Applications are open, apply by April 15, 2025.
Timeline for Applicants
Late January, 2025: Applications open! Submit your application and $15 fee. We encourage you to apply early.
Feb 1, 2025: Rolling acceptances begin. To secure placement in the conference, we ask for a 50% deposit within two weeks of receiving an offer.
By March 15, 2025: Scholarship application deadline
By April 15, 2025: Application deadline
By May 1, 2025: Submit the remaining balance.
All participants must attend the full conference, and must be at least eighteen years of age.
All fees must be paid in full before the conference begins.
Required Materials
- Writing sample: A writing sample, not to exceed 25 pages, is required for applicants to the fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting workshops. The sample should be in the same genre you would like to workshop at the conference but does not have to be the same work.
- Program selection
- Scholarship application (if applicable): description of the project, need, and what you will bring to the conference.
Colgate Writers Conference Code of Conduct
The Colgate Writers Conference (CWC) is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that celebrates the diversity of our writing community. We believe in the values of respect, equality, diversity, and honest discourse. All participants agree to this Code of Conduct as part of the admission process.
Community Agreement
I understand that the conference is committed to a safe and respectful environment, diversity and inclusion, and artistic freedom, and I agree to uphold these values as a member of the conference community.
Workshop Conduct
- Workshops cannot be successful without everyone's conscientious, constructive participation.
- When giving feedback, I will focus on critiquing the work, not the person
- I commit to respectful discourse and agree to avoid the personal
- In case of conflict, I will first seek mediation from workshop faculty
- I understand I may request to be moved to another workshop if conflicts cannot be resolved
- I will honor the confidentiality of workshop materials and discussions
Professional Conduct
- I will maintain appropriate professional boundaries in all conference interactions
- I will be mindful of my audience when reading or speaking at conference events
- I will respect time limits during readings and events
- While social gatherings are part of the conference experience, I will maintain professional conduct
Anti-Harassment Policy
I agree to abide by Colgate University's Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment policies. The conference does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or any other protected category.
Reporting Concerns
If you experience or witness concerning behavior, please contact:
- Conference Staff: Kanitha Snow, Amelia Bunce, or Jennifer Brice
- Colgate's DEI Office is also available for additional support
I understand that if I engage in physically or verbally aggressive, abusive, or threatening behavior, or otherwise violate this Code of Conduct, the conference reserves the right to ask me to leave without refund.
By participating in the Colgate Writers Conference, I agree to these terms and commit to contributing to a positive, inclusive, and productive writing community.