The Princeton Summer Journalism Program welcomes 35-40 high school students from low-income backgrounds every summer to Princeton’s campus for an intensive, 10-day seminar on journalism (may be a 6-week virtual program if pandemic persists). Students would have the opportunity to tour major news organizations, write or produce journalism of different formats, and publish the Princeton Summer Journal at the end of the program.
| who should apply? | low-income juniors interested in journalism |
| eligible grade levels | juniors |
| cost | free |
| opens | late November 2021 |
| deadline | late February 2022 |
| decisions released | semifinalist: mid-March 2022 finalist: April 2022 final decisions: May 2022 |
| date of program | late July – early August 2022 |
| location | Princeton University (Princeton, NJ) / virtual |
| selectivity | 35-40 students |
| link | https://psjp.princeton.edu/ |
application requirements
- be a junior at the time of application
- live in the US and intend to attend college in the US
- have a minimum UW GPA of 3.5
- have an interest in journalism
- be low income (one of these must apply to you: family income less than $60,000, qualify for free/reduced lunch, qualify for SAT or ACT fee waiver)
application process
Round 1 (opens late November, due February 2022)
- personal, financial, familial, academic information
- essay prompts (TBA length + amount)
Round 2 (notified mid-March, must submit all following materials within 2 weeks of notification)
- official (order from school) school transcript
- 2020 income tax return
- letter of recommendation from teacher in core academic subject
- high school profile by school counselor
- writing samples (if you have them)
Round 3: (April 2022)
- 2021 income tax return
- interview via phone
notes
- One of the best journalism programs in the country. If you are low-income and in the school newspaper, look into this.
- This program is free. Transportation, lodging (for the 10-day program, you will be staying in the Princeton dorms), food, and supplies will be paid.