UChicago Hutchins Scholars In Public Leadership Program

Hutchins Scholars in Public Leadership Program

About the Program

The Hutchins Scholars in Public Leadership Program supports mission-driven students in ideating and executing a social impact project over the course of their four years at UChicago. Hutchins Scholars receive support from Career Advancement, the Institute of Politics, and the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation in turning their social impact vision into a reality through ongoing mentorship, professional development workshops, and grant funding.

UChicago Hutchins Scholars receive $10,000 in grant funding for their social impact project over the course of their four years.

Program Components

Year 1: Scholars attend professional development workshops throughout the academic year and meet with a social impact career adviser to ideate and flesh out a project plan.

Years 2-3: Scholars are matched with a mentor who supports them in implementing and scaling their proposed project.

Year 4: Scholars fine-tune their project and develop infrastructure to ensure lasting impact after they graduate.

• Workshops: Sample topics include Ethics of Social Entrepreneurship, Intro to Policy Innovation, Ecosystem Mapping, Grant Writing & Fundraising, Fiscal Responsibility & Stewardship, Effective Leadership
• Mentorship: Scholars are matched with an industry professional from the IOP or Rustandy Center for ongoing mentorship
• Community Building: Scholars will have the opportunity to collaborate on project planning and implementation throughout the year

Application Process

Eligibility

Current first-year College students who plan to graduate in June 2027 are eligible to apply to the Hutchins Scholars Program.

Required Materials

Interested students should submit the following materials through UChicago Handshake by the application deadline of 11:55pm on Sunday, December 3, 2023:

• A resume, no longer than one page. For assistance with preparing a resume, please visit Career Advancement’s Resume & Interview toolkit or schedule an appointment with a career adviser.
• A statement of purpose, no longer than two pages (uploaded into the "Cover Letter" field; either single or double spaced is acceptable), explaining:

1. Your long-term academic or professional goals
2. What social issue you would like to address as a Hutchins Scholar
3. How your project would address this issue
4. What challenges you anticipate facing in addressing this issue
5. How your prior experiences will allow you to succeed in implementing your project
6. How you plan to use the $10,000 in grant funding to advance your project
7. What you hope to gain from being a Hutchins Scholar

• (Optional) A letter of recommendation from a UChicago faculty, staff member, or other UChicago-affiliated expert in a related field who can attest to your character, the viability of your proposed project(s), and your academic, extracurricular, or professional performance. Recommenders can submit their letters using this form. The letter of recommendation can be submitted up until the deadline. If additional time is needed for a recommender to submit, please email Steven Balla at stevenzb@uchicago.edu.

Campus Interview Component

Following application review, select candidates will be invited to interview with the Hutchins Scholars Program staff, which will make final decisions.

Information Sharing Notice

By applying to the program, you give the University of Chicago permission to share all information you provide in your application with the Hutchins Scholars Program team.

Questions?

Please contact Steven Balla at stevenzb@uchicago.edu.