program overview

• Be a junior in high school at the time of application. No exceptions will be made for students graduating with other grades.

• Live in the United States and intend to attend college here. Students living and attending school abroad, including U.S. citizens, will not be considered under any circumstances.

• Have a minimum unweighted grade point average equivalent to a 3.5* out of 4.0.

• Have an interest in journalism.

• Meet at least one of the socioeconomic conditions below:

  • • • The combined income of your parent(s)/guardian(s) plus child support payments, if any, does not exceed $60,000*.

      • Your family income or circumstances qualify you to receive free or reduced-price lunch in your high school.

      • Your family income or circumstances qualify you to receive an SAT or ACT fee waiver.

The Princeton Summer Journalism Program will run a multi-week, hybrid summer intensive beginning with online workshops in July and culminating in a 10-day residential experience on Princeton's campus in early August. 

The application for the 2024 summer program is due February 15, 2024. 

Round 1: December - February

• The application for the 2024 Princeton Summer Journalism Program is now open and due on February 15, 2024. 

  • Click the words "Create an account" on the application landing page to create an account. 

• Students complete an online application, which asks for details about academics and family finances, contact information for guidance counselors, and an unofficial high school transcript. Students must also write three short responses and one longer article. Online applications are typically due in late February.

• During this round, applicants must also provide the contact information for one teacher and one high school counselor who will submit a recommendation and school transcript and profile, respectively, on their behalf.

Round 2: March - April

• PSJP will notify semi-finalists of their decisions by late March. Semi-finalists will be asked to submit additional documents, including federal taxes and family income information and samples from a high school newspaper or publication, if available. Detailed instructions will be sent to students invited to this round.

Round 3: May

• A select number of students will be chosen as finalists and invited to interview via video conference for the final round of the application process. More information will be provided to those students when the time comes.

• All participants will be notified of their final decisions by late-May.

For more information about the application process, visit Frequently Asked Questions section.

In 2023, PSJP ran their first-ever hybrid summer intensive. Students began virtual workshops and remote reporting during the month of July, which culminated in their traditional 10-day residential journalism institute on the Princeton University campus.

During both components of the program, students explored complex ideas and learned reporting skills from renowned journalists and Princeton professors.

Lectures and Workshops

Princeton professors and journalists serve as guest instructors, leading interactive sessions on specific themes or skills related to the field of journalism. Past sessions have included:

• Reporting 101

• Food Journalism

• Feature Writing

• Using Social Media to Inform Reporting

Discussion Group

Students and counselors meet in small groups to discuss everything from program content and current events to life in college and applications. Students and their discussion group leaders form close bonds that last throughout the program and beyond.

Reporting Assignments

PSJP journalists learn how to interview, write features and news pieces, and cover topics such as race, politics, social class, business and economics, the environment, and much more as they write their own articles. At the end of each summer, these stories are published in the annual Princeton Summer Journal.

Mentorship and Feedback

PSJP counselors are program alumni and professional journalists who provide written and verbal feedback to students on their articles, edit the student newspaper, and share their wisdom about the field of journalism and the journey to it.

Networking Opportunities

Participants meet more than 50 different professors and journalists during workshops, lectures, and trips to news outlets and also network with community members, local businesses, and other professionals for interviews as they report their stories.

Community

The most enduring part of the PSJP journey is the community students build with their peers, program alumni, counselors, and professional journalists.