Latin America Leadership Program

Requirements​

• The program aims to welcome a diverse and inclusive cohort of emergent agents of change across the region.  The requirements are:
• • 26 to 35 years old at the time of application (i.e., as of August 23, 2024)
• • A Latin American or Caribbean country of origin, Puerto Rico, Spain, or Portugal (*)
• • Currently working on a project that creates a positive and long-lasting impact in the region
• • College degree from an accredited university and excellent academic record
• • Proven English language skills (reading, writing, and oral)
• • At least one year of professional or volunteer experience working on social impact projects.
• • Commitment to return to the country of origin to apply knowledge obtained.  (**)
• (*) See the list of countries in the FAQ section. 
• (**) A written agreement will be signed and submitted by the candidate upon completion of the application. Failure to comply with this agreement will result in the participant reimbursing LALP for the total cost of the program.
  

Frequently Asked Questions

• • Is there any cost for the GCL program?

• The Latin America Leadership Program offers partial scholarships of up to 90% of the total value of the program to selected participants. Scholarships cover the tuition costs of the GCL program, local transportation to and from program activities, medical insurance, housing, and course materials. Applicants must indicate the level of scholarship they are requesting in the online application form. Program tuition payments must be made via Eventbrite or wire transfer before students arrive in Washington, DC. Admitted participants will receive further instructions once accepted into the program. 

• • What does the GCL program scholarship cover?

• • 10 weeks of virtual and in-person classes

• • Academic materials

• • Continuous support throughout the program

• • Shared housing (2-3 roommates) for the in-person component (meals not included)

• • Local transportation to program activities in Washington DC

• • Basic Medical Insurance for emergencies

• • Certification of program participation issued by LALP (NOT an official degree/certificate, does not lead to Georgetown alumni status)

• * All participants, regardless of the level of scholarship received, are required to cover their airfare, meals, and incidentals during the program.

• • What types of GCL program scholarships are offered?

• LALP offers up to 90% scholarships to qualified candidates with demonstrated financial need. Those candidates that receive a 90% scholarship MUST pay a program tuition fee in the amount of $2,500 USD. For all other candidates, LALP offers partial scholarships that cover 75%, 50%, or 25% of the total cost of the program (valued at $25,000 USD).

• • Which countries are eligible for the GCL program?

• Candidates who are citizens and residents of any of the following countries are eligible to apply for the GCL program: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. If your country is not listed here, please email us at lalp@georgetown.edu to discuss your case.

• • I am a candidate from Colombia, where should I apply?

• Since GCL 2021, all Colombian applicants must submit their applications through the GCL general program application website bit.ly/applygcl 

• In previous years, Colombian applicants that wanted to be considered for a full scholarship had to apply through the OAL Application Website (http://oaleducacion.com.co). 

• • I am a candidate from Brazil, where should I apply?

• Since GCL 2023, all Brazilian candidates must submit their applications through the GCL general program application website at bit.ly/applygcl 

• In previous years, Brazilian applicants who wanted to be considered for a full scholarship had to contact our partners in Brazil at Instituto Ling.​

• • What about the requirement to return to my country after the GCL program?

• All GCL participants are required to return to their countries of origin for a year once the program ends. We require this in order to ensure that participants follow through on the investment that the University has made in them. We expect participants to return to the region where they will be able to apply the knowledge and tools acquired during the program and be the agents of change that the region needs. Failure to comply with this agreement will result in the participant reimbursing the Latin America Leadership Program for the total amount of the scholarship received (a full GCL scholarship is valued at $25,000.00 USD).

• • What if I cannot attend all program classes and activities?

• Attendance of all program classes and activities, regardless of instruction format,  is mandatory. We understand that there may be extraordinary circumstances that may require a participant to miss one or more classes/activities. In these special cases, participants are required to email lalp@georgetown.edu as soon as possible (ideally with advance notice) to let the LALP team know about an absence. More than three absences may result in the participant reimbursing the Latin America Leadership Program the total amount of the scholarship received, and not being able to graduate with their GCL class.

• • I have dual citizenship. Can I apply?

• Yes. For example, an applicant may be a citizen of the United States or another Latin American country. Applicants with dual citizenship can apply to the GCL program and will be considered as long as they reside in any of the Latin American countries listed above and will return to their countries of origin upon the culmination of the GCL program.

• • What happens if I do not fulfill the age requirement?

• In order to be eligible to participate in the GCL program, you must be between 26 through 35 years of age as of the application deadline (e.g., as of August 23, 2024). We invite you to apply if you are interested, but please keep in mind that priority will be given to applicants who fulfill all requirements. If you are under 26 years of age, we encourage you to apply in the future, as this is a yearly program.

• • Can I apply for the GCL program locally in my country?

• No, all applications must be submitted through the general program application site. If your application is selected, you might proceed to the interview phase. For this phase, LALP works with its local alumni base and other partners to conduct local interviews with the purpose to gain more information about the applicant and answer any questions about the program. Following the interview, local alumni volunteers and LALP partners complete a short report about the applicant and submit it to LALP for inclusion in the applicant's materials. The selection process and all final decisions are made exclusively by Georgetown University.

• • I do not have work experience but have volunteering experience, can I still apply?

• We tend to give priority to applicants with work experience because it allows participants to learn from each other and contribute their professional experiences to class discussions. Nevertheless, we take into consideration the application as a whole and we encourage interested candidates to apply this year or in the future as this is a yearly program.

• • In what language must I submit my documents?

• Your application and essays must be submitted in English. Supporting documents from your university and letters of recommendation may be submitted in English or Spanish only.

• • My documents are in Portuguese. Do I have to get them translated and certified?

• All required documents must be submitted in English or Spanish. Candidates from a Portuguese-speaking country must submit the original documents in Portuguese AND an English translation of these documents. The translation does not have to be certified.

• • Can I submit my application and/or supporting documents by email?

• The application and all required documents must be submitted through the GCL program application website (https://georgetown-gcl.smapply.io) in order to be considered for review.

• • What is a university transcript?

• Georgetown requires a copy of an official transcript from each university where you have studied, in order to review your academic history and grades obtained.

• • What if my university sends the transcripts directly?

• We prefer that applicants upload the official transcript onto the application. However, we understand that some universities might wish to send the transcript directly to Georgetown. If so, please use the following address:

• ATTN. Georgetown University Latin America Leadership Program
  3700 O Street, N.W.
  433 Hariri Bldg.
  Washington, D.C. 20057

• • I graduated but have not received my university diploma. What should I do?

• If you have graduated from a university or post-graduate studies and have not received your diploma, please submit a certified copy of a document issued by your university stating that you have graduated from that institution. The document must include the date of graduation and the final grade point average.

• • What about the letters of recommendation?

• Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation. One of these letters must come from an employer; the second letter can be from a professor, employer, or any other figure who can write about your talents and abilities. Recommendations must not be from family members and must be written in English or Spanish only.

• • Is there a specific template for letters of recommendation, and to whom should the letters be addressed?

• There is no specific template or format for the letters of recommendation. However, please check the submission guidelines specified above. The letters should be addressed to the GCL Admissions Committee or Latin America Leadership Program.

• • How can I prove my English proficiency?

• There are several ways candidates can provide proof of English competency. Applicants may provide TOEFL or Cambridge English Language Assessment results for an exam taken in the past or a certificate or other proof of advanced English language courses completed successfully. Additionally, if an applicant has completed undergraduate or post-graduate studies in an English-speaking country, the corresponding diploma will suffice to prove proficiency. If none of these apply, you can still apply and the selection committee will make a decision on your English proficiency based on the application essays submitted and during the selection interview.

• • Can I submit a copy of another identification document besides a passport copy?

• We ask that you please submit a legible and valid copy of your passport.

• • In the application, there is an “Add Video File” option. Do I have to submit a video as part of the application?

• Yes, applicants must submit a short video explaining their interest in the program and the project they want to develop during GCL.

• • I want to attach more than one document. How can I do that?

• You may attach additional documents by clicking on the “Add Documents” button on the right-hand side of the application’s main page.

• • I am having technical difficulties with the application portal. What should I do?

• If you need technical assistance while creating, completing, or submitting the application please click on the "i" top menu icon to access technical support.

• • What is the deadline to apply for the GCL program?

• The GCL 2025 application opens on June 3, 2024, at 9:00 am Eastern Standard Time and closes on August 23, 2024, at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time, with no exceptions.

• • What happens after I send in my application and documents?

• All applications and documents will be received by Georgetown University and later channeled to the appropriate selection committees in each country for review. Each local committee will determine preliminary candidates, carry out first-round interviews, and select semi-finalists. A list of semi-finalists will be sent to Georgetown University for a second review and round of interviews in English and via  Zoom to determine the final participants in the GCL program.

• • When will I know if I was accepted into the GCL program?

• To allow for visa processing times when required, the selection committee will be reviewing applications as they are received. All applicants, either admitted or not, will be notified of the admissions decision no later than November 4, 2024, via email. Please know that selection is highly rigorous and depends on each year´s application pool, so LALP encourages all applicants who were not accepted one year to apply for future editions. Admitted applicants have seven days to confirm their acceptance and pay a non-refundable deposit of USD $250.

• • What are the dates for the GCL program?

• The tentative dates for GCL 2025 are January 27 to April 4, 2025,  with four weeks of virtual programming (January 27-February 21) where participants join in from their own countries and six weeks of in-person activities at Georgetown University (February 24-April 4). The final schedule will be promptly communicated to all selected candidates.

• • What type of visa will I need?

• For those participants that require a visa to travel to the States, please note that they have to apply for a B1/B2 visitor visa at the embassy or consulate of the United States of his/her country. The visitor visa contains two designations—B1/B2—and lasts 90 days, which covers the time spent in the United States for the GCL program. All participants must ensure they abide by these timelines when coordinating their arrival and departure flights. Once accepted, participants will receive more information.

• • Where do participants stay?

• The program provides shared housing for admitted participants. Participants may be assigned to specified apartments with up to three roommates of the same gender during any in-person component of the program. Each apartment may have two bedrooms, with two people per bedroom. Please note the program cannot accommodate single-occupancy requests. Only GCL program participants are allowed to live in these apartments. Housing check-in and check-out dates for GCL 2025 are February 22 and April 5, 2025.

• • What is the GCL program schedule, and will I have free time?

• The academic schedule for the in-person GCL program normally runs from 9:30 a.m. through 4:15 p.m. four days a week, with 15-minute breaks in between 75-minute sessions and a one-hour and 15-minute lunch break.  There will be open office hours once a week, during which participants will meet one-on-one with the LALP Executive Director to discuss their projects and program experience. There are no activities scheduled for the weekend. For the virtual sessions, the academic schedule may consist of two days a week, normally Mondays and Wednesdays, from 9:00 am to 1:15 pm, and one Friday, participants will meet in small groups for virtual Program Development support. All program times take place in Eastern Standard Time. A final and detailed program calendar will be shared with all selected participants. Participants will also have the support and guidance of GCL alumni, who will accompany them as mentors throughout the ten weeks of the program. The schedules and format of these mentoring sessions are to be coordinated between mentor and mentee on a weekly basis as long as they do not coincide with the academic schedules of the program.

• • What sites will students visit as part of the academic curriculum?

• Site visits are subject to change each year, but in past years, students have visited institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Gallup, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States (OAS), and Halcyon House. Applicants accepted into the program will receive a class schedule with confirmed program off-campus visits.

• • What speakers will come to the program?

• Speakers are subject to change each year. Applicants accepted into the program will receive a class schedule that lists potential speakers.

• •How can I support GCL?

• Selected candidates who can afford to pay all or part of the program cost ($25,000 USD) are encouraged to do so in order to provide scholarship funds to other need-based candidates. In the online application form, you can indicate your willingness to cover program costs. Your contribution will allow LALP to expand its reach and provide a scholarship to those with the most need.

• • I have an additional question not listed on the FAQ page.
  

• If your question is not listed, please contact us at lalp@georgetown.edu.