If you’re a high school student who likes writing, a creative writing summer camp can give you the chance to focus on your craft in a concentrated way. These camps usually run for a few weeks and are designed to let you spend your time fully on writing, without the usual distractions of school or homework. Whether you are interested in fiction, poetry, essays, or playwriting, a camp lets you explore that area in depth and practice regularly.
Most camps include workshops, seminars, and lectures where you can work on things like story structure, character development, dialogue, or revision. Some also cover research-based writing, literary analysis, or even aspects of publishing, performance, and songwriting. You’ll get feedback from professional writers or other students, which helps you understand what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve your work.
To make it easier to find the right fit, we’ve compiled a list of 15 creative writing summer camps for high school students in the U.S. (Note: While some programs differ from traditional camps, they keep the same camp-style structure.)
15 Creative Writing Summer Camps for High School Students
1. Teen Summer Writing Fellowship at GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing
Location: GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing, Boston, MA
Cost | Stipend: None | $800
Cohort Size: 20 students
Program Dates: July 21 – August 8, with an option to participate in a 4th and/or 5th week | Optional Anthology Production 4th Week: August 11 – 15 | Optional All-YAWP (Young Adult Writers & Poets) Anthology Week: August 18 – 22
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors (you can only attend the fellowship every other year, i.e., once as a rising freshman/sophomore and once as a rising junior/senior)
The Teen Summer Writing Fellowship at GrubStreet is a three-week program where you join other high school writers to practice and experiment with different forms of writing. You receive an $800 stipend while working on fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, and sub-genres such as speculative fiction, verse novels, and magical realism. Each day, you take part in writing sessions, feedback workshops, open mics, and guest author talks. The camp also introduces you to the publishing world and gives you strategies for building a writing career. The program ends with a final showcase of your work. If you want to stay longer, you can opt into a fourth or fifth week to help edit and format pieces for the YAWP Anthology, a collection of teen writing from GrubStreet’s summer programs.
2. Juniper Institute for Young Writers at UMass
Location: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Cost: $2,200 for the Commuter program; $5,100 for the Residential program. Financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; limited number of spots per session
Program Dates: Session 1: July 13 – 26; Session 2: July 27 – August 9
Application Deadline: Residential – March 7; Online – April 7
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as graduating seniors
The Juniper Institute for Young Writers at UMass Amherst is a two-week summer camp for high school students who want to focus on creative writing. In Week One, you build a regular writing routine through Writing Labs, craft sessions, and Writer’s Life talks. In Week Two, called Intensive Week, you work on developing a focused writing project with the help of one-on-one mentorship and peer group feedback. Alongside workshops, you take field trips to local literary and historical sites in Western Massachusetts, learning about the area’s culture and writers such as Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. By the end, you leave with a draft of your work and strategies for revision, publication, and submissions to literary magazines. You can also choose the Juniper Young Writers Online program as a second option if you are not accepted into the in-person program.
3. Clarion West’s Worldbuilding Summer Camp for BIPOC Teen Writers
Location: Seattle, WA (yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective)
Cost: Free; no fee to attend
Cohort Size: 20 students
Program Dates: August 18 – 22
Application Deadline: Not specified; early registration recommended to secure a spot
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–12. The program centers marginalized Black, Native, and youth of color (BIPOC) interested in speculative fiction and creative writing
The Worldbuilding Summer Camp for BIPOC Teen Writers is a five-day program where you focus on speculative fiction and the craft of building believable worlds. You learn how to design settings, experiment with formats like transcripts and reports, and study how writers use techniques such as defamiliarization. Each day includes close readings of published stories by women and BIPOC authors, guided discussions, and writing workshops. You also practice giving and receiving feedback, which helps you improve as both a writer and a reader. The camp covers genres including science fiction, urban fantasy, supernatural stories, and horror.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students 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 subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
5. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Financial aid available.
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! A few tracks require prerequisites, see here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. 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.
6. Writers Week: Summer Writing & Theatre for Teens at Sarah Lawrence College
Location: Virtual or in person at Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY
Cost: $1,095 (virtual) | $1,750 (on-campus day camp); limited scholarships available for Yonkers Public School students
Cohort Size: 18 students per workshop, with two teaching artists per group
Program Dates: Virtual Session: July 7 – 11; On-Campus Session 1: July 21 – 25; On-Campus Session 2: August 4 – 8
Application Deadline: Not specified; registration open until sessions fill
Eligibility: Rising high school students entering grades 9–12; must be age 14 or older at the start of the program
Writers Week: Summer Writing & Theatre for Teens at Sarah Lawrence College is a week-long program where you explore both creative writing and performance arts. Each day starts with writing workshops led by MFA students, where you work on genres like speculative fiction, poetry, memoir, and flash fiction using prompts, exercises, and discussions about writing techniques. You also join theatre workshops in areas like screenwriting, comedy sketch, playwriting, or musical songwriting. Improvisation, group projects, and games help you approach storytelling in new ways. Alongside workshops, you attend mini-sessions with faculty, graduate students, and guest artists to see different creative approaches in action.
7. Iowa Young Writers’ Studio Summer Residential Program
Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Cost: $2,500 tuition + $10 reading fee; financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; limited spots per session
Program Dates: Session 1: June 14 – 27; Session 2: July 12 – 25
Application Deadline: January 19 – February 1
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (students in grade 9 are no longer eligible)
The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio Summer Residential Program is a program where you focus on one core writing area, such as fiction, poetry, creative writing, playwriting, or TV writing. You develop your skills through writing exercises, workshops, and regular feedback from peers and instructors. Outside of class, you attend readings by published authors, take workshops on craft and techniques, and explore topics like revision and literary translation. The program also includes group projects, open mics, and social events, giving you opportunities to collaborate and build a creative community.
8. Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference (SYWC)
Location: The University of the South, Sewanee, TN
Cost: $2,600 tuition; includes room, board, and all workshops. A $175 refundable deposit is required. Need-based financial aid is available
Cohort Size: 85 students total; workshop groups capped at 12 participants each
Program Dates: June 29 – July 12
Application Deadline: Opens December; closes March 3
Eligibility: Current high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors (grades 9–11 at time of application)
SYWC is a two-week summer program where you focus on developing your creative writing skills. You participate in workshops, readings, and guided writing exercises, share your work with peers, and practice giving and receiving feedback. You also meet one-on-one with instructors to discuss your progress and get advice on building a strong writing portfolio. Afternoon activities include Q&As with guest authors, optional craft classes on sonnets or zines, and a tour of the Sewanee Review. You also have dedicated time to write independently, read widely, connect with other young writers on campus, and hike some of Sewanee’s trails.
9. Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program
Location: Virtual; fully online via flexible correspondence
Cost: $575 tuition; no application fee. Financial aid and fee remission are available for students with demonstrated need
Acceptance Rate: 8%; highly selective
Program Dates: June 26 – July 28
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Current high school students, graduating seniors, and gap year students can apply
The Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program is an online opportunity for high school students to develop their writing through one-on-one guidance from established authors. You can choose from three tracks—poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction, depending on your interests. In each track, you’ll focus on the drafting, redrafting, and editing process. You will also be expected to share your work with mentors and peers on a weekly or biweekly basis. This will help you refine your craft and strengthen your voice, while connecting with like-minded peers.
10. The Common Young Writers Program (TCYWP)
Location: Virtual via Zoom and asynchronous platforms;
Cost: Level I $849 (actual), $749 & $649 (reduced/donor-supported), Level II $999 (actual), $899 & $799 (reduced/donor-supported), additional need-based assistance available;
Program Dates: July 21 – August 1
Application Deadline: March 10 – May 18
Eligibility: Level I – rising high school freshmen to seniors, no prior experience required; Level II – high school students with prior creative writing experience or rising college freshmen previously in TCYWP (under 18).
TCYWP is a two-week virtual creative writing program where you explore the fundamentals of fiction under the guidance of editors and editorial assistants from The Common. You study core elements of craft such as character, plot, language, and scene through daily assignments, readings, and guided discussions. In Level I, you draft and revise a short story, receiving written and verbal feedback in one-on-one conferences and small group sessions. Level II is a collaborative fiction workshop where you share a completed story, offer and receive feedback, learn new writing styles, and practice advanced revision techniques with instructor guidance.
11. The Kenyon Review’s Young Writers Residential Workshops
Location: Kenyon College, Gambier, OH
Cost: $2,575 (need-based financial aid available)
Cohort Size: 12–14 students per workshop
Program Dates: June 22 – July 5 (Session One) | July 13 – 26 (Session Two)
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors between the ages of 16–18 (the program also occasionally accepts talented students who have just graduated high school before the program begins) (current high school sophomores who will only be turning 16 after the program ends are also eligible to apply)
The Kenyon Review Young Writers Residential Workshops are two-week summer programs where you focus on improving your creative and critical writing skills. You take part in daily workshops to draft short stories, poems, and essays, share feedback with peers and instructors, and experiment with new approaches to revision and rewriting. Workshops are ungraded, and both students and instructors write alongside each other to create a collaborative environment. You can also join optional genre sessions, which are mini three-part classes focused on specific forms or craft elements, letting you study an area in depth.
12. Yale Young Writers’ Workshop (YYWW)
Location: Virtual or in person at Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $3,275 (Residential) | $2,905 (Commuter) | $1,320 (Online)
Program Dates: June 21 – 27 (On-campus) | June 21 – 26 (Online)
Application Deadline: January 15 – April 1
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors aged 16–18
YYWW is a one-week summer program where you focus on creative writing. You choose workshops in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or cross-genre work, each designed to help you build skills like crafting characters, structuring essays, experimenting with form, and refining your voice. The program runs both online and on campus at Yale University in small groups led by experienced faculty. Daily sessions include generative writing exercises, group discussions, and close reading, giving you a chance to produce new work and revise drafts based on feedback from peers and instructors. You also attend talks by visiting writers to learn approaches outside your chosen genre.
13. Susquehanna University’s Summer Writers Workshop
Location: Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA
Cost: $875 (scholarships available)
Program Dates: July 13 – 19
Application Deadline: July 1
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are experienced writers
At Susquehanna University’s Summer Writers Workshop, you spend a week focusing on fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. You take daily seminar-style classes led by the university’s creative writing faculty, working on both drafting and revision. You produce 10–30 pages of new work and refine it through small-group workshops and individual conferences. You also complete structured exercises designed to spark creativity and expand your writing techniques. The program ends with a student reading and an anthology featuring the work you produced during the week.
14. Tisch Summer High School Dramatic Writing Program
Location: New York University
Cost: $14,603 + $75 application fee (subject to change) (need-based scholarships available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Very competitive, with only 24 spots
Program Dates: July 5 – August 1
Application Deadline: December 1
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors can apply (preference is given to juniors)
The Tisch Summer High School Dramatic Writing Program is a four-week course where you focus on writing for theatre, film, and television. You take two classes: playwriting and screenwriting, taught by NYU’s faculty in the Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing. You study dramatic action, character, and structure. You also attend workshops to present drafts for critique and revision. By the end, you will have completed an outline and partial script for a full-length screenplay and a ten-minute play. You rehearse your play with other students, and it is performed at the end of the program. Your monologues are directed and acted out by professionals who regularly collaborate with the department.
15. Hoya Summer High School Sessions at Georgetown University: Creative Writing Academy
Location: Georgetown University, WA
Cost: $3,525 (Residential) and $2,730 (Commuter) (limited number of scholarships available)
Program Dates: July 20 – 26
Application Deadline: January 31 is the early bird deadline—you don’t have an application fee if you apply before this date. | The final deadline is April 15 (applications submitted after this date will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis)
Eligibility: Students currently in grades 8–12 can apply | Good academic standing, with a minimum GPA of 2.0
The Creative Writing Academy at Georgetown University is a week-long program where you develop your creative writing skills across multiple genres. You study poetry, fiction, and personal prose while exploring literary history and the relationship between form, theme, and technique. Each day includes workshops and lectures that focus on story structure, character development, description, dialogue, incorporating feedback, and the revision process. You practice turning observations and ideas into polished pieces, drawing inspiration from literature, art, and the world around you.
Image source – Georgetown University