The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, founded by the University of Iowa in 1999, is a two-week residential creative writing program for high school students. Each student takes one core course in poetry, fiction, creative writing, playwriting or TV writing, and the teachers are chosen, with rare exceptions, from students and graduates of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Outside class there are readings by published writers, craft classes and open mics. In 2027 the sessions run June 13 to 26 and July 11 to 24.
Admission is based mainly on the writing sample. The University of Iowa’s writing website reported in August 2026 that 169 students were selected from over 1,800 applicants that year. The program accepts students in 10th through 12th grade, welcomes applicants from outside the United States and has no citizenship or green card requirement. A 2027 session costs $2,500 including room and board, and the program awards several full and partial tuition grants each year to accepted students.
Applications for 2027 are open only from January 25 to February 7. The materials are a writing sample, a statement of purpose and one recommendation letter; transcripts are not accepted. EDUBUS suggests that interested students choose their strongest work in the fall semester and revise it repeatedly, rather than starting when the window opens in January.
