Thank you for your interest in applying to The School for Ethics and Global Leadership. We're excited that you are here, and hope you will consider joining us in DC next year!

Below you will find answers to some important admissions questions.

You might also want to check out our Frequently Asked Questions page, which has additional information for families, schools, and prospective students.

What will my life be like at SEGL?

It will be incredible! Your classes will inspire you to work harder than you have ever worked before, and with a greater sense of purpose. Your classmates and dorm mates will teach you, provoke you, make you laugh, and become some of the best friends of your life. The adults you work and live with will trust you, listen to your ideas, and give you greater responsibility than you’ve ever had in school. More than anything else, however, your life at SEGL will challenge you. SEGL will challenge you to look inside yourself, to ask tough questions, to learn from people you don’t agree with, to understand yourself as a leader, and to act to make the world better than it was when you arrived on the planet.

And you will do it all in one of the world's great cities. DC will provide you with the opportunity of a lifetime: to see up close how critical national and international questions are conceived, debated, and settled, with powerful stakeholders as your mentors, guides, and colleagues. DC will also bring your coursework to life: In Spanish class, you’ll visit the Venezuelan embassy and debate Hugo Chavez’s leadership. In History class, you’ll visit the Vietnam War Memorial with veterans who lost friends in the conflict. In Science class, you’ll hear from policymakers on the costs and benefits of stem cell research and nuclear power. What could be better?

How do I know if SEGL is right for me?

Do you want to be part of a community that values honest, passionate conversation, that actively strives to make the world a better place, and that celebrates you for being exactly who you are? Do you want to learn in a challenging environment alongside peers and teachers who all want to be here, who are all motivated, and who come from remarkably diverse backgrounds? Do you believe the world needs better leaders, and do you want to become one of them? If so, then yes, SEGL is right for you! Please apply!

I really want to go to SEGL, but I don't think my family can afford it.

SEGL has financial aid available, and if you are accepted we will work with your family to ensure you are able to thrive here. Please don't let financial concerns stop you from applying! In order to apply for financial aid, parents/guardians must fill out the Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) through the National Association of Independent School's (NAIS) School and Student Service (SSS) for Financial Aid. In the application, please enter SEGL's school code: 5063. If you have already applied for 2010-2011 financial aid through the NAIS SSS at another school you do not need to fill out a new PFS; instead, you must fill out an Additional School Request (ASR) form (available at the SSS site) in order to give SEGL access to your financial aid application. If you have any questions about financial aid, please do not hesitate to contact us at admissions@schoolforethics.org.

SEGL seems like a great idea, but I'm worried I'll miss my friends, my family, and my extracurricular activities.

Deciding to spend four months with us in DC will be a hard decision, but we wouldn't have created this school if we didn't think it would be worth the risk. SEGL is a chance to join an incredible group of people who believe that they can change the world. It is a chance to learn from amazing teachers who connect your coursework to real international issues every day. It is a chance to meet real policymakers and the people who influence them, and to research and share your own answers to key policy questions. It is an investment in your future--college, career, and community. It is a chance to be inspired, and to inspire others. And it is a lot of fun, too.

If you still are uncertain, please email us. We're more than happy to respond to any questions or concerns.

I'm hoping to go to a top-tier undergraduate institution. Will SEGL help in the college admissions process?

Of course it will! SEGL is a chance to show you can do advanced academic work alongside the best students from public and private schools around the country. SEGL will also provide individualized college counseling for you, and you will have the opportunity to visit many of the area's top institutions, including Georgetown, George Washington, American, and Howard universities. Your time at SEGL may lead to a unique college essay, too. Most important, SEGL will prepare you for college itself: boarding with a roommate, managing your time, living away from your family, and doing exciting intellectual work.

Can 12th graders attend SEGL?

Yes! We accept applications from next year's 12th graders, and have designed some curricular options especially for them.

Do you accept students from my school?

We accept students from any public, charter, parochial, or private school in the United States, with very few exceptions. If you currently live outside the United States, please contact us to find out more.

What are your admissions criteria?

First, students who are accepted into our community must be capable of and motivated for advanced, college-preparatory academic work. Whether your school has many resources or few, your academic record must show that you have taken full advantage of them. Second, your record must show a willingness to live by SEGL's social contract: Because you will be given significant trust and responsibility from the beginning of the semester, you must not have a significant history of dishonest and/or irresponsible behavior—academic or otherwise. Among other ethical considerations, you must be willing to spend your time at the school drug and alcohol free (please do not apply if you think you might be tempted to break this rule!). Third, your personal essay and your teacher recommendations must show a commitment to the mission of our school. That is, every accepted student should be motivated to use the school’s resources to shape herself or himself into an ethical leader who will create positive change in our world.

How do I apply?

Applications are online now. The application asks you to provide several things: writing samples, two recommendations, your most recent academic transcript, a parent statement and consent form, and some personal contact information. You will also need to sign our SEGL Ethics Pledge, which states your willingness to abide by our social contract while you are a student here.

I want to go, but I'm not sure how to convince my parents and my school.

It's only natural for parents and school leaders to be apprehensive about sending you away! The best thing to do is have them contact us with their questions and/or concerns. We'll do our best to answer them in a positive and honest way. You might also direct them to the special section on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

The School for Ethics and Global Leadership admits students of any race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, creed, and sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, creed, or sexual orientation in administration or its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs