Application Information & FAQs

Prospective Scholars will begin their application on our website. Sophomores can apply to the GWI Intensive Program and opt into consideration for the Internship Track. First-year students are eligible to apply to the GWI Intensive Program and cannot opt in to the Internship Track.

The final deadline to apply to the 2026 Girls Who Invest Intensive Program is October 1, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Girls Who Invest is an inclusive training program for first years and sophomores of all gender identities, including male-identifying students, who have demonstrated a commitment to GWI’s mission. If you meet these requirements, you are encouraged to apply.

To apply to the 2026 Girls Who Invest Intensive Program, you must be attending or transferring to a four-year, accredited U.S. or U.S.-style college or university in the fall of 2025. All applicants must hold first-year or sophomore status, with an expected graduation date between fall 2027 and spring 2029.

Note: Program eligibility is determined by anticipated college graduation date, not by accumulation of credit.

Prospective sophomore applicants can opt into consideration for GWI’s Internship Track, which places Scholars in a pool of candidates for GWI-facilitated matching to frontline investing internships at leading GWI Partner Firms. Please note that being selected for the Internship Track does not guarantee a GWI-facilitated internship. Prospective applicants are notified of their Internship Track status at time of application decision.

Scholars admitted to the GWI Intensive Program AND placed on the Internship Track are eligible for but not guaranteed GWI-facilitated internships at Partner Firms. Most Scholars ultimately selected for internships will also participate in the on-campus component of the Summer Intensive Program held at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton campus in June 2026. Their GWI-facilitated internship will immediately follow the on-campus experience and is expected to last through mid-August.

However, as noted below, GWI-facilitated internships may also be affiliated with the Online Intensive Program.

Prospective Scholars looking to apply to the Summer Intensive Program should apply to the GWI Intensive Program and opt into consideration for the Internship Track. Admitted Scholars on the Internship Track will have the opportunity to be considered for internships at GWI Partner Firms. Most Scholars ultimately selected for GWI-facilitated internships will participate in the on-campus component of the Summer Intensive Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School prior to their internship, though a small number may participate in the Online Intensive Program.

Scholars on the Internship Track can expect to hear about their internship status through Girls Who Invest on a rolling basis from January through April.

Most Scholars will transition directly from the GWI Intensive Program to the Online Intensive Program in the spring at the conclusion of the unified curriculum. This will generally be the experience for Scholars with any of the following statuses:

• Did not opt into consideration for the Internship Track at time of application

• Were not selected for the Internship Track at time of admission

• Were placed on the Internship Track but not ultimately matched with a GWI-facilitated internship*

*Note: GWI will also facilitate internship matches for a small number of OIP participants.

Sophomores currently attending two-year U.S. colleges who are transferring to a four-year college or university for their junior year are eligible to apply to the GWI Intensive Program. At the time of application, students must submit one of the following:

• a letter of transfer admission/conditional admission; or

• confirmation of enrollment in a direct transfer program; or

• a detailed transfer application plan that includes school names and respective transfer application timelines.

Please note: admission to the GWI Intensive Program is contingent upon transfer to a U.S. or U.S.-style four-year college or university for the fall 2026 term. Confirmation of enrollment will be required of admitted Scholars by no later than June 1, 2026.

Girls Who Invest does not limit or exclude applications according to citizenship status. Be advised that the majority of internship matches facilitated by Girls Who Invest require unrestricted authorization to work in the U.S. and will not be filled by students on Curricular Practical Training (CPT), or by those who would otherwise need visa sponsorship in the future (i.e., STEM OPT, H-1B, TN, E-3, etc.).

This is most relevant for students opting into consideration for the Internship Track. The GWI Intensive Program is largely a remote, educational experience, and has no participation restrictions related to work authorization.

Yes! We encourage students from all majors to apply. More than 100 distinct majors are represented in our Alumni community of over 3,200 students.

As part of your application, you will need to submit the following:

• Complete online application form including two short answer prompts

• Resumé detailing work experience and extracurricular involvement

• One written essay of 350-500 words (prompt within the application)

• One-minute pre-recorded video (instructions within the application)

• (Sophomores) Most recent college transcript

• (First-Years) Complete high school transcript

• (Internship Track Applicants Only) Two feedback forms from applicant-designated references

*Unofficial transcripts can be considered in the application review process.

No, you can save your application and come back to it as many times as you need, as long as it is completed and submitted by the appropriate deadline.

Applicants opting into consideration for the internship track must designate two references at the time of application submission. However, you can submit your online application before your references complete their feedback forms. All materials must be submitted by the final application deadline - October 1, 2025. 

Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but only once all required materials are received, including reference feedback forms. We recommend that you inform your references when you have submitted your application and of the final application deadline to ensure that your application can be reviewed without delay. 

Please consider the following expectations when identifying your two references.

• A feedback form will take your reference approximately 30 minutes to complete.

• References will be asked to provide information including, but not limited to:

  • Context of your relationship

  • Assessments of your intellectual, personal, and professional qualities and skills, including strengths, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability

Reference feedback forms can be submitted by anyone who can speak to these qualities. Examples of appropriate references include:

• Current or past academic instructors (e.g., professors, teaching assistants, tutors, recent high school instructors - these do not need to be related to finance)

• School administrators (e.g., college or club advisors, school counselors, principals, deans, or similar roles)

• Current or past employers or supervisors

• Coaches or mentors

• Religious, political, or other community leader

At least one reference should be a person you have interacted with while enrolled in college. We encourage a variety of perspectives but do not have a preference for particular combinations of relationships, provided that both references fall into the above categories.

We do not request standardized test scores.

Decisions will be released on a rolling basis as applications are submitted and reviewed. The final application deadline for the 2026 Girls Who Invest Intensive Program is October 1, 2025. Applications submitted on or around the final deadline can anticipate receiving a decision in mid-November.

No, you can apply to Girls Who Invest free of charge.

A one-minute introduction video is required for all applicants. Videos should be natural and conversational, and reflect minimal production value (i.e., no music, backgrounds, filters, or other special effects). Applicants are asked to respond to a general prompt about themselves and their experiences within the allotted time frame, and should not plan to speak to individual internships or asset class preference. More details about requirements and formatting, as well as a sample video, can be found within the application.

First-year applicants are required to submit a complete high school transcript for an application to be considered for the program, including any national examination results that are considered a graduation requirement in the country where you attended high school, if applicable. Please reach out to your high school Registrar’s Office to ask for a copy of your transcript. Most schools are required to keep records of students even after they graduate. If you are unable to get a copy of your high school transcript, we may accept alternative documentation including report cards, on a case-by-case basis, as approved by the GWI Recruiting & Admissions Team.

Note: For sophomore applicants, only a complete college transcript is required.

Through our online application, you will provide email contacts for your references, who will receive instructions directly from GWI on how to submit their feedback forms.

First-Year applicants are required to submit a complete high school transcript (grades 9-12 or equivalent coursework), including any national examination results that are considered a graduation requirement in the country where you attended high school, if applicable.

Sophomore applicants are required to submit a complete college transcript.

Unofficial transcripts (high school or college, as required) can be considered in the application review process.