University Placement Program

About the Program

As part of LALA’s programs, University Placement (UP) offers free support, together with program partners, to help academically outstanding students engaged in social impact activities apply to undergraduate programs at U.S. universities.

We seek a diverse group of students with varied backgrounds, lived experiences, and academic interests. University Placement does not restrict students’ academic choices. We have accepted students interested in Business and Entrepreneurship, Communication and Journalism, Education, Engineering, Fine and Applied Arts, Humanities, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics and Life Sciences, Social Sciences, and much more!

Format

Duration: University Placement is a 12-month virtual program.

Obs: The 2026/27 cohort, which is currently in the selection process, will begin in June 2026 and is expected to conclude in March 2027.

Students Profile

Be between 16 and 20 years old;
Demonstrate strong interest in social impact (local, regional, national, or global) and in academic activities related to their intended undergraduate field of study;
Have an expected family contribution of less than US$5,000 per year toward university education;
Have sufficient English proficiency to communicate and adapt in academic, professional, and personal contexts;
Be completing high school by June 2027 or be in their first, second, or third gap year;
Not be enrolled in any university, either in their home country or internationally.

*Brazilian students who are not part of LALA are eligible to apply for this opportunity!

What Do We Offer?

Group and one-on-one sessions to support the development of your application
Weekly Office Hours with specialists to answer questions
Exclusive, personalized guidance materials
Financial support to cover the costs of individualized advising, one Duolingo English Test, one Digital SAT, and certified document translations
Access to LALA’s global network of LALíderes studying at more than 20 universities worldwide

Selection Process

Through a rigorous selection process that includes applicants from across Latin America, we open our applications annually. During the process, we review personal, academic, and financial profile information through application forms and official documentation. The selection process consists of two stages: 1) an application form with supporting documentation, and 2) an interview and a written essay.

March 18: First Stage Results

March 23: Start of Interviews and Essays

April 13: Closing of Interviews and Essays

April 24: Final Results

University Placement Team

Marco Machado

Manager of University Placement

Marco is committed to supporting students that dream of studying abroad, particularly in the U.S. He has worked as a teacher for the past 9 years, which informed him of his passion for education.

Emily Schrynemakers

University Placement Specialist

A native New Yorker, Emily has over 10 years of experience in the field of education and strongly believes in access to higher education for all. Her life changed when she traveled to Brazil for the first time in 2007 and fell in love with the culture, the music, and the language – and has been dedicating herself to studying Portuguese to this day.

Lúcio Oliveira

University Placement Assistant

Lúcio is an 18 years old student from the countryside of Betim who has as his main characteristic a love for knowledge. In addition, working with scientific initiations and independent research on the presence of anxiety disorder in his school community, it was possible to have a clearer vision of social impact, surfacing his critical sense and becoming more interested in leadership aspects.

about

apply

support us