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.

138 verified programs match this page; 25 of the featured listings are completely free; 18 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• 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
• Northwestern National High School Institute (Cherubs) - Journalism — Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University: Immerse yourself in a free summer program at Medill School of Journalism, mastering writing, editing, and multimedia skills. Boost your college applic
• 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
• 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.
• 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
• JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest — JFK Library: Essay contest on political courage. $10k first prize. Winners invited to Boston.
• Ocean Awareness Contest First Place — Bow Seat: Art, writing, film, music about ocean conservation. $1,500+ prizes.
• 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.
• 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.
• Richard Wilbur Poetry Award — University of Maine at Farmington: An annual poetry award honoring Richard Wilbur, recognizing outstanding unpublished poems submitted for consideration.
• National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) — Maureen Thorson / NaPoWriMo.net: A month‑long, online poetry writing challenge each April inviting writers worldwide to draft a poem a day.
• Lune Spark Young Writers' Short Story Contest — Lune Spark: Annual short story contest for young writers with cash prizes and publication opportunities.
• Commonwealth Jubilee Playwriting Competition — The Royal Commonwealth Society: A youth playwriting competition celebrating the Commonwealth’s Jubilee, inviting short plays from young writers across member countries.
• APA TOPSS High School Psychology Student Competition — American Psychological Association (TOPSS): Showcase your psychology knowledge in this free online competition for high school students. Build writing skills, enhance college apps, and explore S
• We the Students Essay Contest — Bill of Rights Institute: Compete in a national essay contest exploring constitutional principles. Open to grades 9-12, this free competition builds writing skills and boosts c
• Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest — Harvard International Review: Join a selective global writing competition for high schoolers to explore international relations, build policy analysis skills, and enhance your coll

Frequently asked questions