hi! im a rising sophomore and was accepted to the program. im trying to decide if the program is worth it, especially with how much it costs. does anyone here know if admissions are somewhat competitive, and is anyone else planning on going?
ty in advance!!
Why does it matter ? You got in. Your best bet to get feedback beyond online reviews, is to ask the program for references from past students.
Good luck.
Hi! I’m also a rising sophomore, and I was accepted to Juniper for their first session. I’m definitely planning to go.
I’m lucky enough to have parents able and willing to pay, but it is very pricey. If you qualify, have you checked the portal about any scholarships you may have won?
As for the competitiveness, I think it’s selective enough to be impressive for college apps/resumes/etc., based on how well known it is and the low number of acceptances (~50 per session). Unfortunately, they don’t seem to publish an official acceptance rate. If you end up going, you could ask staff there how many people applied, or just send them an email now.
I would do the program because it offers something you want to experience, interests you want to validate. I would not do it if the sole reason is to impress colleges. That’s unlikely. You can get a summer job instead of walk dogs at the shelter or help out your community. That is impressive.
Good luck.
hi! i do know someone who did it their sophomore year, and they were able to contact the admissions office and find out what their acceptance rate for that specific year was (this was 2-ish years ago and it was around 24.. i think?) i may try contacting them but idk
it is definitely something i want to experience! i do have a job and volunteering lined up for earlier in the summer and the school year in general.
The reason to attend Juniper is to help with your development as a writer. For a high school student who wants to pursue writing, attending the Institute is a great step in building the skills and activities that will make them competitive applicants to creative writing programs (and in general high level writing skills are really helpful for all majors). It opens doors to other opportunities, and it helps develop the skills that are required to build a writing portfolio, etc.
What helps being admitted to colleges are having accomplishments. However, it is very difficult to have any serious accomplishments if every activity is being weighed “will this help me be accepted to a college which I (or my parents) find to be sufficiently prestigious?”
You becomes accomplished in writing by engaging is activities related to writing, such as courses like the Juniper institute and workshops like or Iowa’s Young Writer’s workshop, by writing and submitting work for publications and for competitions. You apply for workshops based on how much they can help you be a better writer. You submit work for publication so that your work is published. You submit work for competitions so you know how good your work is.
Ultimately, if you are passionate about writing, then college is about attending a college with an excellent creative writing program. There are top level creative writing programs at colleges in a wide range of cost and acceptance rates.
@a_l congratulations on being accepted to Juniper. It is a well known and well regarded summer program in creative writing. Take full advantage of it, and apply to other programs for next summer. These programs are great in helping you develop your craft and build your portfolio. These programs are also great places to find mentors, which will help you both in your writing and in acceptance to other competitive writing programs.
PS. If you are interested in creative writing and have not yet submitted an entry for The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & Prose, do so before the deadline, which is May 1st. Aside from the prizes, they offer mentorship for the people who submitted the top works (I think that it’s around 50 of them).