Summer 2025
College & MFA Preparation
Preparing an application for college or graduate school can be a daunting experience. Join us for a Journey that unpacks everything you need to know about finding college and graduate school programs, applying to school, preparing personal essays, and getting the most out of your college or graduate school experience. (Mentees: ages 14-18; Mentors: sophomores or above in college, ages 19+ )
Girls Write Now Collaboratory
This Journey Is Closed, but You Can Pre-Enroll in a Summer 2026 Journey Now!
Requirements
- Attend Journey meetings.
- Write a personal statement or statement of purpose.
- Create a creative writing portfolio in your chosen genre (for those interested in MFA applications).
- Reach out to recommenders for letters of recommendations.
College & MFA Preparation Courses
In the College & MFA Preparation course, you will tackle the often-daunting process of applying to college and graduate school. You will narrow down your list of preferred schools, finalize your application materials—especially your personal statement and/or statement of purpose—and identify what you want from your ideal college experience.
College & MFA Preparation Mentoring
Mentors and mentees in the College & MFA Preparation Journey will be matched for one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two sessions each month. Each session should be at least one hour long. Mentors will work on applying for MFAs while mentees will be working on college applications and learning about potential graduate school paths.
College & MFA Preparation Community Experiences
Mentors and mentees in the College and MFA Preparation Journey must attend at least one Community Experience per month. They are expected to attend meetings that are specifically required for College and MFA Preparation. It is strongly recommended that they attend Exploratory Community Studios, College & Career Chats, and Salon Experiences.
College 360 Adventure
The College & MFA Preparation Journey is a part of the College 360 Adventure.
Journeys in the College 360 Adventure focus on the process of getting into college and making the most of your college experience. It is perfect for mentees and mentors who are applying to college or are in college currently.
Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.
Find Your Journey
Find Your Journey
Teleplays: Writing for TV (Summer 2025)
The Teleplays: Writing for TV Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a writer in today’s TV industry. This Journey provides insight into the work of a scriptwriter – a deep understanding of TV storytelling and professional scripts, drama vs comedy scripts, professional working practices, and employment strategies. Specific topics range from story structure and formatting scripts to actually seeing a script to fruition.
Teach GWN (Summer 2025)
In this journey, members of the GWN community will develop curriculum and facilitate a community studio for one or more cycles within GWN’s Collaboratory structure. Each cycle involves facilitating three community studios, one per month. Participants will gain valuable skills in leadership, teaching, and community building. Mentees and mentors can facilitate a community studio either solo (if they are 18 or older) or together as a pair.
On-Demand Mentoring Sessions
On-Demand Mentoring sessions are available for young writers who would like support or advice on a specific topic. These sessions are offered for Career Development, College Preparation, Creative Writing, or Wellness.
Independent Study (Summer 2025)
Create your own experience with our Independent Study Journey. Meet as a pair, attend events of interest, and use coursework to help you plan creative projects and meet your goals.
Community Togetherness (Summer 2025)
Come together in this wellness-focused Journey based in collaborative writing prompts and support for one another.
Explore Tour (Summer 2025)
Explore all of the topics that Girls Write Now has to offer with mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-on-one pair sessions. Discover new skills and build on existing ones with courses and experiences that touch on a range of topics from horror writing to journalism to publishing and much more!
Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Summer 2025)
Our words can change minds and the world. Discover what you can do with yours… Mentees will learn how to persuade audiences on issues that matter to them. By the end of the journey, they will not only gain confidence in self-expression and analytical thinking but also develop and deliver a final speech that showcases their growth in civil discourse and persuasive communication.
Aloud: Songwriting & Spoken Word (Summer 2025)
Mic check! Enhance the power of your words by speaking or singing them aloud. In this journey, we’ll examine a variety of ways to share creative work using our voices and audio techniques with open mic events, podcasts, and songwriting.
Multimedia Tour (Summer 2025)
Explore all of the topics that Girls Write Now has to offer with mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-on-one pair sessions. Discover new skills and build on existing ones with courses and experiences that touch on a range of topics from horror writing to journalism to publishing and much more! Ideal for mentees who enjoy working across multiple genres or are focused on specific projects, this journey offers the flexibility to tailor your learning experience to your individual needs. With a focus on adaptability, this program allows you to balance exploration with dedicated time for your independent projects, providing a comprehensive yet customizable Journey. Great for mentees who are not committed to one medium or who enjoy working in multiple mediums at once.
Lead Community Change (Fall 2024-Spring 2025)
Lead Community Change is a dynamic two-cycle journey that harnesses the transformative power of storytelling to drive social impact. Mentees in this initiative will unleash their creativity to develop innovative projects that make a meaningful difference in their local communities, all while being supported by Girls Write Now’s rich storytelling resources. This journey is designed for aspiring young leaders and activists who are eager to create and implement impactful community-based social activism projects. With a personalized approach, we tailor our support to meet the unique needs of each initiative, empowering participants to bring their visions to life and inspire change in their communities.
