What is the National Youth Leadership Forum on Collegiate Success (NYLF/CS)? The National Youth Leadership Forum on Collegiate Success (NYLF/CS) is a four-day residential program that takes place in five locations nationwide. Held at five of the top 30 universities in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2012 ranking, the Forum invites promising high school students to learn the skills necessary to master the critical transition from high school to college. During the Forum, students have the opportunity to experience college life through touring the campus, meeting with Admissions officers and truly getting a feel for the college experience, all while participating in a curriculum designed to prepare them for independence in the real world. Through workshops, seminars and other forum activities, students will develop their communication and conflict resolution skills; understand financial responsibility, credit cards, loans and debt; master time and stress management skills; and create personal plans and timelines for their futures.

Who is eligible to participate in the Forum on Collegiate Success? Attending students will be in the 9^th through 12^th grade during the 2011/2012 academic year.

What is the curriculum? Forum on Collegiate Success students participate in activities, workshops and seminars designed to equip them with the skills they will need to confront the challenges and responsibilities they will face during their first year of college. The Forum begins with an important and valuable skills assessment exercise that scholars will utilize to discover their true strengths, passions, interests and beliefs. Students then focus on developing the natural talents that they already possess. Seminars focus on themes, such as self-identification, self-direction and motivation, which will help students make life-changing decisions.

Students also attend a series of workshops that are designed to help them achieve long and short term goals, enhance interpersonal and communications skills, acquire a sense of financial responsibility, make intentional decisions, form a network of supporters and master time management skills.

Forum on Collegiate Success scholars also focus on understanding contemporary leadership, achieving balance, cultivating study habits and managing stress. The Forum on Collegiate Success concludes with students designing a comprehensive academic, financial and career plan and timeline for their futures and defending their plans in thesis form to peers and faculty advisors.

How many sessions are there? What are the dates? There will be five sessions held during the summer of 2012. Click here for updated session information. If you would like to see a sample schedule for NYLF/CS, click here.

How many students will be in each session? NYLF/CS will admit approximately 72 students per session.

What is the ratio of students to staff members? 12-to-1

Who are the faculty advisors? Forum faculty advisors will have an array of diverse backgrounds, and many will be first or second year law students, lawyers, retired lawyers or teachers. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required of all faculty advisors. The faculty advisors attend a mandatory pre-program training session where they learn the law curriculum and facilitation techniques. NYLF performs complete background checks on all of our staff.

What is the Student Code of Conduct? Click here to read the complete Student Code of Conduct.

Where can I get a sample schedule? Please click here to view a sample schedule, which is provided to demonstrate the pace and composition of a typical session.

What does tuition cover? Tuition covers housing, all meals during the Forum (excluding lunch on arrival day), instruction, program materials, supervisory personnel and all activities throughout the Forum. Students will need money only for any incidentals they wish to purchase.

Does NYLF offer financial assistance?The National Youth Leadership Forum on Collegiate Success is proud to offer a limited number of scholarships to students. Through the scholarship program, NYLF opens the door to young leaders from a variety of backgrounds across the U.S.

How do I apply for a scholarship? If you received a letter and other materials in the mail regarding your nomination to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Collegiate Success, click here to view all available scholarships.

For nominees who are interested in fundraising to help offset the cost of tuition, NYLF has prepared a Sponsorships & Student Fundraising Guide featuring helpful, step-by-step suggestions and activities that enable nominees to fundraise.

Where do I find my Student ID to access the online scholarship application?Your Student ID can be found in the letter and on the Enrollment Application you received in the mail. If you have enrolled in the program, your Student ID can also be found in your Enrollment Materials. When entering your Student ID, be sure to include the dash. (Ex: 1000000-10000000).

If there are a limited number of spaces in the Forum on Collegiate Success and Enrollment Applications are processed in the order in which they are received, what if no spaces are available by the time I am able to accrue full tuition through fundraising? We recognize that fundraising may delay the submission of your application, so we encourage you to contact the Office of Admissions once you initiate fundraising efforts. While we cannot guarantee a space in the Forum, your call will make us aware of your fundraising efforts and intent to attend.

What general security precautions do you take? The safety and well-being of the participants is our highest priority during the Forum. Attendees are supervised by professional forum staff. Nightly room checks are conducted to ensure that all students are safely in their rooms at Forum curfew; floors are single sex and Forum personnel and local security staff patrol the student areas throughout the evening. Students must stay with the Forum at all times unless written permission is given by a student's parent/guardian prior to participation. Private motor coaches are used during the Forum; students never use public transportation. Staff continually monitor outside conditions and implement changes in our programs as necessary. All NYLF staff and participants adhere to security procedures in place at facilities visited.

What time is room check? Forum staff will conduct a room check at 11:00 p.m. each evening. After this room check, participants are required to stay in their rooms.

How can a parent contact a student while she/he is at the Forum? NYLF suggests that families make arrangements in advance regarding phone contact. Students will have very little free time during the Forum and will spend little time in sleeping rooms. Cell phones are permitted at the Forum and may be used during social times. Calling cards are also strongly recommended. In case of an emergency, parents can contact the field office and speak with the office coordinator. The office coordinator will contact the appropriate member of the staff to locate the student and ensure he/she calls home.

The contact information for each field office is available in the Enrolled Students section.

Where will I stay while at the Forum on Collegiate Success? Attendees and staff reside at local universities, hotels or conference centers. The summer 2012 sessions are being housed at the following locations:

• Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel - Stanford University
  Palo Alto, CA


• Johns Hopkins University
  Baltimore, MD


• University of North Carolina
  Chapel Hill, NC


• Yale University
  New Haven, CT


• University of Pennsylvania
  Philadelphia, PA

What are the accommodations like for students while participating in the Forum? All students are housed two to a room, and each student will have his or her own bed. Students are not permitted to room alone. Linens, blankets, pillows and towels will be provided. Students should bring all of the clothing and toiletries they will need for the duration of the Forum. There are no dry cleaning facilities convenient to the forum location. Additionally, we encourage students to bring a cellular phone, as there may not be a telephone in the room; however, it must remain off during scheduled forum activities.

Can I request a roommate? If not, how are roommates selected? Roommate requests are not accepted. We randomly assign rooms and roommates prior to arrival day. This is done to give students the opportunity to get to know their peers from other areas of the country. We strongly believe that learning about - and from - other young leaders from all over the country provides a significant leadership development opportunity.

When should I book my travel arrangements to attend the Forum? Once you have received confirmation that you have been enrolled in your desired session, you can begin making any travel arrangements. Feel free to contact WorldTEK, the official travel agency of the National Youth Leadership Forum, for assistance at (800) 522-1733, or you may book your travel online at www.nylf.org/WorldTEK. WorldTEK will answer any questions you may have regarding your travel, complete all of your travel arrangements and provide your necessary travel documents and materials for the reasonable fee of $28.

Which local airports should students fly into and out of for the Forum on Collegiate Success? For students attending the Forum on Collegiate Success, our staff will be available to meet students at the designated airports in each forum city on the first day of the Forum to meet students when they arrive.

Summer 2012 Session Airports:

• Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
• Raleigh - Durham International Airport (RDU)
• Tweed New Haven Regional Airport (HVN)
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)

Where do I meet the staff at the airport? NYLF staff members will be stationed at the designated airports. Students who complete the Mandatory Pre-Program Information Form at least three weeks prior to the forum will receive a phone call the night before the session start date with detailed information about the meeting location. Students should first retrieve their luggage and then meet at their designated meeting areas. Staff will escort students directly to the shuttle (see below for more information).

Is there a shuttle service provided from the airport? For your convenience, shuttle service between the local airports and the forum location is available for a $50 nonrefundable roundtrip fee. Please note that the fee for the airport shuttle service is still $50 even if you only utilize the shuttle one-way. The first series of shuttles will depart at approximately noon and, thereafter, will run continuously. You can make a shuttle reservation and pay the $50 shuttle fee online by submitting your Mandatory Pre- Program Information Form at www.nylf.org/cs/info.

Can I book my flight directly through NYLF? The National Youth Leadership Forum has selected WorldTEK, a travel management company, to serve as its official travel agency. We highly recommend that NYLF families contact WorldTEK to determine the lowest available airfares and arrange their travel. Click here to learn more.

What is the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan? Each student has the option of enrolling in our Tuition and Travel Protection Plan for an additional fee. This trip cancellation insurance is recommended and can be purchased during enrollment. If you would like to know more specifics about the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan, please call the plan administrator, Nationwide, toll-free at (866) 282-3987.

What kind of spending money will scholars need at the Forum?Scholars will only need money for any incidentals they wish to purchase during the Forum (snacks, phone calls, etc.) as well as lunch before the Forum, so the amount differs for each student.

What is the dress code? To ensure that an excellent reputation and a high standard of professionalism are maintained, all students are expected to exercise discretion and sound judgment in personal appearance and personal habits and to maintain a professional image at the Forum.

What is relaxed professional attire? The following guidelines must be observed when the dress code calls for relaxed professional attire. For men, this includes: Khaki pants or colored dress slacks with collared dress or polo shirts. For women, this includes: Dresses/skirts of medium length or dress pants with blouses or sweaters. Capri pants and sleeveless tops are not considered relaxed professional. Guidelines for shoes (both men and women) are professional, yet comfortable. Tennis shoes or casual sandals (i.e. flip-flops, Birkenstocks) are not acceptable when relaxed professional attire is called for but will be permissible during times that allow casual attire.

What is casual attire? The following guidelines must be observed when the dress code calls for casual attire. Men and Women: Jeans, shorts, T-shirts, tennis shoes, casual sandals, etc. are acceptable. Athletic wear and pajamas are not considered acceptable casual clothing. Also, consistent with our Student Code of Conduct, offensive or inappropriate clothing will not be permitted.

What is the pre-forum assignment DiSC? Is it mandatory? The first step of your Forum on Collegiate Success journey includes a pre-forum assignment called DiSC. One month before the Forum starts, you will receive an e-mail with important information regarding the DiSC assignment. It requires that you complete this assignment before arriving at your forum session. If you have any questions, please contact our Office of Admissions.

Can special dietary needs be met? Vegetarian options are always available, and kosher meals can be made available upon request. Please contact the Office of Admissions to make special request.

What if my scholar loses something or forgets to bring a personal item home after the Forum?All lost and found items are retained by staff for two weeks following the Forum. Items of higher monetary value are retained for 30 days after the Forum concludes. After 30 days, all items remaining are discarded or donated. We strongly recommend following the advice provided in the suggested packing list, which includes placing your student's name on all personal belongings that he or she will be bringing to the Forum.

My question is not listed. If your question is not listed above, please click here to contact the Office of Admissions.