Expanding Discovery in Economics+ Frequently Asked Questions

Students enrolled in an accredited, undergraduate degree-granting institution in the United States are eligible to apply. This program is open to students from all backgrounds. Participants must be 18 years old by the program start date, and the ideal applicant will be a college freshman or sophomore with an interest in learning more about economics and with an aptitude for quantitative coursework. 

Eligibility Requirements

Successful applicants will:

• Have a strong interest in learning more about economics
• 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 and submit one letter of recommendation

The online application process consists of the following steps:

• All required application questions marked with an asterisk
• Candidate statement response to the prompt: "In 350 words or less, 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.”
• Upload a transcript (unofficial)
• Upload a resume
• Submit one letter of recommendation (submitted via our online application system). These letters should be written by those who are familiar with the applicant’s academic (and personal) progress, credentials, and/or research experience. Suitable recommenders include:
  • Undergraduate faculty and academic advisors
  • Academic research supervisors at a college or university
  • For first-year college students only:
    • High school teachers of college-level quantitative courses (AP Calculus, AP Micro- or Macroeconomics, AP Statistics, IB Calculus, etc.)
    • College Access and Success Program Advisors (The Posse Foundation, KIPP Through College & Career, Questbridge, ScholarMatch, etc.)
• Your complete application, with both your personal portion and your letter of recommendation, must be fully submitted by you once both sections are completed. You will be prompted via email once your letter of recommendation is uploaded by your recommender.

Applications for the 2025 EDE+ Summer Institute application are now closed. The 2026 EDE+ application cycle is expected to open in fall 2025.

You will submit a request for a recommendation within the EDE+ application system. Recommenders will receive instructions and guidelines in the recommendation request email. Your application will not be complete until we receive the letter of recommendation, which is also due on the application deadline, and you must manually submit your completed application once your recommender uploads your letter. 

We require one letter of recommendation from a faculty member, instructor, or academic advisor at your current institution, or other suitable recommenders outlined below. Recommenders should be familiar with your academic (and personal) progress, credentials, and/or research experience.

Suitable recommenders include:

• Undergraduate faculty and academic advisors

• Academic research supervisors at a college or university

For first-year college students only:

• High school teachers of college-level quantitative courses (AP Calculus, AP Micro- or Macroeconomics, AP Statistics, IB Calculus, etc.

• College Access and Success Program Advisors (The Posse Foundation, KIPP Through College & Career, Questbridge, ScholarMatch, etc.)

We expect the number of qualified applicants to far exceed the available spaces for the EDE+ program. Each eligible application will go through the same review process, evaluating transcript(s) and academic history, resume, content of recommendation, candidate statement, and other factors such as intellectual agility, demonstrated resilience, and promise and potential. Using these evaluative criteria, EDE+ will thoughtfully designate a pool of highly qualified and eligible candidates for final selection. We will then use a computerized random selection method to determine the final cohort.

No, EDE+ is not open to rising freshmen. Students who will have completed at least one semester (or trimester or quarter, for schools operating on a trimester or quarter system) of an accredited undergraduate program before the application deadline are eligible for the EDE+ Summer Institute.

This program is designed for undergraduate students who are early in their college career and may not have declared a major. The most important factors are an interest in economics and an aptitude for coursework that is quantitative in nature and relies on strong analytical skills.

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.

EDE+ is designed for undergraduate students who are early in their college career (e.g., freshman or sophomore) and are considering the study of economics. It is not open to students who have already completed or will complete their undergraduate degree in the same calendar year as the program.

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 2024 cohort was 45 participants.

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.

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.

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.

UChicago uses a dedicated travel agency to book travel for EDE+ participants. Travel will be booked from each EDE+ participant’s home to Chicago, Washington, DC, 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.

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.

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

Yes,  this program is open to students from all backgrounds. Everyone is eligible to participate, regardless of race, gender, or other protected class status.

EDE+ is designed to identify and support talented undergraduate students from a broad range of backgrounds interested in the study of economics. 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.

EDE+ is engaging with a UChicago research team to conduct a longitudinal study – a randomized controlled trial (RCT), widely recognized as the gold standard for testing program efficacy – to be carried out independently in parallel with the program. All applicants will be given an opportunity to voluntarily opt-in to share application data with the research team. The research team may follow up with applicants in the future and give them an opportunity to voluntarily opt-in to additional brief surveys. Voluntarily opting into this study is not a condition of application or participation in the program and has no bearing whatsoever on the selection process. More information will be provided on the application form. Data will be stored according to all Federal Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) and relevant guidelines for Personally Identifiable Information.