Summer Fellowships: How to Apply

Students manage the application process, and work directly with the organization on necessary information, including a detailed sponsorship letter from the organization.

Find a Qualifying Job

To be considered for a Fellowship, an applicant must first secure a summer opportunity with a social enterprise in the U.S. or abroad. You may apply for one of the posted positions, or create your own position. The HBS Job Bank and the "Guidelines and Suggestions on Search" portion of this website are good places to start. Note that positions are posted for you to be aware of opportunities, but taking a posted position does not guarantee that a fellowship will be granted. See Eligibility and Criteria sections for more details on qualifying criteria for organizations and positions.

Note on Students Finding Their Own Positions: Refer organizations to the For Organizations section of this website. The sections on "Posting a Position" give guidance on structuring a successful summer experience.

Submit Your Application

• HBS Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship Application (Word Document)
• Travel Application (Word document): Students who are traveling to countries on the U.S. State Department Travel Warning list must also complete a Travel Application and return to the Social Enterprise Initiative with their Fellowship application. See "Eligibility" section on process for review. Travel applications will take up to two weeks for a decision, and only students whose Travel Applications are approved will be eligible to receive funding from the School. We recommend that students submit their Fellowship and Travel applications by the April 4 deadline, and have alternate plans should the application not be approved.

Application deadlines for 2012: Applications will be accepted for review on a rolling basis (see schedule below) and decisions will be made on a funds-available basis throughout each period until all funds have been allocated. The program is designed to support approximately 100-120 Fellows. No applications will be accepted after May 2 at 9:00 am.

Students may only have one fellowship application in review at any point. A fellowship is awarded to a student for a specific opportunity, and cannot be transferred to a new opportunity. *The final application deadline for students is May 2 at 9:00 am. We are unable to make exceptions to that deadline, so any students who have questions or concerns regarding the materials needed to meet the final deadline should contact the Social Enterprise Initiative (se@hbs.edu, 617-495-6421) in advance of the May 2 deadline.

Applications must be complete and submitted via email to the Social Enterprise Initiative (see application for specific instructions). Incomplete applications will not be reviewed until all information is submitted. The "Assumption of Risk and General Release Form" must be completed by all applicants and can either be sent via email or submitted in hard copy form to the Social Enterprise Initiative Office. Applications submitted after 9:00 am on a deadline date will be reviewed in the next round. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed until all information is submitted, and no applications will be accepted for review after the final deadline.

If, after receiving your application, the Fellowship Selection Committee needs further information, you may be contacted for some follow-up questions.