Entering essay writing competitions can be a great way for students to showcase their writing talents and win some valuable prizes. With the high number of entries that many competitions receive, it takes a well-crafted essay that stands out from the rest to be successful. Here are some of the top tips you should keep in mind when writing an essay for a competition to help improve your chances of winning:
Carefully Read the Competition Guidelines: The very first step is to thoroughly read through all of the guidelines and requirements for the specific competition you are entering. Pay close attention to details like the word limit, acceptable topics or prompts, formatting instructions like font size and spacing, submission deadlines, and any other rules. Missing even a small detail could result in your essay being disqualified, so be sure you understand everything expected of your submission.
Select an Engaging Topic: Choosing an interesting topic that grabs the reader’s attention early on is key. Scan through the list of acceptable prompts or topics and pick one that truly inspires you. You will write with much more passion and depth if you select a subject you genuinely want to learn more about and discuss. Avoid very general topics in favor of something more unique or controversial that offers a fresh perspective. Back up any claims or opinions with credible sources and facts.
Incorporate Creativity and Originality: While following guidelines and demonstrating great writing skills are important, judges also want to be surprised and entertained. Show off your creativity by coming at the topic from an unconventional angle, using vivid descriptions, creatively structuring your arguments, or adding unexpected details. Make connections between ideas that no one else may have considered. Personal stories from your own experiences can help illustrate your points in memorable ways. Now is not the time to play it safe – take risks and let your individuality shine through.
Use a Strong Hook and Thesis: You only get one chance to hook the reader from the very start, so your opening paragraph is crucial. Introduce your topic in an interesting way through a compelling anecdote, shocking statistic, thought-provoking question or bold statement. Then immediately follow up with a clear, concise thesis that sums up the main argument or point you will prove over the course of the essay.Judges will lose interest quickly if not engaged early on, so make these first sentences count.
Craft a Logical Structure: Following a logical, well-organized structure is necessary for readers to easily understand and engage with your points. Common options include chronological order, order of importance, or comparing/contrasting ideas. Use transitions between paragraphs to signal shifts in direction and keep the flow smooth. Each new paragraph should build upon the last in a coherent way. Conclude by tying everything back to your original thesis in a memorable, impactful manner that stays with readers.
Employ Varied Writing Styles: While maintaining a formal, academic tone throughout is still important, mix it up periodically to hold attention. Descriptive phrases, rhetorical questions, relevant quotes, clever analogies and metaphors, short anecdotes, and statistics are all ways to vary the writing style and keep it interesting. Changes in sentence structure, length and complexity also help maintain engagement. You don’t want to drone on in a monotonous fashion. Finding the right balance is key.
Incorporate Multimedia Elements: Many essay competitions now allow or even encourage use of multimedia elements to enrich submissions and connect with tech-savvy readers. Carefully choose relevant images, charts, diagrams or videos to visually represent key ideas, provide additional context or support claims being made. Just be sure any multimedia directly relates to points discussed in the written work and captions/descriptions are provided to explain their relevance and purpose. Quality should always be prioritized over quantity.
Perform Multiple Reviews: Don’t rely on just one edit – multiple reviews are crucial before submitting. Set your essay aside for a day or two then re-read with fresh eyes to spot errors, strengthen weak arguments or transition areas. Ask trusted friends and peers to also evaluate and provide critical yet constructive feedback. Make even small changes based on suggestions where needed. If time permits, have an English professor review as well. Catching and correcting flaws ups your chances against other well-polished essays.
Format Properly: Correct formatting as outlined in guidelines shows attention to detail and respect for the rules. Use the recommended font style and size, spacing, margins, page numbers, headers/footers, etc. Ideally save as a PDF or required file type to avoid format changes or corruption during submission. Proofread one last time just before submitting to catch any final errors. Adhering to technical requirements leaves a polished, professional impression.
Vary Sentence Structure: Avoid writing every sentence in the same basic subject-verb-object structure. Periodically mix things up with more complex sentences joined by semicolons or varying lengths and forms by utilizing phrases, clauses and compound or complex constructions. Sentence variety keeps the reader engaged instead of passively skimming monotone blocks of text. Pay attention to cadence, rhythm and flow as well as clearly expressing complete thoughts with punctuation.
Incorporate Appropriate Word Choice: A strong vocabulary that utilizes descriptive yet precise language shows off your writing abilities. Avoid overusing the same words repeatedly by keeping a thesaurus nearby to make choices that best fit context. Do not try to inflate vocabulary if terms are misused or do not enhance meaning. Concise wording that gets straight to the point is usually better than flowery, drawn out phrases. Proper and discipline-specific terminology should be applied where fitting as well.
Follow Instructions Closely: Time spent comprehending all facets of guidelines ensures your submission meets expectations. Respect stated requirements for formatting, references, multimedia inclusion, word count, topic parameters, deadlines, privacy policies and anything else provided. Not adhering to rules can doom your application before review even starts. Reach out for clarification if needed instead of making assumptions; poor planning now leads to disqualification later. Dotting every “i” and crossing every “t” maximizes chances of being judged fairly.
Proofread Thoroughly: Typos, spelling errors and grammatical mistakes project an unpolished image and reflect badly no matter how brilliant the content. Allow adequate time for careful proofreading well before the deadline. Read submissions aloud to catch awkward phrasing or errors read over visually. Enlist extra pairs of eyes if possible for another round of scrutiny. While perfection is unattainable, minimizing surface issues signals pride in one’s work. Even one small mistake could sway opinions against an otherwise standout entry.
Follow Up Professionally: After submitting, observe proper etiquette by observing deadlines and refraining from chasing after judges for premature feedback or decision updates. A brief, polite follow up email near results time thanking readers for their consideration reaffirms interest without coming across as over-anxious or pestering. Should an entry place or receive an honorable mention, promptly follow guidelines regarding use of competition name or logos for future mentions. Negative results warrant a gracious thank you as well while determining future areas of focus.
Overall, successful competition essays demonstrate passion, originality and meticulous attention to instruction following and formatting particulars. With practice applying these strategies, students can significantly improve their odds of standing out from fellow applicants with an engaging, polished submission. While winning is out of one’s control, focusing on crafting the best possible entry aligns efforts toward a goal of showcasing abilities to their fullest potential. Each attempt also cultivates lifelong skills applicable well beyond the academic realm. Maintaining this growth mindset ensures ongoing learning regardless of outcome.
Andrew Stroud