Best Summer Programs for Writing and Journalism
If you are a teen whose academic “weapon” of choice is the pen, you may be targeting some of the most prestigious writing or journalism undergraduate programs in the country. While you may spend the school year pouring your heart and soul into class-based essays and your work on the school newspaper or literary magazine, the summer presents a vast expanse of time in which you can further hone your craft—one ideal place in which to do so is at a formalized summer program.
For a full look at our searchable database of the best 2024 summer programs click the button below. Here, you will be able to sort summer programs by discipline and location and can view important data points such as tuition costs, deadlines, course listings, and more!
Search 2024 Best Summer Programs
Our list of Best Summer Programs in Writing/Journalism is comprised of 31 terrific options that range in duration, cost, and eligibility criteria but all possess the shared attribute of quality. Each of the aforementioned data points are provided for each school along with the location of the program, whether they offer a residential experience, and when the application window opens and closes. We also include when applications become available, the deadlines, whether residential housing is offered, and the geographic location where the program takes place. When it comes time to fill out your college application, admissions committees will be impressed that you pursued a program that was aligned with your interest and passions, and you will likely receive a small bump in your odds of gaining acceptance.
| Program | Location | Residential | Focus | Length | Costs | App. Opens | Deadline | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University High School Honors | Boston, MA | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 5 weeks | $6560+ | Dec 15 | May 28 | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Boston University High School Summer Term | Boston, MA | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1, 2, 3 Weeks | $1600-6675 | Dec 15 | Rolling | Rising 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Boston University Summer Journalism Academy | Boston, MA | Yes | Journalism | 2 weeks | $1300-3600 | Dec 1 | May 20 Rolling | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th + Graduates |
| Carnegie Mellon Pre-College | Pittsburgh, PA | Yes | Multiple (Including Writing/Journalism) | 6 weeks | $6932-9000 | November | Feb 9 Early, May 16 Regular | Rising 11th, 12th (must be 16 years old by start of program for residential) |
| Columbia Summer Programs | New York, NY | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1, 3 weeks | $2810-12,354 | December | Feb 3 Early, Mar 3 | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Cornell University Summer College | Ithaca, NY | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 3-6 weeks | ~$6,750-$13,500 | mid-January | Rolling | Rising 11th and 12th |
| Cronkite Summer Journalism Institute | Phoenix, AZ | Yes | Journalism | 2 weeks | Free | Coming Soon | Apr 8 | Enrolled in high school |
| Davidson College July Experience | Davidson, NC | No Summer Program for 2022 | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | |||||
| Denison University Summer Writing Workshop | Granville, OH | Yes | Writing | 1 week | $650-1350 | Jan 5 | Rising 11th, 12th | |
| George Washington University Summer Pre-College | Washington, D.C. | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1-6 weeks | ~$2,000-$11,629 | December | 15-May | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Harvard Secondary School Program | Cambridge, MA & Online | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 2, 7 weeks | $4000-$13,300 | Dec 1 | Jan 26 Early, Mar 2 Regular | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th (must be 15 years old by 12/2/21) |
| Jcamp | TBD | Yes | Journalism | 1 week | Free | December | 3/31 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Johns Hopkins Summer University Program | Baltimore, MD | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 2 weeks | $5512-6063 | Dec 15 | Rolling | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Media and Leadership Academy at UGA | Athens, GA | Yes | Communication | 1 week | $450-1050 | Feb 2 | Rolling | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Medill Cherubs Journalism Camp at Northwestern University | Chicago, IL | Yes | Journalism | 5 weeks | $6,500 | Available | Mar 14 | Rising 12th |
| Miami University Summer Scholars | Oxford, OH | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1 week | $1,080 | Late Winter | Rolling | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Notre Dame Leadership Seminars | Notre Dame, IN | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 2 weeks | $210 | Oct 18 | Jan 24 | Rising 12th |
| Notre Dame Summer Scholars | Notre Dame, IN | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 2 Weeks | $4250-$4375 | Oct 18 | Feb 21 | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Notre Dame Summer Scholars Online | Online | No | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 2 weeks | $1,900 | Oct 18 | Feb 21 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Oregon State University Writing/Journalism Classes Online | Online | No | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 12 weeks | ~$1,850 | 1-May | Rolling | All high school students |
| Rhodes College Summer Writing Institute | Memphis, TN | Yes | Writing | 2 weeks | Rising 11th, 12th | |||
| Sarah Lawrence Creative Writing Intensive | Bronxville, NY | Creative Writing | 3 weeks | ~$6,600 | January | 1-Apr | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th | |
| Sewanee Young Writers' Conference | Sewanee, TN | Yes | Creative Writing | 2 weeks | $2,550 | Available | Feb 17 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Skidmore Summer Pre-College Program | Online for 2022 | No | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 4 weeks | $3015-4040 | Early January | Apr 1 Priority, May 1 Rolling | Rising 11th, 12th + Graduates |
| Smith College Precollege Programs | Northhampton, MA | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1, 2, 4 weeks | $2425-4285+ | Jan 10 | Mar 1 Priority, Apr 15 | Rising 11th, 12th (Women only) |
| Summer at Georgetown | Washington, DC | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1 weeks | $3,115 | Available | Jan 31 Early, May 15 Regular | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Summer at Brown Online | Online | No | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 2-6 Weeks | $2947-$5720 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 Priority, May 6 Regular | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Summer at Brown | Providence, RI | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1-4 weeks | $2506-$9120 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 Priority, May 6 Regular | Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th |
| Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP) | Multiple | Yes | Varies | 6 weeks | Free | Nov 16 | Jan 5 | Rising 11th, 12th |
| Terp Young Scholars | College Park, MD & Online | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 3 weeks | $1475-$4400 | Jan 10 | May 1 | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th + Graduates |
| The Clark Scholars Program (Texas Tech University) | Lubbock, TX | Yes | Multiple (Including Writing/Journalism) | 7 weeks | Free/Stipend | Jan 3 | Feb 16 | Rising 12th + Graduates |
| The Young Writers Workshop at Kenyon College | Gambier, OH | Closed for 2021 | Creative Writing | 2 weeks | $2,475 | Early January | 1-Mar | Ages 16-18 |
| UC San Diego Extension - Academic Connections | San Diego, CA or Online | No | Multiple (including Media/Communications) | 3 weeks | $1500-3000 | December | May 27 | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| UCLA Summer Institutes | Los Angeles, CA | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1, 2, 3, 6 weeks | $825-1170 | Available | Apr 1 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| University of Chicago Summer College | Chicago, IL | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 3 weeks | $7775-13,200 | Dec 15 | Jan 19 Priority, Mar 9 | Rising 10th, 11th, 12th |
| University of Washington Summer Quarter Online | Online | No | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 5 weeks | ~$1,180-$3,700 | Spring | Rolling | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th |
| Washington University in St. Louis Summer Programs | St. Louis, MO | Yes | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 1-5 weeks | $1285-$10,465 | Nov 1 | Apr 1 | Rising 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th |
| Wellesley Pre-College Honors Immersion | Wellesley, MA | Open to Wellesley Students only 2022 | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | |||||
| Yale Young Global Scholars | New Haven, CT & Online | Online for 2022 | Multiple (including Writing/Journalism) | 2 weeks | $3500-$6500 | Available | Nov 3 Early, Jan 10 Regular | Must be 16 years old by 7/19/22 |
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