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22 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students in 2025

What’s Covered:

 

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 22 summer writing programs for high school students. 

 

22 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students

 

1. Princeton Summer Journalism Program 

 

Dates: Online workshops begin July 1, residential portion is July 24 – August 3

Location: Online and Princeton

Application deadline: Mid-to-late February

Cost: Free 

 

The Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) selects 40 high-achieving students from historically underrepresented 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. To qualify for the PSJP, you must: 

 

  • Be a junior in high school
  • Live in the United States and intend to attend college in the U.S.
  • Have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5 
  • Have an interest in journalism
  • Meet at least one of these socioeconomic conditions:
    • The combined income of custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) plus child support payments, if any, must not exceed $60,000
    • Qualify for free or reduced-price lunch 
    • Qualify for an SAT or ACT fee waiver
  • Students who will be first-generation college students are given priority consideration

 

The program arranges to pay for housing, meals, and transportation required for the in-person portion of the program. 

 

2. JCamp 

 

Dates: July 26 – August 1

Location: Seattle, Washington

Application deadline: January 31

Cost: Free

 

JCamp is a free six-day program put on by the Asian American Journalist Association that brings together a culturally diverse group of students from across the U.S. Under the eye 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 with an interest in journalism, like writing for a newspaper or magazine, is encouraged to apply. 

 

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

 

Dates:

  • Session 1: June 15 – 28
  • Session 2: July 13 – 26

Location: University of Iowa

Application deadline: February 2

Cost: In-person: $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 most renowned writing programs in the nation: the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Participants in this program choose a focus—either fiction, poetry, creative writing, playwriting, or television 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 7 – 11
  • In-person Session 1: July 21 – 25
  • In-person Session 2: August 4 – 8

Location: Virtual or Sarah Lawrence College

Application deadline: N/A

Cost: Virtual: $1095 ($250 deposit); In-person: $1,750 ($250 deposit)

 

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 Writing Week celebrates the risk and adventure of the creative process, fosters a non-competitive and 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 13 – 26
  • Session 2: July 27 – August 9

Location: UMass Amherst

Application deadline: March 7

Cost: $5,100 (residential); $2,200 (commuter)

 

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, residential 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. 

Students will be provided a written summary of their work, an evaluation of writing goals, and future considerations for their writing. At the end of the program, students will meet with their mentor to discuss next steps for their projects (i.e., how to continue the work, publish/submit to literary magazines, or other ways to share their projects). 

 

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

 

Dates: June 16 – July 3

Location: University of Southern California

Application deadline: April 14

Cost: Free

 

AYA is a free, immersive experience for 26 talented high school students from the area surrounding USC. 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 communication 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 14 – 21

Location: Denison University

Application deadline: March 3

Cost: $1,500

 

For more than a quarter of a century, 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 in order 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 (Sports Media): June 8 – 13
  • Session 2 (Media): June 15 – 20

Location: Arizona State University

Application deadline: April 1

Cost:

  • Session 1 (Sports Media): $899
  • Session 2 (Media): $799

 

Camp Cronkite is a summer media enrichment camp allowing high schoolers to dive into the world of media. Led by Cronkite faculty, staff, and students, campers learn about digital journalism, broadcast journalism, or sports media. They will work on reporting, pitching, storytelling, and editing, and receive hands-on instruction in video editing, photography, reporting and writing, script development, how to cultivate portfolio-worthy content, and more. 

 

For the Sports Media track, campers learn sports photography, try out play-by-play coverage, and attend live sporting events to test their skills in action. There are several scholarships available for students who demonstrate financial need. 

 

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

 

Dates: July 16 – 27

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Application deadline: March 21

Cost: $1,800

 

Over Alpha’s 12 days, students with an interest 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 4 guest authors who lead writing exercises, give lectures on honing their craft, and eat meals with the students. The program also provides students with an introduction to college life and allows them to explore a career as a professional writer. 

 

10. 92Y Unterberg Poetry Center Young Writers Workshop

 

Dates: 

  • For Young Writers, Ages 12-14: July 14 – 24
  • For Young Writers, Ages 15-18: July 14 – 31

Location: New York, NY

Application deadline: May 30 (only for 15-18 year olds)

Cost: 

  • For Young Writers, Ages 12-14: $1,800
  • For Young Writers, Ages 15-18: $2,600

 

The Unterberg Poetry Center has been home to established and up-and-coming poets since it was founded 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 13 – 26

Location: Wofford College

Application deadline: Rolling

Cost: $2,600

 

This fun writing program is for high school students with an interest 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 have their enthusiasm for writing encouraged. 

 

12. Bard College at Simon’s Rock Young Writers Workshop

 

Dates: July 6 – 26

Location: Bard College at Simon’s Rock

Application deadline: Rolling

Cost: $3,600

 

This program is modeled on the well-known Language and Thinking Workshop all students entering Bard College are required to take. Unlike other creative writing workshops, leaders of this young writers workshop encourage informal, playful, and expressive writing and lean on peer response to develop polished pieces of writing. Students will live, eat, and work on campus, gaining firsthand experience living and learning in a college atmosphere while producing pieces ranging from short stories and poems to brief dramatic works and experiments in creative nonfiction.

 

13. Kenyon Review Summer Residential Young Writers Workshops

 

Dates: 

  • Session 1: June 22 – July 5
  • Session 2: July 13 – 26

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 the company 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. 

 

14. Kenyon Review Summer Online Young Writers Workshop

 

Dates: June 15 – 20

Location: Online

Application deadline: N/A

Cost: $995

 

For students who can’t make it to Ohio for two weeks, the 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 relocating. In the evening, students will attend virtual open mics, social gatherings, and talks and readings by authors. 

 

15. BYU Young Authors Academy

 

Dates: July 7 – 12

Location: Brigham Young University

Application deadline: Rolling

Cost: $499 (tuition), $764 (including room and board)

 

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 Villains We Love to Hate, Short & Sweet, Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts, From Flirty to Forever, and Setting the Scene. 

 

16. Fir Acres Writing Workshop

 

Dates: June 22 – July 5

Location: Lewis & Clark College

Application deadline: March 7

Cost: $3,800

 

Fir Acres writing program takes sixty rising 10th-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 writings. 

 

17. LMU’s Beginning Screenwriting Program 

 

Dates:

  • Session 1: June 22 – July 3
  • Session 2: July 6 – 18

Location: Loyola Marymount University

Application deadline: Mid-March

Cost: $6,125 ($65 application fee)

 

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. 

 

18. LMU’s Beginning Screenwriting Online Program 

 

Dates:

  • Session 1: June 22 – July 3

Location: Online

Application deadline: Mid-March

Cost: $6,125 ($65 application fee)

 

If students are not able to travel to Los Angeles, LMU’s 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 lends 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. 

 

19. Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Writing and Culture Program 

 

Dates: June 21 – July 19

Location: Carnegie Mellon 

Application deadline: March 1

Cost: $7,038 (commuter); $9,310 (residential)

 

Over the weeks of the program, students at CMU will 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. Students will 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. 

 

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

 

Dates:

  • Term 1: June 8 – 20
  • Term 2: June 22 – July 4
  • Term 3: July 6 – 18
  • Term 4: July 20 – August 1

Location: New York City, NY

Application deadline: April 30

Cost: $7,265 (residential); $5,935 (day program)

 

The School of the New York Times offers a wide range of fascinating classes to students interested in journalism. Courses include The Art of Multimedia Journalism, Feature Writing, Writing About Food Culture in NYC, Global Reporting, and many more. 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. 

 

Scholarship applications are only available until the end of March, so interested students should apply ASAP. 

 

21. Georgetown University | Creative Writing Academy

 

Dates: July 20 – 26

Location: Georgetown University

Application deadline: April 15

Cost: $3,525 (residential); $2,730 (commuter)

 

During Georgetown University’s Creative Writing Academy, students will have the chance to engage in dynamic lectures on craft topics, receive feedback from peers, workshop with graduate student instructors, and practice what they have 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. 

 

Set in D.C., there are unique opportunities for participants to engage with the city, such as an exercise in ekphrastic writing at the National Gallery of Art and the chance to perform original works at Busboys and Poets.

 

22. Yale Young Writers’ Workshop

 

Dates: June 21– 27

Location: Yale University and Online

Application deadline: April 1

Cost: $3,275 (residential); $2,905 (commuter); $1,320 (online)

 

At the Yale Young Writers’ Workshop, students experiment with writing in one of three genres (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry) and receive personalized feedback in small, focused groups. Participants are afforded experiences through writing workshops, which promote 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. As the program instructors are renowned in their field, students have a chance to have their work read closely by professionals and expand their craft in a supportive environment. 

 

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 broken down into four tiers, with Tier 1 representing those that are the most impressive and unique and Tier 4 representing 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 paying 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.

 


Short Bio
A graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in English, Tim Peck currently lives in Concord, New Hampshire, where he balances a freelance writing career with the needs of his two Australian Shepherds to play outside.