25 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students in 2026

What’s Covered:

• 25 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students
• How Impressive Are Summer Programs in College Admissions?
• Other Ways to Spend Your Summer

 

Summer programs offer high school students an excellent opportunity to explore subjects that interest them, build valuable skills, get a taste of college life, and meet like-minded peers. They also look awesome on a college application! 

 

If you’re interested in writing, you’ll want to check out these 25 summer writing programs for high school students.

 

25 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students

 

1. Princeton Summer Journalism Program 

 

Dates: Late June–early August 

Location: Online and Princeton University

Application Deadline: January

Cost: Free 

 

The Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) selects up to 40 high-achieving students from limited-income backgrounds to participate in its revered program. In the PSJP, students explore current events, listen to lectures, and participate in workshops led by professional journalists and Princeton professors. 

 

The program culminates in a 10-day residential experience at Princeton University, with the publication of a student-produced newspaper, the Princeton Summer Journal. The program arranges to pay for housing, meals, and transportation required for the in-person portion of the program.  

 

2. JCamp 

 

Dates: June 20–26

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Application Deadline: January 11

Cost: Free

 

JCamp is a free six-day program hosted by the Asian American Journalist Association that brings together a culturally diverse group of students from across the U.S. Under the supervision of veteran journalists and leading media executives, high school sophomores and juniors take part in workshops to sharpen their journalistic skills and gain hands-on experience producing multi-platform news packages for the program’s website. 

 

JCamp is not limited to Asian American students; any student interested in journalism is encouraged to apply. Roughly 30 students are selected annually to participate in the program. 

 

3. Iowa Young Writers’ Studio 2-Week Residential Program

 

Dates:

• Session 1: June 14–27
• Session 2: July 12–25

Location: University of Iowa

Application Deadline: February 1

Cost: $2,500

 

The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio provides high schoolers the incredible opportunity to have a residential experience and study with graduates of one of the nation’s most renowned writing programs: the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. 

 

Participants in this program choose a focus—either fiction, poetry, or creative writing—and share their work, practice their craft, and improve their writing while working alongside other high school writers from across the U.S. 

 

4. Sarah Lawrence Writers’ Week 

 

Dates:

• Virtual: July 6–10
• In-person Session 1: July 20–24
• In-person Session 2: August 3–7

Location: Online or Sarah Lawrence College

Application Deadline: N/A

Cost: 

• Virtual: $1,195
• In-person: $1,950 

 

During Sarah Lawrence Writers’ Week, participants (the program welcomes students entering the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades) explore the creative process led by esteemed Sarah Lawrence faculty and alumni. 

 

Sarah Lawrence Writers’ Week celebrates the risk and adventure of the creative process, fosters a non-competitive, non-judgmental environment, and keeps with the Sarah Lawrence tradition of individualized attention—groups are limited to 18 students with two faculty members per workshop. 

 

The program ends with a celebration that includes both faculty and student readings.  

 

5. Juniper Institute for Young Writers 

 

Dates:

• Session 1: July 12–25
• Session 2: July 26–August 8

Location: UMass Amherst

Application Deadline: March 9

Cost: 

• Residential: $5,200
• Commuter: $2,330

 

Students in the Juniper Institute for Young Writers participate in writing sessions, share questions, and discuss their work and writing-related topics over the course of this two-week program. Led by professional teachers, published authors, and graduate students at UMass Amherst, participants gain insight into the creative process, find inspiration for work, learn tips to improve their writing, and develop relationships with other young writers.  

 

6. Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement (AYA)

 

Dates: N/A 

Location: University of Southern California (USC)

Application Deadline: N/A

Cost: Free

 

AYA is a free, immersive experience for 26 talented high school students from the Los Angeles area. The program allows participants to explore USC Annenberg’s undergraduate programs, gain insight into careers in media and journalism, and meet the people advancing issues of race, gender, and ethnicity in communications and journalism. 

 

Throughout this program, students build a variety of skills, including writing and critical thinking. Another benefit of this program is that participants have opportunities to receive college advising and college essay preparation from the USC Annenberg Admissions Team. 

 

7. Reynolds Young Writers Workshop 

 

Dates: June 19–28

Location: Denison University

Application Deadline: March 3

Cost: $1,700

 

For three decades, Denison University has welcomed talented high school writers (rising juniors and seniors) to its acclaimed Reynolds Young Writers Workshop. The program is limited to 48 students or fewer to maintain a low student-faculty ratio and is led by Denison’s creative writing faculty and notable visiting writers. 

 

Participants take part in small creative writing workshops and group sessions to explore a variety of writing techniques in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. 

 

8. Camp Cronkite | Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

 

Dates: 

• Session 1: June 7–12
• Session 2: June 21–26

Location: Arizona State University (ASU)

Application Deadline: March 151

Cost: $899

 

Camp Cronkite is a summer media enrichment camp allowing high schoolers to dive into the world of media. Led by Walter Cronkite School of Journalism faculty, staff, and students, campers learn about digital journalism, broadcast journalism, or sports media. 

 

Participants work on reporting, pitching, storytelling, and editing, and receive hands-on instruction in video editing, photography, reporting and writing, and script development—ultimately, learning how to cultivate portfolio-worthy content, and more. 

 

9. Alpha Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Workshop for Young Writers

 

Dates: July 15–26

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Application Deadline: March 1

Cost: $1,950

 

During the Alpha workshop, students interested in science fiction, fantasy, or horror learn how to generate ideas, turn those ideas into drafts, critique each other’s work, make revisions, and submit their work to paying markets. 

 

The workshop hosts three guest authors who lead writing exercises, give lectures on honing their craft, and eat meals with the students. The program also introduces students to college life and allows them to explore a career as a professional writer. 

 

10. 92Y Unterberg Poetry Center Young Writers Workshop

 

Dates: 

• One-week workshop: July 27–31
• Two-week workshop: July 13–24

Location: New York, NY

Application Deadline: Rolling

Cost: 

• One-week workshop: $1,125
• Two-week workshop: $2,250

 

The Unterberg Poetry Center has been home to established and up-and-coming poets since its founding in 1939. Students at its Young Writers Workshop receive coaching from some of New York’s best writing teachers and explore a variety of forms, styles, and voices in a warm and supportive environment. 

 

Participants learn to look critically at their own work and will leave the workshop with a clearer understanding of their goals as writers and what it takes to make a career in the literary world. 

 

11. Shared Worlds

 

Dates: July 19–August 1

Location: Wofford College

Application Deadline: Rolling

Cost: $2,600

 

This fun writing program is for high school students interested in speculative fiction—for example, science fiction, fantasy, and steampunk. Shared Worlds is a residential program for rising 8th- to 12th-grade students to work under the guidance of renowned fantasy and science fiction writers. 

 

Over the course of the workshop, students imagine, build, and write their own stories and are encouraged in their writing. Approximately 60 students are admitted annually.  

 

12. Kenyon Review Summer Residential Young Writers Workshops

 

Dates: 

• Session 1: June 21–July 4
• Session 2: July 12–25

Location: Kenyon College

Application Deadline: March 1

Cost: $2,575

 

Every summer, talented writers from across the U.S. come to the picturesque campus of Kenyon College to participate in its Young Writers Workshop. In this multi-genre program, students experience what it’s like to be part of the literary community while bolstering their talents, discovering new strengths, and challenging themselves in a community of similarly interested peers. 

 

During generative workshops, students will write and explore fresh ideas in a variety of genres, including short stories, poems, and essays. 

 

13. Kenyon Review Summer Online Young Writers Workshop

 

Dates: June 14–19

Location: Online

Application Deadline: N/A

Cost: $995

 

For students who can’t make it to Ohio for Kenyon’s Residential Young Writers Workshops, their online workshop is a great alternative. With writing workshops for three and a half hours every day, it’s possible to take advantage of the program without travelling. In the evening, students will attend virtual open mics, social gatherings, craft talks, and author readings.

 

14. BYU Young Authors Academy

 

Dates: July 6–11

Location: Brigham Young University (BYU)

Application Deadline: N/A

Cost: 

• Commuter: $499 
• Residential: $798

 

At BYU’s Young Authors Academy, students speak with local and nationally recognized authors, review each other’s writing, work with faculty in the BYU English department, stay in campus housing, take small-group writing courses, and meet other like-minded peers. 

 

Students can choose from two electives over the program, including tracks such as:

 

• In Another World
• Chapter One: Creating Believable Characters
• Writing Ever After
• You on the Page
• Once Upon a Spell
• Plot, Polish, Repeat
• Edge of Your Seat: Turning Ordinary Scenes into Page-Turners
• Flash! Boom! Story!

 

15. Fir Acres Writing Workshop

 

Dates: June 21–July 4

Location: Lewis & Clark College

Application Deadline: March 6

Cost: $3,900

 

The Fir Acres writing program takes 60 rising 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-graders from around the country and forms a community of enthusiastic writers on the campus of Lewis and Clark College. Students participate in daily workshops studying and writing under the guidance of Lewis and Clark’s faculty. They also meet and hear from visiting writers and work on their own poetry, fiction, and other writing. 

 

16. LMU Beginning Screenwriting Program 

 

Dates:

• Session 1: June 21–July 3
• Session 2: July 5–17

Location: Loyola Marymount University

Application Deadline:  March 15

Cost: $6,500

 

LMU’s School of Film and Television offers this program to students looking to enhance their writing skills and learn the elements of screenwriting. Students will work on structure, character development, dialogue, formatting, and genre while analyzing both classic and contemporary popular movies. They will learn from faculty members who are also professional screenwriters and leave the program with a short script.  

 

17. LMU’s Beginning Screenwriting Online Program 

 

Dates: June 6–17

Location: Online

Application Deadline: March 15

Cost: $2,730

 

If students are not able to travel to Los Angeles for LMU’s Beginning Screenwriting Program, its School of Film and Television provides a dynamic online workshop that participants can access to strengthen writing skills from the comfort of their home. 

 

The online program offers insight into the remote “writer’s room” setting, where small class sizes allow for extensive feedback and workshopping from peers and faculty. Participants will learn from faculty members who are also professional screenwriters and leave the program with a short script. 

 

18. Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Writing and Culture Program 

 

Dates: June 20–July 18

Location: Carnegie Mellon University 

Application Deadline: March 1

Cost:

• Commuter: $7,409
• Residential: $9,636

 

During the Writing and Culture Program at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), students examine film, writing, design, art, and culture through various lenses. Learning will take place both on CMU’s campus and around the city of Pittsburgh. 

 

Participants produce a body of work perfect for a portfolio during the program under the tutelage of highly distinguished faculty members of the Department of English. Classes are held Monday through Friday, and students emerge with individualized feedback and guidance to enhance their creative pursuits. 

 

19. The School of The New York Times’ Summer Academy

 

Dates:

• Term 1: June 7–19
• Term 2: June 21–July 3
• Term 3: July 5–17
• Term 4: July 19–31

Location: New York City, NY

Application Deadline:  N/A

Cost: 

• Commuter: $6,195
• Residential: $7,695

 

The School of the New York Times offers a wide range of fascinating classes to students interested in journalism. Courses include:

 

• Narrative Writing 
• Sports Storytelling and Journalism 
• Reporting and Writing: Journalism Essentials 
• How to Be an Editor 
• Crafting an Argument: Opinion Writing 

 

Students are taught by professionals in journalism with experience in reporting, editing, and other relevant industries. In the heart of New York City, students can spend several weeks learning from experienced journalists working in the field, exploring the city, and gaining inspiration from their surroundings. 

 

20. Georgetown University | Creative Writing Academy

 

Dates: July 12–18

Location: Georgetown University

Application Deadline: April 15

Cost: 

• Commuter: $3095
• Residential: $3,725

 

During Georgetown University’s Creative Writing Academy, students have the chance to engage in dynamic lectures on craft topics, receive feedback from peers, workshop with graduate student instructors, and practice what they’ve learned through developing their own written works. 

 

Students will also learn more about the publishing industry and how they can further their professional careers as writers, such as how to find funding opportunities, which programs (both undergraduate and graduate) are available in writing, what jobs are available for aspiring authors, and how to get published.  

 

The program’s D.C. location provides unique opportunities for participants to engage with the city, such as a responsive writing exercise at the National Gallery of Art. 

 

21. Yale Young Writers’ Workshop

 

Dates: June 21–27

Location: Online and Yale University 

Application Deadline: April 1

Cost: 

• Online: $1,380
• Commuter: $2,660
• Residential: $3,085 

 

At the Yale Young Writers’ Workshop, students experiment with writing stories, poems, and essays while receiving personalized feedback in small, focused groups. Participants are afforded experiences through writing workshops—promoting creativity, growth, and connection alongside fellow young writers and experienced faculty. 

 

During the week, students will have the opportunity to attend craft talks, open mics, faculty and visiting author readings, and student readings as they explore this field as a passion and a potential future career. Program instructors are renowned in their field—giving students the chance to have their work read closely by professionals and expand their craft in a supportive environment.

 

22. Great Smokies Writing Program

 

Dates: 

• Session 1: June 14–19
• Session 1: June 21–26

Location: University of North Carolina, Asheville 

Application Deadline: N/A

Cost: $1,470

 

Participants in this residential summer writing program for rising sophomores and juniors explore poetry, essays, and memoirs through hands-on writing workshops. Students receive personalized feedback as they dive into key writing topics such as narrative arcs, language, voice, and tone. Participants are also encouraged to share their work at a reading for friends and family.

 

23. Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference

 

 

Dates: June 28–July 11

Location: Sewanee | The University of the South 

Application Deadline: March 2

Cost: $2,600

 

Participants in this program develop a portfolio of new writing through a combination of free writing, prompts, and workshops—receiving feedback and responding to their peers’ work.

 

Outside of writing, students spend time reading, discussing books, and exploring other creative outlets. Social activities include guided hikes, a talent show, and plenty of time to hang out with friends.

 

24. Smith College Creative Writing Workshop

 

Dates: July 4–17

Location: Smith College 

Application Deadline: March 2

Cost: $4,985

 

Students in this summer program learn how to access their full creativity while exploring a variety of writing mediums. Courses include:

 

• Novel Writing
• Screenwriting
• Writing Science Fiction
• Writing Fantasy
• Playwriting
• Poetry
• Journalism

 

Other activities include an open mic night and workshops on publishing and finding an agent. 

 

25. Summer Workshop for Young Writers at the Kelly Writers House

 

Dates: July 4–17

Location: University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) 

Application Deadline: March 2

Cost: $3,000

 

Students in this program dedicate full days to the practice of writing—honing their work and reading and critiquing their peers — in a setting similar to an undergraduate writing workshop. Participants are exposed to a variety of genres, from fiction to poetry to experimental writing.

 

When not working on their writing, participants can explore the campus of one of the country’s most prestigious universities, listen to guest speakers, or get their hands dirty at the Common Press—a hands-on workshop focused on letterpress printing, typography, and bookbinding.

How Impressive Are Summer Programs in College Admissions?

 

Colleges look for students who explore their interests outside the classroom. Extracurricular activities are an important way to demonstrate your passions. Extracurricular activities are best understood when broken down into four tiers.

 

Tier 1 represents extracurriculars that are the most impressive and unique, while Tier 4 represents those that are the most common. In general, you should aim to have at least a few Tier 1 and 2 activities mixed in with Tier 3 and 4 activities. 

 

Summer programs fall into different tiers depending on factors like selectivity, theme, and more. While they usually fall into Tier 3 or 4, a particularly prestigious and selective program could be considered Tier 1 or 2.   

 

Curious how a summer program or extracurricular activity will impact your chances of admission? CollegeVine’s free chancing engine will help you learn your real odds of getting into hundreds of schools across the country, plus give you tips for improving your profile. 

 

Other Ways to Spend Your Summer

 

Though summer break provides you with the most time to explore your passions, it is not the only time. Colleges want to see that you are curious about the world around you and are constantly seeking new learning opportunities. 

 

Instead of participating in a program, you could create your own. Writing a book or mobilizing a team to solve an issue in your local community are examples of independent efforts that look impressive to colleges. 

 

You can show further initiative by taking on internships and paid jobs. Both demonstrate initiative, a career direction, and key life skills like time management and responsibility. Since most internships are reserved for college students and graduates, it can be a challenge to find opportunities for high school students. 

 

To help with the search, here is a list of summer internships for high school students. Looking for more summer programs? Take a look at this list of virtual opportunities for high school students.