Top Humanities and Writing Summer ProgramsTASS, Iowa, YYGS

Humanities, Writing and Journalism: 7 Programs Compared

The five columns show the program, citizenship requirement, cost, the most recent application deadline, and officially published size or selectivity. Select a program for its full page.

Paused, discontinued or changed

These programs are well known and often searched, so we keep them listed and explain their current status and alternatives on each page.

Program by Program

• Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)TASS is the Telluride Association's five-week residential humanities seminar for 10th and 11th graders, with tuition, room and board, books and field trips all free. The Association has paused it for 2027; this page keeps the past details and lists alternatives.Open to international studentsFreeFull details →
• Iowa Young Writers' Studio169 admitted in 2026The Iowa Young Writers' Studio was founded by the University of Iowa in 1999. Students spend two weeks in one core writing course taught mostly by Iowa Writers' Workshop students and graduates. In 2026, over 1,800 students applied and 169 were selected.Open to international studentsTuition · aid availableFull details →
• Kenyon Review Young Writers WorkshopThe Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop is a two-week residential writing program run by The Kenyon Review at Kenyon College. The program says it admits only a small percentage of applicants; it costs $2,575, with need-based aid.Open to international studentsTuition · aid availableFull details →
• Sewanee Young Writers' ConferenceAbout 85 students a yearThe Sewanee Young Writers' Conference, first held by the University of the South in 1994, is a two-week residential writing conference for high school students. It enrolls about 85 writers a year in morning workshops of no more than 12, taught by professional writers.Open to international studentsTuition · aid availableFull details →
• Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)40 students a yearPSJP is Princeton University's free journalism program for high school juniors from low-income families: virtual classes, then about 10 days on the Princeton campus, followed by a year of college application advising. Only 40 students are selected each year.Any status, must study in the USFreeFull details →
• The Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship ProgramAbout 8% admittedThe Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program pairs high school students online with established writers for one-on-one work in poetry, fiction and nonfiction. The program reports about an 8% acceptance rate over the past two years; tuition is $575 with no application fee.Open to international studentsTuition · aid availableFull details →
• Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS)14,000+ applicationsYYGS is Yale's two-week interdisciplinary residential program for 10th and 11th graders worldwide, with three sessions and three tracks each summer. It reported over 14,000 applications in 2026, and its need-based aid is open equally to domestic and international students.Open to international studentsTuition · aid availableFull details →
• Stanford Summer Humanities Institute (SHI)The Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a three-week residential program in which Stanford professors lead 10th and 11th graders through topics in politics, literature and philosophy. 2026 tuition was $8,850, with need-based aid, and admission is described as selective.Open to international studentsTuition · aid availableFull details →

Other categories

• University and Institute Research19 programs
• Government Lab Internships6 programs
• Mathematics Programs11 programs
• STEM and Engineering12 programs
• National Olympiad Training Camps6 programs
• Public Affairs, Leadership and Languages8 programs
• Arts4 programs
• Business and Economics4 programs