Scholastic Art and Writing Awards 2009

Pre-College Topics High School Life
81

<p>I’m just submitting a personal memoir for the writing category. I don’t have to have mine done until Monday. Hehe. My region has a pick-up service, where someone drives around to pick up all the entries at schools. And my school happens to be one of the last ones for the pick-up service. Yay. I was going to write a satire too, but I just don’t have time. Exams are next week, and getting 100s on my exams means more to me than entering a contest. I won a regional Silver Key last year. Hopefully I can do better this year.</p>

<p>I’m also submitting a photography portfolio. I don’t know how that will work. I’m still waiting on the teacher recommendation, but I have everything else finished.</p>

82

<p>Can you submit two portfolios? One General Writing and one Nonfiction? Or can you only submit just one?</p>

<p>Someone please help–deadline soon approaching…</p>

83

<p>Anyone with an answer to my above question…?</p>

84

<p>Question does the english teacher have to sign or can another teacher do it?</p>

85

<p>any teacher can sign it</p>

86

<p>Does anyone know when the results come out?</p>

87

<p>^It depends on your region. Check last years’ thread to get an idea of the timing for your area.</p>

88

<p>sorry if this has been asked before, but what’s the difference between region and region-at-large? and is RAL more competitive?</p>

89

<p>I submitted one entry in the short-short-story category…haha good luck to everyone who participated. :smiley: Results should be starting to come out…in a few weeks. >.< Am I the only nervous one?</p>

90

<p>I know my photography portfolio didn’t make it past the first stage of judging. I’m not sure about how my personal essay did. Apparently, someone from the competition told the art teacher that nothing from my school won, so we found out early that way.</p>

91

<p>^ sorry to hear that. : / hopefully your essay will do well. </p>

<p>and does anyone know if RAL is more competitive?</p>

92

<p>Hello everyone. Just to let you know, they usually (if I remember correctly) send out notifications in March. Those tell you if you got past the first round of judging. After that, you go onto nationals where professional writers/artists judge your work. (In comparison, one percent of the submitted work wins.) In April you get the info as to if you won or not. If you win nationals, you get to go to Carnegie Hall and receive a medal. </p>

<p>I won a medal for my fiction portfolio last year. If you were wondering what they are looking for, they care about the overall quality (can you write well) as much as they do originality. It is helpful to be bizarre. </p>

<p>PS: The excerpt you are reading is really bad. o.0 Trust me, most people who won the award write better than that.</p>

93

<p>^ HAHA. I agree with the part about being bizarre - I was looking at some examples of pieces that have won nationally for short stories and was… very weirded out. :P</p>

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<p>Bizarre? YES. Everything I think of, and especially write, is bizarre!</p>

95

<p>Yay, this thread is still alive (somewhat)! Can’t wait until March for TASP and Scholastics Decisions. Thanks for the info Zaichev.</p>

96

<p>The greatest thing about applying for multiple scholarships is the surprise factor. You just apply and kinda forget. Then one day you’re relaxing and the phone rings.</p>

<p>“Hello, is this <so and=”" so=“”>?"
“Yeah.”
“Congratulations, you just won a scholarship from the <contest you=”" entered=“” months=“” ago=“”>"
“What!!?!? YES!”</contest></so></p>

<p>It’s like leaving a dollar in the pocket of the jeans you only wear on special occasions!</p>

97

<p>Well, when I say bizarre understand I mean a good bizarre. Not, like, “huh??” Stephen King bizarre. More like unique, something that has never been done before or at least isn’t common. The topics of my stories were divided between Roman vampires and Holocaust fiction. I think the strange combination of the supernatural and very serious stories helped me. They also want an individual voice, a consistency, etc… They kind of told us what we were graded on in New York, so it is no secret. </p>

<p>Also, don’t be discouraged if you don’t win, especially if you aren’t a senior. The amount of stuff that is submitted to this in unreal, and writing is FAR more competitive than art. The portfolio entries are the most difficult to win, because only fifty are selected and the people that are willing to shell over $25 to submit one generally have some faith they are going to get somewhere with it. If you win gold key but not nationals, it is an honor. Only the “best of the best” win nationals, so be happy you are one of the best, at least.</p>

<p>I just know a few people online that were REALLY upset about not winning. o.0</p>

98

<p>i got regional notifications last year in early to mid february. so…brace yourselves</p>

99

<p>The date of your notification depends on which region you’re competing in right? :\ And haha on the topic of being suddenly surprised…I’ve been thinking about this competition a lot. I guess it’s because it’s the only one I’ve EVER done. There’s always next year to spam lots and lots of competitions/application to summer programs and scholarships.</p>

100

<p>Yeah I was RAL last year and I didn’t get it until March I think. I didn’t end up submitting this year :/</p>