Before you consider the possibility of putting your writing aspirations, and some cherished hopes and dreams, into the hands of a writing school, it is advisable to determine that the school’s credentials are solid. This advice applies to any school, including ours: It’s important to have clear evidence that the school you select is professionally qualified and approved by official educational and business organizations, and that it has the good will of its students and graduates.

      Following are credentials that the Institute of Children’s Literature and our course, Writing for Children and Teenagers, have established over the years since our founding in 1969.

Official State Approval  Our course, as well as our institution, its business practices, and our educational program, is approved by the Connecticut Commissioner of Higher Education, the authority that licenses all proprietary schools, technical institutes, junior colleges, colleges, and universities in the state of Connecticut, including Yale and the University of Connecticut.

High Satisfaction Ratings  Of 1,400 colleges and universities surveyed over several years by U.S. News & World Report magazine, the highest-ranking institution, in terms of student satisfaction, scored 73%. By comparison, 88.1% of those who recently completed our course report that they were “very satisfied”; 96.0% “would do it all over again”; and 95.2% “would recommend our course to a good friend.”

You Earn College Credits  The Connecticut Board for State Academic Awards recommends that students who complete our course be awarded six college credits.  No matter where you live, these credits may be obtained from Charter Oak State College, which functions under the degree-granting authority of the Connecticut Board. You can have these credits submitted on a Charter Oak transcript to any college or university. (If you are a teacher, your transcript will be sent to your school board, at your request.)

Verification from Our Students  Hundreds of current and former students in the U.S. and Canada have volunteered to give new applicants the benefit of their experience in the course. If you pass our test, call our Information Services toll-free at 800-243-9645 for the names and addresses of students in your area.

The One-on-One Method  Each student is assigned to his or her own personal instructor and they work together, one-on-one, for the duration of the course. This tutorial technique has been used exclusively by the Institute over a period of 35 years because it has proved to be the most effective method ever developed to teach people how to write for publication.

Professional Instruction  All of our instructors are highly professional published writers or editors whom we have trained to teach our course. One-third of them are former students who are enjoying successful freelance writing careers in addition to their teaching. Our instructors have written more than 29,000 stories and articles that have appeared in a wide range of magazines and newspapers, as well as on the Internet, and they have published over 3,100 books. They have also won virtually every award available in children’s literature.

Eligibility  We follow the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Guides for Private Vocational and Home Study Schools without exception: Only those applicants who pass our Writing Aptitude Test are eligible to enroll in our course. 

Expert Consultation  Our Student Counselors are available five days a week to answer any questions about any aspect of the course, the textbooks and teaching materials, and your assignments. Call weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern time.

Published Students  On average, more than 1,100 of our students, including those who have completed our course, are published every year. Following in the footsteps of our teaching faculty, they have won many awards in children’s literature, including the highest of all honors, the Newbery Medal.

Professional Associations  The Institute is a member of the International Council on Distance Education.