Your future starts here — fully funded.

Destination: Denison is an all-expenses-paid campus experience for rising high school seniors ready to explore what a Denison education can do for them. This year's program will be held Oct. 4–6, 2026.

Discover what your future can be on The Hill

Students admitted to this selective program will explore campus life through a series of interactive sessions, equipping them with a hands-on view of our academic and co-curricular approach. By the end, you’ll have a strong understanding of how Denison prepares students for a lifetime of personal and professional success.

We believe education should challenge and support students in equal measure. Destination: Denison brings that belief into action through a program centered on connection, exploration, and possibility. We look forward to preparing the next generation of world leaders for the ever-changing and complex problems they will seek to solve.

How to Apply to Destination: Denison

This year’s program will be held Oct. 4–6, 2026. In order to be considered for Destination: Denison, students must submit an application by Aug. 17, 2026.

What we’ll need from you:

  • General information
  • Unofficial high school transcript
  • Short answer response
  • Optional video response*
Submit Your Application

*To submit a video, you must allow camera and microphone access.

If you attend Destination: Denison, and apply through our Early Decision I or II, you'll receive:

  • $30,000 merit scholarship — awarded simply for being chosen as a participant
  • No-loan financial aid package — upon admission to Denison, any federal loans in your financial aid offer will be replaced with Denison grants
  • Full demonstrated need met — like all admitted students, your financial need will be covered completely 

Frequently Asked Questions

Rising high school seniors/current seniors depending on time of application are invited to attend. Any student from any background is welcome to apply!

Nothing! DDU is a fully funded fly-in experience. Denison covers the cost of flights, your hotel stay, as well as food costs for each student participant.

Denison partners with the Cherry Valley Hotel to house students overnight and provides a shuttle to and from the airport as well as campus during the event. Students will not be sharing rooms.

Before your arrival, we will send a list of recommendations of what to bring/prepare for! Nothing out of the ordinary; just appropriate clothes for the weather and any school material you may want to bring.

Students are welcome to bring a support person, however, Denison only covers the cost for the invited participant. The program is tailored towards the student experience, so additional attendees will have limited opportunities for participation.

Denison offers a variety of scholarships, including merit-based scholarships. Based on being admitted through one of our binding Early Decision rounds, students selected for Destination: Denison will automatically be awarded a $30,000 merit scholarship. They will also receive a no-loan financial aid package and will be eligible to receive need-based grants.

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