Submissions are Open for the Bennington College Young Writers Awards

Name of the Event: Bennington College Young Writers Awards

Working language: English

Last Date of Application: 1 November 2025

Link to Apply:

Submit Here

Bennington is hosting the Young Writers Awards to honour outstanding writing achievement at the high school level. This annual event represents one of the most prestigious high school writing competitions in the country. High school students worldwide are invited to enter.

Submission Categories:

• Poetry- A group of three poems

• Fiction- A short story (1,500 words or fewer)

• Nonfiction- A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)

  
  

Awards:

1. First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $2,000;

2. Second-place winners receive $1,000; and

3. Third-place winners receive $500.

The YWA distinguished writer designation will be awarded to entries from each category by grade level, and receive $250.

Scholarships:

Young Writers Award (YWA) finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington.

• YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a full-tuition scholarship each year for four years, representing more than $60,000 per year in financial aid.

• YWA distinguished writers who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a half-tuition scholarship each year for four years, representing more than $30,000 per year in financial aid..

• YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $25,000 scholarship every year for four years, a total of $100,000 in financial aid.

We are not the official organisers of the program. If you have any queries regarding it, kindly contact the organisers at - ywa@bennington.edu