YoungArts vs Scholastic Awards: Which Program Is Right for You?
Two national recognition programs for young artists that overlap only in visual art and writing: YoungArts also judges music, dance, theater, film and design for older high schoolers, while the Scholastic Awards cover art and writing from middle school up, judging every entry in a regional round first. Neither claims exclusive rights to your work, so many students enter both.
Below is a side-by-side comparison of 2027 YoungArts National Arts Competition and Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. A blank row is a fact we do not hold — not a zero, and not a no.
| YoungArts | Scholastic Awards | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Varies — see Cost and funding | Varies — see Cost and funding |
| Application deadline | Application deadline has passed | Deadline unconfirmed |
| Grade eligibility | Grades 10–12 | Grades 7–12 |
| Format | Hybrid | Online |
| Location | Miami, FL, United States | National, United States |
| Program dates | Not listed | Not listed |
| Application destination | youngarts.org | artandwriting.org |
| Organizer | YoungArts | Alliance for Young Artists & Writers |
YoungArts vs Scholastic Awards: the short answer
Only visual art and writing overlap. YoungArts is one national competition in 10 disciplines — classical music, dance, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing — for artists aged 15-18 or in grades 10-12, and every award winner receives a cash prize between $250 and $10,000. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards cover art and writing only, take teens from grade 7, and judge every entry in your region first, with Gold Key work going on to national medals and scholarships. Entry is $35 per YoungArts application and $15 per Scholastic entry, and both waive the fee for need. The calendars run in sequence rather than against each other: YoungArts's 2027 application closes October 6, 2026, and Scholastic's regional deadlines fall between December and January. Neither demands exclusive rights to your work, so a writer or visual artist can enter both.
Program details
These are the current details stored for each program. A blank cell means the catalog does not hold that detail.
| YoungArts | Scholastic Awards | |
|---|---|---|
| Disciplines | 10: classical music, dance, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing. | Art and writing, in more than twenty categories. |
| Entry fee | $35 per submitted application. | $15 per individual entry and $40 per portfolio, as of October 1, 2026. |
| Fee waivers | Upload a letter from a parent, guardian, teacher, counselor or principal to have the fee waived. | Offered in every region for teens who cannot afford the fee; you do not have to prove need in the portal. |
| Who can apply | Grades 10-12 or ages 15-18 on December 1, 2026; U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or anyone legally able to receive taxable income in the U.S. | Grades 7-12, age 13 and up, living in the U.S., its territories or military bases, or Canada outside Quebec. |
| How it is judged | By discipline-specific panels of artists, over multiple rounds of review. | Regionally first, for Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention; Gold Key work is then considered nationally for Gold and Silver Medals and scholarships. |
| What winning brings | Every award winner receives a cash prize between $250 and $10,000. | National Medalists receive certificates and medals and are considered for exhibition, publication and scholarships; Gold Medalists are invited to a ceremony at Carnegie Hall. |
| Entering the same work elsewhere | Allowed: YoungArts does not require exclusivity or own the copyright of submitted work. | Allowed, if the other program does not hold exclusive rights to it. |
| AI rules | AI may be restricted or prohibited depending on the discipline, category or submission. | AI may help with brainstorming or outlining, but a work whose final product is AI-generated is ineligible. |
| Entering again | Winners who attended National YoungArts Week cannot apply again; other winners can. | No limit stated: the Scholastic FAQ sets eligibility by grade (7-12) and age, with no rule against past winners entering again. |
| Deadline, most recent published cycle | Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 8 PM ET, for the 2027 competition. | Between December and January, depending on your region. |
Inside YoungArts
One application, judged by working artists in your discipline over several rounds. Every award winner receives a cash prize and gets ongoing access to the YoungArts Post, a private portal for fellowships, residencies and microgrants; winners with distinction attend National YoungArts Week, which the rules allow only once. Because the 2027 application closes on October 6, 2026, your recordings or portfolio have to be ready early in the school year.
Inside Scholastic Awards
A two-level contest run with local partners. Your work is judged first in your region for Gold Keys, Silver Keys and Honorable Mentions; Gold Key work goes on to national judging for Gold and Silver Medals and sponsored scholarships, and Gold Medalists are invited to a ceremony at Carnegie Hall. Deadlines fall between December and January depending on your region, and seniors can also submit a portfolio for scholarship consideration.
Choose YoungArts if…
- You perform — music, dance, theater, voice or jazz. YoungArts judges performing disciplines; the Scholastic Awards take art and writing.
- You are in 10th grade or above and your work is ready by early October. YoungArts's 2027 application closes October 6, 2026.
Choose Scholastic Awards if…
- You are not yet in 10th grade. The Scholastic Awards take teens in grades 7-12; YoungArts starts at grade 10 or age 15.
- You want a local round first. Every Scholastic entry is judged in your region before any national recognition.
Applying next cycle: what to do now
| YoungArts | Scholastic Awards | |
|---|---|---|
| Next application window | Open from July 21 to October 6, 2026. | The portal opens October 1, 2026 for the 2027 Awards. |
Applying to YoungArts
- An online application with video or audio recordings, or documents or images in a portfolio, plus the fee or a waiver.
- Apply in as many disciplines and categories as you like, with a fee for each application.
Applying to Scholastic Awards
- Create an account, pick a category, upload your work and pay or use a fee waiver; guidelines and deadlines vary by region.
- Portfolio entries are for current seniors only.
- Senior portfolios compete for sixteen $12,500 Gold Medal Portfolio scholarships, eight in writing and eight in art.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- Both allow the same work to be entered elsewhere as long as no one holds exclusive rights to it, so many students will not need to choose; check each discipline's rules first.
- Scholastic deadlines are set by region, and the Alliance warns that regional pages may be out of date if viewed before October 1.
- Neither program publishes an acceptance rate on the pages we read.
2027 YoungArts National Arts Competition
A national competition for artists ages 15-18 or in grades 10-12 in the U.S., in the discipline of their choice.
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Each year more than 100,000 teens in the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec) enter art and writing for recognition, exhibition and scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, YoungArts or Scholastic Awards?
YoungArts: Varies — see Cost and funding. Scholastic Awards: Varies — see Cost and funding. Confirm each figure on the program's official page before budgeting.
Can I apply to both YoungArts and Scholastic Awards?
The application destinations are evaluated independently. YoungArts: youngarts.org. Scholastic Awards: artandwriting.org. Review each provider's current instructions before assuming either application is open or compatible with the other.
Which is better for college applications, YoungArts or Scholastic Awards?
We do not rank enrichment programs by admissions value. Use the comparison to assess whether each program's documented constraints fit your situation, and check the details that decide it for you on each program's official page.
What grades can apply to YoungArts and Scholastic Awards?
YoungArts: Grades 10–12. Scholastic Awards: Grades 7–12. Eligibility can change between cycles, so confirm it on each program's official page before applying.
Related comparisons
YoungArts appears in 1 of 56 comparison pages. Scholastic Awards appears in 2 of 56 comparison pages.
How we count
Our comparison list has 56 pairs covering 91 catalog programs. Those numbers count this list only. They are not a ranking or the size of the full catalog.
We don't rank programs or name one of them the best.
When we don't list a cost, it is unknown, not free. Check the official page.
Catalog-wide numbers, and what each was counted out of, are on Statistics.