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UK Summer Institutes

The ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë UK Summer InstitutesÌýare three to four week programmes for US undergraduate students, who have no or very little travel experience outside North America. Participants can explore the culture, heritage and history of the UK while experiencing higher education at a UK university.

The US-UK ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë UK Summer Institutes are made possible through generous donations from private individuals and through a Study Abroad Engagement Grant from USA Study Abroad within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, and our partnership with some of the top UK institutions: Queen’s University Belfast, University of Bristol, University of St Andrews,ÌýKing’s College London, Lancaster University and University of Birmingham.Ìý

Applications for 2025 UK Summer Institutes open November 12, 2024.

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UK Summer Institutes Available

Depending on the Institute, students will have the opportunity to:

  • Study alongside leading academics and professionals
  • Develop knowledge in specific fields
  • Experience cultural and social events
  • Visit UK cultural sites and areas of scenic beauty
  • Receive credit to transfer to their home institution
  • Meet people from different backgrounds and cultures
  • Become an ambassador for studying in the UK, for the ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë and their host institution(s)

Support

The Institute costs covered by the ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë and its partner institutions include:

  • Round-trip airfareÌý
  • Transfer from the arrival airport in the UK to the accommodation
  • Tuition and fees at the host institution
  • Accommodation and some meals
  • Social and cultural programme with free activities
  • Small daily meal allowance offered at Summer Institutes where meals are not providedÌý

Participants are expected to pay for their own travel, health, and accident insurance.

To be eligible, students must:

  • Be a US citizen and possess a US passportÌý
  • Have had no or very little study/travel experience outside of North AmericaÌý
  • Have a minimum GPA of 3.6
  • Be at least 18 years old by the start of the programmeÌý
  • Be able to participate in the programme in its entiretyÌý
  • Have at least two years of undergraduate study remaining after the Institute finishesÌý
  • Not participate in any other study abroad programmes during the Summer of 2025.

Please see our

FAQs

for more information.

UK Summer Institutes application instructions

What we're looking for

We are looking for applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, who have had little opportunity to immerse themselves in a different culture.

The best applications are from well-rounded students who are willing to:Ìý

  • Respectfully engage with fellow participants representing different backgrounds and different points of viewsÌý
  • Be comfortable with living either on or off campus, prepared to share living accommodations, and willing to adjust to cultural and social and academic practices different from those in the US.Ìý

And students who can demonstrate:

  • Strong academic ability
  • Ambassadorial skills
  • Intercultural sensitivity
  • Genuine desire to learn more about the UK and to share aspects of American culture
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Community involvement
  • Leadership potential
  • Plans to further the ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë mission and give back to the US upon their return

Choosing a Summer Institute

There are several UK Summer Institutes offered each year, each hosted by a different university and focused on a specific historical, cultural, or subject-related theme. Students are encouraged to explore their personal interests, and while you generally do not need an in-depth background in these topics, any prior knowledge required will be specified in the description of each individual Summer Institute.Ìý

Applications for the 2025 UK Summer Institutes open November 12, 2024. Scroll down to see the application timeline.

Application instructions

When applications open, applicants should follow the steps outlined below:

  1. Read the FAQs and terms and conditions

  2. Read our Privacy Policy for applicants

  3. Apply online and upload a transcript to the application form as a PDF (official transcripts are preferred)

  4. Select two (2) references and enter their email addresses into the application.
    They should receive a notification message that will lead them to their own online portal to submit a reference letter.Ìý

The application form, along with your transcript, must be completed and submitted by the deadline. Additionally, your references must submit their letters on time, or your application will remain incomplete. Applications missing any required materials or submitted after the deadline will not be considered complete and will not be included in the selection process.

Application process


Interviews
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Finalists will be invited to interview in late March and early April (exact dates to be found in the timeline). Summer Institute interviews are conducted via video conference and can only be rescheduled in exceptional circumstances.

NotificationÌý

For an overview of application status notifications, please refer to the timeline. The ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë is unable to provide comments or feedback on individual applications.Ìý

¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë UK Summer Institutes application timeline 2024-25

November 12, 2024

Applications open

February 3, 2025

Applications close

Mid-March 2025

Shortlisted candidates are notified

March 17, 2025

Webinar: Preparing for your ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë Interview

March 20 - April 2, 2025

Interviews

April 29, 2025

Finalists announced

Frequently asked questions

FAQs about Applying

  • 12 November 2024:ÌýApplications open

  • 3 February 2025: Applications close

  • Mid-March 2025: Shortlisted candidates are notified.

  • 17 March 2025: Webinar: Preparing for your ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë Interview

  • 20 March - 2 April 2025: Interviews

  • 29 April 2025: Finalists announcedÌý

Read the webpage for the programme to which you intend to apply, including the Terms and Conditions and other recommended items such as these FAQs

List all the things you have done or achieved while at school or since. For example, you may have been active in your Student Council, founded a society/club or mentored younger students. Another example might be running a social action group or organising sporting activities etc.

A strong personal statement can set you apart from other applicants and give you an opportunity to showcase what you as an individual can bring to the programme. The selection committee want to know as much as they can about you. As there is no set structure for writing a personal statement, you can use your personal statement as a marketing tool - be imaginative and make yourself stand out.

At least one of your references should be from a recent professor or teacher. References will not be accepted from family members or friends. You should ask people who know you very well: teachers, professors, careers counsellors, coaches, youth group leaders, employers etc. Once you have selected your two referees, you should inform them of the deadlines for submission. It is your responsibility as the applicant to check in with your referees regularly about their progress and the timely and accurate submission of their letter

Being a first-gen student means that your parent(s) did not complete a 4-year college or university degree, regardless of other family member's level of education.Ìý

Interviews

No, interview dates are fixed. The timeline for interviews is published online in advance of the application deadlines.

Interviews last for approximately 20 minutes. We have a list of questions we ask all final candidates and generally do not discuss the application itself, except to seek clarification if something is not clear or perhaps has not been considered. It is also an opportunity to review the articulation of the candidates. As ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë summer programme participants are cultural ambassadors and future leaders in their fields, they must have strong communication skills.

It is the policy not to give to individual applicants, to others inquiring on their behalf, or to the public generally, the specific reasons for selection or non-selection of applicants for awards.

Selection criteria

Preference will be given to strong applicants who do not have extensive experience outside the US. Applicants who have spent more than four weeks outside of the US/North America in the last five years would not be eligible. Exceptions are being made for refugees and/or students from a different cultural background who have spent time abroad due to family emergencies. Candidates who have never left the US and are unlikely to without support will be prioritised.Ìý

We require all applicants for our UK Summer Institutes Programme to be U.S. citizens. Unfortunately, if you do not currently hold U.S. citizenship, you would not be eligible to participate in this programme.

No, unfortunately this programme is only open to candidates who areÌýat leastÌý18 years of age at the start of the programme and are currently freshmen or sophomores in college/university.Ìý

Yes, applicants who study at community colleges are eligible to apply. However, you must have at least two years of undergraduate study left to complete after returning from the institute to be eligible to apply. If not at your Community College, then please state in your application that you intend to transfer to a university and if possible name the institution you are transferring to.Ìý

No, applicants must have two years of undergraduate study left to complete to participate in this programme. As you only have one year of undergraduate study remaining after the Institute finishes, you are ineligible for this award.

We are interested in evidence of leadership qualities and initiative, academic ability, character, adaptability, and ambassadorial qualities, as well as an interest in the UK and its culture. We explicitly prioritise applicants who have never left the US and are unlikely to without our support: many of our participants are low income and/or first-generation students.

We are looking for a diverse range of backgrounds. The ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë aims to select a diverse cohort.
Therefore, we are looking for students who are willing to respectfully engage with fellow participants representing different backgrounds and different points of views. Participants should be comfortable with living either on or off campus, prepared to share living accommodations, and be willing to adjust to cultural and social and academic practices different from those in the US.Ìý

No, you may only apply for one of the Summer Institutes. You should decide based on the programme outlines of each institute and decide which institute best suits your academic and personal interests.

If you would have two years left of undergraduate education when you return to the US after the Institutes, then you are eligible to apply regardless of the amount of credits you have.

Programme queries and other questions

The ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë and the Institute host institutions work in partnership to provide the following:

- Round-trip airfare
- Transfer from the arrival airport in the UK to the accommodationÌý
- Tuition and fees at the host institution
- Accommodation and some meals
- Social and cultural programme with free activities
- Small daily meal allowance offered at Summer Institutes where meals are not provided

Participants are expected to pay for their own travel, health, and accident insurance.

No, participants must arrange their own health insurance that covers the UK. This expense is NOT covered by the ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë.Ìý

No. The dates for the programmes are set by the host universities and candidates must be willing to participate in the institute in full to be eligible to apply.Ìý

Participants also are not allowed to travel prior or after the programmes; return tickets with arrival and departure dates centred around Institute dates are booked and cannot be altered.

No, family members, partners and/or friends may not accompany or join participants for any part of the programme.

It is possible to receive academic credit on most of the summer programmes. If you participate in an institute, the university contact will be the best person to help you with details of receiving credits.

We aim to award this opportunity to students who otherwise would not be able to participate in a study abroad programme in the Summer of 2025. Therefore, ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë will not arrange for flights from a different destination other than the US.Ìý

Yes, the Summer Institutes are designed in such a way with the hope that participants will come back to the UK at postgraduate or postdoctoral level as a ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë Student or Scholar.