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Admissions > Our Selection Criteria
Our Selection Criteria
Nearly 2,000 students will apply for admission to African Leadership Academy
this year. Our applicant pool includes top performers on national examinations, winners of national
and international math, science, and civics competitions, and young entrepreneurs who have started
businesses in agriculture, computer programming, and jewelry design. Many have achieved despite
incredible hardship: some are orphans who have served as the sole breadwinner for their families,
while others have taught themselves due to high rates of teacher absenteeism. Our applicants
consistently remind us of the incredible power of youth to effect dramatic positive change.
Gap Year and Term Abroad applicants are evaluated using the same selection
criterion applied to our general applicant pool. We look for candidates that meet our five
selection criteria with superlative flair. The criteria are as follows:
Academic Achievement
To succeed in the rigorous and challenging ALA curriculum, students must have demonstrated
mastery of the subject matter taught at the school they attended before entering the Academy. We
expect each applicant to be ranked in the top of their class academically. Our selection committee
will closely review each applicant’s school reports. Finalists will also write an entrance
examination.
Leadership Potential
Strong, ethical leadership can transform organizations, communities, and countries. At
African Leadership Academy we seek young leaders with the potential to transform Africa. Have you
taken on leadership roles in your family, school or community? Is your advice sought when others
make important decisions? Do you assist peers or family members when they need help? If so, then
African Leadership Academy might be a good place for you. We think of leaders as ‘agents of
positive change’. If you have taken concrete steps to change something in your family, school, or
community for the better, then you are already acting as a leader. We encourage you to share with
us the activities in which you participate and the leadership roles you assume at home, in your
school, or in your community, and we hope you will think critically about what “leadership” means
to you.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Entrepreneurs identify needs in the world around them and take action to alleviate those
needs. They start businesses, health clinics, youth organizations, and social movements. They bring
new products and ideas to the world. Their efforts create value and improve lives. Do you often
think about how you can improve the world around you? Do you act when you see a need in your
community? Do you enjoy thinking about new ideas and creating new products? If so, African
Leadership Academy might be a good place for you. We encourage you to celebrate your
entrepreneurial spirit and share your entrepreneurial ideas with us.
Dedication to Public Service
When leaders use their skills for the benefit of their communities, we all benefit. Are you
passionate about uplifting your community? Do you dream of a world in which all people are able to
realize their dreams? Have you demonstrated this passion at school or in your community? If so,
then African Leadership Academy might be the place for you. We hope you will share with us how you
plan to give back to your community and the world.
Passion for Africa
Nelson Mandela once said: “I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its
leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of the continent. I dream of our vast
deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.” Do you have an African dream? Are you
excited by the idea of spending a year in a community of individuals from a wide range of cultural,
ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds from across the continent? Are you excited about
playing a role in making Africa a peaceful and prosperous continent? If so, African Leadership
Academy might be the place for you.
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