# 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. 125 verified programs match this page; 25 of the featured listings are free; 17 can be done online. ## Programs (125 total, first 30 shown — full list on the canonical page) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Telluride Association Summer Seminars (TASS)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/telluride-association-summer-seminars-tass) | Telluride Association | Free | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2026-12-03 | | [National Student Poets Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-student-poets-program) | Institute of Museum and Library Services | Free | hybrid | Grades 10–11 | 2026-08-01 | | [Northwestern University Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/northwestern-summer-journalism) | Northwestern University | $6,000 | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2027-03-02 | | [Young Playwrights Festival](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/young-playwrights-festival) | Young Playwrights Inc. | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-01-29 | | [Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Lit Fest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/tennessee-williams-new-orleans-literary-festival) | Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, Inc. | $100 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-10-15 | | [Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - Gold Medal Portfolio](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/scholastic-art-writing-awards-gold-medal-portfolio) | Alliance for Young Artists & Writers | Free | virtual | Grades 7–12 | 2026-12-01 | | [Southern Cross Novel Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/southern-cross-novel-challenge) | Southern Cross Education Institute | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Canadian Short Screenplay Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/the-canadian-short-screenplay-competition) | Canadian Short Screenplay Competition Inc. | $35 | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-02 | | [American Enterprise Institute High School Economics Writing Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/american-enterprise-institute-high-school-economics-writing-competition) | American Enterprise Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-01 | | [Dow Jones News Fund High School Journalism Workshops](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/dow-jones-news-fund-high-school-journalism-workshops) | Dow Jones News Fund | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-01 | | [Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/youth-speaks-spoken-word-slam-poetry) | Youth Speaks | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-poetry-writing-month) | Maureen Thorson / NaPoWriMo.net | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association Essay Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/harvard-undergraduate-economics-association-essay-competition) | Harvard College | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-05 | | [JCamp High School Journalism](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/jcamp-high-school-journalism) | Asian American Journalists Association | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-11 | | [Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/adroit-journal-summer-mentorship) | The Adroit Journal | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-01 | | [Polyphony Lit Magazine](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/polyphony-lit) | Polyphony Lit | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-11-30 | | [Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/journal-of-emerging-investigators-jei) | JEI (founded by Harvard-trained scientists) | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [National English Honor Society](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-english-honor-society) | Sigma Tau Delta | $15 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2026-12-31 | | [Teen Ink Magazine Submissions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/teen-ink) | Teen Ink | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Northwestern Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute (Cherubs) - Writing & Reporting](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/northwestern-medill-northwestern-journalism-institute-cherubs-writing-reporting) | Northwestern Medill | $6,200 | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-03-02 | | [New York Times STEM Writing Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/new-york-times-stem-writing-contest) | The New York Times | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-15 | | [Northwestern National High School Institute (Cherubs) - Journalism](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/northwestern-national-high-school-institute-cherubs-journalism) | Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-02 | | [Ayn Rand Institute Anthem Essay Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ayn-rand-institute-anthem-essay-contest) | Ayn Rand Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 9–10 | 2027-05-31 | | [NYT Personal Narrative Essay Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nyt-personal-narrative-contest) | New York Times | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-02 | | [St. Gallen Symposium Wings of Excellence Essay Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/st-gallen-symposium-wings-of-excellence-essay-competition) | St. Gallen Symposium Foundation | Free | in_person | Grade 12 | 2027-02-01 | | [Richard Wilbur Poetry Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/richard-wilbur-award) | University of Maine at Farmington | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Horizon Academic AI Essay Prize](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/horizon-academic-ai-essay) | Horizon Academic | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-07-13 | | [Interactive Fiction Competition (IFComp)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/interactive-fiction-competition) | Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-08-28 | | [National High School Essay Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/anthropology-essay) | American Anthropological Association | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-18 | | [Why Mom Deserves a Diamond Writing Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/why-mom-deserves-a-diamond-contest) | Why Mom Deserves a Diamond, Inc. | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-11-12 | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many writing programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 125 verified writing opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these writing programs free? Yes — 25 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early. ### Which deadlines are coming up soonest? The next deadlines: Horizon Academic AI Essay Prize (July 13, 2026); National Student Poets Program (August 1, 2026); Interactive Fiction Competition (IFComp) (August 28, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Do writing extracurriculars help with college admissions? Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in writing (participation → awards or leadership → independent work) reads far stronger than scattered one-off activities. Pick one or two programs from this page and go deep. ## Related pages - [Journalism & Media Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/journalism) - [Arts for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/arts) - [Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/competitions) - [Free for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/free) - [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars) - [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit) --- Canonical page: https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/writing Source: ExtracurricularHub (https://extracurricularhub.com) — a free directory of 1,826 verified extracurricular programs for high school students. Cite the canonical page above; always confirm binding details on each program's official site.