Writing Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Writing extracurriculars include the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, literary magazines, essay competitions, and selective summer workshops like the Iowa Young Writers' Studio.

Published or awarded writing is the rare extracurricular an admissions reader can experience directly — it is your voice, on the page, already in the room.

115 verified programs match this page; 23 of the featured listings are completely free; 16 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Northwestern University Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute — Northwestern University: Elevate your writing skills in this prestigious summer journalism program for high schoolers. Gain hands-on media experience and boost your college ap
• Young Playwrights Festival — Young Playwrights Inc.: Showcase your talent in this free playwriting competition for high schoolers (Grades 10-12). Develop creative skills, gain theater experience, and boo
• National Student Poets Program — Institute of Museum and Library Services: Prestigious poetry competition for 10th-11th graders. Become a literary ambassador, gain recognition, and build creative writing skills for college an
• Telluride Association Summer Seminars (TASS) — Telluride Association: Explore a free in-person summer program for high school students in grades 10-11. Build leadership skills, study humanities, and boost your college ap
• Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam — Youth Speaks: National slam poetry organization connecting high school students through spoken word performance, workshops, and the annual Brave New Voices internat
• Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — Scholastic Inc. / Alliance for Young Artists & Writers: The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation's longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. Over $
• St. Gallen Symposium Wings of Excellence Essay Competition — St. Gallen Symposium Foundation: Top 100 essayists invited to prestigious annual symposium with global leaders. Fully funded trip to Switzerland. One of most selective student opportu
• Ayn Rand Institute Anthem Essay Contest — Ayn Rand Institute: Essay contest on Ayn Rand's Anthem. $2,000 first prize for 9th-10th graders.
• Princeton Model Congress — Princeton Model Congress: Four-day simulation where students draft and debate legislation in committee.
• National English Honor Society Writing Contests — NEHS: Writing competitions for NEHS members. Poetry, prose, creative nonfiction.
• River of Words Environmental Poetry & Art Contest — Library of Congress: Environmental poetry and art competition for K-12 students.
• New York Times STEM Writing Contest — The New York Times: Essay contest explaining the importance of STEM topics.
• American Enterprise Institute High School Economics Writing Competition — American Enterprise Institute: Economics essay competition from AEI. Analyze economic policy issues for prizes.
• National Youth Poet Laureate — Urban Word: Highest honor for teen poets in America. Laureates represent youth poetry nationally, including events at Library of Congress.
• Harvard Pre-College Program — Harvard Summer School: Selective two-week academic immersion with Harvard faculty and peers.
• Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes — Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies: Three-week academic intensives across STEM, humanities, and arts.
• Slamdance Screenplay Competition (Student Division) — Slamdance Film Festival: Screenplay competition at filmmaker-run festival known for discovering new talent. Winners receive industry recognition and festival access. Alternati
• Lincoln Forum Scholarship Essay Contest — The Lincoln Forum: Essay contest on Abraham Lincoln and Civil War era. Cash prizes and attendance at annual symposium. Shows historical research and writing excellence.
• HiMCM: High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling — COMAP: International team modeling challenge solving open-ended real problems.
• JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest — JFK Library: Essay contest on political courage. $10k first prize. Winners invited to Boston.
• Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - Gold Medal Portfolio — Alliance for Young Artists & Writers: Highest honor in Scholastic Awards for exceptional art or writing portfolios. Past winners include Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath.
• Ocean Awareness Contest First Place — Bow Seat: Art, writing, film, music about ocean conservation. $1,500+ prizes.
• Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship — The Adroit Journal: Highly competitive writing mentorship. Work 1-on-1 with published authors. ~10% acceptance.
• Global Kids Online Leaders Program — Global Kids: Youth journalism and advocacy program focused on global issues. Create content on human rights, social justice. Develops voice on international affair
• Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association Essay Competition — Harvard College: International essay competition on economics topics. Winners published in Harvard Economic Review and receive prizes.
• Dow Jones News Fund High School Journalism Workshops — Dow Jones News Fund: Intensive journalism workshops at universities nationwide. Learn from professional journalists and editors. Scholarships available.
• Voice of Democracy Audio Essay Competition — Veterans of Foreign Wars: Patriotic audio essay competition with scholarships.
• Write Angle Creative Writing Contest — Institute of Indian Interior Designers, Calicut Centre: Write Angle is a school-level creative writing competition in India run by IIID Calicut to promote young writers.
• Why Mom Deserves a Diamond Writing Contest — Why Mom Deserves a Diamond, Inc.: A national writing contest where students write a short essay honoring their mothers for a chance to win a garnet or amethyst gemstone.
• Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Lit Fest — Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, Inc.: Annual New Orleans festival celebrating Tennessee Williams with literary panels, performances, and student writing opportunities.

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