Yale College has announced a new partnership with the nonprofit organization Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) to host summer programs for talented rising high school seniors from underserved communities. The collaboration will see the final week of LEDA’s Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute, a program focused on leadership training, academic writing, standardized test preparation, and college guidance, taking place at Yale University for the first time this summer.
Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting its significance in fostering a diverse and excellent community. He stated, “This new partnership represents another step toward our goal of building and supporting a community whose excellence is strengthened by its diversity.” Dean Lewis also emphasized the positive impact LEDA participants have had on the Yale campus.
Jeremiah Quinlan, Yale’s dean of undergraduate admissions & financial aid, noted the importance of deepening the university's involvement with LEDA to attract high-performing students from various backgrounds. Quinlan stated, “LEDA is a recognized leader in the national effort to improve college access for low-income students. Deepening our involvement with the organization is one way we can affirm our sustained commitment to identifying and attracting high-performing students of all backgrounds.”
David Garza, LEDA’s executive director, expressed excitement about Yale's commitment to engaging with students from underserved communities to cultivate future leaders. He highlighted the success of previous LEDA Scholars at Yale and expressed confidence that the partnership would empower more rising leaders to pursue academic and professional goals at the institution.
The collaboration builds on the existing "LEDA Legal" program established with Yale Law School in 2023. This new initiative is part of Yale College's efforts to expand outreach to students from diverse backgrounds following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision on the use of race in admissions. The partnership aims to provide deeper exposure to Yale for students from underserved communities and support a culture of belonging within the university.
This year, Yale College received a record number of applications for first-year admission, with a significant portion coming from students who will be the first in their families to attend college and those from neighborhoods with below-average household incomes. This partnership with LEDA reinforces Yale's dedication to creating pathways for promising students from all backgrounds to access higher education opportunities.
