Bennington Young Writers Awards
Founding award of the Bennington Young Creators Awards
The Bennington College Young Writers Awards celebrate exceptional high school students in grades 9-12 whose writing demonstrates originality, curiosity, craft, and creative ambition.
For two decades, the Bennington Young Writers Awards have recognized outstanding writing by high school students from around the world. Now part of the Bennington Young Creators Awards, this long-running program continues to honor poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by the next generation of literary voices.
Open to students worldwide, these awards are free to enter and offer cash prizes up to $2,000, recognition, publication, or showcase opportunities, and scholarships for students who enroll at Bennington College.
Submissions open September 1. In the meantime, sign up to receive updates.
Young Writers Summer Challenge
This summer, join the virtual Young Writers Summer Challenge to hone your craft before Bennington’s Young Writers Awards Competition opens on September 1.
Beginning August 3, participants will receive a weekly emailed prompt to get their creative juices flowing. Participate in all four weeks of the challenge for a chance to win a Bennington-themed prize.
The Summer Challenge opens soon. Sign up to receive updates and join the challenge.
About the Award
Bennington College has given many of our nation’s foremost writers their start. Alumni include twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, and authors of countless New York Times bestsellers.
The Bennington Young Writers Awards have been recognized as one of the most prestigious high school writing competitions in the country.
Whether you are writing poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, we honor work that demonstrates creativity, craft, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to take risks on the page.
Why Bennington College?
At Bennington College, literature and writing are grounded in the idea that good writers are good readers. Bennington undergraduates can apply to participate in the Bennington Writing Seminars, one of the best-respected MFA in Writing programs, through the Undergraduate Writing Fellowship.
The Bennington Young Writers Awards invite high school students into that same spirit.
Submission Categories and What to Submit
Students may submit work in one category.
Categories
- Fiction: Submit one short story or a standalone excerpt from a longer work.
- Nonfiction: Submit a personal or creative nonfiction essay or a standalone excerpt from a longer work.
- Poetry: Submit between 1-3 poems, with a combined limit of 1500 words.
Requirements and Submissions
Eligibility and Requirements
- There is no entry fee.
- Only one submission per discipline award is allowed per student.
- Select only one submission category to enter.
- Open to students in grades 9–12 worldwide.
- All entries must be original work and will be reviewed for authenticity.
- Entries must be reviewed and approved by a sponsoring teacher or mentor.
- Grade 12 students must submit through the Common Application or Coalition Application process (no application fees required, non-binding, no supplemental essays required). Once the application is complete, we will send a follow-up email with YCA submission instructions. Since so many YCA participants also apply to Bennington, this approach allows students to submit their college and YCA applications through a single process.
- Students who have already graduated from high school are not eligible.
Please review our FAQs for additional information.
Submission Guidelines
- Submissions must be typed (nothing handwritten or scanned).
- Submissions must be 1500 words or less. The word count restriction is strict and includes all submitted text, including titles, headers, footers, citations, etc.
- Entries must be submitted in English. U.S. and international students are eligible to participate.
- Each page must clearly show the author's name.
All entries must be reviewed and approved by a high school sponsor teacher. We will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your work.
How Entries are Evaluated
A panel of Bennington readers—including students, faculty, and alumni—will review submissions for originality, quality of writing, and strength of the writer’s voice and perspective. The pool will be narrowed to finalists and award recipients.
Judging Criteria:
- Originality of the work
- Strength of voice and point of view
- Craft, structure, and use of language
- Imagination, insight, and emotional impact
- Engagement with complexity
- Overall quality of the work
Awards, Scholarships, and Recognition
Cash Prizes (per category)
- First place: $2,000
- Second place: $1,000
- Third place: $500
Distinguished Submissions
- Distinguished designation by category and grade level: $250
- Particularly strong submissions of original work may be selected for this designation. While these submissions may not have been selected for the top three composition prizes, students whose quality is distinguished amongst other entries will be recognized.
Scholarships
- First Place Winners who enroll at Bennington receive a full-tuition scholarship for four years
- Distinguished Designation Recipients who enroll receive a half-tuition scholarship for four years
- Finalists who enroll receive a $25,000 annual scholarship for four years.
Publication and Showcase
- Winning and distinguished entries may be featured on Bennington's website, social media channels, publications, and other showcase opportunities throughout the year.
- These entries will remain the property of the student.
Important Dates and Deadlines
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 1 | Submissions open |
| November 1 | Submission deadline |
| November - December | Round 1 judging (faculty / student panel) |
| January | Round 2 judging (external panel); winners selected |
| Spring | Award winners announced; press release; winning entries published and/or showcased |
Questions
If you have questions about eligibility, submissions, or awards, we’re happy to help.
