15 Winter Writing Programs for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in writing, a program is a great way to work on your writing during the winter break, learn new techniques, and explore various genres. During these writing programs, you’ll receive instruction from trained coaches, write alongside peers, produce your own work, and receive feedback on your writing. Beyond refining your craft, you gain industry exposure and build valuable connections with mentors, contacts that can prove beneficial for your college applications and future career.
These intensive programs, many hosted by top colleges and respected organizations, allow you to explore genres such as academic writing, prose, fiction, poetry, and much more. Many programs give you the opportunity to work on screenplay writing, TV pilots, college applications, and journalistic writing. Below, we’ve narrowed down the list of the top 15 winter writing programs for high school students.
1. The Kenyon Review Young Writers Winter Online Workshop
Location: Virtual
Cost: $695; need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 12 – 14 students per workshop
Dates: January 24 – February 28
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, or seniors aged 16 – 18 at the time of the program; international students can apply
The Kenyon Review offers a Young Writers Winter Online Workshop for students who are passionate about writing. You read and discuss modern and contemporary literature, often drawn from The Kenyon Review, to study the techniques, forms, and craft elements employed by published authors. You’ll share original work and participate in a supportive critique process with peers, attend a one-on-one conference with your instructor to discuss specific writing assignments, receive personalized feedback, and get guidance. You may also attend optional participant readings near the end of the program to share a piece you are proud of.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10 – 25%; 70 – 100 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter; Winter II Cohort starts January 5
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort; Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November); Winter II Cohort deadline is December 18, apply here
Eligibility: High school, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10 – 20 hours/week, for 8 – 12 weeks
Ladder Internships is a selective startup internship program for ambitious high school students. In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Startups that offer internships span across a variety of industries, including tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies, on average raising over a million dollars, backed by Y-Combinator, whose founders have experience at companies such as Google, McKinsey, and Microsoft. You work closely with your manager and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects, presenting your work to the company. You can intern in writing-aligned fields such as journalism and marketing, where you get to work on writing assignments.
3. The Iowa Young Writers' Studio Winter Course
Location: Virtual
Cost: $475 per course
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 10 or fewer students per instructor
Dates: January 18 – March 1
Application Deadline: October 31
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12
The Iowa Young Writers' Studio Winter Online Course is a six-week, asynchronous program focused on craft development and peer collaboration, with students typically dedicating 3-4 hours per week. You can choose from nonfiction and personal essays, poetry, experimental writing, speculative fiction, and character building. During the program, you’ll study writing, learn about writing techniques, work on writing assignments, participate in discussions, and collaboratively work with like-minded peers. You will also read and respond to published works by contemporary writers, analyzing the techniques used to inform and inspire your own writing. You also read and critique the original work of your classmates.
4. 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: Varying deadlines based on 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.
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 that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. 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.
5. Great Books Winter Break Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: $450; limited need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: December 28 – 30
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students in grades 9‑12
Great Books offers a Winter Break program for students interested in engaging in writing through literature-based discussions and activities. The program takes a unique approach to self-discovery and development through themed programs where you’ll delve into various topics through readings, discussions, and writing practice. The primary activity is the Socratic Seminar, where you engage in deep, live discussions led by distinguished faculty on carefully selected short texts of literature, philosophy, and history, practicing critical thinking and using textual evidence to support their claims. The program also includes small Discussion Groups (Pod Activities) led by a Program Assistant.
6. Summer Schools in Europe – Immerse Education’s Creative Writing Winter Stream A
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,950 approximately; need-based scholarships and bursaries are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; typically, small class sizes
Dates: December 19 – 23
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions on a first-come, first-served basis
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 – 18
This program utilizes a university-style tutorial model focusing on academic skill development and practical application. You’ll explore the fundamentals of storytelling, participate in discussions, and learn how to experiment with language. Core activities include In-depth Academic Sessions led by expert tutors, often Oxbridge/Ivy League academics, where you explore advanced concepts like narrative structure, character development, point of view, and literary analysis. A major component is the Personal Research Project, where you design and complete an independent, university-level piece of writing such as a portfolio, novella segment, or analytical essay, guided by your tutor.
7. Lit Youngstown Winter Writing Camp
Location: Youngstown, OH, USA
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; small cohort sizes
Dates: February 22
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until full
Eligibility: All high school students
The Lit Youngstown Winter Writing Camp is an annual community event in Youngstown, Ohio, dedicated to celebrating and encouraging creative writing and expression across all ages. The workshop takes place over a single day and is suited for writers looking to attend their first writing program. During the workshop, you’ll participate in writing activities led by regional writers and participate in fun activities. You can choose which sessions to attend during the workshops that each delve into various writing concepts and genres.
8. Writopia Lab Winter Retreat for Teen Writers
Location: Camp Mariah, Fishkill, NY; Camp Hanover, Mechanicsville, VA
Cost: $985; limited financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; typically, small group sizes
Dates: New York: February 14 – 17; Virginia: February 13 – 16
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until full
Eligibility: Students aged 12–18
The Writopia Lab offers a Winter Retreat where student writers can work on creative writing projects, refine their writing skills, and develop their own screenplays. You can choose two tracks between a creative writing one that leans into role-playing games or filmmaking. During the retreat, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded peers working on similar creative projects, and you’ll participate in fun team-building activities. Participants in the filmmaking track will work on their scripts, then bring their projects to life through filming. You’ll showcase your work on the final evening of the retreat.
9. Project Write Incorporated – Advanced Young Writers’ Workshop
Location: Virtual
Cost: $100 for eight sessions
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; 5 – 7 writers per group
Dates: October 18 – December 13
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until full
Eligibility: All high school students
In this program, you’ll be part of a group with other like-minded peers, attend sessions, work on your writing, and engage in discussions. Activities include bringing a work-in-progress short story, a poem, an essay, etc., to each session to share with the group for discussion. The sessions are largely centered on a delicate process of peer feedback and critique, where you learn to provide and receive constructive suggestions for revision in an encouraging environment. The instructor leads mini-lessons on specific advanced writing skills, such as grammar, author's craft, genre components, or different stages of the writing process.
10. Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference Winterim
Location: Virtual
Cost: $500; need-based financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 10 – 12 students per workshop
Dates: January 13 – February 21
Application Deadline: November 30
Eligibility: All high school students
The Sewanee Young Writers' Conference offers an online creative writing workshop for young writers looking to refine their skills in poetry or fiction. The workshop takes place over 6 weeks, where you’ll work on your writing, attend lectures, and receive feedback on your work. You also work through mini video lectures and writing prompts provided by your instructors to refine your craft and begin new projects. Though mostly asynchronous, there are a few opportunities to attend optional synchronous Zoom meet-ups with their instructor and coursemates throughout the six weeks for real-time discussion, personalized feedback, and community building.
11. Northwestern University’s National High School Institute Virtual Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Writing Comedy; TV Pilot Workshops: $400; Playwriting: $250
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; likely 10 – 20 students per workshop
Dates: Writing: January 4 – February 8; TV Pilot: January 17 – February 21; Playwriting: January 26 – 30
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: All high school students
Northwestern University’s National High School Institute offers various writing programs for high school students looking to explore pathways in writing. The tracks you can attend include writing comedy, TV pilot writing, and playwriting. Each track is mentored by an instructor, and you’ll explore writing techniques as well as the fundamental concepts of the topic being covered. You’ll analyze writing through reading assignments, discover various genres of writing, and work on your own writing during the program. These virtual programs allow high school students to experience rigorous, university-level instruction from professional writers and Northwestern faculty in a collaborative setting.
12. GrubStreet's Winter Teen Writing Classes
Location: GrubStreet's Center for Creative Writing, Boston, MA
Cost: $100 – $400
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; 8 – 15 students per class
Dates: Typically offered during the December/January school break or the February (Presidents' Day) break
Application Deadline: Rolling basis until full
Eligibility: High school students aged 13 – 18
GrubStreet's Young Adult Writers Program (YAWP) Winter Classes are open-enrollment workshops designed to introduce high school students to an encouraging creative writing environment during their school breaks. These sessions offer instruction across all major genres, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting, often focusing on specific craft elements like character development, world-building, or revision techniques. You actively engage in in-class writing exercises, detailed peer workshopping, and receive personalized craft instruction from published authors, which is a unique feature of the program. By the end of the course, you will have gained crucial skills in generating new work and honing your critical feedback abilities.
13. The Stanford Daily High School Winter Workshop
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies as per enrollment times (early, mid, late) and type of program + $30 application fee; partial and full need-based scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; typically small groups
Dates: December 15 – January 9
Application Deadline: November 30
Eligibility: All high school students
The Daily’s High School Winter Workshop, run by the staff of Stanford Daily, allows high school students to explore journalism-aligned fields by working on assignments. You’ll learn the fundamentals of journalism, work on reporting assignments, and work on your writing. You’ll receive mentoring from Daily editors and have the chance to even get your work published. You will have the opportunity to refine your writing and communication skills and learn new concepts in writing and journalism through guest lectures and seminars.
14. Gotham Writers Workshop
Location: New York, NY (NYC Workshops)
Cost: Varies depending on duration and type of class + $25 registration fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; limited cohort sizes
Dates: 4 or 6-week courses between December and February
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until full
Eligibility: Students aged 13 – 17
The Gotham Writers Workshop Teen Classes provide high school students with a professional-level introduction to creative writing, offered both in-person in NYC and virtually. Covering essential topics like fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting, you will generate new material from prompts, participate in constructive critique and peer workshopping, and engage in deep-dive discussions on craft. Its unique feature is the curriculum's adaptation of the adult workshop model, ensuring a serious yet supportive environment led by published professional writers. You leave the program with improved skills in developing narratives, giving and receiving feedback, and maintaining a disciplined writing practice.
15. The Writers Circle
Location: In-Person: Various locations in New Jersey (e.g., Summit, Morristown, South Orange, Maplewood)
Cost: Varies by Class Length; approximately $315 to $385 per session (for the total term)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; small cohort sizes
Dates: January 20 – March 30
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: All high school students
The Writers Circle provides writing workshops for high school students, primarily focusing on long-term creative development over the course of a semester. These sessions cover fiction, memoir, poetry, playwriting, and college application essays, ensuring you have exposure to multiple literary forms. You engage in fundamental activities like guided in-class writing exercises, receiving focused critique in small groups, and dedicated time for revision and polishing longer works. The program focuses on building a consistent writing habit within a supportive New Jersey community setting, allowing students to develop confidence in their unique voice. Ultimately, you sharpen skills in self-editing, constructively workshopping peers' writing, and completing polished pieces ready for submission or publication.
Image Source - The Kenyon Review Logo