15 Best Writing Camps for High School Students

TL;DR

This guide covers writing camps where you can workshop poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, college essays, and screenplays with published writers. Most are short programs on US college campuses, ranging from day camps to week-long overnight stays, with a few two-week residential options. You’ll find choices for students from middle school through graduating seniors, depending on each camp’s grade rules. At UMass Amherst’s Juniper Institute, for example, you receive a written feedback letter from your Writing Lab instructor. Immerse Education’s Academic Insights pathway in Creative Writing runs for two weeks at an Oxford college for students aged 13 to 18.

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Whether your passion for writing drives you to pen poems, essays, stories, memoirs or any other literary creation, a writing camp is a great place to take your writing skills to the next level. Here, you don’t just put your thoughts on paper; instead, you learn the narrative structure, editing techniques, genre conventions, writing style and tone, and more that you can use to turn your words into something that is compelling to your readers. 

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Enrolling in a writing camp will typically place you on a university campus, giving you an early exposure to particularly the English or literature department there. You will attend lectures that will equip you with the skills and knowledge to write better. You will also spend a significant amount of your time completing writing exercises and reviewing them based on feedback and personalized advice from university professors, published authors and more.

How do you find a writing camp that fits you?

Given that there are many writing camps available for you to enroll in, it is important that you choose one that actually matches your interests and goals. Before picking the right one, you should first ask yourself if you want to write creative things like poems, stories, and screenplays or something more nonfictional like news articles, academic papers, and college admission essays. 

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In addition to looking at the subject matter, you may also want to check for certain elements that can elevate your learning experience. You can check if the program offers personalized feedback, the opportunity to network with well-established writers and university faculty, the chance to publish your work and read it to an audience, help to build a writing portfolio, and other factors. 

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To make the selection process easier for you, we have gathered the 15 best writing camps for high school students for you to choose from.

15 Best Writing Camps for High School Students 

1. Immerse Education's Creative Writing Summer School

Location: Oxford

Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; an average of 7 participants per class

Application Deadline: Multiple cohorts with rolling admissions

Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer

Eligibility: Students worldwide aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school; open to international students

Immerse Education's Academic Insights pathway in Creative Writing will offer you the opportunity to explore the art of creative writing through building skills in poetry, narratives, and fiction. You'll participate in workshops, literary analysis and collaborative projects. You'll receive personalized guidance from experienced writers and explore different genres and writing styles as you find your unique voice as a writer. 

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Along with becoming a better writer, the program also gives you the experience of university life through thought-provoking discussions and a chance to make like-minded friendships. If you're a high school student looking for a writing program that can help you master creative writing, build self-confidence, and earn a recognized certificate, then this one is a good option to consider.

Why it stands out: It immerses you in narrative craft, genre exploration, and editorial feedback, helping you develop stronger storytelling skills and a more compelling creative voice.

2. Nebraska Writing Project Young Writers Camp

Location: University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus, Lincoln, NE
Cost: $250; scholarships available
Dates: July 13th to 24th, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: 8th to 12th graders; international eligibility not specified

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As a participant in Nebraska Writing Project’s Young Writers Camp, you will be placed at the University of Nebraska’s city campus, where you will spend your time exploring different genres. Over the two weeks, you will find yourself working on slam poetry, fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, mystery, songwriting, poetry, memoir, and screenwriting. 

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You will work with professional writers, professors, teachers, and undergraduate interns who focus on supporting you and helping you grow your writing talents. One way they will offer their support will be through one-on-one work with a writing mentor.

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Why it stands out: The Nebraska Writing Project gives you the opportunity to share your work with a large group of audiences through a public reading session and publishing it in its YWC Anthology.

3. 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: Varies by 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.

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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. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. 

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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, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.

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Why it stands out: You get 1-1 mentorship with a Ph.D. mentor and produce an independent research project by the end.

4. Young Arizona Writers’ Workshop (YAWW)

Location: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Cost: Not listed in the registration summary; a $40 deposit secures your place, and scholarships are available
Dates: June 1st to 10th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: May 4th (priority registration) and May 1st (scholarship applications), 2026
Eligibility: 9th to 12th graders; international eligibility not specified

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The YAWW by the University of Arizona College of Social & Behavioral Sciences’s Department of English is your chance to write across genres, such as fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. During your time in the program, you will complete writing assignments that improve your writing proficiency. 

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For instance, the camp instructors could share a prompt and you will develop a piece based on that. Such exercises will help you gain a practical understanding of how to turn your work from a draft into a final edited piece. In past years, the workshop has also connected students with editors from publications like the Sonora Review, Spork Press, DIAGRAM, and others.

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Why it stands out: The program will additionally teach you about getting your work published and the process that goes into doing it.

5. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Writers’ Island Workshop

Location: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX
Cost: Not publicly available; limited scholarships available
Dates: June 22nd to 26th, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Registration opened March 2nd (2026)
Eligibility: 9th to 12th graders, based on your fall grade level; international eligibility not specified

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With Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi offering writing programs for school students in grades 3 to 12, this one is particularly designed to encourage high school students like you to explore your passion for writing. 

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Over the week, you will take part in a variety of writing activities, along with visits with poets and artists and nature walks that give you fresh material to write about. The camp staff includes university professors, high school teachers, and university students who support you as you draft and share your work.

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Why it stands out: The program is structured to give you an insight into what a typical professional writing workshop entails.

6. Austin Peay State University Tennessee Young Writers’ Workshop

Location: Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN
Cost: $600; financial assistance available
Dates: June 21st to 27th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: May 15th (2026)
Eligibility: High school students aged 14 to 18; creative writing sample required; international eligibility not specified

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Austin Peay State University runs this overnight camp in collaboration with Humanities Tennessee with the determination to make its participants better creative writers. If selected for the program, you will attend workshops led by professional instructors, who will teach you about the different genres and writing styles in literature. 

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You will also spend a significant amount of time immersing yourself in writing activities. Note, this is a selective program that requires you to submit one of your past creative works so if you get into the camp, you will be next to talented writers who enjoy writing like you do.

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Why it stands out: Apart from the writing activities, you will also get to engage in some fun ones like making friendship bracelets with poetry lines.

7. Goucher College Young Writers’ Camp

Location: Goucher College, Baltimore, MD
Cost: $600 (early registration by May 1st) and $650 (late registration after May 1st), 2026 rates
Dates: June 22nd to 26th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Registration for 2026 is closed; early registration pricing ended May 1st
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 to 12; international eligibility not specified

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If you are someone who loves to spend your time writing, Goucher College offers this intensive program for you to test and improve your knack for writing across genres, such as fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. For this purpose, the camp welcomes well-established authors to conduct workshops and seminars in which they immerse you in games and activities that teach you some of the different genres in creative writing. 

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You will also benefit from the camp instructors and fellow participants reviewing your work and giving you feedback on it. You will also have literary editors help you gather your work during the program and turn it into an anthology.

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Why it stands out: In this camp, you will also learn some strategies you can use to write a compelling personal essay like the ones you would have to write for your college applications.

8. Bowling Green State University Adventures in Creative Writing Summer Camp

Location: Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
Cost: $200, including lunch and snacks
Dates: June 22nd to 26th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: March 2nd (early admission) and May 15th (extended general deadline), 2026
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10 to 12; international eligibility not specified

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BGSU’s summer writing camp can be very suitable for you if you want to develop your own poetry, fiction and nonfiction pieces. Rather than simply teaching and assigning something for you to write, the program will first immerse you in a unique activity. This will mostly be happening at the university’s planetarium, marine biology lab, herpetarium, and its Department of Theater & Film. 

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Once you have finished the activity, you will acquire more knowledge about it by reading and conducting further research on it. You will then collaborate with the camp teachers and other participants to write content across different genres based on all the information you have collected.

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Why it stands out: Though this is a writing camp, its interdisciplinary nature allows you to learn about different departments across BGSU, not just the English Department.

9. Gannon University Writers’ Summer Camp (Teen Writers Camp)

Location: Gannon University, Erie, PA
Cost: $199; scholarships available
Dates: August 3rd to 7th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: June 30th (scholarship applicants) and July 21st (general applicants), 2026
Eligibility: Students aged 14 to 18; international eligibility not specified

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In this camp offered by the Gannon University’s English Department, you will gain exposure to a number of genres across the creative and professional writing industries. The camp has quite an intensive schedule so you can expect to engage yourself in several writing exercises and elevate your work by revising them. 

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You will even have the opportunity to share your finalized work with others by publishing it on the Writing Camp Wall Magazine or reading it at the Friday Public Reading. If you are a high school junior or senior, you will even get to work on your college or scholarship essay.

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Why it stands out: One of the added advantages of participating in this camp is the personalized attention you will get from the university’s writing faculty and professionals.

10. UA Young Writers Camp

Location: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Cost: $236.50, including fees (2025 rate)
Dates: June 1st to 12th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: 6th to 12th graders (ages 12 to 17); international eligibility not specified

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Organized by the University of Alabama, this camp creates an environment where you can spend your summer engaging in some writing work based on the various unique prompts that the program gives you. You will also have the opportunity to explore the contemporary literary scene through sessions with experienced writers from the MFA Program in Creative Writing at The University of Alabama. 

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The program culminates with an event in which all participants get to read their work to the public. It is also worth noting that the camp welcomes students of all writing levels, so you don’t need to be a proficient writer; a passion for the craft will do.

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Why it stands out: During your time in the program, you will both get to work individually and in collaboration with fellow campers who also have a passion for writing.

11. Great Smokies Young Writers Workshop Pre-College Summer Program

Location: University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, NC
Cost: $1,470, including lodging, meals, course materials, activities, and excursions; $500 deposit due at registration
Dates: June 21st to 26th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Open until all spaces are filled
Eligibility: Rising 10th through 12th graders; international eligibility not specified

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In this pre-college program organized by the University of North Carolina Asheville, you will get to express your creativity by writing poetry, memoirs and essays. You will learn to write your poems by attending daily sessions where you study poetry of different genres, analyze their form and techniques and use these techniques to write yours. 

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Through your participation in the program, you will also discover the strengths of writing in a first-person point of view, especially when you are writing your college essays, about an incident from your life or something personal. You will specifically focus on how such pieces allow you to express your thoughts and feelings more clearly.

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Why it stands out: You will get a better grasp of the narrative arcs, stakes, and language you can use to make your writing more interesting to your readers.

12. Hofstra University Path to College Writing Workshop

Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Cost: $735 per week (2026 early tuition)
Dates: One week during Hofstra’s summer camp season, which ran from June 29th to August 14th in 2026; 2027 dates not yet posted
Application Deadline: Not specified; early tuition pricing available
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 to 12; international eligibility not specified

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Hofstra University runs this program to help high school students take their writing to the next level and become confident writing at a college level. If enrolled in the program, you will learn the different techniques you can use to write a winning college admission essay. 

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You will also gain exposure to different academic writing genres, such as expository essays, thesis-driven arguments, literary analysis, and personal narratives. The program will be engaging you in small and large-group discussions, interactive activities and writing workshops throughout the week to make you a better writer.

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Why it stands out: You learn from Professor Jennifer Marx, who teaches in Hofstra’s Department of Writing Studies and Rhetoric and tutors in its Writing Center.

13. Indiana University Bloomington Screenwriting Academy

Location: Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN
Cost: Not listed on the session page; scholarships available; overnight only, with no day camp option
Dates: July 13th to 17th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Not specified; full payment is due three weeks before your session
Eligibility: Students generally aged 14 to 18; open to international students

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At the IU Screenwriting Academy, you will acquire the skills to become a writer who can write scripts for films and television. For this, the summer program will teach some of the important aspects of screenwriting, such as building the characters and developing the story. 

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You will have the opportunity to learn some of the techniques used by industry experts directly from professional screenwriters, academics, and others. You will also be studying and analyzing some iconic screenwriting work in cinema, and you will leave the program with your own short film script.

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Why it stands out: Past guest lecturers have included Angelo Pizzo, screenwriter of Hoosiers and Rudy, and select scripts may be produced by students in IU’s Advanced Filmmakers Academy.

14. UMass Juniper Institute for Young Writers

Location: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
Cost: $2,330 (commuter) and $5,200 (residential); scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive; about 50 participants in the residential program
Dates: July 12th to 25th (Session 1) and July 26th to August 8th (Session 2), 2026; 2027 dates not yet posted
Application Deadline: March 16th (2026)
Eligibility: Rising 10th through 12th graders plus graduating seniors; international eligibility not specified

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As someone who loves to write, you should take advantage of this two-week program by UMass Amherst that gives you the opportunity to connect with other high schoolers who share your passion for writing. Each day, the program will organize its Writing Labs, through which you will form a better understanding of creative styles, forms, subjects, and modes of writing. 

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Following this, you will attend Craft Sessions that will concentrate on a particular element of creative writing each day. As you progress through the program, you will also write new pieces based on writing prompts. You will also benefit from one-on-one guidance from a Creative Writing Instructor.

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Why it stands out: After the program ends, you receive a written feedback letter from your Writing Lab instructor to guide your next drafts.

15. Wake Forest Summer Immersion Screenwriting Institute

Location: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: A non-refundable application fee of $60 plus a program fee of $3,500; a $550 non-refundable deposit secures your seat; limited need-based scholarships when funding allows
Dates: June 21st to 26th (2026 dates; 2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Applications open November 1st for the following summer; popular institutes may form waitlists by January
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 to 12; international eligibility not specified

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The Wake Forest Summer Immersion Screenwriting Institute is catered to students who love telling stories and dream of becoming screenwriters. By participating in the institute, you will learn to develop screenplays for film, television, or even video games. You will learn the different storytelling techniques you can employ in your scripts. 

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Plus, you will gain exposure to structure, character development, workshopping, editing, genre, tone, and more, and you will also practice using screenwriting software to create industry-standard scripts. More importantly, you will write multiple original screenplays while you are in the program.

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Why it stands out: You will have the opportunity to meet with screenwriting professionals, and you will receive an official Wake Forest University Certificate of Completion at the end of the week.

Frequently asked questions: Writing Camps for High School Students

What are the best writing programs for high school students?

The best writing program for you depends on whether you want creative writing, college essay support, or screenwriting. If you want a selective residential experience, UMass Amherst’s Juniper Institute runs a very competitive two-week program with about 50 participants, and Austin Peay’s Tennessee Young Writers’ Workshop requires a creative writing sample. For screenwriting, Indiana University and Wake Forest both run week-long overnight programs. Immerse Education’s Academic Insights pathway in Creative Writing offers two weeks at an Oxford college, with seminars averaging 7 students and two 1:1 tutorials.

Are there free or low-cost writing camps for high school students?

Free writing camps are harder to find, but several university camps keep costs low and offer scholarships. Gannon University’s Writers’ Summer Camp cost $199 in 2026, and Bowling Green State University’s Adventures in Creative Writing cost $200, including lunch and snacks. The Nebraska Writing Project’s Young Writers Camp costs $250, with scholarships available. If cost is a barrier, check scholarship deadlines early, since programs like the Young Arizona Writers’ Workshop set them before registration closes.

Do writing camps help with college applications?

Yes, many writing camps give you college essay practice and polished pieces you can draw on when you apply. Goucher College’s Young Writers’ Camp helps you start thinking about personal essays for college applications, and Hofstra’s Path to College Writing focuses on crafting college-admissions essays. Immerse Education’s Academic Insights pathway also offers an optional accredited route, where your work is formally assessed so you can earn 3 US college credits. For more guidance, read these tips on writing a great college essay.

Do you need writing experience to attend a writing camp?

No, many writing camps welcome beginners, though selective programs ask for a writing sample. The University of Alabama’s Young Writers Camp is open to students of all writing levels, and IU’s Cinema Academy caters to all experience levels across its sessions. Austin Peay’s Tennessee Young Writers’ Workshop requires a creative writing sample, and acceptance is competitive. If you are applying to a selective camp, choose a piece that shows your voice and your willingness to experiment.

Are there overnight writing camps for high school students?

Yes, several writing camps let you live on campus for the full program. UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Young Writers Workshop includes residence hall lodging and campus meals in its $1,470 fee, and Austin Peay’s Tennessee Young Writers’ Workshop is an overnight camp. UMass Amherst’s Juniper Institute offers a two-week residential option, while Wake Forest’s Screenwriting Institute runs from Sunday to Friday as an overnight program. You can compare more options in these overnight writing summer camps for teens.

When should you apply to summer writing camps?

You should start looking in the fall and apply by early spring, since selective programs close well before summer. Wake Forest’s Summer Immersion application opens every November 1st, and popular institutes may start waitlists by January. UMass Amherst’s Juniper Institute closed applications on March 16th for 2026, and Bowling Green State University’s early admission deadline was March 2nd. Other camps, such as UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Young Writers Workshop, keep enrollment open until all spaces are filled.

From camp workshops to confident college essays

Every draft you revise, every reading you give, and every piece of feedback you absorb at camp makes your next essay easier to write.

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Since writing camps for high school students range from low-cost day camps to selective residential workshops, you can pick one that suits you.

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Bring home a polished poem, a personal essay draft, or a short script, and you will already have material worth building on in your applications.

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For more help turning that material into a standout application, our University Preparation blogs walk you through essays, personal statements, and every step in between.