The 2024 YLI student application is now closed. All applicants will be notified of their admission decision via email by late March.

YLI is a free, college empowerment program for high achieving Latino high school juniors, held virtually and at two top universities across the US. This highly selective program is designed to give young leaders the practical tools they need to successfully apply to top universities, have full access to scholarship and financial aid opportunities, and set a course for academic and career success. Attendees will enhance their leadership abilities and expand their professional networks by participating in college and career workshops, and interacting with college students and professionals who serve as their mentors.

It is entirely FREE for students to apply and participate:

• HSF and the host institution provide you housing: 5 days, on-campus, within the YLI dorm at USC or The University of Chicago
• HSF and the host institution provide all food on-campus and program materials
• If you need assistance, HSF pays for your roundtrip airfare transportation, from your city to YLI

 

Details for YLI 2023

YLI 2023 has two components, and students are required to fully attend both:

• Virtual component via zoom (2 days)
• Followed by an in-person component on college campus (5 days) a couple of weeks later

 

IMPORTANT: To be eligible to participate in the 5-day in-person component of the program, students must have fully participated in the 2-day virtual component. Failure to successfully complete the virtual component via zoom will lead to dismissal and inability to participate in the in-person component. We do not have any other virtual component dates, and we are unable to make any exceptions.

VIRTUAL COMPONENT DATES (all required, via zoom)

• Orientation & Code of Conduct Overview: Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 3:30 PM – 5:15 PM Pacific Time
• Virtual YLI: Saturday, May 6, 2023 & Sunday, May 7, 2023, 8:00 AM – 6:30 PM Pacific Time each day (with short breaks throughout the day)

 

IN-PERSON COMPONENT DATES & LOCATIONS (required)

HSF will be hosting the in-person component of YLI 2023 at:

• The University of Chicago: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 – Sunday, July 2, 2023, in Chicago, IL.
• University of Southern California (USC): Wednesday, July 19, 2023 – Sunday, July 23, 2023, in Los Angeles, CA.

 

Admitted students can only attend ONE in-person location:

• In their YLI application, students will be asked to note their preferred location for the in-person component of the YLI
• Within the application, students can also note if only one of the location & dates works for their summer schedule
• Students admitted to the YLI program will be notified of which in-person location they were assigned to, via their YLI admission email.

 

Student Eligibility:

• Current high school junior at the time of the application (Class of 2024)
• Must have an unweighted cumulative GPA above a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or above an 80 on a 100-point scale
• Identify as being of Hispanic heritage
• Currently attends high school in the United States or a U.S. territory
• Must be U.S. Citizen, Permanent Legal Resident, or DACA
• Plan to enroll full-time in a four-year degree program, at a US accredited, not-for-profit, private or public college or university after high school graduation.
• Upon acceptance into the program, you will be required to verify that you are fully vaccinated**

 

 **All participants in the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) are required to be fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated means at least two weeks have passed since receiving the second dose in a two-dose vaccine series (e.g., Moderna or Pfizer) or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, plus any vaccination booster for which you are eligible. Upon acceptance into the program, you will be required to verify that you are fully vaccinated by uploading proof of immunization from the designated site or from another authorized healthcare provider (e.g., CDC Vaccination Card).  HSF will maintain proof of vaccination securely and confidentially in accordance with applicable law and will not disclose vaccination information unless as required by law.

 How to Apply:

• Create a myHSF Profile as a “Student”
• Select “YLI 2023 Student Application” on your Dashboard

 

We encourage you to watch the YLI video below!  Questions? Please Contact Us