Admissions Criteria

The Leadership Program — open to entering SPA students and those with a second major in SPA — maintains very high standards and admission is competitive. The Program seeks students who have a demonstrated passion for leadership, a passion for social change, and a commitment to public service. We look for students who will bring strong academic abilities, creativity, initiative, enthusiasm, dedication and follow-through to their work. Thus the Leadership Program seeks students who have, perhaps through their work in their schools, civic or religious organizations, families, or sports, demonstrated a strong:

• Capacity for leadership;
• Dedication to learning more about leadership; and
• Ability to work well with others, which requires a true appreciation for new ideas and new people, a willingness to genuinely listen to others, a dedication to effective communication, and an ability to follow through with commitments.

The Leadership Program seeks students who will contribute to a diversity of leadership styles, personality types, experiential backgrounds, and political predilections because the Program believes that in such an environment effective leadership is best developed.