Young Writers Awards – Bennington College

The Young Writers Awards (YWA) is an annual writing competition hosted by Bennington College that invites high school students (Grades 9–12) from anywhere in the world to submit original work in poetry, fiction or nonfiction.

What’s Offered

• Cash prizes for each category: for example, first-place winners receive up to US $2,000, second-place US $1,000, and third-place US $500.

• “Distinguished Writer” recognitions in each category by grade level (US $250 each).

• Winners and finalists are eligible for significant undergraduate scholarships at Bennington College—winners may receive full-tuition four-year awards, finalists receive substantial awards if admitted.

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to high school students in Grades 9 through 12 (or equivalent) around the world.

• Each student may submit in one category only (poetry, fiction or nonfiction) and only once per year.

• Entries must be original work, typed, in English, and submitted with the sponsorship of a high school teacher (or for homeschooled students, a non-parent mentor).

• Submission limits include word counts: for fiction a short story (≤1,500 words) or one-act play; for nonfiction an essay (≤1,500 words); for poetry a set of 1-3 poems with combined limit ≤1,500 words.

Process & Structure

• The competition opens on 1 September each year and the submission deadline is 1 November for most categories (students in Grades 9-11 submit directly; Grade 12 entrants may submit via college application forms).

• Entries are evaluated by a panel, winners are announced in spring of the following year.

• Winners are publicly acknowledged, and their work is often featured on the college’s website; winners who enroll at Bennington may claim scholarships.

Deadline

• Entry deadline: 1 November (for that year’s competition).