Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse AmericaLEDA

LEDA at a Glance

Host

Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), a nonprofit; the Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute is held on the campuses of Princeton University and Yale University

Field

Leadership and policy seminars, academic writing, standardized test preparation and college guidance

Grades and age

High school juniors at a US public high school, graduating in 2028; students at private high schools with low or no tuition may be eligible and can email LEDA to confirm

Citizenship and residency

US citizen or permanent resident; cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 or above; total annual household income of $90,000 or below, with assets also considered.

Cost

The Summer Institute is completely free, with room, board and travel paid by LEDA. During senior year, LEDA also pays all college application and testing fees.

Dates and format

A residential Summer Institute at Princeton and Yale. The application page, program page and flyer say five weeks, while one line on the home page says seven, so confirm with LEDA. It includes leadership classes, writing classes of no more than 12 with weekly one-on-one conferences, SAT/ACT preparation and college guidance; in senior year LEDA continues with one-on-one counseling, recommendation letters and essay feedback.

Application dates

The application opened September 9, 2026, and Part I closes December 9, 2026. Later steps: Part I decisions in mid-February, Part II due in late February, finalist interviews in mid-March and final notification in early April.

Application materials

A two-part online application: students who pass Part I submit Part II, and finalists interview in mid-March. The official pages we read do not list the contents of each part.

Size and selectivity

Cohort size and admission rates are not published. LEDA's results page reports that 94% of Cohort 21 enrolled at a top 100 US college for 2026–27 and 57% were admitted to at least one Ivy League school, MIT or Stanford.

Verified against official pages on 2026-10-06 · ledascholars.org/our-program/leda-scholars-program

How to Apply to LEDA

• The eligibility rules are clear: public high school junior, unweighted GPA of 3.5 or above, household income of $90,000 or less. Check all three first; private school students should email LEDA to confirm.
• Part I is due December 9, 2026, followed by Part II and March interviews. Aim to finish Part I by the end of November to leave time for the later steps.
• LEDA looks for commitment to academics, a desire to lead in family, school and community, and its core values of excellence, integrity, compassion and community. Use specific experiences that match these.