Jump to: English Department Award FAQs, Creative Writing Awards FAQs, General Award FAQs

FAQ for the English Department Awards
and Scholarships

1) Where can I find information about individual scholarships and awards?

Go to the Scholarship/Awards page on the English department website. The same information is available on the Canvas page for the English Department Awards 2023. Use the Canvas page for links to individual awards and to submit materials.

2) How do I submit my application materials?

You must upload them electronically to Canvas, on the specific page for that award.

3) What do I do if I can’t access the Canvas page?

If you are having trouble accessing the Canvas pages for individual awards, check your email inbox to see if you’ve received an invitation to join the Canvas Awards pages.  If you haven’t, write from your Montclair State email address to Awards co-coordinators, Professor Jeffrey Miller or Professor Jeff Gonzalez.  Contact Professor David Galef for any creative writing queries.  They can send you an invitation to join the Canvas group for the Awards.

4) What file names should I use for my uploaded application materials?

Use your last name, the award’s name, and a number for the file name of each application document that you upload to Canvas: e.g., if your last name is Morales and you are applying for the Eler Award, your documents should be titled “Morales Eler 1,” “Morales Eler 2,” etc.

5) May I submit my application materials in paper form instead?

No.

6) How many awards may I apply for?

You may apply for up to six awards, so long as you are eligible for all of them. Read the descriptions on the web page carefully to determine if you fit the criteria: Awards and Scholarships page.

7) How many scholarships/awards is it possible to win in one year?

An individual student may win up to three awards in any single year.

8) May I apply for an award that I have won in the past?

No. You may not apply for scholarships or awards that you have won in the past.

9) May I submit more than one paper for an award that requires an essay?

No. You may submit only one paper for each award.

10) May I submit the same paper for different awards?

Yes, you may submit the same paper for different awards, but make sure that the paper is well suited to the guidelines for each award that you are using it to apply for.

11) Which essays are eligible?

Any essay you have written for an English class – NOT a Writing Studies (WRIT) course! – at Montclair State University since January 2023 (so for any courses taken Spring 2023, Summer 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2023/24, or Spring 2024) is eligible for most undergraduate and graduate scholarships and awards, with the exception of the Creative Writing Awards, as explained in the FAQ for Creative Writing Awards below.

12) May I submit a paper written for a class at another university?

No. Your paper must be one written for an English class (including Film courses taken through the English Department) at Montclair State University, with the exception of submissions to the Creative Writing Awards. All papers submitted must have a cover sheet listing 1) the student’s name; 2) the name and number of the class for which the paper was written; 3) the date the paper was turned in; 4) the name of the professor who taught the course.

13) Do I need to turn in the paper with the professor’s marks and corrections?

No. You should turn in a clean copy with any minor revisions you wish.

14) May I submit a paper I have already submitted for an award or scholarship?

If the paper has not previously won an award or scholarship and meets the criteria for timing (i.e., it was written since January 2023), then you may submit a paper you have submitted before.

15) May I apply for a scholarship or award if I am a graduating senior or graduating graduate student?

The answer to this question differs according to the award or scholarship in question. Consult each individual award for details.

16) For which awards are graduate students eligible?

Graduate students are eligible for the Murray Prosky Prize, the Vivian L. Kwiatek Scholarship, the Mary Bondon Scholarship, and the Lawrence H. Conrad Memorial Scholarship, as well as the creative writing awards.

17) Who chooses the students who win the scholarships and awards?

There is a separate committee for each award. Each committee is composed of faculty members familiar with the criteria for that particular award.

18) May I find out who is on the committee for the award / scholarship I’m applying for?

No.

19) When is the application due, and are late submissions accepted?

The deadline for submissions changes every year, and students are urged to consult the Scholarships and Awards web page of the English Department website after the call for submissions goes out. The 2024 deadline is 11:59 PM on Friday, April 5. Late submissions will not be accepted unless there has been a weather-related campus closure or a documentable power outage. In such a case, the new deadline will be two business days after the original one.

20) What happens if I win a scholarship or an award?

All students who applied for scholarships and awards will receive an email message notifying them when the list of the winners has been posted on the English Department bulletin board. The list is usually posted about three to four weeks after the application deadline. Students who have been selected for scholarships and awards will also be notified by phone and/or email.

You and two guests will then be invited to the Awards Night ceremony, which will be on the evening of Wednesday, May 8th, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. More information about the ceremony will be given to you when you are notified of your receipt of the scholarship or award. In most cases, the university cashier will subtract the dollar amount of the award from the money you owe the university. If you are a graduating senior and do not owe any money to the university, you will receive a check for the appropriate amount. (This applies unless the award criteria excludes graduating seniors or graduating graduate students. See Question 15 above.)

21) The application asks for the number of credits taken at Montclair State. Does this include the credits for classes I am currently taking?

Yes. Currently enrolled credits count towards the number of credits taken at Montclair State.

22) I have a question that isn’t mentioned on this page. How may I find out the answer?

Write to either of the Awards co-coordinators, Professor Jeffrey Miller or Professor Jeff Gonzalez.  Contact Professor David Galef for creative writing inquiries.

Creative Writing Awards FAQs

1) May I submit material for a Montclair State University creative writing award that wasn’t written for a class?

Yes.

2) May I submit material for a Montclair State University creative writing award I have won in the past?

No. We have limited prize money and would like to reward as many different writers as we can.

3) Do I need to include a personal statement?

No, not for creative writing awards.

4) Do I need to be an English major or minor?

The awards are open to any undergraduate student at Montclair State.

General Award FAQs

1) What are the limits on what to submit?

Fiction: One story or excerpt from a longer piece (must be labeled as such), limited to 20 pages total, double-spaced.

Flash Fiction: a single piece of fiction under 1,000 words, not including the title. It must be self-contained, not part of a larger work.

Nonfiction: One piece of nonfiction writing, limited to 20 pages total, double-spaced.

Poetry: Submit a maximum of three poems. If you are submitting more than one poem, the limit is 60 lines per poem. If one long poem, the limit is 150 lines.

2) Whom do I contact for further questions?

Prof. David Galef, Creative Writing Program Director, at galefd@montclair.edu