How to read a program page honestly
Most rejections trace back to a student who misread the eligibility line. A short checklist for reading a program page like an adult.
01Read the eligibility line twice
Not the marketing header. The small print. Grade level, citizenship, GPA floor, whether you can be a graduating senior.
If any single one of those does not fit you, do not apply. It's not a soft filter. Committees drop out-of-scope applications first, before anyone reads the essay.
02Cost, stipend, and the true price
A 'free' program with mandatory in-person attendance in another city still costs flights + housing + food. That's the true price. Compare against your budget honestly before you spend a week on the essay.
A 'paid' program with a $500 stipend and $2,000 in fees is not a paid program.
03What the deadline actually means
'Rolling' usually means the good spots go early. Apply in the first third of the window, not the last week.
'Priority deadline' means a real earlier deadline for the best aid. Miss it and the program will still take you, just with less money.
04The three questions to answer before you apply
Who has done this program and what did they get out of it? (Search the program name + 'reflection' or 'review'.)
What am I going to be able to point to at the end? A publication, a project, a name to email again?
Would I still do it if it wasn't prestigious? If no, don't apply — your essay will show it.