Information for Applicants
Students from Pakistan interested in the topic of Local, State, and Federal Public Policymaking areinvited to apply for participation in the Study of the United States Institute for Student Leaders. TheInstitute will take place at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in from late June to early August2016; please note that the entirety of this Institute will take place during Ramadan. The program willbe intensive, academic, and highly interactive. The program sponsors seek energetic applicants whoare ready to develop their skills in order to be effective leaders in their schools and communities.
Candidate Description and Qualifications:
The participants are expected to be highly motivated first through third year undergraduate students from colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities. Their fields of study will be varied, and may include the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, business, and other professional fields.
Candidates nominated for this program will:
-be proficient in English;
-be interested in the topic of local, state, and federal public policymaking;
-be between 18 and 25 years of age;
-have at least one semester left of their undergraduate studies, and therefore be committed to return to their home universities following completion of the program;
-demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university and community activities;
-indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
-have a sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated by grades, awards, and teacher recommendations;
-demonstrate commitment to community and extracurricular university activities;
-have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of their home country;
-be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful, and inquisitive;
-be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and educational travel; and,
-be comfortable with campus life, prepared to share living accommodations, and able to make adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of their home country.
How do I apply?
Complete an application form and submit it toIslamabadExchanges@state.gov by Sunday November 29, 2015.Only emailed applications will be considered for review. Take special care in answering the essay questions. While saving the file and e-mailing the application kindly use thefollowing format for the subject line: Applicant Name, Name of Institution, city in which you study, for e.g. GULSHAN BATOOL, NUST, ISLAMABAD. (This is important, please do not ignore this)
SUSI for Student Leaders application form.
If you are applying for SUSI for Student Leaders on Women Leadership, follow the same instructions above. The participants for both the programs are selected from the same pool of applications.
While answering the question please be mindful of the word limit.
The U.S. Embassy will contact the applicants selected for interviews based on the criteria above, as demonstrated in the application. Interviews will take place in late December 2015 at a location specified to the shortlisted candidates at a later date. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The list of finalists and alternates will be announced by the end of February, 2016.
And after that…?
The selected participants will need to obtain passports and apply for U.S. visas with the assistance of the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy.
Students will receive orientation materials in the weeks prior to the start of the program to help prepare them for the program and their trip to the United States. Participants will have an opportunity to speak with the Public Affairs Section about the program.
Participants will travel to the United States for the Institute in the summer of 2016.
Thank you for your interest in the program and good luck with your application!
