If you are interested in literature but can’t commit to an in-person program, consider an online program in literature! These programs can help strengthen your writing skills and prepare you for college-level courses without the logistical and financial hassles of an in-person program.
These online programs can also help you earn college credit, learn from mentors associated with top universities in the country, and join a network of like-minded peers.
Below is a curated list of 10 online literature programs that you can explore:
1. Iowa Young Writers’ Studio
Cost: $575 for the online version
Program Dates: 6-week online program (January – February, June – August)
Deadlines: February 2, 2025
Subject Areas: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Writing, Playwriting, or TV writing
Who is Eligible: 10th, 11th and 12th graders
Iowa Young Writers’ Studio is a 6-week online creative writing course that takes place twice a year and runs independently of the Summer Residential Program. Each course is taught by graduates of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and requires you to engage 3-4 hours per week.
You can choose from poetry, fiction, creative writing, playwriting, or TV writing. The online courses allow you to complete assignments and participate in online discussions at your own pace. However, students must meet weekly deadlines. There are no live sessions, but you can actively engage in readings, writing exercises, peer critiques, and online discussions. There are no credits for the program, but you will receive a Letter of Completion.
2. Juniper Institute for Young Writers (JYOW) at UMass Amherst
Cost: TBA
Program Dates: July 7–11, 2025
Deadlines: TBA
Subject Areas: Writing, Creative Writing, Poetry
Who is Eligible: Students from 8th to 12th grade
JYOW participants can expect to experience a virtual week that will deeply engage them with the writing process. The faculty comprises creative writing instructors, all working writers, and students in the UMass Amherst MFA for Poets and Writers. Their programs include Writing Labs, Craft Sessions, Participant Readings, Writer’s Life talks, and Write-alongs.
They limit their Writing Labs to just 10 students, ensuring personalized one-on-one guidance from mentors and tailored feedback for each participant. The program connects like-minded students from all over the world, helping you build connections with a like-minded group. Applications are accepted only online through Submittable, and application material includes writing samples, writing statements, and recommendation letters.
3. Harvard’s Secondary School Program
Cost: $4,050 (4 credits) or $7,900 (8 credits). Need-based scholarships are available
Program Dates: June 21–August 9, 2025
Deadlines: February 12, 2025
Subject Areas: Various courses from Literature to STEM
Who is Eligible: High school students aged 16-18
Harvard University’s seven-week summer program allows high school students to participate in academically rigorous college courses for college credit through subjects they are passionate about, including several literature courses. The program includes courses like The Rise of the Novel, Poetry in America, The Culture of Capitalism, Indigenous Literature, and Superheroes and Power. You can take one or two courses of your interest and earn a letter grade and an official Harvard transcript.
This program mirrors the difficulty of college-level classes, offering an academically challenging experience. By the end of the summer, you will have gained better knowledge in your chosen area and the experience of studying at an Ivy League institution.
4. Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop
Cost: $995, need-based financial aid is available
Program Dates: June 15–20, 2025, Summer Workshop
Deadlines: Applications open in March, due by April 14, 2025
Subject Areas: Multi-genre workshops
Who is Eligible: Sophomore or junior and/or aged 16-18
This program is for high school students interested in building their writing skills. You will join small groups of 12-14 peers across the country and meet online with an instructor for three and a half hours daily.
In these workshop sessions, you will free-write, read passages, practice writing to prompts, and share drafts of your work with others. There will be informal feedback focused on personal growth instead of grades, and teachers will share their analysis of your strengths and offer creative ways for you to develop and revise your writing.
5. Brown Pre-College Summer Programs
Cost: $3,218 to $6,238 (depending on the length of the course)
Program Dates: June to July, 2025
Deadlines: Applications open in January 2025
Subject Areas: STEM, Business, Literature, Language in Context, Communications, and more
Who is Eligible: Students in grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18 by June 15, 2025
Summer@Brown Online provides high school students access to over 50 rigorous, non-credit humanities, sciences, and leadership courses. You can choose from two to six weeks of asynchronous, primarily asynchronous, or blended learning formats, while also connecting with peers worldwide. Unique past courses have included topics like ‘Witchcraft in Popular Culture and Mythology’.
The program also features specialized offerings such as the Brown Leadership Institute, a four-week online course combining academic learning with leadership development. Additionally, you can apply to the seven-week Pre-Baccalaureate Program to take one or two Brown courses alongside current undergraduates.
6. Reach Cambridge
Cost: 10 hours: ~$1,300; 20 hours: ~2,400; 40 hours: ~$4,600
Program Dates: Suited to the student’s availability
Deadlines: Applications are open
Subject Areas: Literature, Journalism, Media, English, and more
Who is Eligible: High school students aged 14-18
Reach Cambridge is accredited by the British Accreditation Council and started almost twenty years ago with online courses specifically for pre-university students. These include personalized 1:1 courses, independent research projects, and ongoing tutoring, enabling you to customize your programs.
You can study anything from filmmaking to creative writing, literature, and computer science, with over twenty disciplines in STEM and the humanities. The program is flexible, as you can study more than one subject simultaneously—something that could be useful for you if you want to engage in interdisciplinary studies.
7. Cornell Online Learning
Cost: $1,840/credit
Program Dates: Dates will be published in February
Deadlines: TBA for 2025
Subject Areas: Mythology, Literature, History and more
Who is Eligible: Rising/Current high school juniors & seniors, age 15+
As a student in this Ivy League program, you can immerse yourself in the Cornell experience and earn up to 3 to 12 credits along with a Cornell transcript. You can choose from 3 to 6 weeks of sessions based on your interests and bandwidth.
You will be able to prepare for college applications with one-on-one admission counselling by mentors and interact with diverse groups of high school students from around the world. You can also delve into courses like Introduction to the Classical World in 24 Objects or dive down history through subjects like Women, War, and Peace in Europe, 1900-1950.
8. Sarah Lawrence College Virtual Writers’ Week
Cost: July Session (Virtual) $1,025
Program Dates: July 7 to July 11, 2025.
Deadlines: Registrations open in February
Subject Areas: Creative Writing
Who is Eligible: Students entering the 9th to 12th grades the following fall. Students must be age 14 or older at the start of the program.
The Sarah Lawrence’s program has a variety of writing courses spanning five to ten weeks, with students participating in online workshops. The Virtual Writers’ Week program will be held in July, and each day, you will attend writing and theatre workshops led by prose writers, poets, and performance artists.
The program focuses on creating an interactive and collaborative environment in a class of 18 students, with two teaching artists per workshop. At the end of the program, you will get the chance to celebrate your work and experience student and faculty readings
9. Boston University Summer Journalism Academy
Cost: $1500; financial aid available
Program Dates: June to July 2025
Deadlines: May 9, 2025
Subject Areas: Journalism
Who is Eligible: Students in grades 9 to 12
The Boston University Summer Journalism Academy allows high school students a chance to learn the fundamentals of journalism in a collegiate format. Professors cover research, interviews, writing leads, story structure, and more in their two-week online course using university-level journalism textbooks.
You can choose between two domains—News Reporting and Writing, and Photojournalism. You can work on your writing skills, experience real-world journalism and learn storytelling techniques through classes from Monday to Friday.
10. Scholars Online Summer Term Courses
Cost: $250 onwards
Program Dates: June onwards
Deadlines: Enrollments are open now
Subject Areas: Literature, Shakespeare, Western Literature to Dante, and more
Who is Eligible: Grade 7 and above
The Scholars Online Summer Term courses offer high schoolers inclined towards literature to choose from across various courses, from American literature to Dante and world literature. They operate on a flexible membership model, enabling you to choose courses at your own pace while learning from faculty.
The classes aim to provide a comfortable introduction to reading and thinking in a literary mode. Scholars Online has offered academic content to students worldwide for over a decade, offering education in online courses in the mid-1990s.
Bonus Options:
11. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer and Fall cohorts.
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more.
Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.
12. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June – August), Fall (September – December), Winter (December – February), and Spring (March – June).
Eligibility:
- You must be currently enrolled in high school
- Students must demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
- No previous knowledge of your field of interest is required!
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a range of subject areas.
The program pairs you with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
