Updated November 2026
TL;DR
The Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program (SIP) pairs four weeks of tuition-free training at Wharton with a seven-week paid investing internship, but you can't apply to it directly. You apply to the GWI Scholars Program as a college first-year or sophomore, and GWI places Scholars in SIP or its online program in the spring. Applications for the 2027 program closed on October 15, 2026, so your next chance is the fall 2027 cycle. High school students aren't eligible.
Girls Who Invest (GWI) is a nonprofit, founded in 2015 by Seema Hingorani, that trains college students for careers in investment management at no cost. Its best-known path, the Summer Intensive Program, puts first- and second-year students in a Wharton classroom and, for sophomores who are matched, in a paid internship at an investment management firm.
What sets it apart is the pipeline. Everyone admitted to the GWI Scholars Program starts with the same online curriculum, and GWI decides who moves on to SIP based on partner-firm internship openings, your preferences and how you perform along the way.
Comparing finance options? See our lists of the best finance internships for undergraduates and finance internships for first-year undergraduates, or, if you're still in high school, business and finance internships for high school students.
What is the Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program?
SIP is the in-person track of the GWI Scholars Program: four weeks of investment training at Wharton, followed by a seven-week paid internship for Scholars matched with a partner firm. Here are the key facts for the 2027 cycle, from GWI's Scholars Program page and application FAQ.
|
Detail |
What you need to know |
|
Host |
Girls Who Invest, with academic training at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania |
|
Format |
Online curriculum (December to March), then SIP in person or the Online Intensive Program (OIP) |
|
Length |
Four weeks at Wharton (late May to late June) plus a seven-week internship through mid-August |
|
Cost |
Tuition-free, no application fee; housing and meals covered during in-person training, with need-based aid for travel |
|
Eligibility |
College first-years and sophomores, any major and any gender identity; no high school students |
|
Acceptance rate/cohort size |
Not published; partner firms host about 175 to 200 interns each summer |
|
Deadlines |
2027 cycle closed October 15, 2026; the next cycle's deadlines usually fall in mid-September and mid-October |
|
Best for |
Sophomores set on exploring investment management who can commit their whole summer |
Who can apply to Girls Who Invest, and what's its acceptance rate?
The GWI Scholars Program is open to college first-years and sophomores of any major and any gender identity; high school students can't apply. For the 2027 program, GWI set these rules:
Year in school: a first-year or sophomore at, or transferring to, an accredited four-year U.S. or U.S.-style college, graduating between fall 2028 and spring 2030.
Two-year colleges: second-year students can apply if they're transferring to a four-year school for junior year.
Internship Track: only sophomores can opt in; first-years move to the online program after the shared curriculum.
No minimums: no GPA cutoff, no test scores and no finance experience required.
Work authorization: anyone can join the Scholars Program, but most partner internships require unrestricted U.S. work authorization.
GWI doesn't publish an acceptance rate or cohort size, but its partner firms have hosted about 175 to 200 interns each summer in recent years. Review is holistic, and a spot on the Internship Track is not an internship offer.
How long is the Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program, and what's the time commitment?
SIP is four weeks at Wharton, generally late May to late June, followed by a seven-week paid internship that runs through mid-August, and GWI expects you to commit the full summer. Before that, every Scholar works through the unified virtual curriculum from December to late March, with monthly live sessions (usually evenings, Eastern time) and about 20+ hours of self-paced training. In April, GWI places each Scholar in SIP or the self-paced Online Intensive Program (OIP), and internship notifications go out on a rolling basis.
You can't take summer classes or a second internship during SIP, because GWI requires you to attend the whole program without other commitments. If you'd rather build experience around your classes, Ladder's University Internship Program offers remote, eight-week start-up internships in fields including finance and consulting.
6 reasons to apply to the Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program
1. The Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program leads to a paid investing internship
SIP Scholars matched through the Internship Track spend seven weeks in a paid, frontline investing role at a GWI partner firm. That's real buy-side work rather than a classroom simulation, and it gives you concrete projects to talk about in later interviews.
The catch: an internship isn't guaranteed, even on the Internship Track. Matches depend on partner-firm openings, your preferences and your performance in the program, and pay and location are set by each firm.
2. Girls Who Invest is tuition-free, with housing and meals covered on campus
Every GWI path is tuition-free, the application is free, and housing and meals are provided during in-person training. GWI's 2027 program listing also offers need-based aid for other costs, including travel to Wharton, so the price of getting there shouldn't stop you from applying.
3. Girls Who Invest SIP Scholars train at Wharton for four weeks
SIP's academic portion is four weeks in residence at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, led by university professors. You'll also spend that month with a cohort of students who share your interest in investing, which is the start of your finance network.
4. The Girls Who Invest curriculum teaches practical investing skills
GWI's shared curriculum covers the technical basics of investment work: Excel, accounting, financial statement analysis and financial modeling. Sophomores on the Internship Track also get interview preparation and resume refinement, so you practice presenting yourself to recruiters as well as analyzing a company.
5. Girls Who Invest gives you a network of 4,000+ alumni
More than 4,000 alumni have taken part in GWI's programs since 2016, and the support continues after your summer. GWI's alumni programs include:
Alumni Career Institute: career resources and alumni-only benefits.
Investor Circles: a four-month small group of early-career investors led by a senior or mid-career investor.
Investor Leadership Program: a three-day on-site intensive followed by three months of programming.
Pathways: technical training, interview prep and access to partner firms for buy-side careers.
6. Girls Who Invest lets you test investment management before you commit
Because GWI takes first-years and sophomores from any major with no finance experience, it's a low-risk way to find out whether you enjoy investing work. If you love the research and analysis, you'll know to aim for finance recruiting; if you don't, you've learned that before spending years chasing it.
Is the Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program worth it?
Yes, if you're a first-year or sophomore set on exploring investment management and can give up your whole summer: it combines free Wharton training with a real path to a paid buy-side internship. Go in with clear expectations, though. GWI says most Scholars, including every first-year, continue in the online program rather than SIP, and Internship Track admission isn't an internship offer. The program is also built for investment management, so it won't tell you much about start-ups or other business paths.
Ladder's University Internship Program places college students in remote, eight-week start-up internships with a company coach, in fields such as finance, consulting and AI, with full financial aid for students in need. Its next deadline is November 15, 2026, for the Winter I cohort starting December 7, 2026.
How do you apply to Girls Who Invest, and when are the deadlines?
You submit one application, to the GWI Scholars Program, through GWI's website; the 2027 cycle closed on October 15, 2026, and the next cycle's deadlines will usually fall around mid-September and mid-October 2027. For the 2027 program, you needed:
Online application: mini reflections, two short-answer questions and a 350 to 500-word essay.
Resume: your work experience and extracurriculars.
One-minute video: natural and conversational, with no music, filters or effects.
Transcript: your college transcript as a sophomore, or your high school transcript as a first-year; unofficial copies are accepted.
Two references (Internship Track only): at least one from someone you've worked with in college, each completing GWI's 30-minute feedback form.
|
Step |
2027 program (last cycle) |
2028 program (next cycle) |
|
Priority deadline |
September 15, 2026; decisions around mid-October |
Not posted; usually around mid-September 2027 |
|
Final deadline (applications and references) |
October 15, 2026; decisions by early December |
Not posted; usually around mid-October 2027 |
|
SIP or OIP placement |
April 2027 |
Usually April 2028 |
|
SIP at Wharton |
Generally late May to late June 2027 |
Usually late May to late June 2028 |
|
Internship |
Through mid-August 2027 |
Usually through mid-August 2028 |
Deadlines shift between cycles (the 2026 program's final deadline was October 1, 2025), so check GWI's application FAQ once the next cycle opens. You can also join a GWI information session or email application@girlswhoinvest.org with questions.
Common questions about Girls Who Invest
Can high school students apply to Girls Who Invest?
No. The GWI Scholars Program is only for college first-years and sophomores, so the earliest you can apply is the fall of your first year of college. If you're in high school now, Ladder Internships places high school students in remote, eight-week start-up internships with a company coach, in fields including finance and fintech, consulting, and AI. Full financial aid is available, and the next deadline is November 15, 2026, for the Winter I cohort starting December 7, 2026.
Can men apply to Girls Who Invest?
Yes. GWI says the Scholars Program is open to first-years and sophomores "of all gender identities," including male-identifying students, though its mission is to increase the number of women in portfolio management and executive leadership.
What happens if you're placed in the Girls Who Invest Online Intensive Program?
OIP is a self-paced online path where you keep building finance and investing fundamentals through spring and summer. Past educational partners include CFA Institute, Wall Street Prep and Wharton Online, and a small number of OIP Scholars receive internship opportunities.
When do Girls Who Invest decisions come out?
For the 2027 cycle, priority-deadline applicants heard around mid-October and final-deadline applicants by early December 2026. SIP or OIP placement and internship notifications followed in April 2027.
Contact us at contact@ladderinternships.com if you have any questions!