The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation's most influential art and literature competition, seeks creative work from students in grades 7-12 and provides more than $250,000 in awards and scholarships to students and their schools each year. The awards are widely recognized by Ivy League schools and other colleges and universities in the United States as a way to enhance a winning student's resume and boost their background for college applications.
Each year, young people from across the United States submit more than 330,000 entries to compete in 28 art and writing categories.
The competition is judged by a panel of distinguished individuals in a variety of fields, and regional and national awards are given in the Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, American Vision Nominee, and American Voice Nominee Awards. (Gold Key) is the highest award. The winner will receive a scholarship of up to $10,000.
These are categories in writing:
How to Enter
1. CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
Both students and educators can create an account using our online registration system. This is where you’ll find your school and enter your work.
2. UPLOAD YOUR BEST WORK
Don’t forget to seek feedback from educators, family, and friends and edit your work.
Be sure to select the category that best represents your work.
3. SEND IN YOUR ENTRY FORM WITH YOUR ENTRY FEE OR A FEE WAIVER
Entry fees are $10 per individual entry and $30 per portfolio. If the entry fee is a barrier to your participation in the Awards, we will waive the fee when you submit a Fee Waiver Form.
The Scholastic Awards open for entries in September and deadlines vary between December and January, depending on your region. Curious about your region’s deadline?
Award Selection
Jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards’ core values: originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
ORIGINALITY
We want to celebrate work that is unique and blurs boundaries. We want work that challenges your assumptions. Is it new? Does it surprise you?
An original work is different from what others have created. This means the work is not copied from someone else’s original art or writing. We understand that artists and writers sometimes make work that references other creators and popular culture in original and meaningful ways, but every work that wins an Award must be substantially different from any source material.
SKILL
We interpret the word “skill” broadly. This may refer to craftsmanship and the way the work was made, but it may also refer to other types of skill. Consider critical thinking, problem-solving, or the way an idea is developed over time. Empathy can be a skill. Creativity is a skill!
EMERGENCE OF A PERSONAL VOICE OR VISION
We’re looking for work that expresses an authentic perspective and stands out from classroom assignments and social media trends.
Scholastic's annual awards ceremony is a lavish affair, inviting celebrities such as Oprah, the famous host, Tim Gunn, the godfather of fashion, and Billy Collins, the poet and screenwriter, as guests.
Some 230,000 entries were received in 2021, and 1,916 ended up winning, a winning rate of just 0.8%! There were even fewer winners of the National Gold Medal, only 47, most of them seniors, the best of the elite.
It's not easy to win at Scholastic, but with systematic preparation and training, along with your own talent and hard work, you still have a good chance.
Boluo School provides 1-1 sessions to help you edit your work. Our teachers have track record in writing contest and have had students won awards in the past! Feel free to contact us!