Students may choose to begin the program during either of the 10-day residencies in March and August.

Upcoming application deadlines:

October 1, 2008, to begin the program during the March 2009 residency.

February 15, 2009, to begin during the August 2009 residency.

The creative manuscript will be given special emphasis. The applicant must submit 10 pages of poetry, or 25 to 30 pages of prose, whether of fiction, creative nonfiction, in the student’s chosen genre. (In the case of prose, the applicant must decide whether to send an excerpt of a longer manuscript or stories or essays that fall within the page limit.) The application should include three manuscript copies. The manuscripts cannot be returned.

Each applicant must also submit a three- to four-page personal essay on his or her development as a writer and a person of faith.

Three recommendations must be submitted. Two should be focused on the applicant’s abilities as a writer. One should touch on the applicant’s academic achievements.

A $50 nonrefundable application fee is required. This fee cannot be waived. Financial aid is available in the form of student loans. Applicants must apply for these funds within the deadlines outlined on the application form.

Though GRE scores are not required, the applicant must have a bachelor’s degree and must submit official transcripts from previous schools attended.

Tuition is set initially at $415 per credit hour for the 2008-09 academic year. Students will be eligible to apply for need-based federal Stafford loans.