Juniper Institute for Young Writers: A Complete Guide

Are you aiming to take up English or Creative Writing in college? Or are you simply passionate about writing? No matter your reason for wanting to improve your skills, the Juniper Institute for Young Writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a great program for that.

In this article, we’ll discuss Juniper’s two summer writing programs and how they can help you grow as a writer.

• What Is the Juniper Institute for Young Writers?
• Juniper Institute for Young Writers Acceptance Rate
• Juniper Institute for Young Writers Application Deadline
• Juniper Institute for Young Writers Requirements
• How to Get into the Juniper Institute for Young Writers
• Why Join the Juniper Institute for Young Writers?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Is the Juniper Institute for Young Writers?

The Juniper Institute for Young Writers (JIYW) is an on-campus summer creative writing program for high school students hosted at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst. For two weeks, you’ll live on the UMass campus and work to vastly improve your writing skills.

JIYW’s intensive curriculum lets you participate in the following:

• Writing Labs. Here, you’ll explore different styles and forms of writing under the guidance of a creative writing instructor​. These labs are kept small (around 10 students per lab) to ensure you receive plenty of personal feedback on your work.
• Craft Sessions. In these sessions, you’ll go more in-depth on specific writing techniques or topics and also put that new knowledge into practice.
• Participant Readings. You will have the option to share your own work​ with your peers and instructors.
• Write-Ins. These optional sessions gather participants who will work independently. Students in the UMass MFA for Poets and Writers will share prompts and help you brainstorm.

The second week of the Juniper Institute for Young Writers program is what’s called the “Intensive Week.” Here, you’ll work on a creative writing project under the one-on-one guidance of a Creative Writing Instructor.

This is what you can expect from Intensive Week:

• Personalized writing plan. During the second week, you’ll have plenty of time to write and get lots of guidance to help you create a writing routine and schedule. You should be able to transform your ideas and writing exercises into complete pieces.
• 1-on-1 meetings. You’ll get more personalized guidance from your mentor, who will help you find inspiration for your project and polish it. They’ll also help you make an individualized writing schedule and stick to it.
• Small group accountability. To further motivate you to work on your project, you’ll meet in a small group of 3 to 5 other participants and your mentor every morning to check in and offer support.
• Sharing literary work. At the end of Intensive Week, your small group will have an extended meeting with your mentor to talk about the future of your projects—such as how to continue and ways to share your creative work (like submitting to literary magazines).

By the end of the Juniper Institute for Young Writers program, you can expect to have developed new pieces of writing and gained a clearer sense of your voice and style.

There will be two sessions for 2025:

• July 13 to July 26, 2025
• July 27 to August 9, 2025

Juniper Young Writers Online

The Juniper Institute for Young Writers also has an online summer program called the Juniper Young Writers Online (JYWO), which is a great option if you can’t travel to Massachusetts or commit to two weeks away from home.

That’s because instead of two weeks, you’ll undergo just one intensive week of writing and collaboration. You’ll also experience the same writing exercises that JIYW students do.

The JYWO session for 2025 will be held from July 7 to July 11, 2025.

Juniper Institute for Young Writers Acceptance Rate

JIYW does not publish an official acceptance rate. However, UMass mentions that there are around 50 students each in both the on-campus and online summer programs.

The school also mentions that admissions for JIYW are very competitive, while JYWO are less competitive partly because it’s online.

Juniper Institute for Young Writers Application Deadline

The table below shows the important dates for the on-campus JIYW and the online JYWO:

Be sure to keep track of these dates so you don’t miss the opportunity to join the Juniper Institute for Young Writers!

Juniper Institute for Young Writers Requirements

The eligibility and requirements are the same for both Juniper’s residential and online programs. We’ll talk about them below:

Eligibility

All students in grades 9 to 12 are welcome to apply! The more important part is that you have a passion for writing and are motivated to develop your skills and explore different writing genres and processes.

Required documents

JIYW and JYWO have the same required documents:

• Online application form. This form is available and will be submitted through Submittable.
• Writing sample. You’ll need to submit 3-5 pages (double-spaced) of fiction. These can be short stories and/or excerpts from longer pieces of writing. Or, you can also submit poetry (one poem per page, or longer poems spanning up to 5 total pages of poetry). Juniper won’t accept academic essays or playwriting.
• Writer’s statement. In 300 to 500 words, you should basically explain what you write and why you write it.
• Recommendation letter. You need one recommendation letter from a mentor (teacher, educational consultant, professional tutor, or guidance counselor) who can speak to your strengths and passion in writing.

Juniper will not accept materials not listed above—such as test scores, financial disclosures, and multiple recommendation letters.

Program cost

For the Juniper Institute for Young Writers programs, the tuition fee is $5,100 for residential students and $2,200 for commuters. Meanwhile, the cost of the Juniper Young Writers Online is $1,300.

Scholarships are available for those who can’t shoulder the full cost of the program.

How to Get into the Juniper Institute for Young Writers

The application process for both the on-campus and online Juniper programs is the same. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Weigh your options.

There are several questions you can ask yourself to help decide on the right Juniper summer program for you:

• Do I want the full residential experience?
• Can I commit to two weeks away from home?
• Can I travel to Massachusetts?
• What’s my/my parents’ budget?

If you live far from Massachusetts and don’t have the budget for travel, then JYWO would be ideal for you. If you have a relative you can stay with who lives near UMass, then you may consider being a commuter for the on-campus program.

Step 2: Prepare your writing samples.

You might already have a piece (or several) in mind, such as something you wrote for a school assignment, a personal project, or something developed in a writing club. Look through your options and choose what you feel represents your voice and talent.

Once you’ve chosen your piece/s, revise and polish them. It’s okay to ask for feedback from other people (like mentors and friends) since they may catch some errors or give suggestions to improve your work.

Alternatively, you can also write new samples and work on polishing those.

When you’re done, double-check the writing guidelines. For one, your name & email address should be on the header or footer. All samples should also be saved in one document (whether doc, docx, pdf, rtf, or txt).

Step 3: Create your writer’s statement.

The writer’s statement is essentially a 300- to 500-word personal statement that complements your writing samples by letting the admissions committee know about your background, interests, and motivations.

Here’s how you can write your statement:

• Introduce yourself as a writer. You can start by mentioning what genres or forms you love to give context about your interests.
• Describe your current project or focus. This shows you’re actively engaged in writing even outside of academics or extracurriculars. You can say something like “Lately, I’ve been writing poems about my hometown and exploring themes of memory and language.”
• Share a bit of your identity or influences. The admissions committee is interested in how your unique perspective shapes your writing. Of course, only share what you’re comfortable with, but do let them see there’s a real person behind the words. For example: “Growing up in a rural area, I developed a keen sense of observing nature, which I like to integrate in my prose.”
• Convey what community means to you. If you haven’t been part of a writing community, express excitement in being part of one. If you have, talk about how it positively affected you. Show that you value collaboration, feedback, and diversity of voices.
• Close with why JIYW. This reinforces that you’ll contribute positively to the program. You can end with something as simple as “I want to attend JIYW to challenge myself with college-level workshops and to connect with peers who are as passionate about writing as I am.”

Step 4: Ask a mentor for a recommendation.

The mentor you ask for a recommendation from should be able to show that you can thrive in a writing program. This means they can attest to your passion for writing, creativity, work ethic, how you collaborate with others, and how you respond to feedback.

For this step, just give your mentor a heads up if they can write a recommendation letter for the program. If they say yes, ask if you can put their name and email address on the application form.

Step 5: Submit by the deadline.

Complete the online application form and submit everything through Submittable. You might want to create your Submittable account ahead of time (if you don’t have one) and familiarize yourself with the interface.

During the application process online, you’ll be asked to enter the name and email address of your recommender. Then, when you submit your application, your mentor will receive an email with instructions on how they can submit the recommendation letter.

Remember that the letter is due within seven days after application submission, and admissions officers won’t consider your application without it.

Why Join the Juniper Institute for Young Writers?

The Juniper Institute for Young Writers offers several benefits that can help you develop as a writer and student:

1. Mentorship from experienced writers

At Juniper’s summer programs, you’ll be learning from creative writing instructors who are typically MFA candidates or graduates from UMass Amherst’s writing program and other professional writers​.

They can provide intensive personalized coaching, guide you through revisions, and encourage you to push your creative boundaries. These mentors can also share their own writing experiences, challenge you with new writing exercises, or recommend books and authors that will broaden your horizons or serve as a guide in a certain genre or style you wish to achieve.

2. Interaction with fellow young writers

Writing may be a solitary activity, but you don’t have to be alone in your writing journey.

In the Juniper programs, you’ll be part of a community of fellow young writers who love writing just like you do. After all, you’ll be grouped into labs and activities from day one. You’ll also bond with your peers over workshop discussions, late-night free-writes, and casual conversations about favorite books or writers.

The programs are designed to have a collaborative rather than competitive environment. You’ll especially be able to bond with your peers if you choose the two-week-long on-campus Juniper Institute for Young Writers program since you’ll spend more time with one another.

3. Opportunities to showcase and develop your writing

Attending Juniper writing programs gives you multiple opportunities to share your work and get it “out there,” which can be the first step toward future publication or recognition. This can build your confidence in your craft as well.

These programs indirectly give you publication opportunities. After all, by the end of a program, you’ll have submission-ready material.

You’ll also learn how to give and receive critiques, which is important if you want to publish since you’ll need to edit your work. You could even get tips on where you can submit your work.

4. Pre-college experience

Juniper’s intensive curriculum pushes you to grow as a person and as a writer. You’ll likely read excerpts from advanced literature, discuss literary theory or techniques, and engage in deep critical thinking about texts and your own work. This sharpens your analytical and communication skills.

If you’re a residential participant, you’ll experience dorm life, eat in dining halls, and overall have a taste of independence. This makes the transition to college life easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I participate in both the on-campus and online Juniper programs?

Yes, you can participate in both the on-campus and online Juniper programs since they won’t be held at the same time. To apply to both programs, just indicate in your application to the Juniper Institute for Young Writers that you also want to be considered for the Juniper Young Writers Online.

2. Is the Juniper Young Writers online live or can I do it on my own time?

The Juniper Young Writers online is live. Writing Labs aren’t recorded, but Writer’s Life talks and Craft Sessions are available as recordings. However, you’re encouraged to still attend them live to experience collaborative exercises and Q&As. Write-ins are optional, and write-alongs are self-directed.

3. What’s the difference between the Juniper Institute for Young Writers and Juniper Young Writers Online programs?

Juniper Institute for Young Writers is a two-week program. Outside of class hours, you can explore the UMass campus and its surroundings. Juniper Young Writers Online is a virtual and more condensed version of JIYW, taking place for only one week.

Takeaways

The Juniper Institute for Young Writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a summer initiative that aims to help you improve your creative writing skills.

• Juniper offers two summer programs: the two-week on-campus Juniper Institute for Young Writers and the one-week Juniper Young Writers Online.
• The JIYW and JYWO have the same application requirements and process. If you want to be considered for both, apply to JIYW and mention in the application that you also wish to apply for JYWO.
• There are several benefits to participating in Juniper’s summer writing programs. These include mentorship from experienced writers, interaction with fellow young writers, opportunities to showcase and develop your writing, and pre-college experience.
• Want to further improve as a writer? A private admissions consultant can help you identify other opportunities and look at possible undergraduate programs that align with your goals.