FOREST CITY, Iowa, Sept. 9, 2025– The Waldorf University Creative Writing department will host its 13th annual Top of Iowa High School Creative Writing Contest and will culminate with a one-day Creative Writing Festival on Thursday, Oct. 30 at the Waldorf University campus.

Recognition for the contest is given at two levels: to older students, made up of 11^th and 12^th grade, and the younger students, made up of 9^th and 10^th grade. Poems, stories, and personal essays will be considered for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place honors at both levels as well as substantial Waldorf University scholarships.

Students are limited to a maximum of two submissions per category. Each submission must be titled. Fiction and personal essay submissions should be limited to 2,000 words. The submission deadline for all grade levels is Monday, Oct. 13.

Judging for the two levels will be distributed between the editorial staff of the Waldorf Literary Review judging the 11^th and 12 grade and the Waldorf Warriors Writing Club judging the 9^th and 10^th grade. Submissions will also be considered for publication in the online version of the Waldorf Literary Review.

1st place winners in the 11th and 12th grade categories will receive a renewable $20,000 scholarship to study creative writing at Waldorf University. 2nd place winners will receive a renewable $19,000 scholarship, and 3rd place winners will receive a renewable $18,000 scholarship. All 9^th and 10th grade winners will receive a renewable $16,000 scholarship.

Unique to this year’s writing festival, students will have the opportunity to attend talks on varying aspects of creative writing, learn publishing insights from the editorial staff of the Waldorf Literary Review, and attend a reading by Waldorf’s Distinguished Visiting Writer, Samantha Edmonds, reading from her debut story collection.

The Top of Iowa contest is designed to encourage high school creative writers from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota.