Economics for Leaders (EFL): Overview
by
Indigo Research Team
&
Published:
May 2, 2024
Last Updated:
September 11, 2024
Economics for Leaders Summer Program explores vital economic concepts and helps develop leadership competencies. This program provides a distinctive combination of engaging lectures, team activities, and real-world applications.
Organized by the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE), the EFL program explores a unique intersection of economics and public policy that excites Economics lovers.
This selective EFL Summer Program aims to equip promising students with leadership skills to apply economic analysis to public policy decisions.
High school students currently enrolled as sophomores and juniors are eligible for the Summer EFL Program 2024. Since the admissions are competitive, students exhibiting leadership potential, maturity, and a keen vision of the future make it to the program.
Carefully selected, the EFL participants are an intelligent bunch who can benefit from this distinctive educational experience. Since the spots are limited, students are encouraged to apply early to increase their chances of being accepted to their preferred site.
Depending on the on-campus restrictions, 25-40 students are accepted at each site. As part of your application, you will be required to submit:
International students can also apply with additional requirements to support their application.
The EFL Economics for Leaders course outlines economic concepts, reasoning, and leadership theory. The EFL program aims to prepare the next generation of leaders to face a world full of complex public policy challenges.
Economics for Leaders (EFL) offers an unmatched learning opportunity, evidenced by a whooping ninety percent recommendation rate among 2023 participants.
Without a doubt, the program is competitive. The Economics for Leaders’s acceptance rate is low as there are roughly two applicants for each open spot. Students who have attended pre-college programs like EFL catch the eye of admission officers as competitive applicants.
The program is led by highly skilled economics professors and leaders who have proven worthy with their teaching effectiveness and expertise.
These experts smoothly wire the participants' brains to the “economic way of thinking” and develop leadership skills in a fun-filled manner.
There is a virtual and an on-site version of the program. The main EFL programs are:
Referred to as in-person or residential programs, the Economics for Leaders program is a one-week program hosted between June and July on different campus sites nationwide. The slots for this highly demanded program fill quickly.
The FTE residential student program costs $2,300 (room and board), and scholarships are available. The students have to bear the transportation cost.
The four-day virtual program runs in several sessions in June and July; the applications usually close in May. The EFL Virtual Program costs $800 plus a $35 processing fee.
Taught over Zoom, the program offers five-hour sessions Monday through Friday where students participate in class and complete their home assignments. Every day, there are four program sessions with a 40-minute break.
Other than these, there are two more programs offered:
While you are looking at economics programs, you could also enrich your knowledge by doing academic research. Have a look at the economic courses offered by Indigo’s IRIS program.
ProTip: Check out this guide by EFL to seek assistance regarding payments.
The program teaches ten topics and uses the context of ‘5 Economic Reasoning Propositions (ERPs)’ to elaborate on the application of these topics:
Additionally, the Leadership Pyramid Matrix is used to teach leadership topics.
Now, let’s explore the benefits of the program.
If you want to learn how economics and public policies interact with limited exposure to the subjects, then this program provides a compact but challenging experience.
The Economic for Leaders program will give you an idea of whether you want to pursue research in this domain or build a passion project. It will also help you select your majors and minors in college.
The nature of the program is application-oriented. This is in sync with public policy, which is about decision-making, just like economics.
If funds are limited, you can avail of the virtual option, which saves you the cost of board and traveling.
Moreover, the residential program offers competitive pricing compared to other pre-college programs that have the same duration. You can always avail of the early bird discount.
Partnered with the Department of Economics at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, EFL offers undergraduate credit which students can earn by participating in the program.
However, you would be required to pay an additional fee of $244, payable to the University of Colorado. It is important to note that this credit will not count towards an economics major as it is considered an elective course.
If you are looking for programs that can validate your EFL learning outcomes, it's an excellent opportunity to earn that extra credit. But not so much if you want college credit to add to your GPA.
Another alternative to earning college credits is by joining the IRIS Program this summer. By completing a research paper with Indigo, you will have a chance to present at a prestigious academic conference and earn college credits from the University of California Santa Barbara.
Irrespective of the program choice, you get to network with high school students from around the globe. The Foundation for Teaching Economics also attracts impressive mentors in economics. You can expect to learn under the supervision and guidance of outstanding faculty and may even find a long-term mentor.
The residential program will further add to your experience and give you a flavor of the campus life. Since the in-person program is run on multiple campuses, you may find your dream college on the list for you to pick.
The Economics for Leaders is an excellent program that would get you acquainted with substantial background knowledge if you are looking for budget-friendly options for an introductory course in economics. Improve your scholar profile and economic or public policy abilities with this research mentorship program. It will give you the necessary exposure required for solid understanding.
If you are interested in conducting university-level research in economics, consider joining the IRIS Program. From outlining ideas to publishing your findings, Indigo has crafted a curriculum specifically for high-achieving students, designed to make your college application stand out. This research program will help you build your expertise and deepen your intellectual curiosity.
