Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a great tool to help you edit your application, but it's important to use it wisely! If you do choose to use it, focus on using AI to suggest short alternative phrases or to explore different ways to restructure individual sentences. Do not use it to rewrite entire sections or generate full responses to application questions—your unique perspective and ideas should shine through. Overuse of AI may result in your application being flagged and discarded.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage applicants to submit their materials when they feel ready and able to present their strongest application. Taking the time to reflect and prepare thoughtful responses is often more valuable than applying early.

As a corollary to our rolling admissions process, decisions are made and released on an ongoing basis. You can expect to hear back within 48-72 hours.

No. Once an application has been submitted, additional materials or updates are not accepted unless specifically requested by the admissions committee. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review their responses, from top to bottom, before submitting their application.

Congratulations on an important milestone worth celebrating! Once you have submitted your application, there is no further action required immediately.

It is important that applicants regularly check the email addresses they provided to ensure they do not miss important correspondence. We strongly recommend checking at least once per day. Please make sure to also check the spam and junk folders in case our emails are accidentally being delivered there.

All complete applications are reviewed by the admissions team. Some applicants may be contacted for additional information or invited to a brief conversation over Zoom. Once a decision is finalized, the applicant is notified by email.

Upon being accepted, a volunteer is added to an email list and volunteer-wide Discord server. When there are relevant opportunities, they are announced in these places. Therefore, volunteers can select to dedicate anywhere between one to upwards of 500 hours each year. Opportunities are available for volunteers to assume greater responsibilities as their tenure progresses, including internships and fellowships that are exclusively reserved for volunteer emeriti or alumni.

Our admissions process has never been about filling a fixed number of seats. Instead, we center determining whether the program is a good mutual fit—both for the applicant and for our learning community.

We work actively to identify these students from the hundreds of promising applicants each year, and as a result, we believe it is reductive to calculate an exact figure for an acceptance rate. However, the selection process can be very competitive.

In general, thoughtful responses, genuine enthusiasm, and evidence of some form of initiative—both inside and outside the classroom—provide indicators of a strong volunteer.

We review applications holistically, taking into account your interests, experiences, hopes for the future, responses to application questions, and demonstrated commitment to learning. There is no single “ideal” profile, and we particularly value building a community of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Ultimately, we deeply appreciate the time and effort students invest in their applications, regardless of the admissions decision they receive in the end.

Yes. Applicants are generally encouraged to maintain a minimum unweighted Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.25 on a 4.00 scale or the equivalent. Grades help us understand an applicant’s academic readiness, particularly in relation to the rigor of the program.

That said, GPA is only one part of our holistic review process. While strong grades are helpful, they are not the sole determinant of admission. Consistent engagement, demonstrated growth, and a clear commitment to learning can help offset a GPA that may be slightly below the guideline. If you are close to the 3.25 threshold and believe your application reflects your readiness and potential, we still encourage you to apply.

No, standardized tests are not considered in admission. We realize that many of our younger students may not have taken the SAT or ACT at that point in their academic careers. We further acknowledge that standardized testing has historically tracked family wealth, educational privilege and access, rather than intellectual ability or potential.