member programs should be explicit with families what portion of incidentals (books, supplies, enrollment fee/deposit, travel) will be covered by the program versus by the family. Member programs may use this worksheet to help calculate potential family contributions.
  • To determine the scholarship amount allotted, most schools will require the family of each student to fill out a confidential financial questionnaire and provide copies of 2018 or 2019 IRS 1040 Forms and copies of supporting W-2 Forms and/or 1099 Forms from the same year as the IRS 1040 Form. Based on this information, the school may ask for an additional contribution from a student’s family based on their ability to pay. It is very important that this is clear to your students’ families before you make your nominations. They must be willing to disclose financial information and able to provide supporting documentation, and they may be asked by the school to contribute to the cost of the program.
  • We recommend requesting that families provide a copy of the 2018 or 2019 IRS 1040 Forms and/or copies of W-2 Forms and/or 1099 Forms to member programs in order to help SEA match students with the most affordable summer school opportunities possible. 

SEA Contributions

SEA is committed to raising the following funds for each student accepted:

  • Balance of tuition, room & board
  • $100 towards airfare (if necessary)
  • Application fee (if necessary)

Additional Resources

Shared folder

QUESTIONS

For general inquiries, see the link below.
UChicago Pre-College Summer Programs

For specific concerns, please contact Sonia Gonzalez, Director of Educational Partnerships & Alumni, sonia.gonzalez@squashandeducation.org