Congratulations on your admission into the Data and Policy Summer Scholar (DPSS) Program! This information will help guide and prepare you for the program. We invite admitted students to engage with the UChicago community before the program begins and prepare themselves for their seven-week study.
If you have not applied, then check out the DPSS Admissions & Fees page for guidance on submitting an application.
Before the program begins, you will be invited to events exclusive for admitted students.
This event schedule is as follows:
These informational sessions cover of Steps to Enroll, which includes but not limited to how to set up your UChicago email, when to submit final payment, etc. schedule of community resources, and more. Preview these steps further down on this webpage. . Admitted students received invitations and access to the webinar recording.
Socialize and network with the UChicago community in Gathertown - a virtual space where you can walk and talk to people based on proximity. GatherTown is a unique video-conferencing platform that simulates an in-person environment where you can move around and interact with different people. You will connect with DPSS admitted students, alumni, staff and other UChicago community members.
Engage with DPSS alumni, UChicago community members, and program staff at a number of events set before your session begins.
Register to attend an upcoming event and watch past conversations with faculty and alumni!
Contact us at harriscredential@uchicago.edu to schedule a call, we love to hear from you!
The first step is to officially accept your offer of admission. Your electronic admission letter will link you to the Admission Reply Form. Complete the one-question form by the deadline listed in your admission letter. Failure to reply and submit the deposit by the deadline listed in your admission letter will be viewed as voluntarily giving up your seat to attend the program.
After accepting the electronic admission letter, you will submit a $1000 USD enrollment deposit to confirm your attendance. The deadline to submit the deposit is listed in your admission letter and on the DPSS Admissions & Fee webpage. The enrollment deposit will be applied to your total program cost and is reflected in the final bill. Payment is accepted by credit-card in your application portal.
The deposit is required and is non-refundable. Students who fail to submit the deposit in time are viewed as voluntarily giving up their seat to attend the program.
If you have a third-party sponsor paying the enrollment deposit, then contact our office before your deadline (harriscredential@uchicago.edu) for additional instructions.
Submitting payment for the remaining balance is different from the enrollment deposit. Payment for the remaining program fee is managed by the UChicago Bursar Office, not by Harris Credential Programs. The remaining program fee is submitted through the myUChicago portal in one transaction. This process involves bank-to-bank transaction or a wire transfer instead of credit-card.
The deadline to pay the program fee is June 28th regardless of your session. This deadline is set by the University Bursar Office, not by Harris Credential Programs.
Students will receive a bill from the University Bursar Office in the first week of June through their myUChicago Portal. The bill will display the total program fee, the submitted enrollment deposit, and the remaining balance owed. UChicago Harris financial scholarship award, if applicable, will also be displayed on the bill. The bill will also show a "lifetime transcript fee" which has been waived. There may be minor delay from when your bill is first issued with the total program fee and updated to include your deposit and award, especially if you were admitted in the final application rounds.
You can preview the payment process from the UChicago Bursar Office webpage on Self-Payment and Third-Party Sponsors.
If you have a third-party sponsor paying the program fee, you will need to complete an additional step with the Bursar Office to enable the third-party sponsor to pay for the program. Please contact the Harris Credential Team (harriscredential@uchicago.edu) if you have any questions on payment processes.
Admitted students will receive detailed information about payment options closer to the program start date.
The matriculation process begins approximately one month before your session begins. During this time you will receive detailed instructions and deadlines on how to access your UChicago accounts, the virtual platforms, paying the program fee and more. Below is a summary.
DPSS covers all the materials you need to know starting the first day of class. There are no required prerequisites or expectations for read material before starting DPSS. When asked for tips on how to prepare for the program, Austin Wright, Assistant Professor and DPSS Faculty Director, suggested the following two books as optional reads.
Thinking Clearly with Data: A Guide to Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis by Ethan Bueno de Mesquita and Anthony Fowler
Mastering Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect by Joshua D. Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke