Considered quitting writing after this but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Wrote a pretty depressed post on the 18-19 forum last year about this, actually
year 2: 4 things submitted, everything got a key. one (short story) got a national gold.
Not sure how this happened but keep writing guys. I’m convinced luck is a large factor for anyone who wins. Winning or not winning does not validate you as a writer yall! I say this as someone who’s been on both ends of the spectrum
Yeah I agree with @Kingtape - luck is most definitely a factor. They get so many submissions and they have so little time to read them all, so a lot of the decisions are probably made off of first impressions.
Also, there’s a ton of other writing competitions out there!
The Adroit Journal hosts one that’s due April 1st, and the quality of the winners each year is so astounding. It’s legitimately the best high school writing I’ve read in my life.
The UK Poetry Society hosts the Foyle Young Poets Award which honors the 100 best poets that submit; the deadline’s July 31st.
Youngarts opens this summer and is due this fall. They host the Presidential Scholar of the Arts awards and also pair you up with mentors, which is super cool.
One Teen Story publishes 4 stories from high school students each year, and they pay you like 500 dollars if you’re chosen.
And there’s so many I haven’t named. Not only is Scholastic not a good judge of your artistic ability, it’s not even the only or the best writing competition out there. Keep writing guys, I believe in all of you! <3
I got a national silver medal portfolio award! Also does anyone know how much of a boost this could give a college application at this time? Is it worth updating my colleges abt this?
@anarthoe If you’re feeling too down let us know. There are people who genuinely care for you. One competition really doesn’t mean anything - many of my deserving friends didn’t get anything but some people who submitted just for lols got similar or better results. It’s not something worth contemplating suicide for.
@resonanthought my parents were worried about that too. I’m worried that they’ll cancel after we buy plane tickets and everything. I’m going to wait a couple of weeks before confirming.
got a silver medal in poetry! Really happy since it’s my first time submitting+I got rejected from YoungArts earlier lol.
congrats to everyone! remember though: these comps are sososo subjective. every single person on this thread is gonna do great things in life!
@MPC4002 I’m literally so not sure. My family was supposed to go to Tokyo for spring break, but because of the Corona, we couldn’t go. It was such a hassle canceling, it’s probably a good idea to wait for a few weeks before buying tickets, but even then, we may not be able to tell if the situation will be okay by June. I’m honestly so disappointed. Hoping for the best, to everyone out there. If they do make changes to the initial schedule of National Events, I hope they postpone rather than cancel. I know a lot of people (including me) were looking forward to Carnegie…
Didn’t win anything again this year, but I’m not super surprised. I think I’m a much better writer than I was in ninth grade, but I’m also a very different writer, probably quite different from what Scholastics is looking for. I’m any case, major congrats to those who won–it’s a huge opportunity, and y’all rock for getting it! I mega-hope Carnegie Hall doesn’t get cancelled on you guys. I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it’s a ton of fun. Also, to all of my fellow non-winners–don’t get discouraged. This is just a contest, and a high school one at that. Don’t let it turn you away from writing… The best writers are not necessarily the ones who win contests. They’re the ones who love writing so much that they keep pursuing it regardless. Anyhow, keep on scribbling, and I hope to have the pleasure of reading more of y’alls work someday, whether in Scholastics or otherwise!
Hi! This is for anyone who applied for the Scholastic Awards Summer Scholarship Program. I think I recall seeing something like “You will be getting an email confirming your application has been received” or something after I submitted it (not 100% sure though).
Am I crazy or does anyone else remember this? And for those of you who applied for this, did you get some email like that? I’m a bit worried because I haven’t gotten the email yet…
P.S. Unrelated question - does anyone know if people from International Regions are eligible for a National Medal? I know it’s kind of contradictory, international vs. national etc., but I was just wondering as I would like to get a National Medal next year if possible…!
@selfcontrol It’s possible to get a National Medal in an International Region! I got a silver medal this year while being from Canada. If you go on the galleries of previous works, you can also see other internationals getting things from the national rounds.
But as a side note, the special achievements awards like American Voices & Visions aren’t in the international regions. Unfortunately, no showcases or events either. Haha Scholastic has a weird system.
