Welcome to the online application for the Juniper Summer Writing Institute Independent Writing Residency, June 21–27, 2026. More information about the Institute can be found on our website. If you find that you need more time once you start your application, there is a save draft button at the end of this application form.

The Juniper Summer Writing Institute is an inclusive literary space that welcomes adult poets and writers at all stages of their careers. Acceptance to the Institute is based upon the strength and promise of the writing sample and the content of the writer's statement. 

Residents will be offered 30-minute mentoring meetings with Visiting Poets/Writers on four mornings during the week, which will aim to guide residents in making progress on their writing projects. Meetings on Monday and Tuesday will focus on devising a work plan for the week, while the meetings on Thursday and Friday will help writers take stock of what they’ve accomplished, and establish a plan for their project’s next phases.

Please note: Juniper will share the Resident’s writing sample and statement of purpose from their application with the two Visiting Poets/Writers assigned to meet with them. Visiting Poets/Writers will not be expected to give feedback or edits on manuscripts in these meetings. They will offer general guidance and writerly advice to assist the residents in making the most of their independent residency.

The deadline to be considered for self-pay admission is March 15, 2026. (EXTENDED from 2/5/26)

The deadline for scholarship applications has passed.

Please be sure to hit "Submit" at the bottom of this application before the deadline. You should receive a confirmation notification from Submittable via email.

For more information about our application process, please visit our website.

Eligibility

• All Juniper Institute participants must be 21 years of age or older by the start of the program, June 21, 2026.
• International writers are welcome to apply. However, due to the nature of the Institute, we are unable to issue supporting documentation for visas.
• Your application’s writing sample should align with with the project you plan to work on during the residency.

Application materials include: 

• Writing sample 
• Indication of the genre of your project
• Writer's Statement 

Writing Sample

The strength and promise of your writing sample is the most important component of your application. Send your best work; it needn’t be published, though published work is acceptable. Your application’s writing sample should align with with the project you plan to work on during the residency. Samples should be saved in one document (doc, docx, pdf, rtf, or txt). Please include your name & email address as a header or footer in each page of the writing sample. 

• 5 pages of poetry (one poem per page) if applying for a poetry workshop or residency
• up to 10 pages of fiction or creative nonfiction (double-spaced) if applying to a fiction or nonfiction workshop or residency

Writer's Statement

Juniper is an opportunity to practice living with your art at the center of your life; it is a week to imagine with wild invention as you mingle, experiment, and take chances; it is a chance to connect with writers, poets and artists from around the country who value what prose, poetry, word, image, fiction, essay, memoir and autobiography can do.

Please provide a statement of around 300-500 words addressing these questions: 

• What do you hope to work on during Juniper; what excites you about that project?
• What (if any) identities or experiences inform your work?
• Please discuss your goals for the residency and reasons for applying for Juniper’s independent residency. 

Notification

Admissions decisions will begin to be issued in waves after the final application deadline, in late February. Your admission decision will come by Submittable message, which should send an email notification to the email address associated with your Submittable account. Please ensure your Submittable notification settings are correctly configured and check your email’s junk/spam; the email notification should come from notifications@email.submittable.com. If you are offered acceptance to the Institute, you must register with the $200 non-refundable enrollment deposit at the provided link or contact us within one week of notification. After one week, we will accept our next wave of applicants, and your preferred genre may fill to capacity after that point in time. We are unable to hold your spot in your given genre without the enrollment deposit. If you are planning to enroll but need time to gather the deposit funds or make other arrangements (e.g. child care) before making the deposit, please be in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can best assist you.

Scholarship offers come by phone and email. If you are offered a scholarship, you must contact us (by phone or email) within 1 week with your decision to accept or decline the scholarship.

The Juniper Young Writers Online program seeks creative students who are dedicated to exploring the writing process and developing their skills in a collaborative virtual environment. We encourage writers from diverse backgrounds, life experiences, and writing styles to apply. During Juniper Young Writers Online, students share their passion for creative writing with like-minded peers and instructors in multigenre online classes designed to help take their writing to the next level. For more information on JYWO, please visit our website. 

Rising 9th,10th, 11th, and 12th graders, and the high school class of 2026 are eligible for the Online program. 

Our online program runs from Monday, August 3–Friday, August 7, 2026. The cost of tuition is $1,325.

The application deadline is April 5, 2026. If accepted, the full balance of tuition is due by the enrollment deadline of June 1. 

Once accepted, enrollment in Juniper Young Writers Online is guaranteed on a first-come, first-served basis. You will need to enroll and pay a non-refundable $200 deposit to secure your space. 

Admissions and Notification

Admission and scholarship awards for Juniper Young Writers Online are based on the strength and promise of the writing sample and the writer's statement; please review our application instructions below.

If a student is offered admission, enrollment in a Juniper Young Writers program is contingent on responding to email communications from Juniper and UMass Amherst Conference Services. Please add these email addresses to your contacts and check your junk/spam folders: notifications@submittable.com; juniper@umass.edu; juniperyoungwriters@hfa.umass.edu; registration@umass.edu.

Admissions and scholarship award decisions will begin to be sent out in early May. Your admissions offer will come to the email address provided on your application as a Submittable message. If you are offered admission to Juniper, you must email us within one week of notification to confirm your attendance. After one week, we will accept our next wave of applicants, and our program may fill to capacity quickly.

Scholarship consideration

Scholarship support is intended for those participants who cannot afford the full cost of the program. BIPOC and writers of marginalized groups are especially encouraged to apply for the available funding. Our scholarships are awarded based on the strength and promise of the application. We do not request financial information as part of our scholarship selection process. We plan to offer two full Juniper scholarships this summer.

To apply for scholarship consideration, under the "Scholarship consideration or self-pay?" question, select "Please consider me for a scholarship."

Application Materials and Instructions

1. Writing Sample: 3 to 5 pages of fiction (double-spaced; short stories and/or excerpts from longer pieces of writing are OK) or poetry (one poem per page, or longer poems spanning up to 5 total pages of poetry). Creative poetry or prose only; no academic essays, and we do not accept stage or screen plays. The writing sample should be saved in one document (doc, docx, pdf, rtf, or txt). Please include your name & email address as a header or footer.
2. Writer's Statement: 300 to 500 words describing your current writing projects and goals, any identities that inform your work, and what being a member of a writing community means to you. Tell us what you write and why you write it!
3. Recommendation Letter: The application will ask you to enter the email address and name of a teacher, educational consultant, professional tutor, guidance counselor, or after-school leader who has agreed to provide a confidential letter of recommendation on your behalf. Once you click the "Send Request Now" button in the Reference section of this application, the reference will receive an email with instructions for how to attach the letter to your application (you will not be able to view the contents of the letter). Please let them know that their letter must be received for your application to be complete. It's OK for you to submit your application before your recommendation letter is received.***

We do not accept extra materials such as test scores, financial disclosures, or multiple recommendation letters.

If you have questions about the Juniper Young Writers Online program or this application, please review our website. You can reach out to us at juniper@umass.edu.

There is a "save draft" button at the end of the application; your progress will be saved on your Submittable account. You will receive a confirmation email if your application was successfully submitted.