Expanding Discovery in Economics+ Frequently Asked Questions

The EDE+ 2026 Summer Institute will take place from June 1 to July 29, 2026. 

Programming features a week-long virtual bootcamp, followed by in-residence experiences in Washington, DC (with the Hutchins Center at Brookings), Chicago, Illinois (at UChicago), and a six-week evening synchronous online course—allowing time for participants to pursue other opportunities during the day.

See below for a general program sketch: 

• Virtual Bootcamp Highlights (Week 1)
• Washington, DC Programming Highlights (Week 2)
• University of Chicago (UChicago) Programming Highlights (Week 3)
• Online Course Programming Highlights (Weeks 4-9)
• PREDOC Research Conference (2 Days in Chicago, IL)

The application for the 2026 EDE+ Summer Institute is now open and will close on February 16, 2026. Decisions are expected to go out in early March. 

Successful applicants will:

• Have a strong interest in learning more about the quantitative social sciences
• Be enrolled in an accredited, undergraduate degree-granting program with freshman or sophomore status when applying
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
• Have taken some coursework (high school or college) in calculus, statistics, economics, or other quantitative fields
• Complete an online application by the deadline

The online application process consists of the following steps:

• A questionnaire, with all required application questions marked with an asterisk
• Candidate statement response to the prompt: “Tell us about a time where you’ve demonstrated resilience and/or overcome adversity, and explain how that experience informs your approach to a pressing social issue you’re passionate about tackling in your studies or career."
• Unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• A copy of your resume (1 page preferred). You can refer to this resume guide by UChicagoGrad, though we welcome any format or style

No, EDE+ is designed for undergraduate students early in their college career who have completed at least one semester or quarter of college before the application deadline. The program is not open to newly admitted freshmen or students who will complete their undergraduate degree in the same calendar year as the program.

Yes, you can still apply, but your application will not be considered without a transcript containing grades for at least one academic semester (or trimester or quarter, for schools operating on a trimester or quarter system) at an undergraduate institution. The applicant assumes responsibility for updating their application with required transcripts as soon as they are available.

Yes, we expect students who accept an invitation to to participate in the full session, including the virtual bootcamp, both residential components in Washington, D.C. and at the UChicago campus in Chicago, IL, as well as the six weeks of online, synchronous, evening programming.

For the past four cohorts, EDE+ has accepted a highly adept cohort of 40-45 participants. We also notify a small pool of waitlisted candidates. The summer 2025 cohort was 45 participants.

Yes, this program is open to students from all backgrounds. Please note, however, that applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate at a US-based institution and must be able to attend the program in-person in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C. EDE+ will not sponsor visas and will not cover the costs of international travel for in-person programming.

Yes, all basic costs will be covered. There are no program fees for Summer Institute participants. The University of Chicago will cover the costs of economy-class domestic travel, housing, and meals, including several planned outings for the group in both Chicago and Washington, D.C.

UChicago uses a dedicated travel agency to book travel for EDE+ participants. Travel will be booked from each EDE+ participant’s home to Washington, DC, then Chicago, Illinois, and then back home. UChicago only provides coach fares for domestic travel and will not reimburse for any travel booked outside of our travel agency.

You will not receive academic credit from the University of Chicago for this program.

Program participants are awarded a stipend of $2,000 upon successful completion of the program. Stipends are generally dispersed 4-6 weeks after the program ends. Please note that stipend payments are considered taxable income.

The quantitative social sciences (QSS) use quantitative and computational tools to study human behavior and social systems. QSS tools include simulations, machine learning, natural language processing, networks, and large-scale digital data, and research spans fields such as sociology, political science, economics, psychology, anthropology, computer science, and statistics.

EDE+ is designed to identify and support talented undergraduate students from a broad range of backgrounds interested in the quantitative social sciences. The EDE+ Summer Institute provides participants with an extraordinary nine-week experience to enhance their research skills, to gain technical expertise, and to connect with like-minded peers interested in economics and in changing the world through the quantitative social sciences. A broader range of perspectives will enhance the field’s contributions to public policy and society.

Studying whether participation in EDE+ accomplishes our goal is necessary to evaluate the impact of the program in a rigorous way. It will additionally provide opportunities for refinement and potential scalability across the country.