How I Made $1,000+ by Organizing a Summer School for my Department

Every two years, my department runs Rossbypalooza, a student-organized NSF-funded summer school. It's competitive to get into and it's genuinely one of the best parts of grad school: two weeks of small-group research projects, visiting faculty from around the world, and nonstop learning in a collaborative setting.

Rossbypalooza participants - Photo credit: Rossbypalooza

In my department, third and fourth year students are expected to organize the event. People are usually happy to volunteer because it's a great experience. You get real project-management experience, you meet faculty you would never otherwise meet, and you get practice navigating the logistics that go into federal grant-funded programs.

But let’s be real. Organizing a two-week summer school is work.

So I asked a simple question: if I'm doing the work anyway and the grant is already covering major expenses, why not earn points on reimbursable spending and get a small payout for the effort?

That's exactly what I did. Every dollar mentioned below was reimbursed. I just routed the purchases through the right cards.

Why this strategy works so well for grad students

Grad students rarely have large amounts of organic spending. Most of us don't put $5,000 a month on a card.

But universities do spend significant money, especially for conferences, seminars, recruiting weekends, and grant-funded programs like summer schools.

When you're allowed to pay for approved expenses and get reimbursed, you can earn a surprising amount of points without changing your personal budget at all.

My Rossbypalooza points playbook

Here’s exactly what I paid for, what card I used, and what I earned.

1) Faculty flights: the big points anchor

I organized and booked the flights for visiting faculty.

• Total spend: ~$3,000
• Card: Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Multiplier used at the time: 5x
• Points earned: 15,000 Chase points

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Signup Bonus: 60,000+ points

A note for context: the Chase Sapphire Reserve earning structure has evolved over time. Today, this would earn an 8x multiplier!

2) Catering lunches through DoorDash: points plus grant savings

We catered multiple lunches throughout the event. I ordered delivery through DoorDash.

• Total spend: ~$900
• Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred
• Multiplier: 3x
• Points earned: 2,700 Chase points

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Signup Bonus: 60,000+ points

This one was a double win:

• I earned points on dining-style spend.
• I also saved grant money because the card benefits reduced delivery fees.

If you're running an event, these small operational savings add up fast, and they make you look like a hero to whoever is tracking the budget.

3) Chicago architecture river tour: a perfectly timed bonus category

We planned a river architecture tour to showcase Chicago.

• Total spend: ~$1,000
• Card: Chase Freedom Flex
• Bonus category at the time: 5x
• Points earned: 5,000 Chase points

Chase Freedom Flex

Signup Bonus: $200+

This is why I love rotating category cards for event planning. If your purchase lines up with a quarterly category, the points add up quickly.

4) Final-night barbecue: simple cash back

For the final night, we organized a barbecue.

• Total spend: ~$500
• Card: Citi Custom Cash
• Category: grocery-style spend
• Cash back earned: ~$25

Citi Custom Cash

Signup Bonus: $200

Not every purchase needs to be a complicated points-optimization puzzle. Sometimes you just take the clean 5% and move on.

Points recap (the exact math)

From reimbursable Rossbypalooza expenses, I earned:

• Flights: 15,000 Chase points
• Catering: 2,700 Chase points
• River tour: 5,000 Chase points

Total: 22,700 Chase points Plus ~$25 cash back from Citi.

This is the part that still surprises people: that's a real points haul, created from university spending, without changing my personal spending habits at all.

The fun part: turning 22.7k points into a $1000+ flight

Later, Chase offered a 40% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic.

So I transferred my 22,700 Chase points and received:

• 22,700 × 1.40 = ~32,000 Virgin Atlantic points.

Then I booked a nonstop flight from Chicago to Seoul on Korean Air using Virgin Atlantic points.

• Cost: ~32,000 Virgin points + about $55 in fees
• Cash price at the time: $1,000+ for that nonstop segment, sometimes much higher depending on season

Bibimbap on the Korean Air flight to Seoul. Photo credit: RGS

So yes, I essentially turned summer school logistics into a flight to Seoul.

And honestly, that's the most Rich Grad Student sentence I've ever typed.

Arrival in Seoul with the view from our hotel room. Photo credit: RGS

RGS tips: check rules first

Here are the rules that keep this ethical and low-stress:

• Get written approval from whoever oversees the budget (admin, faculty lead, finance office).
• Follow university purchasing rules (some institutions require preferred vendors or specific booking channels).
• Never float money you can't comfortably float. Reimbursements can take time.
• Keep receipts organized as you go. You'll thank yourself later.

This is not personal financial advice. This is simply what I did, what worked for me, and how I stayed within normal university reimbursement policies.

Why I love this approach

Rossbypalooza was genuinely an incredible experience. I got to help run an event that benefits other grad students, network with faculty, and build real skills.

And because I used my cards strategically, I also walked away with a meaningful travel win, while saving money on the grant in the process.

That's the ideal outcome:

• the event runs smoothly
• the budget stretches farther
• you get rewarded for the effort
• nobody breaks any rules