| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $9,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% received aid in the published cycle; average award was 70% of tuition, and aid included discounted or free gear rental, with top packages potentially covering flights.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): Core-program lunch and snacks: $0. Provided during the 2026 core program; dietary coverage and future availability should be confirmed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 student-account deposit: $500. Returned to the family if unused; separate enrollment deposit details were not quantified on the official pages.; Travel to and from Colorado: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Flights were not included in tuition, although the largest need-based aid packages could cover them.; Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% received aid in the published cycle; average award was 70% of tuition, and aid included discounted or free gear rental, with top packages potentially covering flights.; Clarity financial-aid application fee: $65. Applies to the aid application; automatic or inquiry-based fee waivers are available for eligible families.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 successful completion stipend: $800; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: For 2026, both live and attend school in Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex, or Plymouth County, Massachusetts; Boston residents prioritized; Requirement: Enter grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 in the fall after the fellowship; Requirement: Show an active creative-writing practice in any eligible genre and willingness to experiment across genres; Requirement: Attend the full weekday three-week core, daily writing and workshop sessions, Friday open mics, and culminating showcase; Requirement: Give and receive constructive peer feedback and complete the fellowship's writing, performance, conduct, and community requirements; Requirement: Observe the every-other-year limit and maximum of one participation in each grade band; Exclusion: Applicants outside the controlling local residence-and-school counties; Exclusion: Academic essays in place of the required creative-writing sample; Exclusion: Repeat attendance in consecutive years or more than once in the same incoming grade band; Exclusion: Acceptance does not guarantee the stipend without successful completion; Exclusion: The optional anthology week is not a substitute for the core fellowship | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Be a rising 10th, 11th, or 12th grader and age 14-18 for the applicable cycle; Requirement: Be prepared for a residential program at 10,000 feet and extended backpacking expeditions; Requirement: Complete the required application, recommendations, transcript, and interview; Requirement: If accepted, complete health, physical, risk, release, enrollment, and payment requirements; Exclusion: Prior outdoor experience is not required; Exclusion: The official pages do not state a citizenship or Colorado-residency restriction; Exclusion: Program mental-health services are limited, and backcountry groups may lack timely outside support; families must evaluate fit with HMI |
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| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts July 20, 2026; Ends August 7, 2026; 3–4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 25, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Boston, Massachusetts, GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing, 50 Liberty Drive, Suite 500, Boston Seaport | Leadville, High Mountain Institute campus and Colorado/Utah backcountry |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Twenty fellows and a short alternate list were selected in 2026. GrubStreet publishes no applicant count, acceptance rate, scoring rubric, or guaranteed future cohort size. Application materials: Personal statement of no more than 600 words about what the applicant would gain and contribute; Teacher or mentor name and contact information, but no recommendation letter was listed | Selection: HMI describes a typical cohort of 12-20 students; it does not publish a current applicant count or acceptance rate. Application materials: Two approximately 250-word essays; Two teacher recommendations, including at least one from a core academic teacher, under the current central admissions page; Required 15-30 minute admissions interview |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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