FAQs

Sponsored by the Department of State’s U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program offers undergraduate and graduate scholarships for accomplished students who represent the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s cultural, religious, and geographic diversity. The Program aims to serve students from socioeconomically underserved backgrounds who demonstrate strong leadership potential but lack the means to obtain an American-style education.

The Tomorrow’s Leaders program partners with prominent U.S.-accredited universities in the MENA region to build a diverse and dynamic network of future changemakers. Through the high-quality education provided by our partner institutions—the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, and the American University in Cairo—program participants are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills for leadership at local, regional, and national levels.

The Tomorrow’s Leaders Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) with funding provided by the U.S. Government. FHI 360, a nonprofit human development organization, is the cooperating agency that administers the outreach and application processes on behalf of MEPI.

The American University of Beirut (AUB)
The American University in Cairo (AUC)
The Lebanese American University (LAU)

All applicants must be willing to attend any of the three universities. While students will have the opportunity to indicate their preferred university, final admission decisions will be made based on each university’s admission requirements.

Students can find more information about the programs of study available at each of the participating universities here.

Please note: medical school is not an eligible program of study

• Tuition and enrollment fees (for a maximum period of four academic years for undergraduate students and two academic years for graduate students)
• University health insurance
• Entrance visa and residency permit fees
• Student housing
• Monthly living stipend when participating in TL activities
• Textbook allowance
• Laptop (for use for the duration of the program)
• Two round-trip tickets to home country, territory, or place of residence per year
• Civic leadership and career-oriented workshops
• Internship opportunities
• Faculty mentorship and guidance
• An opportunity to study at a university in the United States (undergraduate students only)
• An opportunity to participate in graduate assistantships or research assistantships (master’s students only)
  
  

Tomorrow’s Leaders undergraduate students may be eligible to apply for a semester abroad in the United States.

Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen.

The Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate Program accepts applications from current high school students or those that graduated in 2023. For applicants from Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Iraq, the Program accepts applications from current high school students or those who graduated high school in 2021 or 2022. Applicants who graduated in 2020 or earlier are not eligible to apply.

University partners review these situations on a case-by-case basis. If you decide to apply, please include copies of any undergraduate transcripts you have to date. Please also include information about why you want to make this transition in your personal statement.

Yes, you can submit your online application using your national ID card. If you are shortlisted, you will be advised to apply for a passport.

Yes, you can apply with proof of citizenship from one of the twelve countries/territories.

No. U.S. citizens and U.S. legal permanent residents are not eligible to apply.

Yes, you are eligible if you are not a legal permanent resident of the United States.

Yes. Palestinian applicants living in the West Bank or Gaza should apply under West Bank/Gaza even if they have a passport from a different country.

The Tomorrow’s Leaders Program follows the standards set by our partner universities for admission criteria. Generally, applicants should have an 80% or better across their academic history. Tomorrow’s Leaders applicants are evaluated for selection by several criteria, including academic history, English language proficiency, leadership potential, and socioeconomic disadvantage.

All completed applications will be considered, however students must meet the admission requirements of our partner universities. Generally speaking, you should have passing grades (80% or better) in whatever grading system your school uses. If you feel your application will be weaker in one area, we suggest you show how you are stronger in other areas. You may also want to address, as a part of your personal statement, why your grades were low and what you will do differently if you are accepted into the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program.

Yes, Tomorrow’s Leaders students are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 0 – 4.0 scale) throughout their years of study to remain in good standing.

The launch date of the online application is August 30, 2023. The deadline to submit the applications is November 30, 2023, at 11:59 pm EST.

A complete application will include:

• All applicable sections of the application
• Personal statement that allows the student to select one of three prompts to complete 500 words or upload a 5- to 6-minute video
• Social Responsibility Essay, with a 500-word limit response
• Official transcripts:
  • If applying for the Undergraduate program, transcripts for grades 10 and 11 (and 12 when available) of your secondary school and your graduation certificate/diploma. An unofficial translation of these documents should be provided if they are not in English.
  • If applying for the Graduate program transcripts from your undergraduate studies and graduation certificate/degree. An unofficial translation of these documents should be provided if they are not in English.
• Documentation of extracurricular and/or volunteer activities
• Tomorrow’s Leaders Application Financial Statement
• Results of a brief online English assessment completed when filling out the application. Please use the same email address to register for the English exam as you use for your Tomorrow’s Leaders log in.
• Two recommendations will be required. Recommenders will be sent requests automatically through the application system. Please have the email addresses, if available, of your recommenders available when filling out the application.

If your application is selected to move forward to the next round you will additionally need to provide the following:

• English proficiency results from TOEFL or IELTS, which can be submitted after application submission but no later than March 8, 2024
• SAT I or SAT II score sheet (required for select majors and students who attend American-style high schools) to be submitted no later than March 15, 2024

All documents can be uploaded to our online application system. If you have trouble uploading your documents to the online application system, please e-mail help@tomorrowsleadersprogram.org.

Students who graduated from high school in 2023 must upload their official transcripts from grades 10, 11, and 12 through the online application. Students who are currently in their 12th year of high school must upload their official transcripts from grades 10 and 11. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit their year grade 12 transcripts as soon as they are available. Students applying for Tomorrow’s Leaders Graduate Program must submit their undergraduate transcripts, but are not required to submit their high school transcripts.

The best person to provide a recommendation is someone who knows your academic history and/or your extra-curricular engagement. They should have interacted with you significantly and should be able to share about your character. Teachers, school administrators, and coaches are examples of appropriate recommenders. Supervisors of volunteer or community work may also provide recommendations. At least one recommendation must come from an academic reference.  Friends and family members may not serve as recommenders. Strong leadership potential and academic performance are important selection criteria for the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program, and the recommender should provide a positive endorsement that enables the admissions committee to better understand the applicant’s full personality and character. The recommendation form can play a crucial role in supporting your application. Make sure your recommenders know they will be receiving an email from noreply@embark.com

Recommendations are submitted through the online application under the “Letters of Recommendation” section of the application, where you are able to enter each recommender’s email address. After you enter the emails and when you select “Save and Next,” they will receive an email from noreply@embark.com with a link for them to complete an online recommendation. Please note that two recommendations are required. There is an option for recommenders to fill out a printable form that you may upload to the application. This option is available only for those recommenders who do not have access to the internet or who are unable to complete the form that is emailed to them through the application. This is not our preferred method of receiving recommendations.

There is an option for recommenders to fill out a printable form that you may upload to the application. Instructions for submitting the downloadable recommendation form are linked in the “Letters of Recommendation” section of the application. This option is available only for those recommenders who do not have access to the internet or who are unable to complete the form that is emailed to them through the application. This is not our preferred method of receiving recommendations. If you need to use the downloadable form, please download and print the form, ask the recommender to complete the form, and then upload the form using the upload button next to that recommender’s name in the “Letters of Recommendation” section of the application. If you do not have access to a scanner, you may upload a photo taken with your phone or other device.

The Tomorrow’s Leaders Application Financial Statement must be downloaded, completed, signed, and uploaded for every application.

Please include the original documents in Arabic or any other language along with an English translation. The best option would be to have the documents officially translated and notarized. If that option is not possible, please include an unofficial English translation (you can do this translation yourself). Misrepresentation of any of your application documents or transcripts will be grounds for immediate disqualification from consideration for the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program.

You do not need to take the TOEFL or IELTS to submit your application to the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program. All applicants are required to take a free online English assessment provided by Arizona State University (ASU) as part of the Tomorrow’s Leaders application. Once you begin your application, you will be provided with a link to the ASU assessment. If you are a shortlisted finalist for the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program, we will contact you in January 2024 and ask you to take the TOEFL or IELTS. Shortlisted finalists are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS to confirm their English language skills before selections are confirmed. You must submit your results by March 8, 2024. The program will cover testing costs for shortlisted finalists. If you have already taken the TOEFL or IELTS and the results are less than 2 years old, you may submit those results when applying before November 30, 2023.

The Arizona State University (ASU) is an English language assessment which evaluates listening, reading comprehension, and grammar skills. Students should take the ASU assessment only once. We recommend taking the ASU assessment in a quiet place with a good internet connection where you can concentrate and not be distracted for approximately 30 minutes. If you lose power or the internet drops while you are taking the ASU assessment, you will be able to start over once you are able to login again.

The Tomorrow’s Leaders Program is for undergraduate and graduate programs with course work instruction in the English language. For students to succeed, they need to be able to speak, comprehend, and write in English at the university level.

Acceptance of the Duolingo English assessment varies among our university partners. LAU accepts the Duolingo English assessment for both undergraduate and graduate applicants; AUB only accepts the Duolingo English assessment for graduate applicants; and AUC does not accept the Duolingo English assessment. If you have already taken the assessment, you may upload your results with your application. All applicants are required to take the Arizona State University (ASU) English language assessment as part of the Tomorrow’s Leaders application due November 30, 2023. Shortlisted candidates will likely still have to take the TOEFL prior to March 8, 2024.

Each Tomorrow’s Leaders partner university has different requirements for the SAT. If you have an American High School Diploma or are interested in any of the listed programs below, or want to be considered for American University of Beirut you should plan on taking the SAT.

The American University of Beirut (AUB)
AUB requires the SAT for all undergraduate applicants.

• Science track – 1250 minimum score required
• Liberal Arts track – 1170 minimum score required

The American University in Cairo (AUC)
AUC requires the SAT for undergraduate applicants who have an American High School Diploma. If you have an American High School Diploma, then you must have a minimum combined score of 950 on the SAT. AUC requires the SAT if you are applying for any of the following majors:

• Engineering programs – 560 minimum Math score required
  (no minimum Evidence-based reading, no minimum Writing)
• Actuarial Science – 560 minimum Math score required
  (no minimum Evidence-based reading, no minimum Writing)
• Data Science – 560 minimum Math score required
  (no minimum Evidence-based reading, no minimum Writing)
• Computer Science – 560 minimum Math score required
  (no minimum Evidence-based reading, no minimum Writing)
• AUC does NOT require the SAT if you are not applying to any of the majors listed above AND if you do not have an American High School Diploma.

The Lebanese American University (LAU)
LAU requires the SAT for undergraduate applicants who have an American High School Diploma. LAU requires the SAT if you are applying to any of the following majors:

• Biology (B.S.) – 1050 minimum score required
• Bioinformatics (B.S.) – 1000 minimum score
• Nutrition & Dietetics-Coordinated Program (B.S.) – 1050 minimum score
• Graphic Design (B.F.A.) – 1000 minimum score
• Interior Design (B.F.A.) – 1000 minimum score
• Fine Arts (B.A) – 870 minimum score
• Nursing (B.S.) – 1000 minimum score
• Civil Engineering (B.E.) – 1150 overall with 600 minimum in Math
• Computer Engineering (B.E.) – 1150 overall with 600 minimum in Math
• Electrical Engineering (B.E.) – 1150 overall with 600 minimum in Math
• Industrial Engineering (B.E.)  – 1150 overall with 600 minimum in Math
• Mechanical Engineering (B.E.) – 1150 overall with 600 minimum in Math
• Mechatronics (B.E.) – 1150 overall with 600 minimum in Math 
• Petroleum Engineering (B.E.) – 1150 overall with 600 minimum in Math

LAU does NOT require the SAT if you are not applying to any of the majors listed above AND if you do not have an American High School Diploma.

After your application is submitted, your application will be reviewed for initial English proficiency, academic achievement, socioeconomic profile as well as leadership experience and potential. Shortlisted candidates will be notified at the beginning of January 2024 to attend online interviews in January and complete TOEFL or IELTS testing, if necessary. Offers of acceptance to the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program will begin in May 2024 and continue on a rolling basis until all openings are filled.

Shortlisted candidates will be notified by the beginning of January 2024 and scheduled for interviews in January 2024. Final selections will begin being notified in May 2024 and continue on a rolling basis until all openings are filled.

Applicants to the Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate Program do not need to submit a separate application to the American University of Beirut (AUB), the American University in Cairo (AUC), or the Lebanese American University (LAU). Applicants to the Tomorrow’s Leaders Graduate Program are required to apply to their preferred degree program(s) at AUB and AUC separately, in addition to applying to the Tomorrow’s Leaders application. You are not required to complete a separate application for LAU.