Summer Writing Programs

Parents Forum
1

<p>I see lots of math and science programs, but I am really interested in journalism and creative writing. Are there any colleges that hold summer programs for writing. I am specifically interested in more competitive ones that are free. Although I don't want to bother with applying to those super competitive ones that receive 10,000 apps and accept 40. </p>

<p>Please list any colleges that you know of that do this. Oh, and I posted this in the high school section if it looks familiar, but I figure I will get better responses here.</p>

2

<p>Carleton and Grinnell both have summer writing programs, I believe. I don't know if they have information on their websites, but you could call admission and they could either help you our or transfer you to someone who might know more.</p>

3

<p>Lewis and Clark College in Oregon has an excellent summer creative program as well. Carleton's program is more geared towards academic writing. For journalism, check Northwestern and possibly Syracuse to see what they offer.</p>

4

<p>I don't know about free but there are some very interesting programs that might have financial aid options. The one's I know have high school programs are University of Iowa, St. Johns, Lewis and Clark, and Skidmore. Northwestern might have a journalism one as well.</p>

5

<p>Thanks so much for all the responses so far. I really need some type of financial aid, and I want it to be competitive to get in to. But not crazy competitive like TASP. And I would prefer it to be more on the east coast because I plan on doing my college visits after the program is done.</p>

6

<p>Try this link from the Johns Hopkins CTY website - it lists summer programs, at the end there is also a list of sites with searchable databases of h.s. summer programs.
<a href="http://www.jhu.edu/%7Egifted/imagine/linkA.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.jhu.edu/~gifted/imagine/linkA.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

7

<p>University of Iowa has a 2 week program for $1,450, but financial aid is available. I know 2 students who did this a couple of years ago and both really enjoyed it. For some reason I can't print the link, but you can google it. It's the "Young Writer's Studio."</p>

8

<p>Is CTY only for younger kids? I would be applying to these summer programs as an incoming senior.</p>

9

<p>My daughter attended the two-week long Kenyon Review Young Writer's Program (at Kenyon College) this past summer. She loved it. It's oriented towards most forms of creative writing, and kids can specialize in their areas of interest (poetry, playwriting, short-stories, etc.). She described the program as a place where quirky, geeky, writer-types were suddenly the way cool kids (I think there were something like 60-80 kids in her session -- the program has become very popular and they now run two, back-to-back two week sessions). The program seemed worthwhile on many levels: (a) she had a fine writing experience; (b) she spent a lot of time with other young writer's and discovered she likes writing even more than she already thought she did (and she likes other writers as well); (c) she made a number of new friends; and (d) while a two-week program at a somewhat empty college isn't exactly the same thing, it gave her somewhat of a feel for what the liberal arts college experience might be like.</p>

<p>We've heard good things about the University of Iowa's program as well.</p>

10

<p>blythe89 --</p>

<p>My S did the Writing Intensive of the Putney School Summer Programs in Vermont -- Loved it thoroughly. Great kids, great environment. There is financial aid available. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.putneyschool.org/summer/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.putneyschool.org/summer/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

11

<p>You do "age out" of CTY summer programs (but not the distance ed courses), so you would be too old unless you skipped a couple of years.</p>

12

<p>There is an interesting three week writing program through my daughter's private arts high school, Walnut Hill School. Scholarships are awarded to this program and they do accept applicants through grade 11. "In addition to publication in The Blue Pencil, the selected writers will receive a full scholarship (including tuition, room, board, and airfare) to attend our Summer Writing in England in July 2006. This program will join young writers from across the country for three weeks of intensive, craft-centered study in verse, prose, and playwriting. The summer program will be held in two of the world's literary capitals. Eleven days will be at Walnut Hill in suburban Boston, Massachusetts and ten days will be in England."</p>

<p><a href="http://www.walnuthillarts.org/news/bishop_award.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.walnuthillarts.org/news/bishop_award.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>A number of my daughter's friends who majored in creative writing at WHS attended the Simons Rock young writers program.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.simons-rock.edu/young_writers/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.simons-rock.edu/young_writers/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

13

<p>If you are a girl, I had an awesome experience at Bryn Mawr's Writing for College program, which is not nearly as academic as it sounds.</p>

14

<p><a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/administration/osp/summer_writers_institute/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.skidmore.edu/administration/osp/summer_writers_institute/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

15

<p>I'm pretty sure you can do CTY through high school. My d was there for two years taking crafting the essay and the other course in the series and loved it.</p>