| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | May 3, 2027 (2027 cycle) |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $1,950; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Scholarships and need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available to accepted students; amount and award count are not stated on the official page.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 application fee: $0. No fee to apply.; Scholarships and need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available to accepted students; amount and award count are not stated on the official page.; Loaner laptop: $0. Loaner laptops were available for accepted students who needed one.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2027 application fee: $70. Application fee only; 2027 programme tuition and course extras remain unknown.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 14–19; Requirement: Be age 14 through 19 inclusive on the first day of the workshop; Requirement: Submit one original 2,000-6,000-word science-fiction, fantasy, or horror short story; Requirement: Submit a short story rather than an excerpt and do not use fan-fiction characters or worlds; Requirement: Remove the applicant's name from the story file for anonymous judging; Requirement: If under 18, obtain parent or guardian confirmation and consent within seven days; Exclusion: Applicants outside ages 14-19 on the first program day; Exclusion: Applicants who have already attended Alpha twice, subject to the organization's digital-workshop exceptions; Exclusion: Fan fiction, excerpts, named manuscripts, or stories outside the required length and speculative genres; Exclusion: Admission and aid are separate; neither past publication nor ability to pay guarantees admission | Minimum age 15; Requirement: Be a current high-school sophomore or junior; current ninth graders, seniors and graduates are ineligible.; Requirement: Be at least 15 by the session start and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.; Requirement: Meet any course and international English-proficiency requirements.; Exclusion: Current ninth graders, current twelfth graders, high-school graduates, or students younger than 15 at session start; Exclusion: Treating Pre-Med Institute or Summer College dates, prices, credit, or requirements as the two-week Pre-College Program; Exclusion: Assuming 2026 dates, course list, tuition, deadline, or aid terms apply in 2027; Exclusion: Using report cards or progress notes instead of a transcript; Exclusion: International applicants without the required English evidence; Exclusion: Commuters without metro Atlanta living arrangements or reliable daily travel; Exclusion: Assuming completion grants Emory credit, a grade, degree progress, recommendation, scholarship, Emory admission, or selective-college admission |
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| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts July 15, 2026; Ends July 26, 2026; 1.7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Greensburg, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Atlanta, Georgia, Emory University campus; residential or metro-Atlanta commuter option |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Twenty students are admitted based solely on anonymized application stories; no current applicant count or acceptance rate is published. | Selection: Rolling review of complete applications until classes fill. Emory reports average enrollment around 400 and average class size 14 but publishes no current applicant count or acceptance rate. Application materials: Two recommendations |
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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 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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