Wharton Global Youth Program Philadelphia, PA: AI Leadership

Classes run Monday to Friday in the first week and Monday to Thursday in the second, and a typical class day runs from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Mornings open with a 90-minute topics lecture, followed by a recitation or small-group activity until noon. Lunch, from 12:00 to 1:30 pm, doubles as time for team meetings, and the afternoon brings another lecture or guest speaker followed by two hours of simulation or group work. Wharton Global Youth notes that some days swap this pattern for an off-campus site visit or a simulation.

You move in on the Sunday before the program starts and move out on the final Friday. Evenings and weekends are given over to supervised social activities and outings to Philadelphia's historic and cultural sites, although you can also use the time to work on the final project with your group or relax in the dorm. Past weekend day trips have included Hershey Park, King of Prussia Mall and a Phillies game, and campus activities include karaoke, trivia, soccer and Spikeball.

The course is led by Wharton faculty. Its academic director is Kevin Werbach, a Wharton professor who chairs the Department of Legal Studies and Business Ethics and, according to Wharton Global Youth, created the first business school course on AI governance in 2016. Academic directors guide instructor hiring and design the curriculum, from topics and readings to the capstone project. The listed instructor is Eric Eisenstein, a Lecturer in Marketing and Senior Fellow in Analytics at Wharton whose research covers analytics, decision-making and strategy.

Wharton and Penn undergraduate and graduate students work as teaching assistants and lead small-group discussions, and industry experts come in as guest speakers. Wharton Global Youth doesn't publish a class size or staff ratio for this program.

You need to be in grades 9 to 11 right now, which Wharton Global Youth lists as the high school classes of 2028, 2029 and 2030. Admission is selective and based on your academic record and a genuine interest in technology and leadership. Across its programs, Wharton Global Youth says successful applicants typically have at least a 3.3 unweighted GPA or equivalent, thoughtful essays, strong recommendations and meaningful activities outside class.

If English isn't your first language, you'll need a TOEFL iBT score of 100 (or 5 on the new TOEFL scale), an IELTS score of 7 or a Duolingo English Test score of 130. The requirement is waived if your school teaches mainly in English. International students are welcome, and Wharton Global Youth recommends a short-stay B-2 tourist visa for anyone who doesn't already have one.

The 2027 fee is $8,599, and the $100 application fee comes on top and isn't refunded, so applying and attending costs $8,699 before travel. The fee covers tuition and materials, a room in a University of Pennsylvania residence hall, two meals a day on weekdays and Sundays, supervised activities and weekend excursions, local transport for program events, and the certificate and digital badge. There are no program meals on Saturdays, which are kept for excursions and activities, so budget for any meals you buy yourself.

Travel to Philadelphia, visa fees if you need one, medical costs and spending money are also extra. Airport and train station transfers, gym access, linens and a summer-long Wharton Youth Network membership ($199) are available for an additional fee.

Need-based full and partial scholarships are offered through the routes below, and they apply to program fees only, not travel or other costs. Admission is need-blind, but Wharton Global Youth says funding is limited and aid is generally not available to international students outside the Caribbean scheme. Students at School District of Philadelphia public or charter schools, and partner nominees, may also qualify to have the application fee waived, although the waiver isn't available to international applicants.

• Philadelphia School District Scholarship

  Full scholarships for students at a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school who live in the city and show financial need.

• NEON Scholarship

  For students with financial need who are taking or have completed a college-credit course through the National Education Opportunity Network.

• Caribbean Access Scholarship

  For students with financial need who are citizens or residents of an eligible Caribbean country or island, who email the Global Youth Office to request the application.

• Partner Scholarship

  Only for students nominated by a partner organization such as Questbridge, KIPP Foundation or College Track.

Every student is assigned a Residential Counselor who lives in the dorm and is on call around the clock, on top of full-time program staff. Residential staffing, supervision and activities are run by ESF Pre-College under contract to Wharton, which oversees that work. There are daily sign-ins and room checks, and you can explore campus and University City only in small groups within a set home area where counselors are stationed.

The residence hall has 24-hour security and can only be entered with a campus ID, and private or shared rooms and bathrooms are available. A registered nurse on campus handles minor injuries, illness and prescriptions, and books appointments at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia or urgent care when needed. Dining halls offer vegetarian, gluten-free and kosher options.

You apply through the Wharton Global Youth Application Portal, with a separate application for each program.

1. 1

   Fill in the AI Leadership application form, and tick the Financial Aid box if you want to be considered for a scholarship.

2. 2

   Upload your high school grade records in English, showing your full name, school and terms covered, and make sure any updated grades arrive by the priority deadline.

3. 3

   Write the two essays: a 150- to 300-word response (or a video of up to 60 seconds) on what has shaped your interests and why you fit the program, and a 150- to 200-word answer on a real challenge or risk in using generative AI and how you'd approach it. You may brainstorm with AI, but any AI-generated material must be cited, and plagiarism leads to rejection.

4. 4

   Pay the $100 fee and submit, which sends the request to your recommender, who has 7 days from the deadline to respond. Your application isn't reviewed until everything arrives, and Wharton Global Youth won't tell you if something is missing.

5. 5

   Submit by the priority deadline of 27 January 2027 at 5:00 pm ET, and you'll hear back on 17 March 2027. The final deadline is also 17 March 2027, but later applications are considered only while places remain, and final-round decisions come out on 21 April 2027.

6. 6

   If you asked for aid, complete the emailed scholarship application by 3 February 2027 at 5:00 pm ET. Scholarship decisions arrive within 48 hours of your admission decision.