Welcome to the application page for the Juniper Summer Writing Institute Weeklong Workshop, June 19–26, 2027. More information about the Workshops can be found here.
Eligibility
All Juniper Institute participants must be 21 years of age or older by the start of the program.
Applicants under the age of 18: please apply to the Juniper Institute for Young Writers, our companion program for high school students.
International writers are welcome to apply. However, we are unable to issue supporting documentation for visas.
Your application’s writing sample should align with at least one of the Institute’s workshop genres. For 2027, we will offer workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.
Application Process
Applications are accepted via Submittable, and there is a $25 application fee. See the sections below for detailed information about each part of the application process.
Application materials include:
- Writing sample
- Writer’s Statement
- $25 Application fee
Writing Sample
The strength and promise of your writing sample is the most important component of your application. Send your best work; it needn’t be published, though published work is acceptable. Writing samples are comprised of:
- Up to 5 pages of poetry (one poem per page) or
- Up to 10 pages of fiction or creative nonfiction/memoir (double-spaced)
Samples should be saved in one document (doc, docx, or pdf). Please include your name and email address as a header or footer in each page of the writing sample.
Writer’s Statement
Juniper is an opportunity to practice living with your art at the center of your life; it is a week to imagine with wild invention as you mingle, experiment, and take chances; it is a chance to connect with writers, poets and artists from around the country who value what prose, poetry, word, image, fiction, essay, memoir and autobiography can do.
Please provide a statement of around 300-500 words addressing these questions:
- What does being a valuable member of a writing community look like to you?
- Tell us more about your workshop leader preference and how you imagine the workshop aiding you with your project?
Workshop Preference
You will have the opportunity in your application to indicate your preferences for workshop leader. Although we can’t guarantee first choice placement, every effort will be made to accommodate your request. Please carefully review the week-long workshop descriptions before making your selections. Since we do our best to offer as many writers as possible their first choice workshops, we do take workshop preferences into consideration when making admission decisions.
Scholarships
To be considered for funding, mark the checkbox “I would like to be considered for a scholarship” on the Submittable application. Please also check any additional identifying information boxes based on your eligibility and interest (e.g. Writers of Native Nations), so that we may ensure you are considered for relevant scholarships. To learn more about scholarship eligibility, head to our scholarships page.
Assessment
Juniper’s reading team consists of members of staff, institute fellows, and readers affiliated with the UMass Amherst MFA and wider UMass Amherst English Department. At least three members of the Juniper staff will read each application. Scholarship applications are read by a wider portion of the reading team. Admission decisions are made collaboratively by the committee of readers, and award decisions are made on the basis of the strength and promise of the writing sample, the needs of the applicant, nomination status, and (when applicable) the dissemination desires of the sponsors who fund each scholarship.
Deadline
The deadline to be considered for a scholarship is January 4, 2027.
The deadline to be considered for general admission is February 8, 2027.
Notification
Admissions decisions will begin to be issued in waves in late February and into March. Your admission decision will come by Submittable message.
Admission
If you are offered acceptance to an Institute workshop, you must register with a $200 non-refundable tuition deposit (before taxes and fees) at the provided link or contact us within one week of notification. After one week, we will accept our next wave of applicants, and your preferred workshop and/or genre may fill to capacity at that time. We are unable to hold your spot in your given genre or residency without the non-refundable deposit. If you are planning to enroll but need time to gather the deposit funds or make other arrangements (e.g. child care, time off from work, transportation options) before making the deposit, please be in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can best assist you.
Scholarship offers come by phone and email. If you are offered a scholarship, you must contact us (by phone or email) within 1 week with your decision to accept or decline the scholarship. If you are not awarded a scholarship, but would still like to be considered for general admission, you can indicate so in your application.