Our program asks much of its students: sustained attention, intellectual seriousness, openness to difficult questions, and a willingness to interrogate both inherited ideas and their own assumptions. In return, it offers something increasingly rare in our distracted and fragmented age: a year devoted to reading, thinking, conversation, and the shared pursuit of questions that resist easy answers.
As our fifth cohort continues their studies in the storied mountains of Arcadia, we now turn our attention to admitting the next class of students who will embark together on this transformative adventure. As all our alumni will confirm, this program is demanding. But it is also the intellectual journey of a lifetime, unique in its scope, character, rigor, and ambition.
Life at Ralston College
After two months of study in Greece, Ralston students make their home in Savannah, a city whose remarkable architecture, public spaces, and rich cultural life provide the perfect setting for the remainder of their studies.
Life at Ralston is designedly communal. Seminar discussions spill into conversations over lunch and dinner; questions raised in lectures are explored on leisurely walks through the city; concerts, exhibitions, excursions, and shared meals become part of the intellectual life of the program. Students study together intensely, but they also build the friendships that make serious intellectual exchange possible, forging friendships that endure well beyond the program.
Application Deadlines
- Applications Open: September 15th, 2026
- Priority Deadline: Friday, December 18th, 2026
- Final Deadline: Friday, February 19th, 2027
Eligibility
In order to be considered, applicants must:
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent;
- Have a strong record of academic achievement; and
- Demonstrate evidence of sustained, focused, first-rate intellectual work.
- Be a U.S citizen or permanent resident.
- Full and partial scholarships are available. Apply by the Priority Deadline to ensure full consideration for scholarships.
