FAQ
Expand all questions
Answers to some of our most commonly asked questions can be found here. If you have any other queries, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Pre-Mentorship ✺
How are mentors and mentees paired?
Will a need for financial aid affect my application?
Does it matter where I live? Do I have to be in the U.S.?
Why do you ask for samples to be in size 12 Times New Roman? Why do you ask for fiction specifically to be double-spaced?
What if I'm slightly outside the age limit?
How is the syllabus created and individualized to me specifically?
Mid-Mentorship ✺
How will I communicate with my mentor during the program?
What is the time commitment?
Is it okay if I have to miss a few meetings?
Will my mentor be in communication with my parent(s) or legal guardian?
Do I have to regularly produce new work?
What if I have questions for my mentor in between meetings?
Can I connect with my mentor on social media (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, etc.)?
What opportunities will I have to interact with other mentees? What opportunities will I have to show off my work?
Post-Mentorship ✺
Can I still contact my mentor after the program?
Can I put the mentorship on my resume?
Can I ask my mentor for future letters of recommendation?
Can my name be changed in the Mentee Folio or cohort list, even if it’s just a pen name?
For Prospective Mentors ✺
Who becomes a SUNHOUSE mentor?
Am I eligible to be a mentor?
How can I apply to be a mentor?
What responsibilities will I have as a mentor? What materials will I have to provide?
Will I receive monetary compensation?
What if I’m only/also interested in hosting a guest workshop?
FAQ
Expand all questions
Answers to some of our most commonly asked questions can be found here. If you have any other queries, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Pre-Mentorship ✺
How are mentors and mentees paired?
Will a need for financial aid affect my application?
Does it matter where I live? Do I have to be in the U.S.?
Why do you ask for samples to be in size 12 Times New Roman? Why do you ask for fiction specifically to be double-spaced?
What if I'm slightly outside the age limit?
How is the syllabus created and individualized to me specifically?
Mid-Mentorship ✺
How will I communicate with my mentor during the program?
What is the time commitment?
Is it okay if I have to miss a few meetings?
Will my mentor be in communication with my parent(s) or legal guardian?
Do I have to regularly produce new work?
What if I have questions for my mentor in between meetings?
Can I connect with my mentor on social media (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, etc.)?
What opportunities will I have to interact with other mentees? What opportunities will I have to show off my work?
Post-Mentorship ✺
Can I still contact my mentor after the program?
Can I put the mentorship on my resume?
Can I ask my mentor for future letters of recommendation?
Can my name be changed in the Mentee Folio or cohort list, even if it’s just a pen name?
For Prospective Mentors ✺
Who becomes a SUNHOUSE mentor?
Am I eligible to be a mentor?
How can I apply to be a mentor?
What responsibilities will I have as a mentor? What materials will I have to provide?
Will I receive monetary compensation?
What if I’m only/also interested in hosting a guest workshop?
FAQ
Expand all questions
Answers to some of our most commonly asked questions can be found here. If you have any other queries, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Pre-Mentorship ✺
How are mentors and mentees paired?
Will a need for financial aid affect my application?
Does it matter where I live? Do I have to be in the U.S.?
Why do you ask for samples to be in size 12 Times New Roman? Why do you ask for fiction specifically to be double-spaced?
What if I'm slightly outside the age limit?
How is the syllabus created and individualized to me specifically?
Mid-Mentorship ✺
How will I communicate with my mentor during the program?
What is the time commitment?
Is it okay if I have to miss a few meetings?
Will my mentor be in communication with my parent(s) or legal guardian?
Do I have to regularly produce new work?
What if I have questions for my mentor in between meetings?
Can I connect with my mentor on social media (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, etc.)?
What opportunities will I have to interact with other mentees? What opportunities will I have to show off my work?
Post-Mentorship ✺
Can I still contact my mentor after the program?
Can I put the mentorship on my resume?
Can I ask my mentor for future letters of recommendation?
Can my name be changed in the Mentee Folio or cohort list, even if it’s just a pen name?
For Prospective Mentors ✺
Who becomes a SUNHOUSE mentor?
Am I eligible to be a mentor?
How can I apply to be a mentor?
What responsibilities will I have as a mentor? What materials will I have to provide?
Will I receive monetary compensation?
What if I’m only/also interested in hosting a guest workshop?
FAQ
Expand all questions
Answers to some of our most commonly asked questions can be found here. If you have any other queries, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Pre-Mentorship ✺
How are mentors and mentees paired?
Once all application decisions are finalized, mentors are given access to all mentees’ writing samples and written responses.
They then indicate the top three mentees whose applications they resonated the most with, and we do our best to accommodate their preferences. Additionally, when mentees indicate a preference for a specific mentor(s) in their application, or when mentees express particular enthusiasm for one, we typically pass along the message to the mentor, who is then free to factor that information into their own pairing preferences.
When conflicting picks arise, our team makes the final decision in consideration of both mentors’ and mentees’ preferences. Historically, nearly all of our mentors have been paired with one of their top three choices.
Will a need for financial aid affect my application?
All applications, including those from outside the U.S., are read as need-blind. Upon acceptance, we will reach out and inquire about any aid you may need to participate in the mentorship.
For more information on how our financial aid system works, see our Financial Aid Policy.
Does it matter where I live? Do I have to be in the U.S.?
Because we are an international program that prioritizes accessibility, we are open to everyone regardless of the place of residency you hold during the summer. This includes citizenship status, as well as vacation/travel plans.
As long as you have an internet connection and access to a device to write and attend meetings with for the duration of the program, we encourage you to apply.
Why do you ask for samples to be in size 12 Times New Roman? Why do you ask for fiction specifically to be double-spaced?
We use this guideline to eliminate any potential biases due to typography or font size.
For fiction, we request that all samples are double-spaced for easier readability, however, for other genres such as poetry, we have no restrictions on spacing as this may affect the intended effect of your work.
What if I'm slightly outside the age limit?
Our mentorship is targeted towards young writers of around middle to high school age, so our program is specifically designed to best support the way teenagers learn and engage with others.
If you have special circumstances that cause you to be slightly outside the age limit (e.g. 19 years old), such as having skipped/repeated grades, withdrawn from school, or experienced other significant interruptions to your schooling, please email us to let us know.
To respect your privacy, we do not require that you provide a detailed explanation of your circumstances, we only ask to confirm that you are still within an acceptable age range and have a reason for being so. These special circumstances will not be used against you in your application decision.
If you are still unclear on your eligibility, please email us! We are more than happy to answer any questions you have.
How is the syllabus created and individualized to me specifically?
After you receive your program acceptance and are matched with a mentor, we will ask your mentor to begin drafting a syllabus that is in line with the interests you expressed in your application materials. Focal points could include themes you are passionate about, questions you have about writing, potential areas of improvement that you’d like to work on, and more.
After the program’s start date, you and your mentor will be able to get to know each other and discuss the syllabi together to ensure that it is well-tailored to the both of you.
Because we prioritize flexibility, you and your mentor are welcome to adjust your curriculum as you progress throughout the program and develop more inspirations, questions, and curiosities.
Past individualized syllabi have focused on a variety of assignments, including: weekly readings organized by theme, discussion questions, generative writing prompts, and revision opportunities, all curated by your mentor. Occasionally, syllabi have even been centered around specific goals or projects such as producing a first chapbook.
Mid-Mentorship ✺
How will I communicate with my mentor during the program?
All mentee and mentor communication will take place over email, though to a reasonable extent, correspondence may lean towards the informal side so long as both parties still find it to be appropriate.
Video meetings will be limited to Google Meet or Zoom.
What is the time commitment?
We estimate that the program would require at least 2-4 hours weekly, consisting of the time it takes to meet with your mentor and complete any writing or reading assignments. Participation in the mentorship could also include optional, supplemental activities such as open mics and guest workshops.
Please keep in mind that ultimately, the time commitment is dependent upon the curriculum you outline with your mentor.
Is it okay if I have to miss a few meetings?
We understand your lives are busy, so we try to be as accommodating as possible. As long as any scheduling conflicts are thoroughly communicated with your mentor ahead of time, we are flexible with scheduling.
Will my mentor be in communication with my parent(s) or legal guardian?
Overall, no. At your first mentor-mentee meeting, we ask that your mentor is given an opportunity to briefly introduce themselves to your parent/guardian to further ensure appropriate boundaries. However, we understand that home lives can be complicated, so this is not a requirement to participate in our mentorship.
We do not provide mentors with your parent/guardian’s contact information, and all parent/guardian-related concerns should be directed straight to us at our email, sunhousementorship@gmail.com.
Do I have to regularly produce new work?
Historically, most syllabi have included weekly or biweekly writing assignments for mentees, but this is ultimately dependent upon the curriculum you and your mentor both agree on.
If you desire a different, less generative focus for your summer, you may communicate this to your mentor.
What if I have questions for my mentor in between meetings?
You are welcome to email your mentor with any questions, concerns, or relevant insights in between your weekly meetings. Additionally, if your mentor is available, you may even meet more than once in one week.
Can I connect with my mentor on social media (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, etc.)?
To uphold appropriate boundaries between mentors and mentees, we ask that you refrain from seeking out mentors on any social media platform, including accounts you may have that are solely for sharing your own writing.
If you were already connected on social media prior to your acceptance to the program, then there is no need for you to unfollow the mentor(s); simply try to reserve all conversation with them for email/virtual meetings.
What opportunities will I have to interact with other mentees? What opportunities will I have to show off my work?
At SUNHOUSE, we offer a variety of virtual events to provide a similarly immersive, community-driven experience as in-person creative writing programs.
Check out the 'Community' section on our home page, where we lay out the details of our online server, open mics, peer writing workshops, and special Mentee Folio.
Post-Mentorship ✺
Can I still contact my mentor after the program?
This varies depending on each mentor; if they express that they are comfortable staying in touch with you via email and/or social media, then feel free to do so.
Can I put the mentorship on my resume?
Absolutely! If you do so, please refer to us as the “SUNHOUSE Summer Writing Mentorship.” We love to see our program showcased out in the world, and we are honored that you consider the mentorship to be a formative experience of yours.
Can I ask my mentor for future letters of recommendation?
Once again, this varies depending on each mentor-mentee pair. Usually, if you feel as though you and your mentor formed a strong connection during the program and that they can properly attest to your character or creative abilities, they may be a good person to ask.
However, keep in mind that mentors are not obligated to write letters of recommendation, and it is within their right to decline your request.
Can my name be changed in the Mentee Folio or cohort list, even if it’s just a pen name?
Absolutely. Please let us know at sunhousementorship@gmail.com.
For Prospective Mentors ✺
Who becomes a SUNHOUSE mentor?
Most of our mentors are hand-selected, but we are more than happy to consider outside applications.
Am I eligible to be a mentor?
While there are no strict qualifications regarding accolades to be a SUNHOUSE mentor, we do generally require mentors to be of American university age or older (i.e. at least 18); feel free to contact us if you fall outside of this restriction but still wish to apply, or if you have any questions about this restriction.
Previous publications, awards, fellowships, books and/or chapbooks, editorial positions, or other literary-related experience and/or achievements are also preferred but not required.
How can I apply to be a mentor?
2025 mentor applications are now closed. If you're interested in mentoring for us in 2026, please email us a resume/CV and a short cover letter that outlines why you would like to be a mentor, as well as any relevant experience, publications, and/or awards at sunhousementorship@gmail.com. Mentor applications are considered on a rolling basis. Therefore, if the cohort is finalized for the current year and we receive your application afterwards, we may keep you in mind for next year.
What responsibilities will I have as a mentor? What materials will I have to provide?
Mentor responsibilities last from the spring, when you are selected and agree to be a mentor, all the way through August, when the mentorship ends and we finalize payment.
In the months leading up to the program’s June start date, we ask that you provide a bio and headshot, indicate your top mentee choices from our accepted cohort, and, most importantly, draft a thoughtfully personalized syllabus for the mentee you end up being paired with.
Throughout the mentorship, essential responsibilities include meeting with your mentee once a week, offering feedback on their work, answering their emails and queries, and remaining reliable and consistent in your communication with the SUNHOUSE team. Optional responsibilities include reading at our virtual mentor open mic, of which there will be two dates to choose from.
Will I receive monetary compensation?
All mentors receive the same honorarium, which has historically been around $140 USD due to mentee financial aid needs.
At this time, we are unable to offer full compensation, since we are still working on obtaining funding from outside organizations, grants, etc. When we do in future years, our first priority will be to increase the mentor honorarium.
For more information, see our Financial Aid Policy in About Us.
What if I’m only/also interested in hosting a guest workshop?
Guest workshops are one-time events that are held specifically for SUNHOUSE mentees and typically last around 1-2 hours. Leading a guest workshop is a great alternative for those who want to be a mentor but are unable to dedicate their time over an entire summer.
Generally, we prefer that our guest workshop leaders follow similar qualifications as our mentors and are also of American university age or older (i.e. at least 18). The application process is the same as the mentor application process, but we ask that you mention your specific workshop idea(s) in your cover letter, as well as general dates/times during the summer that the workshop could be scheduled on. If you are selected, we will work together to finalize a workshop date, and you'll be able to provide materials such as a bio, headshot and presentation slides closer to the workshop date.
At this time, we are unfortunately unable to offer guest workshop hosts any monetary compensation.
Note: We are no longer looking for guest workshop hosts for our 2025 cycle. If you are still interested, please check back next year in the spring!