The UC Santa Barbara program is designed to be supportive and confidence building. While the program is academically rigorous, it also contains realistic expectations, and mechanisms for students to build their capacities over an extended period. This extended duration is essential for students coming from less competitive institutions, who have little or no research experience, or who have taken programs of study with little mathematics, computer applications, or economics.

At the same time that the program is supportive, it emphasizes the rigor of modern doctoral programs, as well as the competitive environment. Upper-level doctoral students who serve as teaching assistants provide organized discussions on "what to expect and how to survive in grad school," as well as individual sessions that address specific deficiencies.

The AEA Summer Training Program is far more than a one-time, nine-week experience. Faculty remains engaged with students in a mentorship role, often for years to come. They assist in advising on graduate program and course selection, provide letters of recommendation, often contact schools on behalf of prospective students, review application statements, and advise on research topics.

Students themselves also form a critical network. In effect, they form a mutually-supportive team that is of great value during the initial years of doctoral programs, and which is an extraordinary network of professional contacts in the long run as well.