Hey everyone,
So I was a lurker in the previous 2018-2019 thread. Well, I actually found the thread a few weeks after national results were released. I binge read through the entire thread in an afternoon and I honestly felt awe how everyone went through the competition process together. I wish I found the thread when it started and could have shared that experience with everyone. I’ve always felt lonely in a way each year I participated with no one to share the thrill with.
So why am I starting the 2019-2020 thread? Well, I’m actually a senior so I can’t compete in Scholastic anymore. But I wanted to kick it off for the rest of you with some encouragement. I made a CC account just for this.
I’ve been submitting to Scholastic since I was in 7th grade. Every year I didn’t get the results I wanted, never placing nationals. I’ve had a real love-hate relationship with Scholastic haha. I always “almost won,” making me coin the term “silver poisoning,” the nightmarish illusion of stagnation. My first Gold Key in writing was in junior year sheesh (didn’t make nationals).
To cut to the chase, I’m one of the Gold Medal Writing Portfolio winners for 2019. This is my first and only national award from Scholastic in my 6 years submitting. My username is the name of my portfolio (you can read it when it goes online in Scholastic’s galleries, I like to hear random people’s thoughts actually). I want to be a reminder to everyone not to give up, not to compare yourself, and that Scholastic is such a crapshoot.
@Lunarlitgend, I want to encourage you in particular. I don’t know why, but I became so invested with your progression in the previous Scholastic threads. Don’t give up, okay? I’m personally rooting for you 
As a veteran, if anyone wants any advice or help with their submissions for 2020, I’ll be here (at least, trying my best to lol). Good luck to everyone, I’ll be watching over y’all.
Oh, and I’ll be in NYC this June (because duh) so say hi for those who are going.
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Oh my goodness, I don’t even know where to begin!
First off, thank you so much for making this thread! With competitions like Scholastic, and Young Arts it’s so helpful having a support system and I’m so glad that you found it, especially before the National Ceremony: that way you can still be a part of this group! Everyone, even veterans are welcome on these chats and I’m really excited to have you be a part of our journey this 2019-2020 year and to hear all your advice and encouragement 
Second of all, I probably read this thread over a million times now. It was actually 2:00 am in the morning when I saw your message. I was pretty much in a deep sleep and then my phone buzzed and I woke up (barely) and it said that I was mentioned in a thread. I wanted to hold it off till later and check it on my way to school but something told me to look anyways. Plus, even though I was down-right drunk with sleep, I was curious 
I’m so glad I looked.
I remember reading your message and I couldn’t stop smiling, I even started crying (I get super emotional when I’m tired anyways XD) and I read it again and again before falling back asleep; even now I’m still rereading it. It’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me on C.C. and was really inspiring to read. I won’t lie I’m still pretty disappointed about the results because I put my heart and soul into my piece (and I’m sure you know this experience WAYY more than me having done this for 6 years. I love the tag name you gave Scholastic though: “The Silver Poisoning” and “The nightmarish illusion of stagnation” LIKE PREACCHHH DUDE! PREACCCHHH) but after reading your thread it filled me with way more hope again and I’m even more determined to try again next year and even if I don’t make it, it’s so heart-warming to know that I still had your support all the way. I honestly can’t express how grateful and at peace and how happy I feel about your thread and the fact that you even took the time to mention me too (I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant or anything ). It means so much—just thank you so much. TThankk youuu 
Thirdly, OH MY GOD CONGRATULATIONS!!! A GOLD MEDAL IN WRITING PORTFOLIO! DUDE!!! DUDE!!! THAT’S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! THAT IS SO HARD TO WIN! That just comes to say that there is ALWAYS a time for everything and clearly, the universe was saying that you were WAYY too good of a writer for a mere Gold Medal. No way, what you TRULY deserved was a Gold Medal in WRITING PORTFOLIO! AMAZING! CONGRATS!!
Truthfully, I wasn’t anticipating much for the online gallery being updated ever since the results came out but now I am so excited! I will happily read your portfolio and tell you what I think of it which will most likely be all good things!!! All your hard work paid off and I’m so happy that you ended your Scholastic journey with such a massive achievement! I hope you have a great time at NYC and that sense of pride you feel once you walk down the renowned stage of Carnegie Hall when receiving recognition, YOU DESERVE IT!
P.S. Having read the threads, you probably already know that I actually plan on submitting a writing portfolio for the 2019-2020 year! I don’t think I have a chance at all so I’m submitting near half of my portfolio pieces individually so I still have a fair chance of making it next year! If you don’t mind, I’d love to PM you my portfolio pieces and ask you questions and advice. That is if you’re okay with reading them through (Disclaimer: A lot of them will deal with Social Justice matters and morals. They’re just topics I recently started revolving more of my stories around. Now, I absolutely love writing about them. 
). Again even if I don’t make it in the end, I still had the opportunity to work with you which I believe would be all the more worth it.
As the actual end note: Congratulations on your achievement, I was smiling so hard when I read that you got a portfolio medal and I wish you all the best in the future with your writing
Haha yeah, sorry I posted it past midnight when I just finished the 2018-2019 thread. Don’t worry about sounding arrogant, I actually did this mostly because of you @Lunarlitgend after I saw your ambition, excitement, and encouragement for everyone. The way you rallied everyone was inspiring, and I personally wish I had someone like that every year. I also related to everyone’s rants about Scholastic being weirdly picky (the Hitler enters Scholastic video meme things gave me life). It’s kinda weird interacting with you now haha. Sorry I made you cry lol.
Thank you, I’ve wanted to walk on stage at Carnegie Hall for Scholastic since I was 12, so it really is a massive dream come true (and also the scholarship is great). And it’s pretty satisfying, I feel like I’ve avenged myself for the past 5 years.
Yeah I don’t mind helping out, that’s why I’m here ;). The earlier you start the better since you’ll have time to put pieces away and look back on them later. I also encourage you to submit every piece individually (if eligible) because more chances! I submitted half my portfolio as individual pieces (because the other 4 I got regional awards in past years and also like you I had very little confidence at that point). Three out of the four came back as Silver Keys and HM but my portfolio got Gold Key so I didn’t care. But it’s still worth a shot so more the better as individuals! I’m obviously new to C.C. but I can figure out how PM works on here 
As for my experience (and this is for anyone to reference):
- I've always been stuck competing in Western-Region-at-Large for regionals so I know the pain of the super early deadline and fighting all the Californians each year
- used to compare myself to the online galleries a lot when I was younger and tried mimicking them: spoiler, it doesn't work and my writing was blegh
- My category specialty is personal essay; auxiliaries are critical essay and humor; extensions are poetry and journalism (and sometimes flash fic)
- Weakness is fiction and script (I don't know how to make plots or dialogue work lol)
- For Scholastic's judging criteria, I'm very strong with emergence of voice thing that I try compensating for my weaker technical skill, and I'll say my originality is on par to be modest
- Specialty in style is "form"
- Also developed a formula for portfolio making but I don't know if it works for everyone
Sorry that was long. Okay that’s about it, anyone feel free to PM me throughout the year and I’ll try my best to help!
It’s okay! If it weren’t a school day I still would’ve been awake anyways because I’m such a night owl 
Thank you so much LOL, I guess I had the mindset that despite not making it, it’s worth it to keep supporting everyone around me whether they made it or not. It’s what the forum is for after all
Right! That Hitler video made me laugh so hard because it was SOO true!! It made the process more light-hearted, honestly. LOL, I know it seems a little weird talking to someone you’ve kept an eye on in the background (trust me I know XD) but don’t worry it’ll get easier and I won’t bite I promise! 
And it’s alright! Again, I cry easily when I’m tired and if anything they were tears of joy :lol:
I can only imagine! I’m so glad you were able to achieve such a dream! I’ve always wanted to walk on the stage of Carnegie Hall too especially for getting recognized for something I’m so passionate about.
Again, congratulations and make sure to cherish the moment and take pictures for yourself to look back on in the future
I have to study for two AP tests and a subject test 
but the minute I get those all done, I’m diving into writing my portfolio, so it’ll probably be around late May that I start. 
My best genre is short story and prose so my entire portfolio is going to be short story. I can’t do poetry to save my life which is pretty sad because I actually like that genre. :lol:
Oh wow! I never knew you could submit everything from your portfolio! That tip filled me with a lot more reassurance for submitting next year
As for your tips,
-I feel like because I’m in a state region it’s not as difficult for me to make it in comparison to those who are at regions at large where it’s more competitive especially in areas like New York and California (as you mentioned). Plus the majority of the national winners from my region are artists while we only get around 5 winners or way less for writing. So I feel like, despite a regional win, there’s a way slimmer chance to win nationals since regionals are probably easier to get passed and winners barely win for my region. I don’t know, just my two cents.
-I actually did that a lot and after these two years, you’re absolutely right. I and probably others would read winning works in the online gallery and try to mimic them probably because we thought that if we implement a winning writing style into our works it’ll help us win but I guess it just makes our writing more insincere and bland. Ironically, I was actually planning on trying that method again but after reading your tip it was like, no duh it’s not going to work. I guess that just comes to say being yourself really is important. The online gallery is good for inspiration but not for mimicking XD.
I’ll PM you to continue this conversation so I don’t take over this forum and to give welcome room for everyone else who’ll be joining us on this forum. Because it’s early we probably won’t have a lot of people come on here yet but once Scholastic season starts there will be a flood of people coming on here to join the group
eeep I’ve been reluctant to post on this forum since it seemed like I was eavesdropping/intruding on a private conversation but dude congrats! I looked at the online galleries and your work is amazing. did everything go up, or did the majority of your portfolio not get upload since there are only two works in it? Nonetheless, I really loved both the pieces up especially “The Required Writing Supplement Section” which is so good and funny!
I’m excited to see @RecalledtoLife walking the stage this year and @Lunarlitgend (hopefully) walk it next year if I make it again.
also, I don’t want to intrude again, but I also relate w the hyper-competitiveness of west region @ large. Some of my friends go to the fancy prep/magnet schools that snatch up half the gold keys each year, and I totally didn’t feel as if I stood a chance against them, especially since their teacher s would take extra time to help them craft work for scholastic.
And the online galleries thing also happened with me. Esp for the first two years, I would just take the work that seemed decent and mimic it. Most of the stuff I wrote based on that didn’t even place or just got an hm. the two most successful of my own pieces weren’t even originally written for scholastic.
Planning on submit next year. I live in CA too so I’m in a region-at-large too. Is getting a gold key for Region-At-Large significantly harder or?
Thanks and oh no definitely no intrusion @wistfulwords. Like Lunarlitgend said its an open thread so anything I’ve said its for anyone to read or respond to. I think the galleries are glitched because half of the Gold Medal writing portfolios aren’t even available to be viewed… And the other portfolios look like they’re missing pieces as well. I’m definitely missing my other six pieces (and they’re the better ones ugh) sooooo… I’ll email Scholastic tomorrow lol. i’m glad you liked what you’ve read so far
Oh yeah I’ll be seeing you in NYC then wistfulwords? What’s your pieces called, I’ll read them (you can DM me if you don’t want to say it publicly).
And yeah if you look at the medals for Colorado (where I’m from) this year, there’s only 6 of them (including me)! And the other five people are all from Colorado’s best schools so its like ughhhhh. And since CO has an art region all the art kids have gold keys handed out so easily 
sorry getting out my Scholastic angst from the past 6 years lol.
I’ll be honest @wontonandrice, getting awards in region-at-large programs is harder (I won’t say significantly though)… probably because they have to rush judging (especially the intake they get from the West). But, in my opinion, if your work survives region-at-large, it has a better chance of winning nationals vs other works that are judged regionally where their standards might be more laxed. So really… just do your best (and cross your fingers)!
@RecalledtoLife Yeah I hope I can win nationals. Thanks for the info.
Hey everyone Scholastic fixed their galleries so my portfolio is able to be viewedi n full!
http:// artandwriting . org /media/467578
@RecalledtoLife, would you mind sharing your formula for building a portfolio? (If you want to do it by email, my address is writerescapade (at-gmail) (I’m trying not to type it out in full so the bots won’t get it and send me junk mail!) I have won two National individual medals in the past two years and would LOVE to try for Portfolio. I don’t know what it means that you name a specialty in style. Is that something you have to do in the application form, or just something you know for yourself? And CONGRATS!!!
idk if this is the right thread for this, but does anyone know how competitive YoungArts is compared to Scholastic?
Thanks
@beautifulchaos Yeah. Unfortunately YoungArts is way more competitive and subjective than Scholastic.
That’s the short answer
I’ve taken a little break from CC but I wanted to ask if anyone else is entering foyle young poets.
@wistfulwords I probably will! Although, Foyle seems suuper subjective, and I don’t think my aesthetic is what they’re looking for. Also, I know their judging is “blind,” but they seem to favor UK poets over U.S./international ones. But it can’t hurt trying (this year will be the last year I’m eligible.)
@beautifulchaos I’ve won a couple of the organization (young poet society)'s contests and I think they’re pretty fair in terms of judging. I actually find them to be pretty fair in terms of judging. But their aesthetic is more like youngarts than scholastic, meaning I think they like imagery more than pure eloquence.
What kinds of styles and topics does YA and Foyle favor?
@wistfulwords and any other poet… the national student poets for 2019 are announced on the Scholastic website