Summer Youth Leadership Programs for College Bound Teens | National Student Leadership Conference

About the NSLC

Since 1989, the National Student Leadership Conference has invited a select group of outstanding middle school and high school students to participate in its fast-paced interactive summer sessions.

Empowered students make the world a better place.

Sponsored by the National Student Leadership Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan, education organization, the NSLC provides students with the opportunity to experience life on a college campus, develop essential leadership skills, and explore a future career through exciting simulations, exclusive site visits and interactive meetings with renowned leaders in their chosen field.

Mission Statement

We empower students by giving them the tools and experience to make better decisions about their future.

Our mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment that encourages students to explore their academic and career interests while developing leadership skills essential for their success.

In order to accomplish this mission, we will:

Welcome and encourage students from across the nation and around the world to interact and network with other students with similar interests.
Provide an innovative and challenging learning environment through hands-on simulations and workshops in conjunction with some of the nation’s premier colleges and universities.
Advise and facilitate students’ transitions into collegiate life and build a foundation for their academic career with the assistance of our experienced and dedicated faculty.
Present opportunities to examine future career paths through exclusive field trips and prominent guest speakers.
Introduce students to the qualities and skills needed for effective leadership.
Provide a safe and fun environment for all our students by relying on our more than 20 years of experience as a leading provider of career-focused, curriculum-based leadership conferences.
Inspire students to continue on in their professional quests and personal growth through continued involvement with the NSLC as an alum, while providing opportunities to reach future generations by assuming a staff or teaching role in NSLC programs.

Summer Job Openings

Work with us

We rely on the contributions of our staff to make each conference experience successful.

The NSLC is looking for enthusiastic, hard-working individuals who enjoy working with middle school and high school students and have experience in the academic fields of our programs, leadership development, residential life, and/or office administration.

Learn More

Your future starts here.

Join our mailing list to get a brochure and stay in touch.

NSLC Cancellation & Refund Policy

Cancellation requests may be submitted through the Manage Registration section of your online student portal.

30-Day Grace Period	Cancellation Fee
Enrollments submitted before April 1, 2025, have 30 days to cancel without penalty. After 30 days, or if enrolling after April 1, please see the table below.	$0 (full refund)

30-Day Grace Period

Cancellation Fee

Enrollments submitted before April 1, 2025, have 30 days to cancel without penalty.

After 30 days, or if enrolling after April 1, please see the table below.

$0 (full refund)

Cancel Date	Cancellation Fee
By April 1, 2025	$150 (5 day programs) $350 (6-9 day programs) $500 (12-18 day programs)
April 2 – May 1, 2025	$350 (5 day programs) $1000 (6-9 day programs) $1500 (10-18 day programs)
May 2, 2025 or after	100% of tuition paid*

*The NSLC will not charge additional payments. Payment plans will automatically end at the time of cancellation.

Flexible Monthly Payments

All enrollments submitted prior to May 1, 2025 will be automatically placed on a convenient monthly payment schedule. After your program deposit, any remaining tuition costs will be divided into equal payments automatically charged to the credit card on file.

Want to remove autopay or adjust your payment dates? Contact us to easily make the changes that work best for you. Final payments are due no later than 30 days before the session begins.

Student Protection Plans

Protect your tuition payments against unexpected circumstances by adding a Student Protection Plan. Affordable insurance can be attached to your enrollment during the application process or in your student account any time before your program begins.

Review full plan details here.

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What does my tuition include?

Tuition covers housing and on-campus meals, plus course materials, academic expenses, trips, tours, activities, and off-campus event transportation. Travel costs to and from the program itself are not included, and students are individually responsible for expenses such as spending money for souvenirs, laundry, and off-campus meals.

What does my tuition include?

Tuition covers housing (if applicable) and on-campus meals, plus course materials, academic expenses, trips, tours, activities, and off-campus event transportation. Travel costs to and from the program itself are not included, and students are individually responsible for expenses such as spending money for souvenirs, laundry, and off-campus meals.

Residential Option: Residential students live in a campus dormitory supervised by NSLC staff. Students are housed with one or two roommates on a floor with students in their age range. The front desk of the dormitory is monitored 24 hours a day.

Commuter Option: After Registration Day, Commuter students will check in each morning from 7:00 AM to 7:30 AM and check out each evening from 8:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Commuter tuition includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, but does not include housing accommodations. During the active program hours between check-in and check-out each day, we kindly ask that students only be signed out from activities for medical or family emergencies.

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What does my tuition include?

Middle school students choose a Residential or Commuter option when enrolling:

International Diplomacy Travel Details

International Diplomacy students will divide their time between two campuses, spending 6 days at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and 3 days at Columbia University in New York, NY.

All sessions will arrive at Georgetown University and depart from Columbia University.

After you’ve been accepted into the program, please visit your student account before planning travel for more detailed information.

What is the NSLC?

The National Student Leadership Conference provides an immersive pre-college experience that prepares students for life beyond middle and high school, allowing them to study in university classrooms, learn to navigate a campus, and experience living with roommates. Students are able to explore a career concentration they are interested in before going into college and declaring a major. Each NSLC program also contains a leadership curriculum designed to teach skills that can apply to all areas of life.

Am I eligible to attend NSLC?

We encourage all 6th-12th grade students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership ability to apply to our summer programs.

For high school programs, students must be between the ages of 14-18 and have completed at least one year of high school. Students may attend NSLC through the summer following high school graduation.

For middle school programs, students must be at least 11 years of age and currently enrolled in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.

How do I enroll?

Click here to get started! NSLC applications are completed online and require a deposit with a credit or debit card. If you would like to place your deposit with a check, please email info@nslcleaders.org.

Is there a deadline to apply?

While we have suggested seasonal deadlines, NSLC will continue to accept applications if space is available in a program or on a program’s waitlist. The online enrollment application will display all current availability.

How are students invited?

Students are selected for NSLC in a variety of ways. Teachers, counselors, and NSLC alumni nominate students from across the United States and around the world each year. Students may also be selected from one of several national talent identification surveys, including the College Board Student Search Service and the ACT EOS.

Do you have scholarships?

Yes! Students demonstrating financial need, academic merit, and school or community involvement are encouraged to apply for a Summer Program Scholarship to offset their summer tuition costs. Click here to learn about the process.

What does tuition include?

Middle school students choose a Residential or Commuter option when enrolling:

What is your refund policy?

Cancellation requests may be submitted through the Manage Registration section of your online student portal.

30-Day Grace Period	Cancellation Fee
Enrollments submitted before April 1, 2025, have 30 days to cancel without penalty. After 30 days, or if enrolling after April 1, please see the table below.	$0 (full refund)

30-Day Grace Period

Cancellation Fee

Enrollments submitted before April 1, 2025, have 30 days to cancel without penalty.

After 30 days, or if enrolling after April 1, please see the table below.

$0 (full refund)

Cancel Date	Cancellation Fee
By April 1, 2025	$150 (5 day programs) $350 (6-9 day programs) $500 (10-18 day programs)
April 2 – May 1, 2025	$350 (5 day programs) $1000 (6-9 day programs) $1500 (10-18 day programs)
May 2, 2025 or after	100% of tuition paid*

*The NSLC will not charge additional payments. Payment plans will automatically end at the time of cancellation.

Do you have payment plans?

Yes! All enrollments submitted prior to May 1, 2025, will be automatically placed on a convenient monthly payment schedule. After your program deposit, any remaining tuition costs will be divided into equal payments automatically charged to the credit card you used to sign up.

Want to remove autopay or adjust your payment dates? Contact us to easily make the changes that work best for you. Final payments are due no later than 30 days before the session begins.

How do waitlists work?

Once a program has reached capacity, you will see a Waitlisted status appear next to the dates on our application. If you would like to join the waitlist, please complete the enrollment process and place a deposit like normal to add your name. Once a cancellation is received, we will offer the newly opened space to the next student on the list. Your deposit is fully refundable if you do not move into the program or choose to remove your name.

Keep reading our Waitlist FAQs for more information.

Program Scholarships

We understand that family circumstances may not enable all qualified students to attend our programs without financial assistance.

Students demonstrating financial need, academic merit, and school or community involvement are encouraged to apply for a scholarship to offset their summer tuition costs.

Click here to learn about the process.

Film Intensive Travel Details

Film Intensive students will divide their time between two campuses, spending 9 days at UCLA in Los Angeles, CA, and 9 days at University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.

All sessions will arrive at UCLA and depart from UBC.

After you’ve been accepted into the program, please visit your student account before planning travel for more detailed information.

What does my tuition include?

Tuition for our Day Programs covers course materials, academic expenses, activities, and any off-campus trip transportation. Travel costs to and from the program itself, including parking fees, are not included, and students are individually responsible for expenses such as spending money for souvenirs.

Students attending both an AM and PM program will have the option of adding a pre-paid lunch option on their myNSLC page.

Business & Leadership

Design, Art & Media

Engineering & Computer Science

Government & Law

Medicine & Biological Sciences

Day Programs

Our Programs

Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL

University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA

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About the NSLC

Empowered students make the world a better place.

We empower students by giving them the tools and experience to make better decisions about their future.

Work with us

Your future starts here.

NSLC Cancellation & Refund Policy

Flexible Monthly Payments

Student Protection Plans

Request a brochure

Request alumni references

Find your Program

Email Us

What does my tuition include?

What does my tuition include?

Request Recommendation Letters

Jobs Notification Request

What does my tuition include?

International Diplomacy Travel Details

What is the NSLC?

Am I eligible to attend NSLC?

How do I enroll?

Is there a deadline to apply?

How are students invited?

Do you have scholarships?

What does tuition include?

What is your refund policy?

Do you have payment plans?

How do waitlists work?

Program Scholarships

Film Intensive Travel Details

What does my tuition include?

Northwestern University
Chicago, IL

University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA