Galt's Gulch 2025 Student Attendee FAQs

Galt’s Gulch Student/Young Adult Attendee FAQs 1. Should I apply for a scholarship based on my home country or where I’ll travel from?

Please apply based on where you’ll travel to Galt’s Gulch from. You can still have your home country featured on your Galt’s Gulch name badge, but we administer scholarships based on average travel expenses and thus you must apply based on which region you are traveling from (see documents attached at the top of this page).

2. If I am no longer a student but fall within the 18-30 young adult age range, am I less likely to be selected to attend Galt’s Gulch or receive a travel scholarship?

We do not bias our attendee selection towards enrolled students. So long as you fall within the 18-30-year age range, you are just as likely to be selected to join us as other applicants.

However, if you are not enrolled in college or university, please know that the reservation fee for non-enrolled young adults 25-30 is $100.

3. How do I know if I’ve been accepted to attend the conference / receive a scholarship?

Once you have completed an application, you will receive a confirmation email so that you know we have received it. After this, you will receive an additional personal email from either Isabelle Ingram (isabelle@atlassociety.org) or Chiamaka Adinnu (chiamaka@atlassociety.org), usually within 5-7 business days regarding your application decision.

If we have received an influx of applications, it may take longer. However, you can contact us directly to inquire about your application after seven business days.

4. How do I finalize my acceptance / receive my scholarship for Galt’s Gulch?

If you receive an email informing you that you’ve been accepted to attend the event, this email will include details regarding securing your spot via a reservation fee. You must submit this reservation fee within 30 days of receiving your acceptance email, or your spot and scholarship may be rescinded. If you need more time, please let us know as soon as possible.

5. What does the scholarship cover?

The scholarship offer covers your lodging in our room block for three nights, meals and refreshments throughout the event (beginning with breakfast on Friday morning), and

reimbursement for travel costs (flights, visa fees, and ground transportation to and from the event) up to the amount offered in your acceptance email.

You will be responsible for any remaining travel expenses above the offered scholarship amount and all non-eligible travel expenses, which include flight/seat upgrades, non-conference meals and snacks, valet parking or rental car fees, and any room service or room damage charges incurred during the event.

6. Do I need to book my own lodging as a student/young adult attendee?

No, student/young adult attendees who’ve been accepted to attend the conference and offered a travel/lodging scholarship are automatically added to The Atlas Society’s complimentary room block. **However, please note that if you choose to room in our block, you will be required to share a room with one roommate. You may request another attendee as a roommate. However, If you attend the conference alone, you will be given one random same-sex roommate.

7. If I do not want a roommate, can I pay the Atlas Society half of the cost of the room to stay alone?

No, because our room block is limited to a set number of rooms, we cannot offer you a single room. The only way to ensure that you’ll have your own room is to book one independently with the hotel, which you would be responsible for paying for in full. You can book a room at a discounted nightly rate using THIS LINK or by calling 512-478-1111 and mentioning you are a part of the Galt’s Gulch group. If you choose to book and pay for your own room, please contact us so that we can remove you from our room list.

8. Do I have to book my own travel as a student/young adult attendee?

Yes, you are responsible for booking your own travel, including flights and transportation from the airport to The Downright Austin, where the conference is taking place.

9. What is the nearest airport to the conference venue, and how do I get there?

The local international airport is Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). Uber, Lyft, and airport taxi services are readily available forms of transportation between AUS and The Downright Austin.

You are responsible for booking travel to and from Austin and transportation to and from The Downright Austin Hotel. The Atlas Society does not provide a shuttle between the airport and the hotel.

10. Do you make any exceptions for applicants under the age of 18 or over the age of 30?

Due to liability reasons, you must be at least 18 years old for us to accept you as an attendee traveling on your own and rooming in our block. If you have a parent or guardian who would like to pay for an adult ticket to attend the event and book their own room, you may pay the student reservation fee of $50 and room with them during the conference.

If you are over 30 and still in school, you may apply, and we will consider your application.

11. If I am on the waitlist, when will I find out if I will be offered a spot or a scholarship?

Attendee spots and scholarships are offered on a rolling basis. Thus, you may be contacted at any time if someone drops out. However, final applications are due by March 1, 2025 for international attendees and April 1, 2025 for U.S. attendees and the deadline for attendees to drop out of the conference and receive an offer to roll over their reservation fee or receive a refund for their ticket is April 1, 2025.

You may contact us regarding your spot on our waitlist if you have not received any updates after April 1, 2025.

12. If I need a visa to attend the conference, will the organizers provide assistance with the visa process?

Yes, we can provide you with a letter of invitation and assist with any contact information you may need from us to make your visa request. However, you are responsible for researching which visa you need to enter the U.S. and for booking any necessary appointments with your U.S. embassy or consulate.

13. If I attend the conference, when can I expect reimbursement for my travel-related fees?

Reimbursements will be made on a first-come-first-serve basis after the conference. Those who share receipts and all required documents/payment information with us first, will receive their

reimbursements the quickest. However, you can expect it to take 14-30 business days after the conference concludes to see your reimbursement.

Receiving your reimbursement is also contingent upon having returned to your country of origin, missing no more than two sessions during the conference, and sharing all receipts for reimbursable expenses (converted into USD), along with an approved payment method.

More details for processing reimbursements will be shared with attendees as the event approaches.

14. Do you have cancellation or refund policies for the conference registration fee?

If your visa application is denied or you must withdraw from the conference before April 1, 2025, we offer reimbursement for your ticket OR we can roll over your purchase and scholarship offer to Galt’s Gulch 2026. Cancellations after April 1, 2025 will not be reimbursed.

15. What is the conference schedule like?

An abridged version of our conference schedule can currently be found on the Galt’s Gulch webpage HERE. More detailed information regarding schedule specifics will be released as it is made available. We hope to have a full schedule (subject to change) available on the website by November 15th, 2024.

16. Will there be networking opportunities?

Yes, there will be networking opportunities during the conference, including at our opening reception on Thursday, June 5th (kicking off at 6:30 PM) and during our Speed Networking and Mentorship Roundtable sessions.

17. Are there any social events organized during the conference?

Yes, the conference features three major social events, namely, the welcome reception (June 5th), the keynote dinner (June 6th), and the off-site closing reception (June 7th). Attendees will also have opportunities to socialize during breakfast and lunch, and a WhatsApp chat will be created for student/young adult attendees to share contact information and connect as the event approaches!

18. Is there a dress code for the conference?

● Welcome Reception Attire: Business Professional. Dress slacks, button-down shirts, cocktail dresses, and pant-suits are all appropriate attire. ● Keynote Dinner Attire: Business professional or Formal. Attendees may wear suits and ties, full-length or mid-length gowns, or professional business attire. ● Conference attire: Business casual. Khakis or slacks, button-down, polo, collared shirts, and Dark jeans with no holes or tears are acceptable.

19. Can I extend my stay in the country before or after the conference?

If The Atlas Society writes you a letter of invitation to obtain a Visa, you must arrive and depart within a one-week window of the conference start and end dates. This means you Can only arrive in the United States on or after May 29th and depart on or before June 12th, or we cannot reimburse you for liability reasons.

If we do not write you an invitation letter, you may extend your stay as long as you like.

However, we only reimburse tickets once you have returned to your country of origin.

If you are seeking additional scholarship information, please ensure you have carefully reviewed the applicable one-pager(s) linked below. If you still cannot find an answer to your question either in the one-pager or on this page, please contact us at galtsgulch@atlassociety.org.

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United States Student Scholarship Application South/Central America & Canada Application NO LONGER AVAILABLE Europe, Asia, Africa, & Australasia Application One-Pager NO LONGER AVAILABLE