Writing contests for which you have to pay an entry fee are almost always scams.

Writing contests for which there is no fee and lavish prizes seldom deliver, either.

The only kind of contest you can trust almost without fail is one run by a legitimate magazine or publisher that promises you publication if you win. If you think about it, what more would an aspiring writer want--at least at the beginning of her career? (Academics don't get paid to publish in juried journals; it's consider a privilege to have one's work accepted.)