2024 is almost over. Take a moment to make a lasting difference in a young artist’s life. Inspire their journey. Make your gift today.
Win a full-tuition creative writing scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy
Young writers in grades 8-11 are invited to apply to Interlochen Arts Academy’s renowned creative writing program to compete for a full-tuition scholarship funded by the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation.
Aspiring young writers in grades 8-11 during the 2022-23 school year are invited to apply for a full-tuition scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy. Through a generous grant from the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation, the winner of the Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition will receive full tuition to attend Interlochen Arts Academy, renewable for up to four years.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for gifted writers to receive recognition for their work and attend a highly-regarded arts institution,” said Karyna McGlynn, director of creative writing at Interlochen.
Applicants are asked to submit writing samples by Sunday, Nov. 6 in two of the following genres: fiction, poetry, spoken word, personal essay or memoir, screenwriting, playwriting, comics, and experimental or unclassifiable writing. The winner will be chosen based on the strength of their submissions in both genres.
“We are looking for a writer who shows promising skill in two different genres,” said McGlynn. “That kind of versatility indicates to us that a student is likely to excel at Interlochen.”
Interlochen’s creative writing program provides expert instruction to high school writers in an ideal setting. Students benefit from small class sizes and receive individualized mentorship in building portfolios, submitting to contests, applying to colleges, and honing performance skills during public reading opportunities throughout the year. The faculty is comprised of published authors who are also experienced and dedicated teachers, including McGlynn, Brittany Cavallaro, and Mika Perrine. Recent guest artists have included Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Caitlyn Horrocks, Josh Malerman, and Aisha Sabatini Sloan.
Previous scholarship winners have gone on to earn degrees from the nation’s most prestigious institutions, such as Cornell, Yale, Princeton, and the University of Michigan; win or be shortlisted for numerous awards including the Norman Mailer Award for Fiction, the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize, Juxtaprose's Short Fiction Contest, Wigleaf's Top 50 (Very) Short Fictions, and the Pushcart Prize; and publish books of their own.
Winners have also been featured in a variety of publications including Driftwood Press, Black Warrior Review, Kudzu House Quarterly, Broadly, Entropy, and more. Twenty creative writing students at Interlochen have been named Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the most prestigious awards for high school graduates.
To apply for the Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition, submit two writing samples at the Submittable link provided below. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 6, 2022.
Submit to the Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition here.
