2026 ACLU National Advocacy Institute: Washington, D.C.

ACLU National Advocacy Institute: Washington, D.C.
2026 Program Application

Program Application Overview:

Before you start, here is an overview of what to expect in this application.

There are four required parts of the application:

• Contact Information
• Demographic Information
• Long & Short Essays (see below)
• Recommendation Form or Letter of Recommendation

Essay Prompts (REQUIRED):

The application must be completed in one sitting and there is no option to save your progress. Because of this, we recommend that you compose your essays ahead of time in a seperate document and then copy & paste your responses in the spaces provided on the application. Save the document for your records.

Short Essay Prompt:

• Please describe your interest in civil rights and civil liberties. Feel free to include your interest in related topics (e.g. social justice, activism, organizing, advocacy, etc.)
• How did you find out about this program and what do you hope to gain from it? 

Long Essay Prompt: 

Please choose one of the following prompts:

• If you could work with any activist or movement, past or present, who/what would it be and why? What are some of the specific contributions you would make? 
• How do you expect the current political climate to impact you, your community, and your generation? And how does that affect your personal goals?  

Additional Resources:

• Have a recommender complete a Recommendation Form or submit a Letter of Recommendation: Please have a recommender complete a separate recommendation form after you have submitted this application. Alternatively, recommenders may submit a letter of recommendation by emailing institute@aclu.org and including the student applicant's name and student applicant's email address. 
  • Recommenders should be an adult figure that can speak to your character and experience in (or enthusiasm about) advocacy. Examples of an appopriate recommender: teacher, mentor, coach, manager, club advisor, etc. 
• (optional) Apply for Tuition Assistance and/or a Travel Stipend: The cost of tuition of 2026 ACLU National Advocacy Institute: Washington, D.C. is $3,500. The ACLU is committed to ensuring that qualified applicants are able to attend regardless of their socioeconomic status. If you would like to apply for tution assistance and/or a travel stipend, please complete our Tuition Assistance 2026 Application form immediately after submitting this application.
  • Please use the same email address when applying for Tuition Assistance that you used for the Program Application
  • Students will receive information about the status of their application and tuition assistance decisions at the same time. Once admissions decisions are made, there may not be flexibilty in providing assistance. It is important that if you want to apply for tuition asisstance, you do so immediately after completing this application!
• Accommodation for applicants with disabilities: We are committed to making every effort to accommodate applicants with disabilities. Please let us know if you need assistance in the application process by contacting: institute@aclu.org
• Learn more about the ACLU National Advocacy Institute