<p>Can someone please explain to me the difference between region and RAL? </p>
<p>I didn't get any pin/certificate in the packet. Just the announcement that I won and a letter and a FAQ sheet and things like that. We're getting our certificates and pins at an awards ceremony. Do some regions not have ceremonies?</p>
<p>4390116: I think only teachers receive email notifications. </p>
<p>ravenink: The different between region and RAL is that RAL is for the geographic areas which do not have a local sponsor who takes care of the Scholastic art and writing. Since RAL spans all over the country, it wouldn't be feasible for all winners to congregate for awards. Thus, we are mailed the certificates.</p>
<p>Did anybody who wrote above 1,300 words in short, short story win anything?</p>
<p>So, I never got a certificate in the mail and my teacher didn't mention anything when I saw her today, but I came home, and there was this letter that was all, "If you are receiving this application, you have received a Gold Key... Congratulations!" It then proceeded to tell me about a scholarship for 11th grade Gold Key winners.</p>
<p>Uh... I'm grateful and everything, but.... Huh? I didn't tell me what category my win was in... So I guess I'll get the official letter later?</p>
<p>I got that today too! Luckily... I got the big envelope at the same time. I was like yay two (legit) pieces of mail!</p>
<p>Yeah, I got both letters. That scholarship competition sounds weirdly bogus, like, a 500 word essay about a random person and you might win $1000? Is anybody going to do it?</p>
<p>yeah ravenink we have the alliance taking care of it...guess the faq was wrong then- cant wait for april</p>
<p>wow congrats to all you winners !
did anyone hear back about poetry yet?
i don't know if i should keep on hoping anymore ...</p>
<p>Congrats, guys! Now I'm really curious to see my second letter... Until I get it, I'm going to suspect that the scholarship invitation was sent to me by mistake. :(</p>
<p>laugh-cry-smile, i haven't heard from poetry either :(
for the past two years, i've won gold keys in poetry, so maybe we can still keep our fingers crossed?</p>
<p>Aww. I haven't heard anything. Oh well.</p>
<p>My teacher just told me I got a Gold Key in poetry, so I'm sure you'll get yours soon... She said she didn't even get the email until today.</p>
<p>I'm personally a little disappointed and weirded out. I entered something in poetry last year and got nothing; this year's were the leftovers I didn't want to send last time. I also entered some other prose stuff that I thought was better... I would've expected one of those to win instead. Oh well.</p>
<p>ya, sometimes i can't imagine what the judges are thinking...but congratulations anyways!</p>
<p>Lunar_years, I had the same experience...I submitted a short short story that I thought was amazing, and a personal essay just for the hell of it...and ended up getting a gold key in the personal essay and nothing in the short short story! It seems so arbitrary...oh well, at least we both got gold keys out of it!</p>
<p>Haha, yeah. Love those crazy judges... And thanks, guys. :)</p>
<p>So I got a Gold Key in Short Short Story in RAL (I didn't have time to send in any other works), and now I'm wondering if I have to do anything else. Does anyone know what else I might have to send in, if anything?</p>
<p>^ Hey, how long was your short-short? :D</p>
<p>BTW, congrats all!!!</p>
<p>953 words.</p>
<p>So do you any of you know what we (meaning writing Gold Key winners) are supposed to do now?</p>
<p>I think we're supposed to sit back (ha) and wait for an email with good news.</p>
<p>I wonder what happened with the stories that were 1300+ words.</p>