John Locke Summer Schools introduce students aged 12–19 to university-level courses in philosophy, politics, economics, history, law, and related subjects. Designed to reflect the rigour of leading undergraduate programmes, they offer an exceptional opportunity to experience university life abroad and to connect with students who share similar academic interests.
Participants will benefit from the demanding curriculum, intensive engagement with other bright students, and close attention from leading academics. The summer schools are not chiefly concerned with communicating facts; instead they seek to nurture intellectual skills and help students cultivate habits of mind to make them a better philosopher, political scientist, economist, legal scholar, or historian, and a better thinker, writer, and speaker.
Location(s)
- Oxford, United Kingdom
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Washington, D.C.
- Princeton, New Jersey
- Singapore
Schedule
- Oxford, UK: July 19 - August 1; August 2 - 12; August 2 - 12; August 16 - 26; August 16 - 26, 2026
- Cambridge, UK: August 9 - 15, 2026
- Boston, MA: July 26 - August 1, 2026
- Washington, D.C.: June 28 - July 8, 2026
- Princeton, NJ: August 9 - 22; August 9 - 15, 2026
- Singapore: June 21-27; July 19 - August 1, 2026
Cost/Compensation
Eligibility Requirements
- Applicants should meet the age requirements of the program to which they are applying
Deadline
- Round 1: March 1, 2026
Application or Entry Requirements
- Completed online application
- One academic reference
- Personal statement of 100-500 words
- Short essay of 100 words or less explaining what is most appealing to you about the John Locke Institute summer schools
- Selected students will complete an interview
Notifications of Decisions
- Rolling; within 2-3 weeks of interview
Financial Aid Details
- 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 £600 or $800.
- 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 typical bursary is worth £1000 or $1250, 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.
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
Have other questions?
The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style. We work to embolden the best and brightest students to become more academically ambitious and more intellectually adventurous. Through our various programs - residential courses, revision seminars, essay competitions, and special events - we inspire students to aim high and we equip them with the skills they need in order to achieve their goals.
