Bennington Young Writers Awards: A Complete Guide

Do you think your writing could earn you cash rewards and even a college scholarship? Craft poems, a story, or an essay, and submit it to the Bennington Young Writers Awards and see how far your talent can take you.

In this article, we’ll tell you what you can expect from the competition, how to join, and how you can improve your chances of winning..

• What is the Bennington Young Writers Awards?
• Bennington Young Writers Awards Awards and Prizes
• How to Qualify for the Bennington Young Writers Awards
• How to Get into the Bennington Young Writers Awards
• How to Win the Bennington Young Writers Awards
• Bennington Young Writers Awards Previous Winners
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What is the Bennington Young Writers Awards?

The Bennington Young Writers Awards is an annual writing competition hosted by Bennington College for high school students. Bennington College has a rich literary heritage, with alumni that include 12 Pulitzer Prize winners, 3 U.S. Poet Laureates, and multiple MacArthur “Genius” grant recipients. Some names include Elizabeth Frank, Donna Tartt, and Bret Easton Ellis.

High school students worldwide are invited to submit their work in one of three categories: poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. In recent years, the contest has seen nearly 7,000 submissions annually.

The Bennington Young Writers Awards allows you to submit works that you’ve previously submitted to other awards, publications, or competitions. However, despite being open to high school students around the world, all submissions should only be written in English.

Bennington Young Writers Awards Awards and Prizes

Students who place in the Bennington Young Writers Awards receive both monetary prizes and educational scholarships, plus the prestige of publication. Here are the specific awards a participant can earn:

All first, second, and third-place winning entries are also published on the Bennington College website in the spring, allowing others to read and appreciate their work. This could also earn you additional media attention if local newspapers or magazines ask to feature your writing. Authors retain full copyright to their work.

How to Qualify for the Bennington Young Writers Awards

The Bennington Young Writers Awards have a low barrier to entry, but to make sure you’re eligible, we’ve outlined the requirements below.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Bennington Young Writers Awards, you must:

• Be enrolled in grades 9 to 12
• Submit only original work written in English
• Submit only one entry (per year)

Gap year students aren’t eligible for the contest.

Required documents

To join the Bennington Young Writers Awards, you should submit the following:

• Your written entry. Of course, the main thing you need is your creative work.

• Entry form. You’ll need to fill out the official entry form to submit your work. Bennington provides an online submission form on their website for grades 9 to 11. For 12th graders, you’ll be submitting your work through the Common App or Coalition.

• Sponsoring teacher information. The contest requires that you have a teacher sponsor, who is a high school teacher (or a non-parent mentor, if you are homeschooled) who has reviewed your work and agreed to sponsor your entry. Bennington may reach out to them if needed, since they serve as a point of contact to verify or discuss your entry.

Contest fees

There are no contest fees to join the Bennington Young Writers Awards. Even if you’re a senior applying via the Bennington College application, Bennington waives the normal application fee for those indicating interest in the Young Writers Awards.

Registration deadline

The deadline to enter the Bennington Young Writers Awards is November 1. The contest opens for submissions on September 1.

How to Get into the Bennington Young Writers Awards

Joining the Bennington Young Writers Awards involves a few simple steps. Here’s a guide on how you can apply for the contest:

Step 1: Choose your category and topic.

You can only submit in one category, so pick the genre that showcases your strengths. Think about what you enjoy writing most: is it imaginative storytelling, real-life experiences or opinions, or expressive poetry? Pick a topic that you care about since having a genuine interest in your subject will help you in your writing.

Step 2: Write and polish your entry.

It’s time to start writing! Make sure the work is entirely your original creation—no plagiarism or AI-generated content, as those will lead to disqualification.

Don’t worry about getting it perfect from the start. For your first draft, just focus on getting everything down on paper first. Then, when you’re done, revise and polish it multiple times.

It can help to take a break and then re-read your work with fresh eyes, or even read it aloud to catch issues with flow. Ask for feedback from other people too since they can also check your grammar, spelling, and clarity.

Once you have your final draft, format your document neatly and don’t forget to include your name on each page of the manuscript.

Step 3: Get a teacher to review and sponsor your work.

The contest requires you to have a sponsoring teacher who has read the entry and supports your submission. Typically, this would be an English teacher or a mentor who already knows your writing. That means you don’t necessarily need to have taken a class with your sponsoring teacher. Your parents can’t be the sponsor unless you’re homeschooled.

Of course, when you give them your writing, expect to receive feedback and do some revising again. Make sure you ask a teacher well before the deadline so there’s enough time for them to read your work and for you to incorporate the feedback..

You’ll only need your teacher’s name and email. They don’t need to send a separate letter.

Step 4: Submit your entry.

You can submit your entry from September 1 to November 1.

If you’re in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade, submit your entry through the online form on Bennington’s website. You’ll just need to fill out a form where you upload your document and provide your information.

Meanwhile, if you’re in 12th grade, you can submit to the contest simultaneously with your college application to Bennington College. Within Bennington’s section of the college application, there’s a checkbox or question where you indicate your interest in the Young Writers Awards. After you submit your college application, Bennington will email you with instructions on how to upload your writing entry for the contest.

If you only want to enter the contest and not really apply to Bennington, that’s okay. There’s no application fee, and applying is non-binding so you won’t be obligated to attend the school whatever the outcome of the contest or your application.

How to Win the Bennington Young Writers Awards

Judging creative works can be subjective. After all, all contestants will be writing about different topics in various styles. However, there are still several tips that can help you create a strong entry:

1. Read past winning entries for inspiration.

One of the best ways to understand what the judges are looking for is to read the work of past winners. Bennington College keeps an archive of winning entries on their website.

Previous winners have come from a variety of backgrounds, from prestigious U.S. high schools like Phillips Academy Andover and Deerfield Academy to countries like Mongolia and Jordan.

Remember that this isn’t about copying their ideas since your work must be original, but reading their works can give you a sense of the quality, style, and creativity that judges look for. They also show the range of what you can write about.

2. Follow the rules.

With thousands of submissions every year, the judges won’t hesitate to disqualify entries that ignore the rules. Make sure your word count is at or below 1,500 regardless of which category you enter. This limit includes headers, footers, footnotes, titles, and bibliographies. Another rule is that your name should be on every page of your entry.

Double-check that you’ve followed the rules before you submit your work since the school doesn’t return any submissions.

3. Be creative.

Everyone wants their work to stand out. The judges read many good essays and stories, so think about what makes yours different. One way to do this is to be creative and showcase your unique voice.

Try to avoid clichés and tired tropes. A catchy opening, engaging plot, and strong characters are great, but to really stand out, you might need to go beyond the basic formula. Don’t be afraid to take an unusual angle on your topic or to experiment with your writing style (as long as it remains clear and effective).

For example, in fiction, you might try writing with an unreliable narrator or playing with structure as long as it serves the story and engages the reader. Or, in poetry, you could think up innovative formats.

4. Revise thoroughly.

Great writing usually comes from rewriting. Don’t be so attached to your first draft that you don’t want to change the perspective of a story or the words you used. Be open to revising your work multiple times.

After you finish your first draft, take a step back for a day or two, then return with fresh eyes. You’ll likely spot areas to improve, such as the ending not being as strong as you first thought, or a certain paragraph being unclear.

It’s also very helpful to have someone else critique your work. Since your entry should be reviewed by a teacher anyway for the sponsorship, use that opportunity to ask for some constructive criticism. Asking other friends and family members could be helpful too.

Bennington Young Writers Awards Previous Winners

The Bennington Young Writers Awards has recognized many outstanding young authors for the past 10 years. Here are some of the previous first-place winners:

Click on a name to read their winning piece. Take note of their style, structure, and voice for inspiration.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the prize for the Bennington Young Writers Awards?

Each category of the Bennington Young Writers Awards has three winners with cash prizes: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third. Additionally, winners get $15,000 per year for four years (totalling $60,000), while finalists get $10,000 per year (totalling $40,000).

2. Does Bennington College have a good writing program?

Yes. Bennington College is well-known for its strong writing program and literary tradition. The college’s alumni include many acclaimed writers, such as Pulitzer Prize winners and Poet Laureates. Bennington also offers respected writing opportunities, including an Undergraduate Writing Fellowship and the renowned Bennington Writing Seminars (an MFA program) for graduate writers.

3. What is the most prestigious writing award for high school students?

Two of the most highly regarded high school writing awards are the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the National YoungArts Awards.

Takeaways

• The Bennington Young Writers Awards is a prestigious annual competition open to high school writers worldwide. It offers recognition in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, with winners receiving cash awards and even college scholarships.
• To improve your chances of winning the Bennington Young Writers Awards, read past winning entries for inspiration, follow the rules, be creative, and revise thoroughly.
• Want to look for more opportunities that can test your writing skills or improve them? We can help you choose your extracurriculars to show college admissions officers that you truly have a passion for writing.