The ENLACE summer research program at UC San Diego aims to encourage the participation of high school and university students in research in the sciences and engineering, while promoting cross-border friendships between Latin America and the United States.
Participants in this program will join a research laboratory at UC San Diego, in a specific area of interest of each participant. The deadline to apply is February 2, 2024. The program brochure can be found at:
http://graeve.ucsd.edu/ENLACE2024_Announcement
High school students currently enrolled in 11th grade of high school are eligible to apply to ENLACE. No other high school students can apply. A University student is any student that will be enrolled in a Bachelor’s program during Spring 2024 and during Fall 2024 (this means that students that are graduating in May or June 2024 are not eligible to apply for participation in ENLACE). For additional information, please review the frequently asked questions found at:
http://graeve.ucsd.edu/ENLACE2024_FAQ
As part of the application, students are required to provide the following documents in PDF format (no other formats will be accepted).
1. Letter of recommendation from a teacher or professor: This letter of recommendation must be from a high school teacher or a university professor, describing academic aptitudes and maturity as a student and as a person. We want to know that the student is motivated, hard-working, and responsible. This letter must be two pages in length. The letter can be in English or Spanish.
2. Letter of recommendation from a parent or legal guardian: This letter of recommendation must be from a parent or legal guardian and must describe the character and capacity of the student to deal with responsibilities and stress. This letter must be two pages in lengthy. The letter can be in English or Spanish.
3. School transcripts: The school transcript must include all coursework completed, grades on all courses, and the overall average. An application with a transcript that does not include this three components will be removed from consideration. The school transcript can be in English or Spanish. Transcripts in the Spanish language do not need to be translated to English.
4. Essay: A two-page essay describing (1) why you want to participate in ENLACE 2024 and (2) what is your specific area of interest. The essay must be in English.
5. Signatures document: The ENLACE 2024 Signatures document must contain signatures that are handwritten. The forms can be found in these links:
Once all documents are ready, they are to be submitted in the online application at:
Student participation fee: $6,000 USD
This fee covers housing, food, field trips, and all other program expenses. This fee does not cover flight costs or visa processing fees.
All students admitted into the program will automatically receive a $1,000 scholarship, even if not applying for a scholarship. This is in an effort to reduce costs for all students.
The deadline date to apply for financial support is February 2, 2024. The application forms can be found at:
As part of the application, students must upload the following signature pages:
University students accepted into the program as chaperones are guaranteed a full scholarship.
As part of the chaperone application, students will have to provide the following documents in PDF format (no other formats will be accepted):
1. Letter of recommendation from university professor: This letter of recommendation should be from a university professor, and it is in addition to the letter of recommendation submitted as part of the application to ENLACE -- must be a different recommender from the letter submitted for the program application. The letter should describe academic aptitudes and maturity as a student and as a person. We want to know that the student is motivated, hard-working, and responsible. This letter must be two pages in length. The letter can be in English or Spanish.
2. A letter of recommendation from a parent or legal guardian: This letter of recommendation must be from a parent or legal guardian and must describe the student's capacities as a chaperone (i.e., responsible, of the highest integrity, punctual, capable of serving as a friend and mentor to high school students). Specific examples of mentoring activities are welcome. The letter must also confirm that the parent is willing to take responsibility for the actions of the student. This letter must be two pages in length. The letter can be in English or Spanish.
3. Essay: This essay needs to describe why the student wants to participate in the program as a chaperone, the student's willingness to engage as a mentor to high school students, and confirm a complete commitment to uphold all program rules and requirements. This essay should be two pages in length and must be in English.
4. Chaperone signature document: The ENLACE 2024 Signature document for chaperones must have signatures that are handwritten. The form can be found here:
Once all documents are ready for submission, the online application form is found at: