Democracy Scholars

Discover Passions. Discuss Big Ideas. Prepare for College. Make Friends for Life.

NYU Democracy Scholars offers rising high school seniors in New York City a FREE residential opportunity to learn in a college environment, explore relevant topics in political philosophy and social justice, and develop confidence in their academic and leadership capabilities. Students reside at NYU's campus from July 6 - 26, and continue to meet as Democracy Scholars throughout the duration of their senior year of high school to work on civic engagement projects.

Over the summer, students participate in small discussion-based seminars led by NYU professors and gain experience in college-level reading, writing and critical thinking. Additionally, students receive mentoring and support throughout the college application process from professors and Democracy Scholar Writing Mentors. Preference for the Democracy Scholars program will be given to first generation student applicants attending public high school. Only NYC residents are eligible to apply for NYU Democracy Scholars at this time.

Applications the 2024-2025 academic year are closed. Applications for Summer 2025 will open in early 2025.

About

About Democracy Scholars

A Three Week Residential Summer Seminar Program
Support for Senior Year College Application Process
A Nine Month Civic Engagement Leadership Project

1) Democracy Scholars is an intensive 3-week summer seminar in political philosophy.

Read texts that shaped the current state of the United States, spanning from classical literature to this moment in history
Engage in small discussion-based classes and New York experiences led by distinguished NYU Professors
Gain support and confidence in reading and writing at a college level
Learn in NYU classrooms and participate in university activities for an introduction to the college experience

2) Democracy Scholars provides college application guidance and mentorship.

Receive a college letter of recommendation from an NYU professor
Benefit from mentorship and support throughout the college application process

3) Democracy Scholars is an academic-year civic leadership project.

Learn how to positively affect changes on the social issues that are most important to you
Gain real-world experience as a student leader, community activist and global citizen
Develop friendships with other high school students as committed as you to social change

Applications the 2024-2025 academic year are closed. Applications for Summer 2025 will open in early 2025.

Staff

Partner Programs

Teagle Foundation Partner Programs

At this time, only NYC residents are eligible to apply for the NYU Democracy Scholars Program. If you're a non-NYC resident, please read about our Partner Programs below to see if you’re eligible to apply for any other Knowledge for Freedom programs.

NYU Partner Programs

The Democracy Scholars Program is proud to partner with NYU’s College and Career Lab (CCL). CCL works with schools and departments across NYU to support CCL students in excelling academically and beyond, including through participation in the Democracy Scholars Program. Read more about CCL here.

Who Should Apply?

Who Should apply?

Students who are:

Current juniors in high school (graduation year 2026)
NYC residents
Committed to working hard to improve their reading and writing skills
Frustrated with big problems in the world
Curious to learn more and ask questions
Available to attend the summer session from July 6 - 26 and biweekly meetings (2 hours every other week) throughout the 2025-2026 academic year
At this time, only NYC residents are eligible to apply for the NYU Democracy Scholars Program. If you're a non-NYC resident, see if you’re eligible to apply for any other Knowledge for Freedom programs

Applications the 2024-2025 academic year are closed. Applications for Summer 2025 will open in early 2025.

Application Checklist

1. Personal, Educational and Family History

We look for diversity in our cohort, including students from different countries and immigrant backgrounds. This information will remain confidential:
- Your name, address, current high school, date of birth, contact information, primary/secondary citizenship
- Your parents/guardians' highest level of education

2. Attachments

Academic Transcript: You can submit an unofficial transcript by uploading it to the “Academic History” page of your application or to your applicant portal after submission. Alternatively, you can have your high school counselor or school representative submit an official transcript by email to admissions.docs@nyu.edu.
Email Address of One Letter Recommender: You will need to provide the email address of at least one person who can write a confidential letter of recommendation speaking to your intellectual curiosity, ability to work hard, commitment to academic growth and/or leadership capabilities. This could be a teacher, guidance counselor, principal, coach, religious/civic mentor, or professional leader. Your recommender will receive an email directing them to a portal where they can upload your letter directly.

3. Long Answer Questions

You will be asked to answer each of the following questions in approximately 200-500 words:

What is an issue you have a burning desire to know more about? Why?
Choose one of the following texts and reflect on the extent to which you agree or disagree:
1. "Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, are in war the cardinal virtues. No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death: and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short." - Hobbes, 1651
2. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead, 1978

Applications the 2024-2025 academic year are closed. Applications for Summer 2025 will open in early 2025.

Summer 2025

Schedule

Students attend the summer residential program for three weeks from July 6 - 26, and may not be excused except for essential medical appointments. A typical day will include a morning seminar session led by NYU professors, an afternoon study session led by graduate student Democracy Writing Mentors, as well as any interactive activities and/or field trips. A sample daily schedule from 2024 is outlined below, and a more detailed itinerary will be provided upon program acceptance.

Dorms

Students will reside in Weinstein Hall from July 6 - 26. While the dorm is co-ed, students are assigned to single-gender, multi-bedroom suites where they share a common space and bathroom. 4 to 6 students live in each suite, but rooms are shared between 2 students.

COVID-19

Democracy Scholars will be offered in-person for summer 2025; however, we must remain flexible in our response to developments related to COVID-19. The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff is our first priority. If we are unable to conduct the program on campus as planned, we will shift to remote instruction. Any changes to program format will be communicated promptly if and when they are confirmed.

COVID-19 Safety Requirements

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS & SAFETY MEASURES

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NYU has in place ongoing public health measures and requirements to ensure the safety of all University community members. As enrolled students in a summer program, all Democracy Scholar students coming to campus in person or participating in any in-person University-sponsored activities (whether on or off campus) must adhere to University guidelines and policies. Below are highlights of these policies as of February 2023. More information, including updates as the pandemic evolves, can be found on the NYU COVID-19 Information website. Students will also receive COVID-19-related information via NYU email and at their program orientation.

Vaccination Requirement

All students are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted with an FDA-authorized or WHO-listed vaccine and must upload vaccination records to the NYU Student Health Center portal before the start of their program. Students who are not compliant with the vaccination requirement will not have access to campus buildings, facilities, or NYU-sponsored activities (both on and off campus), and may be de-enrolled from their program or face other serious consequences.

Students participating in an online program who will not be on campus in person or participate in any in-person University-sponsored activities (such as internships, practicums, field placements, immersion experiences, field trips, and events) at any time during the summer do not need to submit proof of vaccination.

Students may request an exemption from the vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons. Review of exemption requests takes approximately ten business days, so please submit your request with adequate time for review before the start of a program.

Other COVID-19 Protocols

As of February 2023, there are a few protocols in place for the health and safety of the community. These include the Violet Go Pass to enter any campus building or University-sponsored activity, optional masking, and reporting positive cases and isolating at home if ill or testing positive for COVID-19. Up-to-date information on University campus health protocols can be found on the NYU COVID-19 Information website.

2024 Civic Engagement Projects