Honors and Prizes
Up to 10% of the graduating class of majors may be awarded departmental honors (distinct from College Latin honors). To be eligible, students must have a major GPA of at least 3.65, and must have completed either a Senior Essay or another independent piece of critical writing of comparable length (7,500-10,000 words. The CUE will determine departmental honors in consultation with members of the faculty.
CREATIVE WRITING PRIZES
This prize is given by the Academy to the Columbia College or General Studies poet who has written the best poem or group of poems submitted during the academic year.
[Department guidelines: up to five (5) poems, totaling no more than 20 pages. See Submission Guidelines below.]
This prize is awarded annually to the Columbia College undergraduate who submits the best one-act or full-length play.
This prize is awarded to a graduating senior in Columbia College who has written a single piece or a body of work so distinguished in its originality of concept and excellence of execution that it fairly demands the award, support, and recognition the prize intends. The prize was established in 1992 as a gift of the Sand Hill Philanthropic Fund.
[Department guidelines: no more than 25 pages of writing total. See Submission Guidelines below.]
Established in 1980, this prize may be awarded annually for the best collection of poems submitted by a Columbia College senior.
[Department guidelines: up to five (5) poems, totaling no more than 20 pages. See Submission Guidelines below.]
This prize will be awarded to the candidate for a Columbia University degree who is the author of the best example of English lyric verse. Applicants should submit no more than three (3) poems, totaling a maximum of 20 pages. Open to Barnard students, graduate students, and professional students. See Submission Guidelines below.
Established in 1935 by the Woodberry Society of New York and awarded every even-numbered year to an undergraduate student in Columbia University for the best original poem.
The submission deadline for the creative writing prizes is Monday, April 6, 2026. Please email submissions to [email protected].
Students may submit for more than one prize, but must submit DIFFERENT ENTRIES for each prize; repeat submissions will be disqualified.
Important: submissions must be sent as electronic attachments in Microsoft Word format. Please devote one document to each prize submission with page breaks in between pieces. Each submission should have a cover page with your full name, email address, phone number, address, Columbia Affiliation (CC, BC, GS, etc.), and your graduation year. Finally, submissions must comply with the following file convention: "YOUR LAST NAME_NAME OF PRIZE.doc"
CRITICAL WRITING PRIZES
This prize may be awarded to a senior English Major in Columbia College who is judged by the English and Comparative Literature Department to have excelled in critical writing in any scholarly field. The prize was established by his family in honor of Charles Paterno Barratt-Brown, Class of 1983.
This prize may be awarded to a candidate for a degree at Columbia University who has submitted the best essay on a topic dealing with American literature. The topic is selected in connection with course or seminar work in American literature and must be approved by the Chairman of the Bunner Prize Committee.
[Note: The DUS serves as chair of the Bunner Prize Committee, so the submission guidelines are the same as for other prizes (see below). Previous approval of the topic is required only if there is doubt about its eligibility.]
Established in 2004, this prize is awarded to the senior whose English thesis demonstrates excellence in the fields of English, American, or Irish poetry.
The submission deadline for the critical writing prizes is Monday, April 6, 2026. Please email submissions to [email protected]. Senior essays will automatically be considered; other submissions should be at least 25 pages in length.
Important: submissions other than senior essays must be sent as electronic attachments in Microsoft Word format. Each submission should have a cover page with your full name, email address, phone number, address, Columbia affiliation (CC, BC, GS, etc.), and your graduation year. Finally, submissions must comply with the following file convention: "YOUR LAST NAME_NAME OF PRIZE.doc" Essays will be considered for all prizes for which they are eligible; there is no need to submit multiple copies.