Applying for the 2008 World Leadership Congress
Completing the Application
The online application for the 2008 World Leadership Congress (WLC) is now available. Please examine the Eligibility Requirements and General Information before applying.
Apply to be a WLC 2008 Student Return to My Application
Program Fee
The program fee of $1,500 per student covers all logistical needs such as meals, lodging, ground transportation, and venue entrance during the WLC. The program fee does not cover the cost of transportation to and from the WLC. Ambassadors are guaranteed a space at the WLC only if full payment is received while spaces allocated to the ambassador's local site (such as a state leadership seminar or country's program) are available and HOBY has confirmed the ambassador has met all of the eligibility requirements.
HOBY reserves the right to refuse an ambassador's acceptance to the WLC due to non-payment, partial payment, late payment, or a failure to meet all of the eligibility requirements. If an ambassador has paid for the WLC but then is unable to attend, please contact elkoussyn@hoby.org for a refund. Please note that there will be a 10% fee to cover administrative expenses for cancellations within 30 days of the start of the WLC.
Attendance at the WLC is granted on a first-paid-first-served basis, and there is a limit on the number of registrants per local site/country. The maximum number of ambassadors per local sites and countries will be provided on the application. The first few students who apply for one of the allocated slots for their local site or country and pay in full will be awarded the seats, assuming they have met the other eligibility requirements. If you are one of the first students to apply but do not pay in full, your seat is not reserved.
Fundraising
HOBY recognizes the WLC program fee may be cost-prohibitive for some ambassadors and therefore encourages individual fundraising efforts in order to make the program available to as many qualified students as possible.
Beacuse HOBY is recognized as one of the world's most pre-eminent youth leadership programs, fundraising to attend the WLC has been shown to be very effective. To help ambassadors raise the program fee from their local communities, HOBY has created a fundraising guide. Because there is a risk the spot you are hoping to obtain will disappear if you delay payment, HOBY strongly suggests you begin fundraising early so you can apply and pay as soon as possible. The application process will remain open until June 25, so long as there is space available. Many local sites will be sold out in advance of that date, and HOBY will maintain and manage a waiting list for those areas in the event there are last-minute cancellations.
Acceptance
Because the WLC sells out each year, ambassadors are accepted on a first-paid-first-served basis as long as they meet all eligibility requirements, submit their personal application details, and are one of the first 500 people to pay their program fee in full. When HOBY has confirmed all of these factors, the student and his/her parents will be notified of acceptance by e-mail. Early enrollment and full payment of program fee is strongly recommended to secure a spot. It is important to note that if there is a failure to fulfill any one of the requirements - including paying in advance and in full - you will be refunded and not granted a spot at the WLC. Also, please note that HOBY is unable to project in any given years which geographic areas will sell out before others.
If you have any further questions or need assistance, please contact Noora Elkoussy, HOBY's Director of International Programs, at elkoussyn@hoby.org or at (310) 474-4370 ext. 311.