Medill Cherubs vs Free Spirit: Which Program Is Right for You?
Two summer journalism programs for high school juniors that are built for different things: Medill Cherubs is four weeks of reporting, writing and editing training at Northwestern, while the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference is a five-day Washington, D.C., program for one junior from each state. Choose the first for training and the second for a national cohort — or apply to both.
Below is a side-by-side comparison of Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute (Cherubs) and Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference. A blank row is a fact we do not hold — not a zero, and not a no.
| Medill Cherubs | Free Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $5,000 | Free |
| Application deadline | March 1, 2027 | Opens November 13, 2026; closing date unconfirmed |
| Grade eligibility | Grade 11 | Grade 11 |
| Format | In person | In person |
| Location | Evanston, IL, United States | Washington, DC, United States |
| Program dates | June 28, 2026 | June 20, 2027–June 25, 2027 |
| Application destination | nhsi.northwestern.edu | freedomforum.org |
| Organizer | Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University | Freedom Forum |
Medill Cherubs vs Free Spirit: the short answer
Both are summer journalism programs for current high school juniors, but they are different kinds of summer. Medill Cherubs is four weeks of training at Northwestern — at least 50 classes, an instructor who mentors you throughout, and reporting and editing for print, broadcast and online — for up to 90 rising seniors from anywhere in the world, at $5,000 including room and board, with $100,000 in need-based aid for 2027. The Free Spirit conference is five days in Washington, D.C., for 51 juniors, one from each state and the District of Columbia, with hotel, airfare and meals covered and a $1,000 college scholarship; it is open only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The 2027 dates do not collide — Free Spirit runs June 20-25 and Cherubs June 27 to July 23 — so you can apply to both: Free Spirit's application opens November 13, 2026, and Cherubs takes applications from December 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027.
Program details
These are the current details stored for each program. A blank cell means the catalog does not hold that detail.
| Medill Cherubs | Free Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to attend | $5,000 for the four weeks, including tuition, room and board, field trips and group events; travel and personal expenses are extra. | A free five-day trip to Washington, D.C., June 20-25, 2027, with hotel, airfare and meals covered, plus a $1,000 college scholarship. |
| Financial aid | Need-based, with $100,000 available for 2027, no set income cutoff and six named scholarships. | Not described: the program page covers the trip's hotel, airfare and meals and mentions no separate financial aid. |
| Who can apply | Current high school juniors (rising seniors), no exceptions. | A current high school junior interested in journalism or multimedia storytelling. |
| International students | Welcome: the 2026 program had applications from 15 countries. | No: you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident living in one of the 50 states or Washington, D.C. |
| Places | No more than 90 in 2027; last year nearly 300 applied for the 90 openings. | 51 juniors, one per state plus the District of Columbia. |
| What you do | At least 50 classes over four weeks — lectures, labs, workshops, discussion groups and film showings — plus field trips to Chicago. | Panels and newsroom visits on topics such as the future of journalism, media ethics, photojournalism, covering politics and the First Amendment. |
| Credit and evaluation | No college credit, but extensive, thorough evaluation of your work. | Not described: the program page lists the scholarship, newsroom visits and a class commencement ceremony, and no credit or evaluation. |
| Deadline, most recent published cycle | Noon Central Time on March 1, 2027. | Not yet published for 2027: the page still shows the previous conference's March deadline. |
Inside Medill Cherubs
Four weeks as a working student journalist. Classes run from morning into the evening, with some on weekends, and over the program you take at least 50 of them — lectures, labs, workshops and discussion groups — plus field trips to Chicago and its newsrooms. You are assigned one instructor who mentors you for the whole four weeks, critiques your assignments and meets you individually, and you live in a residence hall less than a block from the journalism buildings. There is no credit, but a thorough evaluation of your work.
Inside Free Spirit
Five days in Washington with juniors from every state. You tour newsrooms, hear panels on the future of journalism, media ethics and covering politics, attend the Free Expression Awards ceremony and finish with a class commencement, with the Close Up Foundation looking after participants. You leave with a $1,000 college scholarship and a network of program alumni who work in journalism.
Choose Medill Cherubs if…
- You want sustained training and a body of work. Cherubs is four weeks and at least 50 classes, with an instructor who mentors you throughout.
- You live outside the United States. Cherubs welcomes students from around the world; Free Spirit is limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents in the 50 states and D.C.
Choose Free Spirit if…
- Cost is a barrier. Free Spirit covers hotel, airfare and meals and adds a $1,000 college scholarship; Cherubs costs $5,000, with need-based aid.
- You want to meet journalists in national newsrooms. Free Spirit's week is built around Washington newsroom visits and panels with journalists.
Applying next cycle: what to do now
| Medill Cherubs | Free Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Next application window | No applications accepted before December 1, 2026. | Applications for the 2027 conference open November 13, 2026. |
| Next program dates | June 27 to July 23, 2027, on the Northwestern campus in Evanston. | June 20-25, 2027, in Washington, D.C. |
| Decisions released | On or before March 24, 2027. | By mid-May 2027. |
Applying to Medill Cherubs
- An essay of 200 to 225 words on why you want to attend.
- Up to three samples of your journalism, as links or PDFs.
- A $55 non-refundable application fee, paid by card.
- Your counselor emails a transcript with mid-year grades, your GPA, any test scores and a school profile.
Applying to Free Spirit
- Two essays of 500 words each.
- An unofficial transcript, essays, recommendation letters, work samples and a color headshot, all uploaded to the online application.
- At least one letter of recommendation; two are strongly preferred.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- Free Spirit had not published its 2027 deadline when we read the page; the deadline it shows belongs to the previous conference.
- Free Spirit chooses one junior per state, so your odds depend on how many apply from your state — a number it does not publish.
- Cherubs publishes its total aid budget, not what a typical award is, so the page cannot tell you what your family would pay.
Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute (Cherubs)
A summer journalism program for up to 90 rising high school seniors on Northwestern's campus in Evanston, Illinois.
Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
A five-day summer program for 51 high school juniors, one from each state and the District of Columbia.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Medill Cherubs or Free Spirit?
Medill Cherubs: $5,000. Free Spirit: Free. Confirm each figure on the program's official page before budgeting.
Can I apply to both Medill Cherubs and Free Spirit?
The application destinations are evaluated independently. Medill Cherubs: nhsi.northwestern.edu. Free Spirit: freedomforum.org. Review each provider's current instructions before assuming either application is open or compatible with the other.
Which is better for college applications, Medill Cherubs or Free Spirit?
We do not rank enrichment programs by admissions value. Use the comparison to assess whether each program's documented constraints fit your situation, and check the details that decide it for you on each program's official page.
What grades can apply to Medill Cherubs and Free Spirit?
Medill Cherubs: Grade 11. Free Spirit: Grade 11. Eligibility can change between cycles, so confirm it on each program's official page before applying.
Related comparisons
Medill Cherubs vs Free Spirit is 1 of 56 comparison pages. No other comparison page shares either program yet.
How we count
Our comparison list has 56 pairs covering 91 catalog programs. Those numbers count this list only. They are not a ranking or the size of the full catalog.
We don't rank programs or name one of them the best.
When we don't list a cost, it is unknown, not free. Check the official page.
Catalog-wide numbers, and what each was counted out of, are on Statistics.