Apply
Admission to the Institute is by nomination.
Application Process
- Nomination. A teacher, school leader, counselor, mentor or professor who knows the student’s work nominates them. Self-nomination is also welcome.
- Application. Every candidate submits the same application.
- Interview (by invitation). Every candidate goes through a rigorous interview with Professor Wang. Design Apprentices continuing to Emerging Scholars do not interview again.
- Decision. Every applicant receives a decision, acceptance or not, within two months of the close of nominations.
For schools and mentors
Professor Wang takes only a handful of apprentices a year. Teachers, school leaders, counselors, mentors and professors who know an exceptional student’s work are invited to nominate that student once nominations open. To ask a question first, or to be told when they open, write to info@wanginstitute.org.
Design Apprentice Program
Candidates for the 12-month apprenticeship are nominated or self-nominate, submit the application, and go through a rigorous interview with Professor Wang, by invitation.
Emerging Scholars Program
Design Apprentices may be invited to continue as Emerging Scholars based on the strength of their year-one work, their progress through the milestones, and a continuation proposal reviewed with Professor Wang. No second interview is required. People who enter the Emerging Scholars Program directly are nominated or self-nominate, submit the same application, go through the same rigorous interview with Professor Wang, by invitation, and must demonstrate a clear design process on the project they bring.
Cost of attendance
Tuition is the direct cost of each program. Additional costs are estimated below.
Design Apprentice Program (12 months)
| Cost | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cost | ||
| Tuition | $25,000 | For the 12-month program |
| Estimated additional costs | ||
| Prototyping materials | TBD | To be determined |
| AI tools or seat | Estimated $360–$2,400 for 12 months | About $30–$200 per month, depending on tools and plan tier |
| Publication or conference fees | Estimated $500–$1,250 | Student registration at a major academic conference, plus an open-access publication charge where one applies |
| Conference travel | Estimated $1,100–$2,000 per trip | Domestic round-trip airfare, about three nights of lodging, and meals |
| Provisional patent filing, where appropriate: attorney fees | Estimated approx. $7,000 | Registered patent attorney |
| Provisional patent filing, where appropriate: USPTO filing fee | Estimated $65–$325 | $65 micro entity, $130 small entity, $325 standard fee |
Emerging Scholars Program (per year)
| Cost | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cost | ||
| Tuition | $25,000 | Per year, renewed yearly |
| Estimated additional costs | ||
| Prototyping materials | TBD | To be determined |
| AI tools or seat | Estimated $360–$2,400 per year | About $30–$200 per month, depending on tools and plan tier |
| Publication or conference fees | Estimated $500–$1,250 | Student registration at a major academic conference, plus an open-access publication charge where one applies |
| Conference travel | Estimated $1,100–$2,000 per trip | Domestic round-trip airfare, about three nights of lodging, and meals |
| Invention track: utility patent filing, attorney fees | Estimated $8,000–$12,000 | Registered patent attorney; develops the invention beyond a provisional and files a utility patent by the end of the year; varies with the complexity of the invention |
| Invention track: USPTO utility filing, search and examination fees | Estimated $400–$2,000 | $400 micro entity, $800 small entity, $2,000 standard fee |
Estimates vary by project. Amounts labeled “estimated” are ranges drawn from published fee schedules, surveys and price lists, not quotes. Patent costs apply only where a filing is appropriate to the project. Estimated patent costs do not include later prosecution, issue or maintenance fees.
Sources: USPTO fee schedule; AIPLA Report of the Economic Survey; ACM CHI 2026 registration and publication charges; BTS average air fare; GSA per diem; Claude and ChatGPT consumer plan pricing.
Stay informed
The interest list is separate from admission, and is not part of applying. Add your name and email to hear when nominations open. You will then be taken to the interest form, which asks about your interests and lets you share an optional portfolio. Joining the list is not a nomination and does not submit an application.
Already know you’re interested? Express interest.
To learn more, get in touch.