Writing Contests

The Emerson Prize

Program Grades: High school students

This scholarship is awarded to students who are able to get a piece of work (history-related) published in The Concord Review and who present academic promise.

National Young Arts Competition

Program Grades: Grades 10–12 or 15–18 years of age on December 1 of the year applying.

They accept applications related to classical music, dance, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice, and writing. Award winners are offered a lifetime of artistic support and ongoing connection with a robust network of peers and mentors along with some cash prizes.

ASBA's Student Speaker Contest

Program Grades: Juniors & Seniors

Students can submit an essay/speech (600–750-word personal essay or four-five minutes of speaking) on the specified topic.

NCTE National Writing Award: The Humanities and a Freer Tomorrow

Program Grades: Juniors & Seniors

Students can apply for a writing award based on the 2023 Jefferson Lecture. Submissions have to answer the prompt given in a specific structure specified on the website. The top five will have the opportunity for excerpts to be published by NCTE.

ONE Korean Scholarship

Program Grades: Seniors

Students can apply for a scholarship. They must be able to attend the Award Ceremony on December 9, 2023. The application requires a 500-word essay on the topic, "What have I done to achieve my dreams?"

Young Writers Awards

Program Grades: High school students

Students are eligible to enter the contest in one of the three categories with the following submission YWA finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington College.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Program Grades: Grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up)

Students can submit their work. They accept work in 28 categories related to the arts and writing. Winners receive recognition via ceremonies, exhibitions, publications, and scholarship entries.

Portfolio Scholarships - Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Program Grades: Grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up)

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Portfolio Scholarships takes many different types of art mediums such as visual art, music, writing, and many others. For each student’s portfolio, they must write a personal statement that must not exceed 500 words.

Arkansas Tech University Creative Writing Contest Scholarship

Program Grades: Seniors

A writing contest in which six scholarships are awarded of up to $1,500. Submissions can vary from a poem, a group of poems, a short story, or a piece of dramatic writing.

Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Program Grades: High school students

Students are to write an original essay that displays their knowledge of political courage enacted by the U.S. The essay’s word count is from a maximum of 1,000 words to a minimum of 700 (not including citations).

Davidson Institute Fellows Scholarship
Program Grades: 18 or younger as of the application deadline

The scholarship is given to projects that demonstrate significant work with a chance to better society in science, technology, math, philosophy, and music. The Davidson Institute is looking for students whose projects are at, or close to, the college graduate level with a depth of knowledge in their particular area of study.

NCTE National Writing Award: Achievement Awards in Writing

Program Grades: Sophomores and Juniors

Students can apply for a writing award. Submissions have to answer the prompt given in a specific structure specified on the website. Nominating teachers will submit student's work.

American Foreign Service National H.S. Essay Contest

Program Grades: Students in grades 9-12 whose parents are not in the Foreign Service

Students are to write about what they believe to be the most difficult challenge for Foreign Service in the future and how American diplomats could aid and mitigate said issue.