Competition Overview
Bennington College Young Writers Awards
The Bennington College Young Writers Awards is an annual competition established to celebrate and promote exceptional writing among high school students. With a rich literary heritage that includes twelve Pulitzer Prize winners and three U.S. poet laureates, Bennington College aims to encourage young writers to pursue their passion for literature.
Subject Categories
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Poetry: A collection of three poems.
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Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer) or a one-act play (running time of fewer than 30 minutes).
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Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer).
Competition Topic Example
2025
There is no specific annual theme. Students are free to choose any historical topic that allows for deep research and analysis.
Requirements
Submission Categories
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Choose one category only:
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Poetry: 3 poems
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Fiction / Nonfiction: Max 1,500 words
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Word count includes headers, footers, footnotes, titles, bibliographies
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One submission per year, per student
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Submissions will not be returned
Citation
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Cite all sources properly if used
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File format not specified—submit in Word or PDF
Originality Requirement
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All work must be original
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Plagiarism checks enforced
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Plagiarized work will be disqualified
Sponsorship Requirement
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A sponsor teacher must review and approve each entry
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Homeschooled students must have a mentor sponsor
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Sponsor serves as main contact for submission
Prizes
Cash Awards
First Place
$1,000
Second Place
$500
Third Place
$250
Scholarships
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Winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington College will receive a $15,000 scholarship annually for four years, totaling $60,000.
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Finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll will receive a $10,000 scholarship annually for four years, totaling $40,000.