This year, hundreds of talented College students of all backgrounds, geographies and financial circumstances joined the University of Chicago (UChicago) community. When they complete their first year in the College, many of these students will join thousands of their peers who are spending their summer analyzing economic data with the Federal Reserve, exploring ecology at the Field Museum, managing constituent relations for members of Congress, or enjoying one of the College’s other 4,000+ paid professional internship opportunities.
These College students will continue two UChicago programs that have provided transformative educational and career experiences for generations of alumni: the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program and Odyssey Scholarship Program.
In 2022, UChicago celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Metcalf Program and the 15th anniversary of the Odyssey Scholarship, the University’s flagship career advancement and access and financial aid programs for College students.
Since 1997, the Metcalf Program has provided paid, substantive internships that help students apply their world-class education to a highly diverse range of careers. Students have received more than 23,600 Metcalf internships since the program’s inception where they have looked through NASA telescopes, prepared policy briefings for the White House, and curated exhibits for the Art Institute of Chicago, to name just a few experiences.
Similarly, the Odyssey Scholarship Program has reduced barriers to higher education for thousands of UChicago undergraduate students of all socioeconomic backgrounds since 2007, enabling them to achieve a UChicago education and pursue careers in their chosen fields.
Click here to look back at the history and growth of the College’s extensive access initiatives.
This story was first published by The College at UChicago.
