Institutional News

2020-21 Young Writers Awards Opens for 9th-12th Grade Students

Bennington College is now accepting submissions from high school students nationwide for its 2020-2021 Young Writers Awards.

Young Writers Awards logo

This annual competition, which accepts entries in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, is free to enter and open to all high school students in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. A first-, second-, and third-place winner is selected in each of the categories, with cash prizes from $125-$500 awarded.

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. 

Submissions for the 2020-2021 Young Writers Awards will be accepted through November 1, 2020, with winners announced in spring 2021. 

For more information, see submission guidelines or sign up to receive notifications about the competition. Downloadable Young Writers Awards posters and printable submission forms are also available.

About the Young Writers Awards
Bennington College has a unique literary legacy, including twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, countless New York Times bestsellers, and two of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. 

In celebration of this legacy, Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote and recognize excellence in writing by high-school students. Each year, over 2,000 students submit poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to the Young Writers Awards competition.