Image Credit: South Charlotte Weekly The Bank of America Student Leaders program is one of the United States’ premier summer high school programs for outstanding students.

In this post, we provide a comprehensive overview of the Bank of America Student Leaders program, including its acceptance rate, application requirements, and how to get in.

What is Bank of America Student Leaders?

Sponsored by the Bank of America, the Student Leaders program provides 8-week paid internship opportunities to around 300 high school juniors and seniors every year.

Students work with well-known nonprofit organizations (like Habitat for Humanity) and learn about the crucial role they play in bridging the gap between community needs and resources.

Selected Student Leaders will be invited to participate in an all expenses paid, week-long Student Leaders Summit in Washington, DC that’s usually hosted in late July.

The students hail from many diverse backgrounds, but are united by their drive and commitment.

Through paid internships with local nonprofits and participation in a national leadership summit, they gain practical work and life experience.

Bank of America Student Leaders Website There is no cost associated with participating in the program.

In fact, students are paid a stipend.

In the past, Student Leaders have been paid around $5,000 over the course of the 8 weeks.

Bank of America Student Leaders Eligibility Like any summer program, make sure you fit the eligibility requirements for Bank of America Student Leaders to ensure your application is considered.

See the full list below for applicant requirements:  Be a current junior or senior in high school Be legally authorized to work without sponsorship Be able to work 35 hours/week for 8 weeks Be able to participate in the Student Leaders Summit at the conclusion of program Be in good standing at the student’s high school  Have not participated in the program in the past Not be immediate family of employees of the Bank of America  Bank of America Student Leaders Acceptance Rate As a high school program run by the Bank of America, it’s no surprise that its corporate prestige attracts much interest  and as a result, applications, for the program each year.

The program historically has had an acceptance rate of around 4 percent.

Bank of America Student Leaders Application Requirements Bank of America Student Leaders admissions is competitive.

Therefore, it is important to make sure your application includes all requirements.

See the list for all application components below: 1 Letter of recommendation from the student’s current high school submitted by application deadline List of community activities/volunteering experience Short essays (prompts range from describing leadership challenges you’ve encountered to why you want to become a Student Leader) Optional: Resume limited to 2 pages  How to Get Into Bank of America Student Leaders  Now that we’ve established that this program is highly competitive, you need to have an exceptional application to distinguish yourself in the applicant pool.

If you’re a Bank of America Student Leaders hopeful, make sure you follow these steps to get in.

Start early.

Giving yourself ample time to prepare your application will reflect on the overall quality of your application.

In competitive programs like these, it’s best to start on your essays and short responses weeks before the deadline so you have enough time to reread and revise.

In addition, starting your application early ensures that your recommender has enough time to prepare their materials on your behalf.

The rule of thumb is to ask for letters of recommendation at least two weeks in advance.

See the Bank of America Student Leaders application timeline below for the most recent year.

Fall 2023: Applications open.

January 17, 2024: Application deadline.

Application deadline to end of March: Interviews (not all locations will offer interviews) April, 2024: Notification of admission decision.

Highlight your personality and achievements.

Utilize your application to your advantage.

Make sure to personalize your essays as much as possible in order to hammer home who you are as a person and why you deserve a spot in the program over everyone else.

In addition, the extracurriculars you describe in your application are just as important as the character you showcase in your essays.

The Bank of America Student Leaders program puts special emphasis on nonprofit work and leadership training.

Think about what you’ve done to better your community and how you can use your skills to further social welfare in broader areas.

Your unique theme is going to be your differentiating factor, whether it be environmental awareness or policy research.

Be attention-grabbing in your essays (start with hooks or in medias res!) and use memorable, impactful words.

Highlight your humanity and be vulnerable when necessary.

Explain the whys as well as the whats that pertain to what you do.

If you need additional guidance for how to build your personal theme, check out this article that shows you how to do just that—and craft a compelling college application in the process.

Fulfill all application criteria.

Make sure that you’ve fulfilled all requirements prior to the deadline.

Do not risk a void application because of late or missing materials.

Concluding Remarks Attending Bank of America Student Leaders is an excellent way to gain practical work experience and gain invaluable mentorship from nonprofit leaders and personnel.

These are such experiences looked favorably upon in college admissions, and will add a boost to your application.

However, don’t worry if summer programs don’t work out for you.

They’re just one way to spend your summer break.

Check out the below video for the tell-all on how to snag independent internships to enrich your summer that can be just as valuable. https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=zqqtdxsCBT0&t=132s.