SELECTIVE ENTRY
The key ingredient in what makes the John Locke summer schools special is not our distinguished faculty, and it's not our innovative, intensive teaching techniques: it's our students.
​
In order to bring together a diverse group of talented students, ready to challenge and inspire each other, we work very hard to attract the best quality applications from all over the world. Each year we receive around three applications per place. Our Director of Admissions then makes a decision based on the two components of the selection process, below:
​
PArt i: WRITTEN APPLICATION
You should submit a written application via our website. This gives you the opportunity to show us that you are bright, curious, open-minded and ambitious.
Your school grades should be included in your application. In recent years the median student admitted to our summer schools has earned, or is predicted to earn, the highest possible grades in nine or ten subjects at GCSE, or a GPA in the top decile of students.
Your academic record, though, is one of the least important things about your application, and every year we accept several students whose grades do not reflect their potential, so please use the written application to tell us about why you would be great for our course, and why our course would be great for you.
​
PART II: ADMISSIONS INTERVIEW
At least two-thirds of all candidates are then invited to interview with our Academic Director or one of our other senior faculty members. This interview normally takes place at your school or online, via Zoom, and should take 20 to 25 minutes. It is intended to test how you listen, how you think, and how you formulate and present arguments. A successful candidate will demonstrate precision of thought, intellectual flexibility, responsiveness to new information, and logical discipline. We hope you will find the interview exciting, as this is a good indication that you will enjoy our courses.
We will write to you with an admissions decision within two weeks of the interview.
​
Regrettably, it is not possible to review admissions decisions, though unsuccessful candidates are encouraged to submit another application the following year.
Financial Aid
One in five students at the John Locke Institute summer schools will receive some form of financial support from a philanthropic trust created by the Institute.
If we encounter a student of unusually high ability, or a student who will significantly add to the intellectual, social or cultural diversity of our community, we will invite that student to submit an application for a merit-based scholarship. This will involve writing an essay of 1500 - 2000 words and sometimes an additional interview, this time with our Director. These scholarships are worth £800 or $1,000.
For scholarship recipients from low-income families, this award can be topped up by a means-tested bursary. Means-tested bursaries are awarded to candidates whose financial circumstances make it difficult or impossible to afford the full fees. A merit-based scholarship topped up by a means-tested bursary is typically worth between £1,000 and £2,000 or between $1,250 and $2,500, but the exact value is determined at the sole discretion of the Financial Aid Committee, whose deliberations are confidential.
Before submitting a financial aid application, candidates must first be accepted to one of our courses.
ALUMNI GRANTS
John Locke alumni (students who attended one or more of our courses in the past) and their brother and/or sister can apply for our summer school(s) at reduced fees.
​
-
Alumni Grant: 20%
​
-
Sibling Grant: 10%
​
-
Ambassador Grant: 40% (which includes the alumni grant)
​
Our alumni-ambassadors help us to raise the profile of the Institute with their schools, their friends and the public, and our donors contribute funds to subsidise the fees for our ambassadors to attend future courses.
If you become a John Locke ambassador you would receive a forty percent reduction in summer school fees. In order to be eligible for the ambassador grant we would ask you to meet some conditions. Please email admissions@johnlocke.com to request further details. You are automatically eligible for the twenty percent alumni scholarship, of course, even if you don't become an ambassador.
From the Office of Admissions
I am honoured to contribute to the cultivation of intellectual curiosity and excellence in the next generation of thinkers and leaders by selecting the brightest students to join the John Locke Institute community.
The John Locke Institute is where exceptional students meet with world-class professors to develop listening and thinking skills, refine powers of expression, and enhance understanding of how the world works - and how it should work.
If you would like to join our community of like-minded students in Oxford, Princeton, Washington DC or Singapore, I kindly invite you to apply for one of our courses.
Our team is happy to address all your inquiries and guide you through the application process, helping you take the first step towards joining the Institute and an inspiring community that will not only expand your knowledge but also challenge your beliefs and propel you toward new achievements.
We look forward to welcoming you among our passionate learners and future leaders.
​
Best wishes,
Victoria Kapeliushna
Director of Admissions
Princeton: +1 (609) 608-0543 . Oxford: +44 (0)1865 566166 . admissions@johnlocke.com
Application Form
​
Q. How can I apply to your summer school(s)?
A. You can complete an application form on our website, and we will contact you within two weeks to schedule an interview.
​
Q. What is the word limit for the personal statement within my application form?
A. Your personal statement cannot accede 500 words.
Q. What should I mention in the “Reference Details” section of the application form?
A. Please provide the name and contact details of an academic referee who can answer questions about your suitability for a programme such as ours, in the event that our admissions team would like more information.
Q: Should my academic referee email a reference letter to the John Locke Institute?
A: No, we will be sending an email to your academic referee with all the necessary instructions on how to submit a reference. Please ensure that you obtain consent from your academic referee to provide their contact details within the application form.
​
Q. What if I made a mistake in the application form?
A. Email us at admissions@johnlocke.com, and we will help. Please do not submit a new application.
​
Q. What should I do if I lose the link that allows me to submit my application at a later date?
A. Please email us at admissions@johnlocke.com to retrieve the link.
​
Q. Can I change course after I submit my application?
A. Please email us at admissions@johnlocke.com within the earliest opportunity, if you would like to change your registration. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to transfer your registration, but we will certainly try!
​
Q. Can I attend more than one summer school?
A. Yes. Please indicate which courses you would like to be considered for when you lodge your application.
​
Q. Will I receive an acknowledgement that my application was submitted successfully?
A. You will be redirected to a "Thank You" page on our website, as soon as you successfully submit your application. You will also receive a confirmation email. If the window doesn't pop up or you didn’t receive a confirmation email, please email us at admissions@johnlocke.com, so we can confirm that we successfully received your application.
Interview Process
​
Q. When will I receive an invitation to an interview?
A. If your application meets our requirements, you will normally be invited for an interview within two weeks of the submission date.
​
Q. How should I prepare for my interview?
A. After you receive an interview invitation, our Director of Admissions will send you a short video, where she will tell you what you should do to prepare.
Q: Can I reschedule my interview?
A: Yes, you can reschedule it using a link on the interview confirmation email you received. Please use the rescheduling function and refrain from rescheduling an interview less than 24 hours in advance. Please do not book a new interview if you already have a booking, either reschedule it or cancel the first to book a new one. Please note that multiple bookings and/or missed interview may result in disqualification of your application.
​
Q: I don’t see a suitable time on the Calendly link you sent me, what should I do?
A: Please keep an eye on the Calendly link we have sent you as we are constantly updating our availability. Refrain from emailing us about such issues unless we send you a reminder to book your interview.
​
Q: I cannot see the interview link after booking, where is it?
A: The interview link can, at times, be in your junk, spam, or promotions folders. Please look into those folders, and or search for "John Locke Institute" and you should be able to locate it. If you still cannot find it, please email us at admissions@johnlocke.com.
​
Admissions Decision
​
Q. When will I receive an admissions decision?
A. We typically send admissions decisions within three weeks of the interview. If you do not hear back from us within this timeframe, please email us at admissions@johnlocke.com.
​
Q. What if I have not received any emails from you? Does it mean that my application was unsuccessful?
A. We send admissions decisions to all the candidates, so if you didn’t receive any emails from us, please check your inbox, including the spam folder, again. If you can’t find any emails, please email us at admissions@johnlocke.com.
​
Q. Who can I contact if I need help understanding which course would suit me best?
A. Please email us at admissions@johnlocke.comand one of our admissions officers will get back to you as soon as possible.
​
Financial Aid
​
Q. Can I apply for a scholarship?
A. You can apply for a scholarship only after being accepted onto a course. Once you receive an acceptance letter, you can email us at admissions@johnlocke.com asking to be considered for financial aid.
​
Q: Will I get a payment extension when I apply for financial aid?
A: Yes, you will be given a payment extension should you be applying for financial aid.
​
Summer Schools
​
Q. Can I apply to your summer school(s) if I have participated in a John Locke course in a previous year?
​A. Yes! We love to see alumni coming back. Please submit an application form on our website. You will have the opportunity on the form to tell us if you have attended one of our courses in the past.
​
Q: When do we get to pick the electives for the Oxford Summer School?
​A: More information will be provided as we near the summer school and we will do our best to accommodate everyone’s choices.
​
Q: Where can I find more information about the course? Do you have a schedule?
​A: The scheduling of our programmes are currently in the works, however, you are more than welcome to browse through our website for more information about our summer schools. Our social media pages will also provide more information that you may be looking for.
​
Q: Who will be conducting the lectures and seminars in the programmes?
A: Our programmes are delivered by world-class, high profile lecturers. You can browse through some of our faculty from previous courses here.
​
If you have a question which is not included in the FAQs above, please send us an email at admissions@johnlocke.com and we will do our best to help you. Please be aware that, at certain times of the year, it may take up to seven days to answer your message. If your question is urgent, please phone us.