High School Fellowship — Yale Policy Institute

APPLICATIONS For the 2025-2026 Fellowship ARE NOW LIVE!

This year, we are opening the opportunity for high school students from grades 9-12 to consider applying for the YPI High School Fellowship Program.

The YPI High School Fellowship is a comprehensive and rigorous nine-week program designed for students with a strong passion for policymaking, research, and an interest in the United States' political landscape and global current affairs. Throughout the fellowship, you will work closely with Yale University students who share your enthusiasm for policy and public service. Each week will follow the structure outlined, ensuring that fellows are fully informed, well-prepared, and engaged with the materials and tasks at hand.

Successful YPI Fellows will be required to complete a set of assigned readings before each weekly lecture. At YPI, we emphasize reading not only as preparation but also as a tool for making meaningful contributions to your small-group discussions, which take place after each lecture. Following these discussions, groups will be tasked with drafting a policy proposal based on the week’s theme and submitting it by the deadline specified.

In addition to academic growth, the fellowship offers you the opportunity to strengthen your communication, organizational, networking, and leadership skills — qualities that are at the heart of every YPI member’s experience. You will learn how to think critically, collaborate effectively, and navigate complex issues, all while engaging in conversations that mirror real-world policymaking.

Finally, we are proud to share that the fellowship will feature distinguished guest speakers and lecturers, who will bring invaluable insights from their work in public service, academia, and the policy sector. These names will be announced at a later date.

Eligibility: To apply for the Yale Policy Institute High School Fellowship, students must meet the following minimum criteria:

Be a current High School student in grades 9th to 12th.
Demonstrate a strong academic record (a minimum GPA of 3.3 is recommended).
Show evidence of intellectual curiosity and a genuine interest in policy, research, current affairs, or related fields (government, economics, history, social sciences, STEM-policy intersections, etc.)
Possess strong written and verbal communication skills, as demonstrated through essays, coursework, and extracurricular activities.
Be prepared to commit to the full eight-week program, including required weekly assignments, lectures, small group discussions, and policy proposal submissions.
Have reliable internet access and the ability to attend scheduled sessions virtually.

Application Deadline: November 11th, 2025, 11:59 pm EST: SUBMISSION

High School Fellowship Start Date: December 1st, 2025, 8:00 pm EST

High School Fellowship End Date: March 2, 2025

Holiday Recess: December 9th, 2025 - January 18th, 2025

The application fee for this program is $25. The tuition for this program is $375.

*We will be providing need-based cost waivers and financial assistance. We encourage those who believe they qualify for financial aid to reach out to yalepolicyinsitute@gmail.com and fill out the financial aid section of the Google Form.

Apply Here!