Register a Student

Please note that this registration portal is for school counselors and administrators only.

Families or partner organizations wishing to register a student should contact our recruiting team at [email protected].


In September, we mail our Registration Kit and invite every public, private and charter high school in central and southeast Ohio to select and register students to attend the HOBY Ohio South Leadership Seminar. The 4-day Leadership Seminar takes place each year in June, with each school sending a sophomore representative to attend. Schools are asked to select their representative and register student(s) online. If your school did not receive the Registration Kit this year, you may still select and register a student.

Choosing Your Representative

To select your school’s representative, HOBY asks that you first promote the program to the entire sophomore class. Leadership ability surpasses race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status, so all sophomores should be considered in selecting your HOBY representative. You may distribute fliers, put up posters, make announcements to the student body, hold an assembly, and/or encourage all teachers affiliated with the sophomore class to mention the program to their students. Your school’s representatives from previous years are great for leading this effort to promote HOBY and can share their own experiences with the current sophomores. Encourage all 10th graders to learn more about HOBY by visiting www.hoby.org.

Refer all interested candidates to a specific school counselor who will lead the selection process. Your school may choose to do a face-to-face interview about the student’s desire to represent the school, an essay contest about leadership, or create your own creative idea! If you choose to do an essay, you may provide a topic, such as, “In 75 to 100 words, please describe the most rewarding and challenging aspect of being a leader in your school and community.”

Narrow your search to students with demonstrated or potential leadership ability, exhibiting one or more of the following traits:

  • Outstanding oral and/or written communication skills
  • Critical and/or creative thinking
  • Creative problem solving
  • Strong decision-making skills
  • Sensitivity to the needs or concerns of others
  • Charismatic personality (others gravitate towards him or her)
  • Courage to speak out for one’s beliefs
  • Courage to challenge authority
  • Participation in community service activities

It is up to each school to select the students who will make the most of their HOBY experience.

Registering Your Representative

Collect student information needed for registration by having your selected student complete the HOBY Registration Worksheet. Then register your student online using your HOBY school ID and password. Enter all of the information from the completed worksheet into our secure online registration. (Paper registrations are no longer accepted.)

If you need your school’s HOBY ID and password, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “School ID Request” and include the following information:

  • High school name
  • School’s complete mailing address with city, state, and zip code
  • School contact’s name
  • School contact’s position (i.e. School Counselor, Principal, etc.)
  • School contact’s phone number
  • School fax number
  • School website (if applicable)
  • School type (i.e. Public, Private, Charter, Home School Association, Parochial – Catholic, Christian, Jewish, or other)

Your school ID and password will be sent electronically to your school contact. Please secure the confidentiality of the school ID and password as only school personnel should register students online.

The fee for students to attend HOBY is a minimal investment for what they get in return. Please log in to the online registration system with your school ID and password to obtain the fee amount. You do not need to be ready to register your student to access the fee information. The registration fee includes 4-day lodging, all meals, educational training materials, and more. The only thing not included is transportation to/from the seminar and personal spending money for optional photos and souvenirs.

You may pay the registration fee online with a credit card or Purchase Order, or mail a check. You may also print an invoice, a copy of the registration, or a credit card receipt during the online process. Please note that your representative is not officially accepted into the program until the registration fee is received.

If your school is unable to pay the fee, please consider a Booster/Activity club, the PTA, or other creative options in the community for sponsorship. Finally, parents of the selected student can elect to pay the fee.