The Bennington College Young Writers Awards aim to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. Our goal with this competition is to recognize outstanding writing achievement by high school students. Each year, students in the 9th-12th grades are invited to submit entries in either poetry, fiction, or nonfiction.
First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250. Winning entries will be published on the Bennington website.
Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $60,000.
Location(s)
- Remote
Schedule
- Annual contest held from September to November
Cost/Compensation
- Free
Eligibility Requirements
- High schools students in grades 9-12
- All entries must be original work and sponsored by a high school teacher.
Deadline
- November 1
Application or Entry Requirements
- Completed submission form
- Entries should adhere to the following category requirements:
- Poetry: A group of three poems
- Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer) or a one-act play (run no more than 30 minutes of playing time)
- Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)
- Entries can be submitted online or via mail
- All entries must be original work reviewed, approved, and sponsored by a high school teacher. Bennington will use the sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition. For homeschooled students, applicants must contact a mentor to sponsor their writing.