2026 Juniper Young Writers Online

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.