NSLI-Y Application Tips: How to Get Accepted

The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is a fully-funded U.S. Department of State program that sends American high school students abroad to study critical languages. It's one of the most competitive and prestigious programs available to high schoolers — and one of the best things you can put on a college application, especially when paired with strong extracurriculars.

As a former NSLI-Y Summer Scholar, here's what I wish someone had told me before I applied.

What NSLI-Y Actually Looks For

NSLI-Y is not looking for the "best" student on paper. They're looking for students who demonstrate genuine curiosity about other cultures, maturity to live abroad independently, and a commitment to using language skills in service of cross-cultural understanding. Your GPA and test scores matter less than your essays.

The Essays Are Everything

The NSLI-Y application has several short essay prompts. Here's how to approach them:

• Be specific about why this language. Don't say you want to learn Arabic because it's important for international relations. Say what specific experience, conversation, or moment made you want to understand this language and its speakers.
• Show adaptability. They're sending you to live with a host family in another country. Give concrete examples of times you adapted to unfamiliar situations — even small ones.
• Connect language to your future. NSLI-Y is a State Department program. They want to fund students who will use these language skills. Be honest about your goals, but show that you've thought about how this language fits into your life beyond the program.
• Don't oversell your language ability. Many successful applicants are beginners. Honesty about your current level shows maturity.

The Interview

If you advance to the semifinal round, you'll have an interview. This is a conversation, not an interrogation. They want to see that you're the same person in person as you are on paper. Be yourself, be curious, and ask questions back. The students who treat it like a genuine exchange tend to do better than those who come with memorized answers.

Which Language to Choose

NSLI-Y offers Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish. If you have a genuine connection to or interest in a specific language, choose that one. If you're open, consider that less commonly applied-to languages (like Indonesian, Tajiki, or Turkish) may have slightly less competition — but only apply for a language you're genuinely excited about.

How NSLI-Y Helps Your College Application

NSLI-Y is a Department of State fellowship program with an acceptance rate under 10%. Getting in is a significant achievement on its own. But the real value is what it does for your application narrative: you can write about living abroad, navigating cultural differences, and developing language skills in a way that demonstrates exactly the kind of growth and independence that admissions officers value.

Timeline

• October-November: Application opens. Start early — the essays take time.
• January: Application deadline (exact date varies by year).
• February-March: Semifinalists notified, interviews scheduled.
• April-May: Final decisions released.
• June-August (summer) or academic year: Program abroad.