Postmark Deadline Schedule At-A-Glance
- Administrator of the Year, Golden Pen, All-MIPA/Student Journalist Staff — Feb. 15, 2013
- Individual Newspaper, Yearbook, Video, New Media Contest deadline — Feb. 15, 2013
- Spartan Contests deadline (Newspaper, Web, Video) — Feb. 15, 2013
- Late Spartan Contests deadline* (Newspaper, Web, Video) — March 15, 2013 (extra fee & may not be judged in time for spring conference)
Go to the main Contests & Awards page
Please read everything here so that you are familiar with the contest.
- Please go to the Contests & Awards page to get all contest information. We’re helping the environment by not sending out all this printed material! Please download and print only the contest information you are interested in.
- Please note that all awards will be presented at the Spring Conference on Monday, April 15, 2013, at the Lansing Center. You will receive registration materials for that in March.
- It’s important to read everything carefully on the forms. Some changes may have been made. Also, be sure to check off on most contest forms that you have read the MIPA policy on plagiarism and copyright. MIPA will enforce this policy, and noncompliance could slow down the process.
- IF YOU HAVE NOT JOINED MIPA BY JAN. 31, 2013, YOUR PUBLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY INTO THE CONTESTS. If you would like to know about membership, please visit the membership page.
- Please note that you must adhere to the postmark deadlines on all contests. This year’s contest postmark deadline is Feb. 15. However, our judging day is Saturday, March 2. The individual entries MUST REACH US BY Feb. 28, OR THEY MAY NOT GET INTO THE INDIVIDUAL CONTEST. Even if the postmark deadline of Feb. 15 is met, if the entries arrive after Feb. 28, it will be too late to get them in the judging. We sort all entries on Friday, March 1.
- PLEASE READ: DO NOT RELY ON YOUR CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION OFFICE TO SEND YOUR CONTEST ENTRY PACKET. It’s best to go to the post office yourself and mail the package. It is too important to you and to your students to risk letting it go through school mail. And to be even more sure (especially if you are mailing it on Feb. 15), ask to see the postmark on the package and then get a receipt. We also recommend you get a tracking number.
- Please keep a copy of each of the forms that you send for your records.
Please note we added the Individual Category New Media Contest two years ago. It has 10 categories for your online publication to enter. In addition, online material may be entered in select newspaper, yearbook and video categories. See the Individual Category New Media Contest summary sheet for details.
Please note: All fees must accompany contest entries, or they will not be included in the judging. You may pay for contests with a credit card at our payment site.
*It is possible to send in only Spartan contest entries up to one month late (postmarked by March 15, 2013, for an additional $40 fee.) Note that results may not be available from late entries for the Spring Conference. Late entries will not be accepted for the Individual Newspaper, Yearbook, New Media or Video Contest or the other contests.
PLEASE feel free to call the MIPA office at any time to ask for clarification about something. 517-353-6761 or email at mipa@msu.edu.
Want to enter the contests, but can’t come to the Spring Conference?
You can get your awards sent to you.