Call for Nominations: Young Writers Awards

Bennington counts hundreds of literary greats among its esteemed alumni. Now they are looking for the next generation of writers. High school students worldwide are invited to submit poetry, fiction or nonfiction entries for a chance to win cash, a scholarship and prestige.

Submission Categories

• Poetry: A group of three poems
• Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer)
• Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)

Prize Information

• Cash: First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; and third-place winners receive $250.
• Scholarships: Young Writers Award (YWA) finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington:
  • YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, a total of $60,000.
  • YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, a total of $40,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• This contest is for all writers in grades 9–12, including those outside the United States. Entrants can submit three poems, a short story or a personal or academic nonfiction essay.

Application Requirements

• They ask that participants submit in only one category and submit only one time per year. Word counts are strict and include all the text submitted, including headers, footers, footnotes, titles, and bibliographies. They are unable to return submissions.
• All entries must be original work. Each will be checked for plagiarism. Plagiarized work will be disqualified.
• All must be reviewed and approved by a high school sponsor teacher. They will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should they have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your writing.

For more information, visit Bennington College.