Essay writing competitions are a great way for students to showcase their writing abilities while also earning scholarships, cash prizes, and other awards. Entering essay competitions allows students to test and improve their writing skills by taking on new prompts and subjects. Many different types of essay competitions exist that cover topics from current events and literature to history and science. This article will explore several essay competition examples to provide a sense of the variety available as well as tips for strong entries.
Civics Essay Contest: This annual contest sponsored by the State Bar of [STATE] invites high school students to write an essay on an important issue in constitutional law, civil liberties, or civil rights. Past winning essays have addressed free speech on college campuses, the rights of the accused, and racial discrimination. Students craft persuasive arguments backed by legal and historical research. Winners receive up to $2,000 in scholarships.
Student Academy Awards: Since 1947, this contest run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has challenged high school and college students to analyze films through original essays, documentaries, or animations. Past winning essays have offered compelling analyses of classic films like Citizen Kane while also dissecting themes in contemporary Oscar winners. Regional winners receive awards up to $5,000 or an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles for the national competition.
English Speaking Union Essay Contest: Open to both U.S. and international secondary school students, this annual contest challenges participants to write a 1,000-word essay on topics relating to government, politics, history, or current affairs concerning the United States, United Kingdom, or Commonwealth. Past winning essays have addressed gun control legislation, Brexit, immigration reform, and UK-US Special Relationships. Regional winners receive up to $3,000 in cash prizes.
National History Day Contest: Perhaps one of the most prestigious academic competitions, National History Day involves students conducting original historical research before crafting papers, exhibits, documentaries, websites, or performances based on annual themes. Regional judges then evaluate entries on historical quality, adherence to theme, and clarity of presentation. National winners receive thousands in scholarship money and internships. Topics have ranged from “Communication in History” to “Debate and Diplomacy in History.”
Genesee Valley Writing Contest: Hosted by the University of Rochester and MCC, this contest invites high school students residing in the greater Rochester, NY area to submit previously unpublished short stories or personal essays up to 3,000 words. Top prizes include $500 awards. Past winners have crafted poignant essays on immigration, mental illness, racial injustice as well as imaginative short fiction spanning various genres. The contest aims to recognize strong local writing talent.
Sierra Club’s Environmental Essay Contest: As part of the Sierra Club’s long history promoting environmental protection, this contest challenges middle and high school students to raise awareness on critical sustainability topics through 1,000-word essays. Students interpret annual prompts addressing issues like climate change, renewable energy, pollution, or conservation. Regional winners receive up to $500 and have their work published on the Sierra Club website.
Speak Up Contests: Run by Population Education, these twice-annual contests promote public speaking and essay writing on population, health, and environment issues facing today’s world. At the high school level, students submit 1,500-2,000 word essays exploring topics like global access to healthcare, food insecurity, or disaster preparedness. Regional winners receive as much as $2,000. The program aims to spark youth civic engagement on pressing global challenges.
To provide strong entries for any academic or issue-driven writing competition, students should conduct rigorous research, craft compelling thesis-driven arguments, utilize facts and statistics effectively, engage multiple perspectives, employ a clear organizational structure, utilize proper citation, and demonstrate elegant written communication skills. Reaching out to writing coaches and contest judges can also provide invaluable feedback to polish submissions. Entering essay competitions is an excellent way for students to hone their academic talents while learning about important topics and issues.
Essay writing competitions cover an extensive range of subjects from law and film to history, science, current events and more. Top contests like National History Day and Civics Day challenge participants to conduct in-depth research and craft nuanced, thoroughly evidenced arguments on annual themes or topics. Local contests through organizations like MCC and Sierra Club also recognize strong local writing talent on sustainability, societal issues and more. No matter the subject area, essay competitions are an impactful way for students to highlight their critical thinking and communication skills all while gaining recognition and potential scholarship funds.