YoungArts National Arts Competition – Writing
National program with categories like fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, plays/scripts, and spoken word; winners join the YoungArts network and may be nominated for U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
You might also like
Bennington Young Writers Awards
Prestigious competition from Bennington College with categories in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction; winners/finalists often receive big scholarships if they attend Bennington.
International High School Writing Contest
Global analytical and creative writing competition with categories like short story, flash fiction, poetry, critical essay, and dramatic script; no entry fees.
One Teen Story Contest
Short story contest for teen writers; winner is published in One Teen Story and receives a cash prize.
Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition (HCGEC)
International essay contest organized with The Harvard Crimson, with multiple prompts and a focus on critical/creative thinking and writing.
John Estey Student Writing Competition (American Writers Museum)
Essay/narrative competition on topics related to American writers, literature, or culture, run by the American Writers Museum.
John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
An annual essay contest from the JFK Library Foundation asking U.S. high schoolers to research and analyze an act of political courage by an elected official who served in or after 1917, with a $10,000 top prize.