General Writing Contests

Nick Adams Short Story Contest has been suspended for 2024-2025.

Nick Adams Short Story Contest is offered for the best short story by an ACM student. Stories are submitted to the Macalester English department and four finalists are selected to be sent on to the ACM for final judging by a nationally-recognized professional writer. The results of the competition will be announced in early April and the winner will be invited to the ACM Student Symposium in mid-April. The prize, named for the young hero of many Hemingway stories, was given by an anonymous donor to encourage young writers.

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) judged independently by a representative of the Academy. The Macalester English 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. Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025 by midnight. Submit work to the English department [email protected] and follow these guidelines:
Academy of American Poets Prize Guidelines 2025