General Writing Contests

The Academy of American Poets College Prize – sponsored by the Academy of American Poets

$100 prize

A cash prize offered annually under the aegis of the Academy of American Poets, awarded to a student for the best poetry (collection of three poems). The Macalester English and Creative Writing department will select a finalist and an honorable mention to be sent on to the Academy of American Poets to be included in the final judging for the cash prize. If two winners are chosen by the Academy of American Poets, the prize money will be divided between them. In the summer, the Academy will send a letter of congratulations and a certificate to each winner or honorable mention recipient.
Guidelines for the Academy of American Poets Prize 2026

Deadline: Sunday, March 1, 2026 by midnight. Submit your work to the English and Creative Writing department [email protected].