- Grades4 to 12
- CostFree
- StructureDivisions by grade or level
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
Check site
Writing competitions for high school students
Fiction, poetry, essay and journalism prizes for grades 9 to 12. These are the cheapest high-prestige awards a teenager can win: most are free, judged blind, and involve no travel.
- Grades7 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatEither
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereBoth
49 days left
- Grades7 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- Cost$10 to $30
- FormatIndividual
- WhereIn person
169 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree to $150
- StructureDivisions by grade or level
- FormatEither
- WhereIn person
Check site
- Grades7 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatEither
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
- StructureDivisions by grade or level
- FormatEither
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades8 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereIn person
176 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- Cost$15 to $15
- PreparationA portfolio of poetry or prose ready for outside judging
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
50 days left
- Grades6 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
322 days left
- Grades9 to 12
- CostFree
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
121 days left
- Grades7 to 12
- Cost$15 to $40
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
80 days left
- Grades7 to 12
- CostUp to $20
- StructureDivisions by grade or level
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
Check site
- Grades9 to 12
- Cost$40 to $100
- PreparationA research essay with endnotes and a bibliography, at a standard close to undergraduate work
- FormatIndividual
- WhereOnline
50 days left
- Grades10 to 12
- CostFree to $35
- FormatIndividual
- WhereBoth
24 days left
Questions people ask about this
What is the best writing competition for a beginner?
Start with something rated 1 or 2 out of 5 for difficulty on this page. Those assume no prior competition experience and usually publish past problems or past winning entries so you know exactly what you are walking into.
Are there free writing competitions?
10 of the 17 listed here have no entry fee for the student. Note that a free entry fee is not the same as a free competition: team-based events can carry materials and travel costs, which each listing states separately.