Top 10 Writing Contests for High School Students
Written by Knovva Academy Staff
For high school students applying to college, entering and winning essay contests can make an impact in your application. Not only does this look great on your college application, but the cash prize or scholarship associated with a win can go towards school expenses, tuition, or other writing courses.
Our education nonprofit found the best writing contests available that you can apply to now.
No. 1 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards touted as “the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens” offers 28 different categories to enter in the areas of art and writing. Winners will receive tuition assistance, cash prizes, or scholarships. There are a wide range of awards available that focus on different subjects, and students can submit either art or writing for consideration. One example is the One Earth Award, which comes with a $1,000 scholarship for works about climate change. The Civic Expression Award goes to students who submit work about political and social issues. A $10,000 grand prize goes to a talented student who enters the portfolio challenge, submitting six works to be judged as a unit. Learn more about the Scholastic competition.
Entry Fees: $10 per individual entry; $30 per portfolio
Deadline for Entry: Varies depending on location; between December and January
Prizes: $500 to $10,000
No. 2 We the Students Essay Contest
Sponsored by the Bill of Rights Institute, the We the Students Essay Contest is open for all students between grades 8-12 in the United States, the District of Columbia, American Armed Forces abroad, and any U.S. territories.
Entry Fees:No fee
Deadline for Entry: Late May 21
Prizes: $500 to $7,500
No. 3 Bennington College Young Writers Awards
Hosted by Bennington College, a school that claims twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, and countless New York Times bestsellers, the Young Writers Awards were created to celebrate and promote exceptional high school writing. Students can enter in the poetry, fiction (either a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction categories. All students are invited to apply, including those located in the U.S. and abroad. Winners will receive a cash prize, along with a recurring scholarship to attend Bennington College, amounting to between $40,000 and $60,000.
Entry Fees:No fee
Deadline for Entry: Early September – Early November
Prizes: $250 to $1,000 (in addition to annual tuition scholarships to Bennington College)
No. 4 The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest
The American Foreign Services Association (AFSA) hosts its annual high school writing contest for students engaged and interested in foreign diplomacy. The essay should demonstrate an understanding of Foreign Service and why it’s an essential piece in U.S. and international relations. Students who are eligible must be in grades 9-12 and come from families without involvement in Foreign Service.
Entry: High school students in grades 9-12
Deadline for Entry: New writing prompts will release in the Fall
Prizes:
First Place: $2,500 and a paid trip to the nation’s capital and an educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea.
Second Place: $1,250 and a full tuition to attend a summer session of National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.
No. 5 Ocean Awareness Contest
A creative contest for high school students interested in tackling the issue of climate change and ocean conservation, the Ocean Awareness Contest encourages students to become advocates for necessary change.
Students can respond to the prompt using visual art, performing arts, poetry, interactive media, film, or creative writing. Any student between the ages of 11-18 are invited to enter before the June deadline.
Entry Fees: No fee
Deadline for Entry: Typically in June
Prizes: $100 to $1,500
No. 6 YoungArts National Arts Competition
Good news for the artistically inclined: the YoungArts application opens every summer, and students have the option to enter in categories such as writing, visual arts, photography, dance, voice, and more. Finalists will win up to a $10,000 cash prize, and other levels of recognition range from $100 to $5,000.
An added bonus of applying to this competition is that 20 YoungArts Finalists will also win one of the highest honors for high school students, a U.S. Presidential Scholarship in the Arts.
Entry Fees: $35
Deadline for Entry: Typically in October
Prizes: $100 to $10,000
No. 7 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest asks students to reflect on “an act of political courage” made by an elected official who served during or any time after 1917, the year JFK was born. Students interested in political science, writing, or history might feel particularly excited about this essay prompt. Essays should be between 700 and 1,000 words, and need to have a minimum of five sources.
Entry Fees: No fee
Deadline for Entry: Typically in January
Prizes: $100 to $10,000
No. 8 Jane Austen Society Essay Contest
Students around the world are invited to apply to this literary essay contest hosted by the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA). With three divisions (high school, undergraduate, and graduate), applicants are tasked with writing a 6-8 page essay about one of Jane Austen’s works. This year’s subject is her first published novel, Pride and Prejudice. In addition to a generous cash prize, winners of the essay contest will also be published on JASNA’s website, which is a huge boon for high school students to include on their college applications.
Entry Fees: No fee
Deadline for Entry: Early June 1
Prizes: $250 to $1,000
No. 9 John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition
The John Locke Essay Competition invites high school applicants ages 15 to 18 to apply for the Senior Prize, and applicants 14 years and younger can apply for the Junior Prize. Students are asked to submit an argumentative essay consisting of 2,000 words or less. High school students interested in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law should consider applying. With several question prompts in each category, judges will choose their favorite essay from each, and an overall best essay, with a total of eight winners in all.
Entry Fees: No fee
Deadline for Entry: Typically in July
Prizes: $2,000 to $10,000 in scholarships to attend any John Locke Institute program
No. 10 The Voice of Democracy Essay Contest
Established in 1947, The Voice of Democracy essay contest is one of the most prestigious high school essay competitions students can enter. With a grand prize of $30,000, it’s not hard to see why.
This essay contest is open to students in grades 9-12 and requires them to write an original essay, and then record themselves reading it. Originality, content, and delivery are judged equally, so this essay contest will work best for students who consider themselves to be good public speakers.
Entry Fees: No fee
Deadline for Entry: Typically in October
Prizes: $1,000 to $30,000
