Kenyon Young Writers Workshop: 6 Things to Know Before You Apply in 2027

Oct 13

Updated November 2026

TL;DR

The Kenyon Young Writers Workshop is a selective creative writing program run by The Kenyon Review, in three formats: winter online ($695), a one-week summer online intensive ($995) and a two-week summer residential workshop at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio ($2,575). All three are generative: you write new fiction, poetry, essays and hybrid work from prompts in groups of 12 to 14. Winter online applications are due December 10, 2026, and residential applications are due March 1, 2027. Need-based aid is available for every format, and there's no application fee.

Most writing classes ask you to polish what you've already written. What sets the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop apart is that it's generative: the main job is to produce new work, across genres you might never try on your own, with readers who take it seriously. It's run by The Kenyon Review, the literary magazine founded at Kenyon College in 1939, and each format suits a different kind of writer and schedule.

Comparing options? See our lists of summer writing programs for high school students, winter writing programs and writing internships for high school students.

How much does the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop cost in 2027?

Winter online costs $695, summer online costs $995 and the summer residential workshop costs $2,575, which covers tuition, housing, meals and activities but not travel. None of the formats charges an application fee, and need-based aid is available for all three.

Detail	Winter online	Summer online	Summer residential
2027 dates	January 23 to February 27 (Saturdays)	June 20 to 26	June 27 to July 10 or July 18 to 31
Schedule	2.5 hours each Saturday (1:00 or 7:00 p.m. ET start)	3.5 hours a day (afternoon or evening)	Five workshop hours a day, on campus
Cost	$695	$995	$2,575 (tuition, housing, meals, activities)
Eligibility	Current sophomores, juniors and seniors, about 16 to 18	Rising juniors and seniors or recent grads, 16 to 18	Rising juniors and seniors or recent grads, 16 to 18
Group size	12 to 14	12 to 14	12 to 14
Deadline	December 10, 2026	2026: April 13 (2027 opens early March)	March 1, 2027
Acceptance rate	Not published	Not published	Not published; "highly selective"

Who can apply to the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop?

The summer online and residential workshops take rising juniors, rising seniors and recent graduates who are 16 to 18 at the time of the program, and Kenyon says it "cannot make exceptions" to the age rules. Rising sophomores aren't eligible for summer, even at 16. The winter online workshop takes current sophomores, juniors and seniors who are about 16 to 18, so it's the most open format.

The Kenyon Review calls the residential workshop "highly selective," admitting only a small percentage of applicants, and every format caps groups at 12 to 14 students. International students can apply to all three; residential students need a B-2 or B-1/B-2 visa. If you're younger or want writing experience on real projects, Ladder Internships accepts high school students in grades 9 to 12 worldwide for remote start-up internships in media, marketing and journalism.

What do you write at the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop?

You write short fiction, poetry, essays and hybrid or experimental pieces, mostly from prompts, freewriting and close reading of published work. Winter online focuses on one genre, theme or craft element across six weeks, while the summer formats move across genres. The workshops are ungraded, so the focus stays on taking risks and finding new material.

You also share drafts with your group and learn how to give feedback that helps another writer revise. Because the work is new, you leave with several promising drafts and ideas rather than one polished manuscript.

6 things to know before you apply to the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop

1. Kenyon's three formats create very different writing routines

Winter online meets 2.5 hours every Saturday for six weeks, summer online meets 3.5 hours a day for one week, and residential students spend five workshop hours a day on campus for two weeks. Pick winter if you want to go deep on one area slowly, summer online for an intensive week at home, and residential for full immersion.

2. Kenyon Young Writers Workshop fees run from $695 to $2,575

The residential fee of $2,575 covers tuition, housing, meals and activities, while the online formats cost $695 and $995. There's no application fee. For residential, Kenyon says it's "usually able to offer the amount of financial aid requested to all admitted students," though aid covers program costs, not travel.

3. The winter Kenyon workshop is open to more students

Winter online accepts current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, while both summer formats require rising juniors, rising seniors or recent grads aged 16 to 18. If you're a sophomore now, winter is your way in this year.

4. Your 300-word statement carries the Kenyon application

Every format asks for an online form, a 300-word personal statement and a transcript, official or unofficial. The statement is where you show why writing matters to you, so treat it like a piece of writing, not a form field. Residential applicants also give one recommender's email; the letter doesn't have to come from a school teacher, and it's due by March 7.

5. Each Kenyon Young Writers format has its own calendar

Winter online applications are due December 10, 2026; residential applications open in January and close March 1, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. PST; summer online applications open in early March 2027. Kenyon doesn't accept residential applications after March 1 and aims to notify applicants by the end of March. Last cycle, summer online applications were due April 13, 2026.

6. Kenyon is generative, not a manuscript workshop

Unlike critique workshops that start from work you bring, Kenyon uses prompts, readings and experiments to help you produce new material. That's a great fit if you want to try new forms and leave with fresh drafts, and a weaker one if you want to polish a single finished piece.

Is the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop worth it for college applications?

Yes, when it's part of a real record of writing: you can show what you produced, how you stretched into new forms and what you did with the drafts afterward. Kenyon doesn't give college credit, and attending isn't the same as being published in The Kenyon Review. The value is in the writing you keep developing.

Kenyon builds creative craft, not professional experience. Ladder Internships places high school students in remote, eight-week start-up internships, where they work on a real project with a company coach, including in media and marketing, with full financial aid available.

How do you apply to the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop?

You apply through The Kenyon Review's online application, with the same core materials for every format.

Online application form.
A 300-word personal statement.
A high school transcript, official or unofficial.
Financial aid information, if you're requesting aid.
Residential only: one recommender's email address.

Format	Applications open	Deadline	Program
Winter online	Early November 2026	December 10, 2026	January 23 to February 27, 2027
Summer residential	January 2027	March 1, 2027 (recommendations by March 7)	June 27 to July 10 or July 18 to 31, 2027
Summer online	Early March 2027	Usually mid-April (2026: April 13)	June 20 to 26, 2027

You can apply to both summer formats in the same year, but you can attend only one summer workshop.

Common questions about the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop

Which Kenyon Young Writers format should you choose?

Choose winter online to go deep on one genre over six weeks, summer online for an intensive week from home, or residential for the most immersive two weeks. Winter is also the only format open to current sophomores.

Do you need to be published to get into Kenyon?

No. Kenyon reads your 300-word personal statement closely and looks for promise and a real interest in writing, not publications or awards.

What happens in a Kenyon Young Writers workshop session?

You freewrite, write from prompts, read published work and share new drafts with your group of 12 to 14. Your instructor teaches you how to respond to other writers' work so everyone sees ways to revise.

Can you attend the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop more than once?

Yes for online, no for residential. You can't repeat the residential workshop, though past online students may apply to it. If you want to keep writing on real projects, Ladder Internships runs remote, eight-week start-up internships for high school students worldwide, at 5 to 10 hours a week, with a company coach and full financial aid available. The next deadline is November 15, 2026, for the Winter I cohort starting December 7, 2026.

Dhruva Bhat

Dhruva Bhat is one of the co-founders of Ladder, and a Harvard College graduate. Dhruva founded Ladder Internships as a DPhil candidate and Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, with a vision to bridge the gap between ambitious students and real-world startup experiences.