Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing

Entries will be accepted until July 23rd, 2020. On August 6th, 2020, a grand prize scholarship winner ($1,000) and two runners up ($50) will be announced, and (pending author approval) their stories will be featured on the Learncurious website and blog. Entrants must be current or rising (2020-2021) high school juniors or seniors to win.

2020 Prompts:
In 3000 words or fewer, respond to one of the following prompts:

• NARRATIVE: Tell a story about someone coping with loss or taking a leap of faith.
• META: Describe a major turning point in your evolution as a writer.
• WACKY: Complete the 20 Mad-Lib-style fill-in-the-blanks below, then craft a story that includes each of your chosen words at least once.

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____ (singular noun)

____ (item found on a nature hike)

____ (positive personality trait)

____ (action verb)

____ (number between 1934-2019)

____ (color)

____ (type of food)

____ (plural noun)

____ (location)

____ (animal)

____ (verb ending in -ing)

____ (mode of transportation)

____ (plural noun that ends with an apostrophe)

____ (TV show)

____ (adverb)

____ (random word you like the sound of)

____ (contraction)

____ (article of clothing)

____ (adjective)

____ (something comforting)

Entrants must be current or rising (2020-2021) high school juniors or seniors to win. US citizens and international students are welcome to apply.

On August 6th, 2020, a grand prize scholarship winner ($1,000) and two runners up ($50) will be announced, and (pending author approval) their stories will be featured on the Learncurious website and blog. Prize money is intended to help with college application costs, test-taking fees, college visits, or first-year college expenses.

Please apply using the submission form on our website.
Thank you!