Portfolio & letter of intent
Admissions requirements specific to submitting your portfolio and letter of intent for programs or courses in Creative Writing.
Applying to the Creative Writing program:
Students applying for a program in Creative Writing (Major, Minor, Honours in English and Creative Writing) must upload the following:
- An English-language portfolio of your best writing.
The portfolio must not exceed 15 pages in length and must include two genres (chosen from fiction, poetry, and drama; non-fiction is not an eligible genre), although the portfolio does not have to be divided equally between the genres.
- A brief letter of intent addressed to “Coordinator of Creative Writing.”
In the letter, state the program for which you are applying, outline your background as a reader and a writer, and discuss your goals for study in creative writing, as well as one or more literary works that have influenced you. The letter must include complete contact information (name, e-mail, mailing address, phone number, and your Concordia University Student I.D. Number, if you have one). If you are applying for a Major, or an Honours, state whether creative writing is your first, second, or third choice program. Only one portfolio is required for submission, whether you are applying for the Major, or the Honours or the Minor. Do not upload transcripts or letters of recommendation with your Creative Writing Portfolio and Letter of Intent.
N.B.: Your letter of intent and portfolio must be uploaded together as ONE document in PDF format. If you have a Concordia University Student I.D. Number, please include it on your letter of intent. Be sure to read your documents carefully before submission as NO subsequent uploads will be considered.
Applying to a single course in creative writing
Students who are not in a Creative Writing program but who wish to apply for admission to a single Creative Writing course must upload the following:
- An English-language portfolio of your best writing in the genre of the course for which you are applying, (i.e. fiction for a fiction class). The portfolio must not exceed 10 pages.
- A brief letter of intent addressed to “Coordinator of Creative Writing.” The letter should state the course for which you are applying, your reasons for the request, along with any writing experience relevant to the course subject matter. The letter must also include complete contact information (name, e-mail, mailing address, phone number, and your Concordia University Student I.D. Number). Do not upload transcripts or letters of recommendation with your Creative Writing Portfolio and Letter of Intent. Please advise the creative writing program at angela.alleyne@concordia.ca when you have uploaded your documents. You will receive an email decision from the CW program within 4-6 weeks.
- Your letter of intent and portfolio must be uploaded together as ONE document. Be sure to read your documents carefully before submission as NO subsequent uploads will be considered.
Formats & templates
This is the format for all portfolios:
- 12 point font, numbered. Fiction should be double-spaced.
- All contact information (name, e-mail, mailing address, phone number, and if you have one, your Concordia University Student I.D. Number) should appear on the first page. Subsequent pages should have your name and the page number.
Important information for all applicants:
- Please read carefully and adhere to the information and guidelines.
- Admission into creative writing programs and courses is competitive. Not all portfolios are approved.
- Portfolios and letters of intent must pay close attention to spelling and grammar.
- Due to the high volume of portfolios, it is NOT possible for us to provide comments.
- Work that falls into the categories of fantasy, science fiction, horror, or romance will be considered only if it does not constitute the entire portfolio. Non-fiction such as academic essays, newspaper articles, memoirs, travel narratives, blog entries, and journal entries will not be considered.
NOTE: Only one portfolio per academic session will be considered. If your portfolio is not approved, you may submit for any subsequent academic session (Fall or Winter) with a new portfolio and letter of intent.
All Students: Please note that student demand regularly outpaces our enrolment capacity. Early application is advisable in all cases. Auditing is NOT permitted under any circumstances.
Additional Information:
Ms. Angela Alleyne, 514- 848-2424 Ext. 2343 or angela.alleyne@concordia.ca
Both your portfolio and letter of intent must be uploaded to your Student Centre.
Please see How to upload documents.
NEW students must also complete a university application.
Ask a Question about uploading documents.
Undergraduate dates & deadlines
Undergraduate University Application deadline for September: March 1st
Both your portfolio and letter of intent must be uploaded to your Student Centre. NEW students must also complete a university application.
Undergraduate University Application deadline for January: November 1st
Both your portfolio and letter of intent must be uploaded to your Student Centre. NEW students must also complete a university application.
If you are already a Concordia student in a B.A. program and wish to change your concentration to creative writing:
- You must upload your portfolio and letter of intent to your Student Centre by June 1 for courses starting in September and by November 7 for courses starting in January.
- Please advise the creative writing program at angela.alleyne@concordia.ca when you have uploaded your documents.
- You will receive an email decision from the CW program within 4-6 weeks
If you are already a Concordia student but in another Faculty or degree (e.g. BSc) program, you must:
- You must complete a Degree Transfer form, available online at: concordia.ca/admissions/undergraduate/apply-now.html and please adhere to the deadlines for NEW students.
- There is a fee for Degree or Faculty Transfer.
- Both your portfolio and letter of intent must be uploaded to your Student Centre by March 1st for September admission; or by November 1st for January admission.
- You will receive a decision from the Admissions Office.
If you are an undergraduate student from another university interested in taking creative writing courses at Concordia, you must first have written permission from your home university and be officially registered as a Visiting Student at Concordia. Refer to this link for Visiting Students: concordia.ca/admissions/visiting-students.html#can
You must also contact the creative writing program at angela.alleyne@concordia.ca regarding permission to register for creative writing courses.
If you are an Incoming Student Exchange student and interested in taking creative writing courses, you must upload your creative writing portfolio and letter of intent with your Exchange application. The Creative Writing program will advise the Exchange Office of the decision. concordia.ca/international/visiting-exchange/study-exchange.html
If you are an Undergraduate Independent Student interested in taking creative writing courses at Concordia, you must first be officially registered as an Independent Student at Concordia. Refer to this link for Independent Students.concordia.ca/admissions/independent-students.html
You must also contact the creative writing program at angela.alleyne@concordia.ca regarding permission to register for creative writing courses.
Students who have no portfolio may wish to enroll in ENGL 224 (The Creative Process) – which has no pre-requisite for admission – to prepare themselves for later application for a degree program or for a single course in creative writing.
Note: Successful completion of ENGL 224 does not guarantee acceptance into any creative writing program or creative writing course.
