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Top 64 Writing & Essay Scholarships in April 2024

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

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Writing is an extremely important part of success in high school, college, and life in general. For some students, writing is also an intricate part of who they are and how they express themselves. If you are someone who loves English class and is genuinely excited about a new creative writing assignment, then you should keep reading! Writing scholarships, creative writing scholarships, and essay scholarships are great ways to put your talent to use.

Whether you are planning on attending community college, a four-year program, or graduate school, we’ve got opportunities for you. Keep on reading to learn about the top scholarships for writers and creative writers including eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines!

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We helped over 4 million students find scholarships in 2023

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The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:

• The scholarship requires a fee to apply
• The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
• The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
• Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
• The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
• The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
• The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
• There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
• The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
• There is no available contact information

If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!

* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system. ** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements. ***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.

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RECENT SCHOLARSHIPS360 WINNERS

Danielle Emretane

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Winner of the "Commencing at Community College" Scholarship

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Morgan Breitschuh

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Connor Godoy

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$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Scholarships360

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high… Show More

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high school student who hopes to go to college, a graduate student who’s in a master’s program, or an adult learner who wants to return to school, you are eligible for our no essay scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to students who get the most out of Scholarships360 scholarships and content. You will be a strong applicant if you apply to scholarships with the Scholarships360 platform. Finalists for this scholarship will be interviewed about their process for funding their education. Show Less

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for…

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for school.

“Mom to Scholar” Scholarship for Mothers This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Maria Geiger

The “Mom to Scholar'' Scholarship for Mothers is open to mothers who want to begin or resume their journey towards earning a technical or college… Show More

The “Mom to Scholar'' Scholarship for Mothers is open to mothers who want to begin or resume their journey towards earning a technical or college degree. This scholarship is funded by Scholarships360’s own Maria Geiger, who started her journey toward a B.A. at the same time that her oldest son Will started college. Maria knows firsthand how challenging it is to raise a family, have a job outside the home, and attend college, but would not change the way she did things for the world. Mothers who have a desire to earn their college degree bring unique perspectives that greatly enhance their learning experiences; for some, motherhood is a vocation that enlightens like no other. If you are a mother over the age of 35 who feels that the time is right to begin your academic or career journey, please apply! Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

Niche $25,000 “No Essay” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Niche

Easy scholarship open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year!

“Gutsy Graduate Student” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Ok, so first question–why is this scholarship named the “Gutsy” Graduate Student Essay Scholarship? If you are enrolled in graduate school (during the 2024-25 academic… Show More

Ok, so first question–why is this scholarship named the “Gutsy” Graduate Student Essay Scholarship? If you are enrolled in graduate school (during the 2024-25 academic year) or have heard stories from those enrolled, you already know! “Gutsy” means courageous and determined, which nearly all successful graduate students are. Why else would one continue on with rigorous academics while often living on a shoestring? The rewards of graduate school are numerous, especially the more focused and advanced level of specialized study in your chosen field. Learning with like-minded people who share your passion is fulfilling, and the networking is awesome. The flipside of graduate school is the costly student loans to fund it. With this in mind, the "Gutsy" Graduate Student Essay Scholarship aims to help out a passionate graduate student who is actively looking for ways to fund their higher education journey. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. Good luck on your educational journey, and we hope to read your application!  Show Less

$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Bold.org

Open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.

“College Here I Come” Essay Scholarship for High School Seniors This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

The "College Here I Come" Scholarship for Class of 2024 is open to just who you think: high school seniors graduating in the class of… Show More

The "College Here I Come" Scholarship for Class of 2024 is open to just who you think: high school seniors graduating in the class of 2024! Here at Scholarships360, scholarships are our passion–we know that you can never have enough of them! After all, scholarships are essentially “free money” to help fund your education. We want to help out a lucky high school senior who is just starting out on their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We hope that you apply and look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Making Waves” Scholarship for Women This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Are you a woman in high school, college, or graduate school enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year? If so, let us help you! Our $500… Show More

Are you a woman in high school, college, or graduate school enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year? If so, let us help you! Our $500 “Making Waves” Scholarship for Women aims to help women cover the costs of pursuing their dreams. Whether that dream is starting a business, learning a foreign language, or attending college on the path to fulfilling your dream, the scholarship will cover those costs and make your journey a little easier. No matter your goals, we want to help out a woman who is passionate about their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. In order to apply, simply write an essay about how the $500 “Making Waves” Scholarship for Women will help you fulfill your dreams. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We encourage you to apply and look forward to reading your essay. Good luck! Show Less

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by CollegeXpress

Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

“Tuition Solution” Scholarship for STEM Students This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Do you like figuring out solutions to difficult problems? Well, if you’re a current or aspiring STEM major, we have one for you! Our $500… Show More

Do you like figuring out solutions to difficult problems? Well, if you’re a current or aspiring STEM major, we have one for you! Our $500 “Tuition Solution” Scholarship is meant for high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2024 or 2025), as well as undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2023-24 academic year who are looking for ways to fund their postsecondary education in STEM. In order to apply, you must write an essay about how your passion for STEM started and how the scholarship will help you fulfill your dreams. No matter which STEM field ignites your interest, we look forward to reading your essays. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. Apply today - it’s time to cell-e-brate you! Show Less

“A Helping Hand” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

At Scholarships360, we know how hard it can be to pay off the hefty costs of a college tuition. Oftentimes, this is even more difficult… Show More

At Scholarships360, we know how hard it can be to pay off the hefty costs of a college tuition. Oftentimes, this is even more difficult for students coming from low-income backgrounds or for those who demonstrate financial need. This is where our “A Helping Hand” Scholarship comes in! We're offering a $500 scholarship to help out a low-income student who is passionate about their higher education journey and is actively looking for ways to fund it. This award is open to high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2024 and 2025), as well as undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year. In order to apply, students should submit an essay detailing how winning the scholarship would help you fulfill your dreams. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

$1,000 Appily Easy College Money Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Appily

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be… Show More

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be awarded each month. Show Less

“Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

At Scholarships360, our mission is to help students find and fund their postsecondary education. We know that students have a variety of educational and career… Show More

At Scholarships360, our mission is to help students find and fund their postsecondary education. We know that students have a variety of educational and career interests and aspirations. That is why we are offering the “Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship. This scholarship aims to support all current postsecondary students, regardless of the type of education they are pursuing. Thus, no matter your own unique educational path, we hope you apply for this $500 scholarship. In order to apply for the “Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship, students must submit an essay about their career ambitions. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Community college, also known as two-year college, is a golden opportunity for the right student. These schools offer an affordable education to a diverse range… Show More

Community college, also known as two-year college, is a golden opportunity for the right student. These schools offer an affordable education to a diverse range of students in a wide range of majors. If starting your postsecondary education at a community college is right for you, we have a scholarship just for you! The “Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship aims to financially support community college students who are passionate about their higher education journeys and actively looking for ways to fund it. In order to apply for the “Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship, students must submit an essay explaining how earning their degree at community college will help them achieve their educational and career goals. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application!  Show Less

$5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Christian Connector

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian…

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian university or college.

“Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

The U.S. is home to over 2,000 four-year universities offering bachelor’s degrees. However, attending such universities can sometimes come with hefty costs that can deter… Show More

The U.S. is home to over 2,000 four-year universities offering bachelor’s degrees. However, attending such universities can sometimes come with hefty costs that can deter students from attending. If you’re in a situation similar to this, we may just have the perfect scholarship opportunity for you: the “Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship! With this scholarship, we aim to help out a lucky undergraduate student (enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year) who is passionate about their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. The scholarship is open to any U.S. citizen who is enrolled as an undergraduate at a four-year university in the U.S. during the 2023-24 academic year. In order to apply, submit an essay explaining how earning your bachelor’s degree will help you achieve your educational and career goals. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

Ocean Awareness Art Contest

Offered by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs

Are you an 11 - 18 year old who has a passion for saving the environment and/or the ocean? Additionally, would you like to make… Show More

Are you an 11 - 18 year old who has a passion for saving the environment and/or the ocean? Additionally, would you like to make a statement about the impact of climate change through writing, artwork, or even dance? You might consider applying for the Ocean Awareness Art Contest! Dedicated to encouraging the next generation to get involved in ocean conservation (and environmentalism as a whole), the contest asks its applicants to create a piece of artwork that reflects an impact/aspect of the current environmental crisis and its effect on the ocean. Each year has a specific theme to focus on, with this year being climate change. If you would like to make a statement about climate change’s impact on the ocean through art, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

$2,000 No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by CollegeVine

Easy scholarship open to current high school students and college applicants. A free CollegeVine account with a completed chancing profile required to enter.

Ayn Rand Institute Novel Essay Contest (Atlas Shrugged) This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Ayn Rand Institute

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for reading, writing, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? If so, we may… Show More

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for reading, writing, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Ayn Rand Institute Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest! Each year, the contest asks its applicants to write an 800 - 1,600 word essay in which they analyze and make an argument about an aspect or plot point of the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Nine prizes of varying amounts are awarded each year, with a grand prize of $25,000! If you’re familiar with Atlas Shrugged, can make a convincing argument, and want to make some cash, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Minecraft Scholarship

Offered by Apex Hosting

Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the… Show More

Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Minecraft Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship offers $2,000 to one applicant who best writes about how Minecraft can positively influence one’s education and career development. The scholarship is offered by Apex Hosting, a Minecraft server provider dedicated to supporting both new and experienced server administrators. If you’re a high schooler or college student with a love for Minecraft, it’s time to put your passion to good use and apply to the Minecraft Scholarship! Show Less

Top 10 essay scholarships in 2024

Our editors hand-picked the following 10 essay scholarships with an eye for large awards, prestigious organizations, and scholarships that are open to a wide variety of students. Apply with confidence to the following essay scholarships:

• Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship – For high school seniors with financial need, worth up to $55,000 per year
• Questbridge College Match – For high school seniors with financial need, offers a full ride to college
• The Gates Scholarship – For low-income minority high school seniors, offers a full ride to college
• Tylenol Future Care Scholarship – For students enrolling in medical, nursing, or pharmacy school, worth $5,000-$10,000
• Regeneron Science Talent Search – For high school seniors interested in pursuing an individual STEM research project. Worth anywhere between $2,000 and $250,000
• Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship – For high school seniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or a business field. Worth up to $20,000
• Horatio Alger Undergraduate Scholarships – For high school students with high financial need, worth up to $49,000
• Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship – For high school seniors with high financial need who plan to study computer science in college. Worth $10,000 per year
• Ron Brown Scholarship – For Black high school seniors who plan to study global entrepreneurship and/or community engagement. Worth $10,000 per year
• Dream.US Opportunity Scholarship – For undocumented high school seniors and college freshmen with high financial need living in a state where public colleges do not offer in-state tuition to undocumented students. Worth $20,000 per year

Creative writing scholarships

Are you a writer who loves fiction, poetry, and screenplays? If so, you can put those talents to use by applying for creative writing scholarships.

Creative writing scholarships are a subset of writing scholarships that support students who enjoy writing poetry, fictional stories, plays, and generally using their imagination to guide their writing.

Here are the top creative writing college scholarships that you can apply for:

HelpTeaching.com Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school and college students who submit a educational short story or informational article (400-800 words) for young students
• Amount : $1,000
• Deadline: June 1st of every year

Cancer Unwrapped Teen Writing Contest

• Eligibility: Teens aged 9-12 who write about their own cancer journey or a family member in a maximum of 1,500 words.
• Deadline: Late March

YouthPLAYS New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

• Eligibility: Students 19 years old or younger who submit an original one-act play between 10-40 minutes in length (10-page minimum). Multiple winners may receive up to $250 and publication by YouthPLAYS.
• Amount: $250 and publication by YouthPLAYS
• Deadline: Early May

National High School Poetry Contest

•   Eligibility:  U.S. high school students who submit a poem 20 lines or less that is unpublished, the sole work of the entrant, and not entered in any other concurrent contest.
• Amount: Up to $500.
• Deadline:  Rolling

The Narrative Prize

• Eligibility: Students who submit a short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction.
• Amount: $4,000
• Deadline:  Mid-June

Also see:  Top writing summer programs for high school students

College-specific creative writing scholarships

Some colleges and universities may also offer specific scholarships and financial aid to students with a talent in creative writing! Check with the colleges on your list for these college-specific creative writing opportunities!

Note that some of these scholarships may have requirements for winning students that stipulate that they take a certain number of creative writing classes when enrolled in the college.

Kenyon Writing Award

High school seniors can apply for this scholarship program at Kenyon College which offers up to $15,000 per year of merit based aid. It is based off of your portfolio and does not take into account financial need, high school GPA , or other factors. Submissions typically have to be in by January of your senior year.

Related:  How to answer scholarship essay questions about your career goals

Barbara Caras Memorial Scholarship for Film Students

The scholarship is open to students in Sarasota or Manatee County, Florida who have completed at least one full year at an accredited Florida College and are majoring in Film, Computer Animation, Creative Writing, Motion Design, or Illustration. Five recipients will earn a $2,000 award. The application deadline is July 31st of the current year.

Lycoming College Creative Writing Scholarship

The scholarship is open to students majoring in Creative Writing at Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA and must submit five poems and/or a short story not to exceed ten pages. Six recipients will be selected and can earn up to $3,000. The scholarship deadline for the Fall 2023 Class is March 1, 2023.  

Arkansas Tech University Gwaltney Scholarship

The scholarship is open to ATU students who submit individual works of fiction to the Department of English. Recipients earn a one-time cash award every year. The deadline to submit your entry is 2 weeks before the end of the spring semester.

Lake Forest College Carnegie English Essay Contest

The contest is open to first-year students of Lake Forest College who plan to study English either through the literature or creative writing track and submit an essay, between 500 and 1,000 words answering a designated prompt. Four winners will be awarded $2,500 annually. Submission deadline is March 1, 2023.

Austin Peay State University Creative Writing Scholarships

The scholarships are open to undergraduate and incoming APSU students who email a 10-20 page manuscript of fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction, to Lakota Withrow at [email protected] . Awards are for $600 or $1,200. The deadline to apply is March 18th.

Scholarship essay resources

When it comes to writing and essay scholarships, your writing skills will be put to the test. You’ll have to adapt your writing to specific styles in order to effectively and succinctly communicate your ambitions and potential. We have a host of resources to help you perform well in this arena and stand out from the crowd.

• How to start your scholarship essay (with examples)
• How to write a “why do you deserve this scholarship?” essay
• What’s the best scholarship essay format?
• How to write a 250 word essay
• How to write a 500 word essay
• How to write an essay about yourself

Frequently asked questions about writing scholarships

Do i have to major in english to earn a writing or essay scholarship, where can i get help proofreading my scholarship essays, how much should i write if there is no word limit on the application, explore these other scholarship categories:.

• Scholarships for English majors
• Easy scholarships
• Top scholarships for high school seniors
• Top creative writing scholarships
• Top scholarships for journalism students
• Top short story scholarships

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Best Writing Scholarships in 2024

Showing 159 scholarships that match your search.

Immerse Education

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship, with runner-up prizes also awarded. 100% Scholarship Award For Cambridge, Oxford, Sydney & London Summer School Essay Competition.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Immerse Education.

Deadline: January 04, 2025.

Additional awards: Runner-ups: 50% of scholarship.

Categories: Critical Essay.

Apply now →

Creative Writing Award

The winner will be offered the opportunity to occupy during her or his first academic year the residence room where J. D. Salinger lived; and Leadership standing in the Ursinus writing community. The winner will be expected to join the previous award winners in reading subsequent creative portfolios, and will help the Office of Admission in selecting the next winner. Award winners are also expected to be prominent members of Ursinus’ Literary Society, The Lantern, and the creative writing community.

Categories: Critical Essay, Journalism, Nonfiction, Novel Writing, Personal Essay, Playwriting, Poetry, Portfolio, Research, Screenwriting, and Short Fiction

Organization: Ursinus College.

Deadline: January 15, 2025.

Categories: Critical Essay, Journalism, Nonfiction, Novel Writing, Personal Essay, Playwriting, Poetry, Portfolio, Research, Screenwriting, and Short Fiction.

The Sub Pop Loser Scholarship

Sub Pop Records is extremely proud to offer a grand total of $15,000 in college scholarship money to three eligible high school seniors. To apply you must submit a one-page essay using any combination of our questions as a guide (or write something completely your own, be inspired and creative!). Applicants must be residents of Washington or Oregon in pursuit of higher education.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Sub Pop Records.

Deadline: March 23, 2025.

Additional awards: Second place scholarship of $5,000, third place scholarship of $3,000.

Categories: Personal Essay.

Islamic Scholarship Fund Program

Students who are Muslim or active members of the Muslim community may apply for the Islamic Scholarship Fund. The ISF awards multiple scholarships each year ranging from $3,000-$10,000, though the amounts and number of recipients will vary. Students must submit applications including essay questions, work samples, and letters of recommendation, and must also be majoring in an ISF-supported field related to media or politics.

Organization: Islamic Scholarship Fund.

Deadline: March 21, 2025.

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given.

BBB Torch Talk Scholarship

BBB Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to educating consumers on a variety of marketplace issues; this scholarship is in pursuit of that goal. Applicants must attend high school in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington or Western Wyoming, and will submit a 500-word essay for BBB’s online magazine Torch Talk on one of the given topics.

Organization: Better Business Bureau.

Deadline: March 16, 2025.

Flag House Scholarship Award

Do you know of an unsung history-maker in your community? Is there an organization in your community working to keep the legacy of a historically significant, but often overlooked, individual alive and relevant? Identify a person living or from the past whose professional work, activism, or personal story has made a significant impact on you or your community. Describe why their story is unique and explain how they have changed history. Response should be limited to 350 words.

Categories: Research and Critical Essay

Organization: The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House.

Deadline: March 26, 2025.

Categories: Research and Critical Essay.

Unpublished Writer's Award

The winner of this award receives $1,000, an invitation to accept the award at our annual awards ceremony, promotion on our website, and a feature of their work in our Magajournal and quarterly newsletter. Applicant must email an original, unpublished fiction work (short story or novel excerpt) not to exceed 2,000 typed words on double-spaced pages

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing

Organization: Go On Girl! Book Club.

Deadline: March 31, 2025.

Additional awards: Invitation to awards ceremony, promotion through website and publications.

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing.

Incight Scholarship

The INCIGHT scholarship is open to students in Washington, Oregon, and California who have a documented disability. Applicants must complete two detailed essay responses (video essays also welcome) in order to be eligible. The number of awards and total amount awarded will be determined during the selection process, and winners will be notified in June.

Organization: INCIGHT.

Deadline: April 01, 2025.

Marguerite Young Endowment Fund

The Marguerite Young Endowment Fund was established at The Pittsburgh Foundation to provide scholarships for students who plan to study theology. Candidates must be attending a Protestant seminary as a master of Divinity candidate, preparing for full-time ministry and/or be a seminary intern at a Protestant Church. Application must includes proof of this, as well as a personal essay.

Organization: The Pittsburgh Foundation.

Christine B. Dexter Scholarship

The Christine B. Dexter Scholarship was established in honor of Christine B. Dexter after her passing from stomach cancer in 2008. This scholarship awards undergrad students a $2,000 scholarship towards their fall tuition. All recipients demonstrate a history of community service and resilience through their cancer journey.

Organization: Christine B. Foundation.

The AAF-Greater Evansville Scholarship

The AAF-Greater Evansville awards scholarships to deserving high school and/or college students yearly in April. To be eligible, students must plan to pursue a career in advertising, marketing, public relations or graphic design. Application varies yearly but includes various education details and personal statements.

Categories: Journalism

Organization: American Advertising Federation of Greater Evansville.

Categories: Journalism.

Aspiring Literary Scholar Award

The winner of this award receives $1,000, an invitation to accept the award at our annual awards ceremony, promotion on our website, and a feature of their work in our Magajournal and quarterly newsletter. Candidate must submit an essay not to exceed 800 words on the topic "The Power of The Written Word."

Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship

The Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics.

Categories: Research, Personal Essay, and Critical Essay

Organization: The Heinlein Society.

Categories: Research, Personal Essay, and Critical Essay.

Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship

The Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics.

Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship

Project Sleep’s Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship is a national scholarship program to support students with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Students must complete an application form that includes a response to the esssay question: "If you could go back in time and speak to yourself on the day you were diagnosed, what would you say? Write a letter to yourself on that day."

Organization: Project Sleep.

What are writing scholarships?

Writing scholarships are financial awards given to students based primarily on written work, though other factors are usually taken into consideration as well. Most writing scholarships involve a prompt or series of prompts to which applicants must respond. Some writing scholarships — especially those that award large amounts of money — require applicants to submit past writing samples, or even a full portfolio.

The good news is that, with so many writing scholarships to choose from, you don’t have to apply for any that are “out of your league.” Indeed, though most students have heard of writing scholarships, you may not realize just how many different varieties there are! Here are five of the most common types of writing scholarships, all of which you can find in this directory.

1. Personal essay scholarships

Personal essay scholarships involve writing on a topic related to your own experience. You’ll often see personal essay prompts like, “How have your experiences influenced your choice of major?” and “What are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?” Other prompts may ask you to write about a role model, a life-changing event, an aspect of your identity, etc. Suggested length is usually about 500-1,000 words, but varies depending on the level of detail requested and how many essay questions are provided.

Just about every scholarship these days has a personal essay component of some kind. This is because personal essay responses both demonstrate writing skills and give the judges a clear sense of each applicant’s goals. No one wants to throw away money on an aimless student — so if you’re applying for a personal essay scholarship, make sure to convey both your writing abilities and your ambitions in your work!

2. Critical essay scholarships

Critical essay scholarships are more in line with what students might consider  “academic” essays. The prompts typically ask applicants to analyze works of literature. However, unlike open-ended English class essays, most critical essay scholarships provide a very specific prompt (e.g. “Examine The Great Gatsby in the context of its World War II-era revival”).

Critical essay scholarships can also involve non-literary subject matter. Some may ask applicants to evaluate a historical event or figure; others may ask them to defend their stance on a political or legal issue. Though the line between critical and personal essays can sometimes blur, for the purposes of this directory, we define critical essays as those that use evidence from an external source to prove a point.

3. Short fiction scholarships

Short fiction scholarships include scholarships for short stories, one-act plays, poetry, and any other form of fiction that isn’t a novel or full-length script. Short fiction scholarships tend to be easier to find than long-form fiction scholarships, since most judging panels don’t have time to read more than a few thousand words per entry. Therefore, if you write fiction and you’re hoping to nab yourself a scholarship, this category is the way to go! (That said, if you’re a hardline novelist, some places will accept a sample chapter or two as short fiction entries.)

4. Journalism scholarships

Journalism scholarships are for students interested in pursuing a career in news, magazine, and/or online journalism. These scholarship applications almost always ask for writing samples to show the candidate’s interest. Depending on the organization, they may prefer topical news reports, informative articles, thinkpieces, or a mix. Some journalism scholarships provide a prompt and ask applicants to write a new article, but the focus is usually on samples. Speaking of which…

5. Portfolio scholarships 

Portfolio scholarships are the most rigorous kind of writing scholarship, requiring a substantial body of work from each applicant — usually 5-10 pieces of writing, if not more. The upside is that awards for portfolio scholarships tend to be pretty sizable, and may even cover your entire tuition!

If you decide to apply to a portfolio scholarship, make sure you have several strong pieces of work in your oeuvre, and consider writing a few new pieces as well. What you shouldn’t do is rush through a dozen new pieces to throw together as a portfolio. If you don’t have samples at the ready from previous assignments or projects, you’ll be better off applying to a less intensive writing scholarship.

Why apply to writing scholarships?

Applying to writing scholarships is a huge undertaking, especially if you’re pursuing multiple scholarships at once. It can sometimes feel like the effort isn’t worth it, or that you have little chance of actually winning any awards. But in truth, submitting to writing scholarships is one of the best investments you can make in your education, your creative writing skills, and your professional life.

Scholarships for larger amounts do attract more applicants, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to land — only that you have to work a little harder to stand out. And you can definitely sway the odds in your favor by applying to lots of small scholarships ($500 or less) for which you’ll have fewer competitors. Remember that every little bit helps! For example, if you plan on taking out student loans, even a $500 scholarship could save you much more in interest down the line.

Another compelling reason to apply to writing scholarships is that oftentimes, you’ve already done the work, or the work required is minimal. For scholarships that require writing samples, you’ll simply submit what you’ve already written in the past — and even for scholarships with specific prompts, you rarely have to write more than a couple of pages. If you were seriously committed, you could apply to a scholarship every day, spending a single concentrated evening on each application.

Jumping off that thought, as English majors love to say: the more writing scholarships you apply for, the better a writer you’ll become. Writing tons of scholarship essays will make you a much more creative and efficient writer. Not only will this help with your personal writing projects, but it will also be invaluable to your education and even your career! Writing is a crucial skill for every major — you’ll always have to write papers and emails to professors, after all — and even if you don’t plan to pursue a writing-based job, you'll still need writing skills to polish your résumé.

Finally, remember that there’s a writing scholarship out there for everyone, no matter what your interests or intended field. This directory includes plenty of creative writing scholarships, yes; but there are also personal essay scholarships for future doctors, lawyers, salespeople, and so much more. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot, so why not start searching for your dream writing scholarship today? (And if you’re unsure about your writing skills, you might benefit from some of the resources below.)

Resources to strengthen your writing skills

• 20 Writing Tips to Help You Become A Better Writer Today
• How to Stop Procrastinating and Build A Solid Writing Routine
• What is Creative Nonfiction? Memoirs, Literary Journalism, and More!
• How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Amazing Story in 9 Steps
• How to Write a Fantastic Short Story In 7 Steps
• How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro
• 700+ Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Authors

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• Writing Tips

7 Essay Writing Contests to Look Out For in 2023

• 7-minute read
• 28th December 2022

Essay contests are not only a great way to exercise your essay-writing skills but also an awesome way to win cash prizes, scholarships, and internship or program opportunities. They also look wonderful on college applications as awards and achievements.

In this article, you’ll learn about 7 essay writing contests to enter in 2023. Watch the video below, or keep reading to learn more.

1. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 

Deadline: Now–April 30, 3023

Who may enter:

This is an international contest for people of all ages (except for residents of Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus due to US government restrictions).

Contest description:

●  The contest is organized by Winning Writers, located in MA, USA.

●  They accept stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each. This contest defines a story as any short work of fiction and an essay as any short work of nonfiction.

●  Your stories and essays must be submitted in English.

●  You may submit published or unpublished work.

Entry fee: USD 22 per entry

●  Story: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  Essay: First Prize is USD 3,000.

●  10 Honorable Mentions will receive USD 300 each (any category).

●  The top 12 entries will be published online.

Official website

Please visit the competition’s official website for more information on judges and submissions.

2. 2023 Calibre Essay Prize 

Deadline: Now–January 15, 2023, 11:59 pm

Who may enter: All ages and any nationality or residency are accepted.

●  This contest is hosted by the Australian Book Review.

●  Your essay must be between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

●  You may submit nonfiction essays of all kinds, e.g., personal, political, literary, or speculative.

●  You may enter multiple essays but will need to pay separate fees for each one.

●  Your essay must be unpublished.

Entry fee: AU 30 for non-members

Prize: AU 7,500

Official website:

For more information on this contest, please visit its official website.

3. John Locke Institute Essay Competition 

Deadline: June 30, 2023

●  Students from any country.

●  Students aged 15 to 18 years by the competition deadline.

●  Students aged 14 years or younger by the competition deadline are eligible for the Junior prize.

●  The contest is organized by the John Locke Institute.

●  Your essay cannot exceed 2,000 words.

●  There are seven subjects or categories for essay submissions: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law.

Entry fee: Free to enter

●  The best overall essay winner receives an honorary John Locke Fellowship, which comes with a USD 10,000 scholarship to attend one or more summer schools or gap year courses.

●  There is also a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category and the Junior category is a scholarship worth USD 2,000 toward the cost of a summer program.

●  All winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.

For more information about this competition and the John Locke Institute, please visit the official website . Also, be sure to check out our article on all you need to know about this contest.

4. The American Foreign Service Association 2023 Essay Competition 

Deadline: April 3, 2023

●  Students in grades 9–12 in any of the 50 states, DC, the US territories, or if they are US citizens or lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

●  Students attending a public, private, or parochial school.

●  Home-schooled students.

●  Your essay should be 1,000–1,500 words.

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●  You will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country or region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

●  Your essay should follow MLA guidelines.

●  Your essay should use a variety of sources.

●  The first-place winner receives USD 2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and their parents, and an all-expense-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea.

●  The runner-up receives USD 1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

Please visit the American Foreign Service website for more information.

5. The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) 2023 Essay Contest 

Deadline: Mid-February 2023–June 1, 2023

Who may enter: High school (including homeschooled), college, and graduate students worldwide.

●  The 2023 essay contest topic is marriages and proposals.

●  High school students may focus on Pride and Prejudice only or bring in other Austen works.

●  Undergraduate and graduate students should discuss at least two Austen novels of their choice.

●  Your essay must be in MLA format and 6 to 8 pages (not including your Works Cited page).

●  Your essay must be written in English.

●  First place wins a USD 1,000 scholarship.

●  Second place wins a USD 500 scholarship.

●  Third place wins a USD 250 scholarship.

●  Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit JASNA’s official website .

6. 2023 Writing Contest: Better Great Achievements by EngineerGirl

Deadline: February 1, 2023

●  Students in Grades 3–12. If international or homeschooled, please select your grade level based on if you were attending a public school in the U.S.

●  This contest is organized by EngineerGirl.

●  Students should write a piece that shows how female or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements.

●  You should choose one of the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century as a topic and explore the technologies developed in the last century and the new ones being developed today. Make sure to follow the specific guidelines for your grade level.

●  Essays should be 650–750 words based on your grade level.

●  Please visit the contest’s website to see specific requirements based on your grade.

Winners in each grade category will receive the prizes listed below:

●  First-place winners will be awarded USD 500.

●  Second-place entries will be awarded USD 250 .

●  Third-place entries will be awarded USD 100 .

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit the official website .

7. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Who may enter: Students enrolled in Grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools and home-study programs worldwide.

●  Your essay must address the following issue: In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?

●  Your essay should be 1,000 words.

Prizes: USD 500

For more information and submission requirements, please visit the contest’s official website.

Essay contests are a great way to expand your writing skills, discuss a topic that is important to you, and earn prize money and opportunities that will be great for you in the long term. Check out our articles on writing thesis statements, essay organization, and argumentative writing strategies to ensure you take first place every time.

If you need help with your essays and would like to make sure that every comma is in place, we will proofread your first 500 words for free !

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Essay  COMPETITION

2024 global essay prize, registrations are now open all essayists must register  here  before friday 31 may, 2024.

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.

Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton, under the leadership of the Chairman of Examiners, former Cambridge philosopher, Dr Jamie Whyte.

The judges will choose their favourite essay from each of seven subject categories - Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law - and then select the winner of the Grand Prize for the best entry in any subject. There is also a separate prize awarded for the best essay in the junior category, for under 15s.

Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?

Q2. Do girls have a (moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?

Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe?

Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy?

Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?

Q3. When is compliance complicity?

Q1. What is the optimal global population?  

Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?

Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?

Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?

Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?

Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?

Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?

Q2. In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?

Q3. Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?

Q1. According to a study by researchers at four British universities, for each 15-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by around 35% for a man but decreases by around 58% for a woman. Why?

In the original version of this question we misstated a statistic. This was caused by reproducing an error that appeared in several media summaries of the study. We are grateful to one of our contestants, Xinyi Zhang, who helped us to see (with humility and courtesy) why we should take more care to check our sources. We corrected the text on 4 April. Happily, the correction does not in any way alter the thrust of the question.

Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?

Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?

Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?

Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?

Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

JUNIOR prize

Q1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?

Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?

Q3. Is there life after death?

Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise? 

Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?

Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies? 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILS

Please read the following carefully.

Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 is open to students from any country.

Registration  

Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of Friday, 31 May 2024 may enter this year's competition. To register, click here .  

All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on  the submission deadline: Sunday, 30 June 2024 .  Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on that date. (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date.)

Entry is free.

Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration). 

The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name:

Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

The candidate's name should NOT appear within the document itself. 

Candidates should NOT add footnotes. They may, however, add endnotes and/or a Bibliography that is clearly titled as such.

Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email referees to verify that the essays submitted are indeed the original work of the candidates.

Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of th e deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.

Acceptance of your essay depends on your granting us permission to use your data for the purposes of receiving and processing your entry as well as communicating with you about the Awards Ceremony Dinner, the academic conference, and other events and programmes of the John Locke Institute and its associated entities.  

Late entries

If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions:

a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and

b) Your essay must be submitted  before 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 10 July 2024.

To pay for late entry, a registrant need only log into his or her account, select the relevant option and provide the requested payment information.

Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful .

Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

The writers of the best essays will receive a commendation and be shortlisted for a prize. Writers of shortlisted essays will be notified by 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 31 July. They will also be invited to London for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London.

All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that acknowledge their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to London for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate. 

There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in London, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet some of the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome.

The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or visiting scholars programmes. 

The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

R egistration opens: 1 April, 2024.

Registration deadline: 31 May, 2024. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)

Submission deadline: 30 June, 2024.

Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2024. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.)

Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2024.

Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024.

Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024.

Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected] . Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query. In particular, regrettably, we are unable to respond to questions whose answers can be found on our website.

If you would like to receive helpful tips  from our examiners about what makes for a winning essay or reminders of upcoming key dates for the 2024  essay competition, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list. .

Thanks for subscribing!

The John Locke Institute's Global Essay Prize is acknowledged as the world's most prestigious essay competition. 

We welcome tens of thousands of submissions from ambitious students in more than 150 countries, and our examiners - including distinguished philosophers, political scientists, economists, historians, psychologists, theologians, and legal scholars - read and carefully assess every entry. 

I encourage you to register for this competition, not only for the hope of winning a prize or commendation, and not only for the chance to join the very best contestants at our academic conference and gala ceremony in London, but equally for the opportunity to engage in the serious scholarly enterprise of researching, reflecting on, writing about, and editing an answer to one of the important and provocative questions in this year's Global Essay Prize. 

We believe that the skills you will acquire in the process will make you a better thinker and a more effective advocate for the ideas that matter most to you.

I hope to see you in September!

Best wishes,

Jamie Whyte, Ph.D. (C ANTAB ) 

Chairman of Examiners

Q. I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay?

A. No. Only candidates who registered before 31 May will be able to submit an essay. 

Q. Are footnote s, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit?

A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted. 

Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? ​

A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

Q. Is it necessary to include foo tnotes or endnotes in an essay? ​

A. You  may not  include footnotes, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes. You should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should ackn owledge any other authors on whom you rely.​

Q. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it?

A. You may interpret a question as you deem appropriate, clarifying your interpretation if necessary. Having done so, you must answer the question as directly as possible.

Q. How strict are  the age eligibility criteria?

A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. 

Q. May I submit more than one essay?

A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.

Q. If I am eligible to compete in the Junior category, may I also (or instead) compete in another category?

A. Yes, you may.

Q. May I team up with someone else to write an essay?  

A. No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual.

Q. May I use AI, such as ChatGPT or the like, in writing my essay?

A. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If we find that any content is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified. We will also ask you, upon submission of your essay, whether you used AI for  any  purpose related to the writing of your essay, and if so, you will be required to provide details. In that case, if, in our judgement, you have not provided full and accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified. 

Since any use of AI (that does not result in disqualification) can only negatively affect our assessment of your work relative to that of work that is done without using AI, your safest course of action is simply not to use it at all. If, however, you choose to use it for any purpose, we reserve the right to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis and we will not enter into any correspondence. 

Q. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay?

A. You may of course discuss your essay with others, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses in your writing or content, leaving you to address them.

However, no part of your essay may be written by anyone else. This means that you must edit your own work and that while a proofreader may point out errors, you as the essayist must be the one to correct them. 

Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? ​

A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London. But if we invite you to London it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation.

Q. Is there an entry fee?

A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD .

Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted? 

A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in London will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to London, you will be able to download your eCertificate.

Q. Can I receive feedba ck on my essay? 

A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays.

Q. The deadline for publishing the names of short-listed essayists has passed but I did not receive an email to tell me whether I was short-listed.

A. Log into your account and check "Shortlist Status" for (each of) your essay(s).

Q. Why isn't the awards ceremony in Oxford this year?

A. Last year, many shortlisted finalists who applied to join our invitation-only academic conference missed the opportunity because of capacity constraints at Oxford's largest venues. This year, the conference will be held in central London and the gala awards dinner will take place in an iconic London ballroom. 

TECHNICAL FAQ s

Q. The system will not accept my essay. I have checked the filename and it has the correct format. What should I do?  

A. You have almost certainly added a space before or after one of your names in your profile. Edit it accordingly and try to submit again.

Q. The profile page shows my birth date to be wrong by a day, even after I edit it. What should I do?

A. Ignore it. The date that you typed has been correctly input to our database. ​ ​

Q. How can I be sure that my registration for the essay competition was successful? Will I receive a confirmation email?

A. You will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can at any time log in to the account that you created and see that your registration details are present and correct.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SUBMISSION

If you are unable to submit your essay to the John Locke Institute’s global essay competition, your problem is almost certainly one of the following.

If so, please proceed as indicated.

1) PROBLEM: I receive the ‘registrations are now closed’ message when I enter my email and verification code. SOLUTION. You did not register for the essay competition and create your account. If you think you did, you probably only provided us with your email to receive updates from us about the competition or otherwise. You may not enter the competition this year.

2) PROBLEM I do not receive a login code after I enter my email to enter my account. SOLUTION. Enter your email address again, checking that you do so correctly. If this fails, restart your browser using an incognito window; clear your cache, and try again. Wait for a few minutes for the code. If this still fails, restart your machine and try one more time. If this still fails, send an email to [email protected] with “No verification code – [your name]” in the subject line.

SUBMITTING AN ESSAY

3) PROBLEM: The filename of my essay is in the correct format but it is rejected. SOLUTION: Use “Edit Profile” to check that you did not add a space before or after either of your names. If you did, delete it. Whether you did or did not, try again to submit your essay. If submission fails again, email [email protected] with “Filename format – [your name]” in the subject line.

4) PROBLEM: When trying to view my submitted essay, a .txt file is downloaded – not the .pdf file that I submitted. SOLUTION: Delete the essay. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “File extension problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

5) PROBLEM: When I try to submit, the submission form just reloads without giving me an error message. SOLUTION. Log out of your account. Open a new browser; clear the cache; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Submission form problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

6) PROBLEM: I receive an “Unexpected Error” when trying to submit. SOLUTION. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If this resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Unexpected error – [your name]” in thesubject line. Your email must tell us e xactly where in the submission process you received this error.

7) PROBLEM: I have a problem with submitting and it is not addressed above on this list. SOLUTION: Restart your machine. Clear your browser’s cache. Try to submit again. If this fails, email [email protected] with “Unlisted problem – [your name]” in the subject line. Your email must tell us exactly the nature of your problem with relevant screen caps.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU EMAIL US.

Do not email us before you have tried the specified solutions to your problem.

Do not email us more than once about a single problem. We will respond to your email within 72 hours. Only if you have not heard from us in that time may you contact us again to ask for an update.

If you email us regarding a problem, you must include relevant screen-shots and information on both your operating system and your browser. You must also declare that you have tried the solutions presented above and had a good connection to the internet when you did so.

If you have tried the relevant solution to your problem outlined above, have emailed us, and are still unable to submit before the 30 June deadline on account of any fault of the John Locke Institute or our systems, please do not worry: we will have a way to accept your essay in that case. However, if there is no fault on our side, we will not accept your essay if it is not submitted on time – whatever your reason: we will not make exceptions for IT issues for which we are not responsible.

We reserve the right to disqualify the entries of essayists who do not follow all provided instructions, including those concerning technical matters.

EssayPro Scholarship Contest 2023: Win up to $10,500!

EssayPro Scholarship 2023: Win Up to $10,500

Hey, all you up-and-coming writers and enthusiastic learners! The EssayPro Scholarship 2023 is here, giving students a chance to show off their essay-writing abilities and win big. Don't let this opportunity to win a large prize pot of $10,500 slip away!

Open to any qualified applicants, this year's contest anticipates fierce competition, with monetary prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each division. If writing excites you and you wish to prove your talents, this is your chance to excel.

For the EssayPro Scholarship 2023 Contest, you have 3 essay topics to pick from. They span a range of subjects and look at different areas of society and education.

• Why do students cheat? Reasons behind academic dishonesty
• How can the development of Artificial Intelligence technologies affect the future of education?
• Is war possible between the US and China, and who would have the upper hand?

These three essay topics offer great prospects for a meaningful and stimulating debate. No matter if you decide to talk about academic dishonesty, AI in education, or US-China relations, you must compose an essay that is well-researched, argued, and written!

What Are We Aiming For?

With the EssayPro Scholarship 2023, not only can students display their writing expertise and benefit from the rewards, but it also allows North America and Canada's largest writer's community to extend its influence and assist more students. 

Since 2016, the EssayPro team has provided assistance to more than a million students, showing dedication to the development of young writers' academic talents. At EssayPro, we care deeply about giving students the means to succeed academically. 

Thus, if you are a student and an aspiring writer, don't miss the opportunity to join the EssayPro community and perhaps win the EssayPro Scholarship 2023.

What Benefits Do We Extend?

EssayPro Scholarship 2023 is giving students the opportunity to show off their writing skills and get some cool prizes. Winners of the top three places in each category will be rewarded with: ‍ ‍ $2,000 for first place ‍ $1,000 for second place ‍ $500 for third

So, the total prize pool is $10,500 .

Scholars have a great chance to demonstrate their writing skills and raise money to help pursue their academic ambitions.

Plus, we're stoked to reveal that students who participate in the spring showdown will get 35% off our writing services!

This program is a stellar chance for students who require additional assistance with their scholarly writing, as our services provide top-notch writing aid to help you reach your ambitions. Therefore, no matter if you are aiming to succeed or just need some help with your writing tasks, EssayPro Scholarship 2023 has something for you.

Join the Party with These Easy Steps

Taking part in the EssayPro Scholarship 2023 is as easy as a piece of pie! To enter the contest, simply write an essay on one of the three topics provided and follow these simple steps. 

• To ensure your essay is submitted in time for the deadline of October 1, 2023, email a PDF to [email protected] .
• After that, keep track of EssayPro's Instagram accounts, @ essaypro_official and @ essaypromemes , to be in the know of the newest news and updates about the scholarship.
• Sign up for an account on essaypro.com .
• Finally, like and share the EssayPro Scholarship 2023 post in your Instagram stories and tag one friend in the comments. 
• Make sure to include our profiles in your stories and ensure your account is made public for us to check your involvement and monitor your repost. 

If you follow these steps, you could be in line to win one of our incredible prizes!

Need Some Help With Your Tasks?

Adress to our professional writers 24/7 and get plagiarism-free task of the highest quality!

Essay Criteria

At EssayPro Scholarship 2023, we have designed our essay requirements in such a way that all participants have the same opportunity for success.

• Your essay must be between 825 and 1,000 words and must be completely original to qualify for the contest. 
• We will verify that all entries are original by running them through an originality-checking AI.  
• Furthermore, your essay must be impeccably punctuated and grammatically correct to guarantee that it is composed well and can be easily understood.

Give your best shot at writing an essay that meets the criteria and submit it to the EssayPro Scholarship 2023. You could come away with an awesome prize!

May the cream of the crop when it comes to writing come out on top!

Make Your Academic Writing a Stress-Free Process

Entrust our professional writers with your most complex academic tasks and observe your grades soar!

Scholarship winners announcement

Our 2023 scholarship contest has finally concluded. We're grateful to everyone who took part in our competition. As a token of appreciation, we'll reward every participant with a 35% discount on our writing aid.

Finally, we're excited to announce the lucky winners who'll split the prize pool of $10,500. Since our contest involved 3 essay topics, we've picked the three best essays in each category.

Here is the list of winners:

Stay tuned! More exciting activities from EssayPro are coming soon.

Related Articles

Bookings Open for Online Summer Courses

Watch our Explainer Video

How Our Essay Competition Works

Submit your entry.

Research and write your essay and then submit it, along with your references, via our short form below.

Entries close at 9pm UK time on 15th April 2024 !

Awards Ceremony

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our Awards Ceremony in May 2024, where the winners will be announced.

Over £100,000 Worth of Academic Prizes

Free Conference place

The first thousand students who are successfully shortlisted will be awarded a free place at one of our OxBright Conferences (worth £95) in the autumn. Alternatively, you can put this credit towards an Online Course or Online Internship .

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our online Awards Ceremony in May 2024, where the winners will be announced.

Matilda Winner, History, 2023

I’m both thrilled and flabbergasted at the outcome of the competition.

Winning this competition undoubtedly made me feel much more confident in researching and writing in my field from now on, opening a lot of new doors for me!

Regina Winner, Psychology, 2023

I’m very happy and grateful to win such a meaningful competition. I truly learned a lot.

My advice to anyone considering entering is to try to think deeper and further about your chosen topic.

Alex Winner, Philosophy, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Entering the essay competition, how will entering the oxbright essay competition help me in the future, why do you run an essay competition.

OxBright is about giving students the edge to help them to succeed, find their purpose and make a difference in the world.

We think it’s the greatest time to be alive, but we’re aware that young people face challenges their predecessors didn’t. We’re passionate about encouraging students to be optimistic about the future by being active thinkers interested in collaborating to create a better future for the long-term. You can read more about this in our Worldview .

Our essay competition combines these two elements – encouraging students to think actively about the future, and giving them tools to help them to succeed.

Who can enter?

Anyone can enter – the only eligibility criteria is that you must be aged between 15-18. You don’t need to have previously joined an OxBright programme in order to take part.

Kindly be aware that to be eligible to take up any of the free places offered as prizes, such as our online courses/internships, winning students must be between the ages of 15 and 18 at the commencement of the programme.

Can I write more than one essay?

Sorry, we only accept one essay per student in each Essay Competition. This is due to the volume of essays we receive.

Can I enter jointly with a friend?

No, we can only accept entries from individuals, and it’s important to make sure that your work is entirely your own.

Is there a fee to enter the OxBright Essay Competition?

No, the essay competition is completely free to enter.

When is the entry deadline?

The deadline has been extended, and is now the 15th April 2024, at 9pm.

Are you connected to any university?

No, OxBright is an independent education organisation which is not connected to any university.

Where can I see the results of the Essay Competition 2023?

You can see the results of our previous Essay Competition, including the winning essay in full, here .

Writing Your Essay

What are the subject categories i can enter for, how long should my essay be.

There are three parts to the essay:

• Essay title: the title of your essay can be up to 100 characters long, including spaces
• Essay: your essay can have up to 3,800 characters , including spaces (this is about 500 words). This includes everything you write, like the main text and in-text citations. In-text citations are little notes you put in your essay to show where your information came from. For example, if you quote something from a book by John Smith, you would add (Smith, 2010, p. 50) right after the quote. These citations are part of your word count, so make sure to include them
• References: as for references, there’s no word limit – you can include as many as you need! These are important for showing where your information came from. Please use the Harvard Referencing Style for your references (you can find how to do this in the guidelines provided here ). This won’t count towards your essay character limit, so please list all the sources you used

What are the evaluation criteria?

We’ll be assessing essays on the following criteria:

• Fluency of written English
• Relevance to the question
• Creativity and originality of ideas
• Use of evidence or examples
• Relevance to the OxBright Worldview

Should I use references?

Please make sure to include references to your sources, using the Harvard Referencing Style (guidelines here ).

What makes a good essay?

Make sure to read our criteria carefully (you can find it in the FAQ above).

We want essays that are thoroughly researched, packed with examples and solid evidence. What really catches our attention are essays with unique analysis. So, we’re not just interested in essays that simply describe things – we want your thoughts, analysis, and fresh ideas.

Don’t forget, it’s crucial to use and mention trustworthy sources for the evidence you provide.

Do you accept personal or descriptive essays?

We’re looking for clear, concise and compelling answers to the question above, written and formatted in an academic style. Please don’t submit personal essays or creative writing samples.

What Happens Next?

When will i hear the results.

We’ll be in touch within two weeks of your entry to let you know whether or not you’ve been shortlisted (all entrants who meet our core standards of relevance and coherence will be shortlisted).

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to our Awards Ceremony in May 2024, when the winners in each subject category will be announced.

How are essays assessed?

You can read about the criteria we use to assess your essay in the FAQ above (“What are the evaluation criteria?”).

Essays are assessed using our proprietary system which combines a mixture of technology and personal assessment. Essays which are deemed to be plagiarised or be written by AI will be rejected and our decision on this is final.

There are two stages to our assessment process:

Shorlisting Our first stage assessment reviews whether the essay is relevant and coherent. If so, your essay will be shortlisted, you will be offered a free place at an OxBright Conference and you will be invited to the Awards Ceremony.

Awards Shortlised essays are then given further assessment by our panel. This includes a review of the References. In the application form, we ask for a the name of a teacher who is familiar with your academic work. If your essay is nominated for an Award, we will ask this teacher to confirm that the essay was genuinely written by you.

What are the prizes?

Please click here for more information about the prizes and awards.

Why is the overall prize a place at Oxford Scholastica in 2025, not 2024?

Will i receive feedback.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of entries received, we are unable to provide feedback on essays.

Does everyone who enters get a free place at a Conference?

The first thousand students to who make a valid submission and are shortlisted will be invited to attend an OxBright Conference of their choice, free of charge (worth £95). Conference subjects include Business, Medicine, Law and Psychology. It is optional to attend a Conference.

Alternatively, you’ll be able to choose to apply the £95 credit toward another programme with us.

Does everyone receive a certificate?

Only students who win one of the awards receive a certificate. Certificates are issued in online format.

Do you publish the names of the award winners?

Yes, award winners will be published on our website after the Awards Ceremony.

How can I pass on some feedback about the essay competition?

57 Writing Contests in December 2023 — No entry fees

Erica Verrillo

Curiosity Never Killed the Writer

T his December there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $40,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month’s contests go to Free Contests . Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Otherwise Award . Genre : Work that is changing the way we think about gender through speculative narrative. Prize : $500. Deadline : December 1, 2023. (Deadline unclear)

Scriptlab . Genre : TV script or short screenplay. Prize : Up to $500. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry . Restrictions : Open to African poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry. Genre : Poetry. Prize : $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

The Watchword Prize . Genre : Poetry on theme: Surveillance. Prize : $2000. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing . Restrictions : Open to published writers who are writing from the region. Genres : All. Prize : $1000. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

The Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award. Genre : All works of fiction with significant Jewish thematic content written in English–novels, short story and flash fiction collections–by a single author published and available for purchase in the United States during 2022 are eligible for the award. Jewish thematic content means an extended grappling with Jewish themes throughout the book, including Judaism, Jewish history and culture, Jewish identity, etc. Prize : The award will include a $1,000 cash prize as well as support to attend the AJL conference to receive the award. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

Tony Quagliano Poetry Fund, International Poetry Award . Restrictions : Open to poets who have a published body of work over a period of years. Poems must be in English. Genre : Poetry. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : December 1, 2023. ( Biennial award )

The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

Love Letters to London Writing Competition . Genre : Poetry and “open.” The theme this year is Love Letters to London of the Future. What does your London of the future look like — what are your passions, hopes Prize : £150 — £500. Deadline : December 1, 2023. Open to all ages . Some reprints accepted .

Watchword Prize . Genre : Poetry. Theme: Surveillance (“any aspect of the phenomenon of watching and being watched, in both the intimate and public spheres of our lives”). Prize : $2,000 prize, online publication, and a public reading. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

The Pushcart Prize honors the best “poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot” published in small presses and literary magazines. Magazine and small press editors may nominate up to six works. Pushcart Press publishes yearly anthologies of the winning submissions. Prize : Publication and enormous prestige. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

The Schneider Family Book Award is sponsored by the American Library Association. The award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Prize : Three annual awards each consisting of $5000 and a framed plaque, will be given annually in each of the following categories: birth through grade school (age 0–10), middle school (age 11–13) and teens (age 13–18). (Age groupings are approximations). Genre : May be fiction, biography, or other form of nonfiction. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

Poetry Center at Smith College Prize . Restrictions : Open to sophomore or junior high school girls in New England. Genre : Poetry. Prize : $500. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

RSL Christopher Bland Prize . Restrictions: Writers must be a citizen of, or resident in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Books must have been published for the first time in the UK or RoI within the 2023 calendar year. Books must be entered by trade publishers or agents based in the UK or RoI; each publisher, imprint of a publisher, or agent may enter two books only. Genre : Debut novel or non-fiction book first published by a writer aged 50 or over. Prize : £10,000. Deadline : December 1, 2023.

Furious Fiction . Genre : Flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize : $500. Deadline : December 3, 2023. Opens December 1.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing . Genre : Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize : CAN $25,000. Deadline : December 6, 2023. (For books published between October 4, 2023 and December 5, 2023)

J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award . Genre : Nonfiction book. Applicants for the award must already have a contract with a U.S.-based publisher to write a nonfiction book. Award : $25,000. Deadline : December 7, 2023.

Prism: Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize . Genre : Poetry. Prize : $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 2nd runner-up. Deadline : December 7, 2023. No entry fee for BIPOC and low income writers .

Women’s Prize for Fiction . Genre : Published novel by a woman. Entrants must be writing in English and must be published in the UK between 1 December 2023 and 31 March 2024. All subject matters and women of any age, from any nationality or country of residence are eligible. Prize : £30,000.00. Deadline : December 8, 2023.

Friends of American Writers . Restrictions : The author must be a resident (or previously have been a resident for approximately five years) of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin; or the locale of the book must be in a region identified above. The author must not have published more than three books under his/her own pen name. Genres : Books can be fiction or creative non-fiction and published in 2023. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize : $500 — $2000. Deadline : December 10, 2023.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. Prize : $8,000 cash awards are made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline : December 13, 2023.

Apparition Lit . Genre : Flash fiction up to 1000 words on theme. Prize : $30. Deadline : December 14, 2023. See themes.

Subnivean New Writers Award: CNY High School Writing Scholarship Competition . Restrictions : Open to high-school-aged writers in Oswego County, Onondaga County, Oneida County, Herkimer County, Madison County, Cayuga County and Cortland County. Genre : Short stories and poetry. Prize : $100 bookstore gift certificate, $1,000 scholarship to attend SUNY Oswego as a creative writing or English major. Deadline : December 15, 2023.

Ezra Jack Keats Children’s Book Award . Genre : Published or self-published picture books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Prize : $3,000. Deadline : December 15, 2023.

Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel Competition . Restrictions : The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any published novel (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Genre : Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Prize : $10,000. Deadline : December 15, 2023.

The Arts South Australia Wakefield Press Unpublished Manuscript Award . Restrictions : The competition is open to South Australian writers. Genre : Book-length manuscripts of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Prize : $10,000 and publication by Wakefield Press. Deadline : December 15, 2023.

Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) provides direct support to individual Bronx artists who create literary, media, visual, and performing works of art. Prize : 25 BRIO grants of $3,000 each are awarded to Bronx artists. BRIO award winners complete a one-time public service activity. Deadline : December 18, 2023.

The Helen Anne Bell Poetry Bequest Award . Restrictions : Open to Australian women. Genre : Collection of poems by an Australian woman poet. Prize : $40,000. Deadline : December 18, 2023. Biennial award.

Rider University Annual High School Writing Contest . Restrictions : Open to high school students. Genres : Essays, poetry, fiction. Prizes : 1st-$100, 2nd-$50, 3rd-$25. Deadline : December 20, 2023.

Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest . Restrictions : Registered undergraduate full-time Juniors or Seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States. Genre : Essay Topic: What challenges awaken your conscience? Is it the conflicts in American society? An international crisis? Maybe a difficult choice you face or a hard decision you had to make? Engage us. Enlighten us. Explore the ethics of any problem, question, or issue, whether close to home or in the world at large. We are eager to learn from you. Prize : First Prize $10,000, 2nd Prize $5,000, 3rd Prize $3,000, two Honorable Mentions $1,000 each. Deadline : December 29, 2023.

VCU Cabell First Novelist Award . Genre : First novel published in 2023. No self-published books. Prize : $5,000. Deadline : December 30, 2023.

Shady Grove Literary . Genre : Any style, genre, tone of flash fiction. Length: 300 words max. Prize : $100. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

PEN Prison Writing Contest . Restrictions : Anyone incarcerated in a federal, state, or county prison is eligible to enter. Genres : Poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction. Prize : $25 — $250. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions : The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre : Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes : $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence . Restrictions : Emerging African American writers. Genres : Short story collection or novel published in the current year. Prize : $10,000. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition . Genre : Fiction. Short story of interest to Jewish women. Prize : $300. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

The Writers College: My Writing Journey Competition . Genre : Essay on the theme: The best writing tip I’ve ever received. 600 words. Prize : $200 (R2 000 or £100). Deadline : December 31, 2023.

The AIIRA Writing Contest . Restrictions : Open to all high school students. Genre : This season, we’re asking you to think about a career you’d like to have in the future. How will AI affect your role in that job within the next decade? How will AI benefit your career, and what responsibilities will become redundant due to AI? You can submit an essay exploring this topic and write a fictional scene depicting how your intended career may look ten years from now. Prize : First Place: $500 USD; Second Place: $400 USD; Third Place: $250 USD. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Iridescence Award . Restrictions : Open to literary or visual artists of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color Community. Genre : Fantasy, folk mythology, science fiction, and the paranormal. Short fiction, poetry. Prize : Up to $500. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognizes outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures. Awards are given for both fiction and nonfiction. Prize : $10,000. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Griffin Poetry Prize . Genre : Poetry. To be eligible for the prize, a book of poetry must be a published first-edition collection (i.e. not previously published in any country), written in English, or translated into English, by a poet/translator from any part of the world, including Canada. Entries must come from publishers only. Inquiries about entries must also come from publishers only. Prize : The winner will receive C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets will each receive C$10,000. Deadline : December 31, 2023 for books published between July 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

The Lyric College Poetry Contest . Restrictions : Open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Genre : Poetry. Prize : $500. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Neil Postman Award for Metaphor . Sponsored by Rattle. Genre : Poetry. All published submissions during the year are considered for the prize. Follow their regular submission guidelines. Prize : $2,000. Deadline : December 31, 2023. Read more about the award HERE .

The Caribbean Writer Prizes . Genre : Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays or one act plays which explore the ideas resonating within the region and its diaspora, written by a US or UK Virgin Islands resident accepted for publication by The Caribbean Writer during the deadline year. 2023. See theme . Prize : $300 — $600. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award . Genre : Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize : $500 and publication in Meridians Journal: feminism, race, transnationalism. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition . Restrictions : Open to students enrolled in programs leading to the Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree. Genre : Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

The Four Quartets Prize . Genre : unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were brought together and they form a complete sequence. Prize : Three finalists will receive $1,000 each. The winner will receive an additional $20,000. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Hooks Institute National Book Award . Genre : Nonfiction book that best furthers understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement and its legacy. Prize : $1000. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Dolors Alberola Poetry Prize . Genre : Full-Length poetry collection. Prize : Winner receives translation to another European language; publication of the collection (bilingual edition); 50 copies; and royalties. Finalists receive publication of the collection (Spanish edition), 10 copies of the book, and royalties on Publisher’s edition and subsidiary rights. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

The W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. Genre : Military fiction. Prize : $5000. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Tartts Fiction Award . Restrictions : Open to Americans. Genre : Short story collection. Prize : Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous library binding and trade paper editions. Winning entry will receive $1000, plus their standard royalty contract, which includes 60 copies of the book. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

#GWstorieseverywhere . Genre : Micro fiction or essay on theme of Instability. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize : Free Gotham class. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

The Drabble Harvest Contest . Genre : Drabble on theme of “Alien Fetishes.” A “drabble” is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words — but no more than 15. Prize : $5. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association . BCALA presents four awards to an African American writer published in the United States during the previous year: one for adult fiction, one for nonfiction, one for a first novelist and one for poetry. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. Prize : Four $500.00 awards. Deadline : December 31, 2023.

Lex:lead Essay Competition . Restrictions : Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre : Essay: How effective have laws protecting the rights of children been to reduce poverty and support economic development? How could they be improved? Prize : $500 scholarship. Deadline : December 31, 2023 ( Must have registered by October 31, 2023 )

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to “revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful.” Genre : Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize : $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline : December 31, 2023. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

Written by Erica Verrillo

Helping writers get published and bolstering their flagging spirits at http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/

More from Erica Verrillo and Curiosity Never Killed the Writer

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David McCullough Essay Prizes

Programs & events, student opportunities.

David McCullough at Trinity School in Manhattan, October 15, 2019

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is now accepting submissions for the 2024 David McCullough Essay Prizes. The contest has been recently overhauled, and will recognize fourteen outstanding high school student research and interpretive essays with cash prizes of up to $5,000. This contest is named in memory of David McCullough (1933–2022)—a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and Gilder Lehrman Life Trustee—and honors his career telling America’s stories and examining its histories. Learn more about his life and legacy here .

High school students attending schools in our Affiliate School Program are eligible and encouraged to participate. (Email [email protected] if you are not sure whether your school is an Affiliate School.) They are invited to submit an original essay, written independently or for a 2023–2024 class, that has been revised, expanded, and adapted to conform with the new McCullough Prize specifications. The two essay categories are as follows:

Research Essay: Students are invited to submit a research essay incorporating primary and secondary sources on a topic in American history from 1491 to 2001.

Interpretive Essay: Students are invited to submit an interpretive essay focusing on close reading and analysis of one primary source from American history, 1491 to 2001, in the Gilder Lehrman Collection of more than 85,000 historical documents.

More requirements for both essay categories can be found in these updated David McCullough Essay Prizes 2024 Rubrics .

All participants will receive a certificate of participation suitable for framing. Prize winners in each of our two categories—research essays and a new interpretive essay category—will receive cash awards as follows:

• 1st Prize: $5,000 (plus a $500 prize awarded to the school)
• 2nd Prize: $1,500 (plus a $500 prize awarded to the school)
• Five 3rd Prizes: $500 each

To be considered for the David McCullough Essay Prizes, students, or their teachers or parents, can submit the student entry by 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, June 28, 2024 . A panel of Gilder Lehrman master teachers will choose the pool of finalists, from which a jury of eminent historians will choose the winners. Essays will be evaluated for their historical rigor, the clarity and correctness of their style, their use of evidence, and their qualities of empathy and imagination. Winners will be notified and announced no later than Friday, September 13, 2024.

Submit Essay

General Requirements

Font and Page Style: Papers should be submitted in 12-point, Times New Roman font with one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides. Essays should be free of teacher commentary or other notes.

Organization: Top essays have an introduction, body, and conclusion and a clearly stated, well-developed thesis statement with supportive historical evidence.

Essay Topics: Essays can be on any topic related to American history from 1491 to 2001. Essays in the interpretative category must feature a primary source (letter, broadside, art, political cartoon, speech, etc.) from the Gilder Lehrman Collection .

Past Winners

Read the winning essays submitted by previous years’ contestants.

2023 Contest Winners 2022 Contest Winners 2021 Contest Winners 2020 Contest Winners

Follow in the steps of these Past Winners and submit your entry today!

Stay up to date, and subscribe to our quarterly newsletter.

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Immerse Education Essay Competition 2024

Deadline: September 12, 2024

Applications are open for the Immerse Education Essay Competition 2024 . The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a question of their choice relating to a subject of interest. There are over twenty questions to choose from which can be found in the full Essay Competition Guide. 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship to study at a world-leading university of their choosing. Outstanding runners-up also receive partial scholarships.

Participating in the competition comes with the following perks:

• Funded scholarship to study abroad:  The essay competition offers students like you the chance to win a full or partial scholarship to one of their Online Programmes or residential programmes in locations such as Oxford, Cambridge, Sydney, London and more.
• Ongoing support from Immerse while you write:  Full support from the team as you write your essay, with free guides and top tips to help you along the way. Sign up to receive the full Essay competition Guide and free tips and tricks as you write.
• Demonstrate what you know:  The competition is a chance for you to demonstrate your content knowledge by answering advanced university-style questions.
• Build your skills and knowledge:  The opportunity to apply and advance your essay writing skills. You will likely learn something new in the process!
• Develop your self-discipline:  A chance to strengthen your self-discipline as you commit to a challenging project and complete it from start to finish.
• 1st Place: 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship.
• Runners Up: Runners Up will be awarded partial scholarships of up to 50% to study their chosen subject with Immerse. The number of runners-up will be determined by the number of entries received and the quality of the work submitted. The next category of entrants who are not runner-ups receive partial scholarships worth up to 20%.

Eligibility

• The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to students worldwide of all nationalities.
• You must be aged between 13-18 during your chosen programme.
• Be interested in all subjects, from Architecture to Medicine, Creative Writing to Film Studies.

Application

There is no entry fee and you do not need to have already enrolled onto any of their programmes to take part in the essay competition.

Register your Interest here and Apply here !

For more information, visit Immerse Education Essay Competition .

Jude Ogar is an educator and youth development practitioner with years of experience working in the education and youth development space. He is passionate about the development of youth in Africa.

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Essay Contest

JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to encourage the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers.

Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: 

High School:  students and home-schooled students enrolled at the high school level during the contest year

College/University:  students enrolled in at least six credit hours of course work at a junior college, college, or university during the contest year

• Graduate School:  students enrolled during the contest year in at least three credit hours of graduate course work at a college or university leading to an advanced degree 

Membership in JASNA is not required to enter the contest.

2024 Contest Topic

Resolved: That Jane Austen’s novels are still relevant and speak to us after 200 years .

In the first part of the essay you should attack this claim; in the second part defend it. You will be expected to back up each position with quotations and examples from Austen’s works. High school students must cite at least one novel; undergraduate and graduate students will be expected to cite at least two. Citing Austen’s unfinished works is also permitted.

Teachers and Mentors Please help us spread the word about the Essay Contest.  Download the 2024 contest flyer  to display in your classroom and distribute to interested students.

Submissions

The deadline for submissions is Thursday,  June 1, 2024 . We will begin accepting entries online in February 2024. In the meantime, it is essential that you  visit the  Submissions  page to learn about the contest rules and eligibility requirements before entering.

Essay Contest Awards

• First Place:    $1,000 scholarship, plus free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s upcoming Annual General Meeting . (Transportation to the conference is not provided.)
• Second Place:    $500 scholarship
• Third Place:   $250 scholarship 

Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen's novels. 

Please review the   Essay Contest FAQs . If you still have questions, please contact Meg Levin at   essay-contest@jasna.org . Use “JASNA Essay Contest” in your subject line.

Submission Guidelines ›

Learn about Essay Contest rules and formatting requirements.

Essay Contest FAQs ›

Get answers to frequently asked questions about the contest.

Winning Essays ›

Read the insightful essays that placed first, second, and third in past Essay Contests.

Support for the Essay Contest is provided by the J. David Grey Fund in honor of JASNA's co-founder.

“I am fond of superior society.”

Pride and Prejudice

About JASNA

The Jane Austen Society of North America is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. JASNA is a nonprofit organization, staffed by volunteers, whose mission is to foster among the widest number of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius.  We have over 5,000 members of all ages and from diverse walks of life. Although most live in the United States or Canada, we also have members in more than a dozen other countries.

©2024 The Jane Austen Society of North America, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Winners of August 2022 – August 2023 Essay Contest

Dear participants! Ready your cheers, as the much-anticipated moment is here.

Phrases like gifted, exceptional, inventive, and forward-thinking best capture the essence of this year’s vast pool of essay contest entrants. Our gratitude runs deep for every single submission we’ve received. The entries showcased depth, captivation, allure, and engagement, posing a true challenge for our judges in their selection. However, after thorough deliberation, we are thrilled to spotlight our three top contestants:

Paige Bouchard – awarded $1,000 Tristan Toole – awarded $800 Celia Blackthorn– awarded $600

For memory’s sake, the essay topics were:

Topic 1: How would you classify the study habits? Topic 2: Describe the effect of a teacher, parent, or friend on your life. Topic 3: What are the effects of illiteracy? Please describe.

Your dedication to this competition has been commendable, urging you to keep up the momentum.

While the top three positions are occupied, remember, in our eyes, each one of you stands out. Best wishes in all your upcoming ventures, and we eagerly await your participation in our subsequent essay contest .

Stay in touch

BeeStudent.com provides professional, original and high-quality assignment writing services that are aimed at helping students with their research and writing needs.

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The Fountainhead Essay Contest

Students      >      Essay Contests      >    The Fountainhead

Annual Grand Prize

June 7, 2024

Summer Entry Deadline

Book Length

Interested in participating?

Fill out the contact form below, and we’ll email you with more information about this year’s contest—including instructions on how to enter.

Thank you for signing up!

We’ll email you more information about this year’s contest—including instructions on how to enter. In the meantime, please let us know at [email protected] if you have any questions. We’re happy to help.

What is The Fountainhead?

This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite…of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy…and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator.

As fresh today as it was then, Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress.

How It Works

Every three months there is a new seasonal entry round, with its own unique essay prompt. You may compete in any or all of these entry rounds.

The top three essays from each season will be awarded a cash prize. The first-place essay from each season will advance to compete for the annual grand prize.

The first-place essay from each season will be eligible to contend for the annual first-place title, with the opportunity to secure a grand prize of $25,000.

Challenging Essay Topics

Each entry round features a unique topic designed to provoke a deeper understanding of the book’s central themes and characters.

Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced.

Questions? Write to us at [email protected] .

• Summer Prompt
• Fall Prompt
• Winter Prompt

The essay prompt for our fall entry period has not yet been determined. We will post it here as soon it’s available.

The essay prompt for our winter entry period has not yet been determined. We will post it here as soon it’s available.

Grand Prize

Master our grading standards.

Essays are judged on whether the student is able to justify and argue for his or her view, not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. 

Our graders look for writing that is clear, articulate, and logically organized.  Essays should stay on topic, address all parts of the selected prompt, and interrelate the ideas and events in the novel. 

Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of The Fountainhead .

Organization

Understanding, contest timeline, discover the power of the fountainhead.

What motivates a creative thinker?

Is it a selfless desire to benefit mankind? A hunger for fame, fortune, and accolades? The need to prove superiority? Or is it a self-sufficient drive to pursue a creative vision, independent of others’ needs or opinions?

Ayn Rand addresses these questions through her portrayal of Howard Roark, an innovative architect who, as she puts it, “struggles for the integrity of his creative work against every form of social opposition.”

Learn more and request a free digital copy of the book today.

Learn from Past Winners

Curious to know what makes for a winning essay in The Fountainhead  contest? Check out some of the essays written by our most recent grand-prize winners. 

To varying degrees, they all display an excellent grasp of the philosophic meaning of The Fountainhead .

See the full list of winners from our most recent contest here .

Jada Manaloto

12th grade student

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts

New York, New York

United States

John F. Kennedy High School

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Soo Yeon Chun

Deerfield Academy

Deerfield, Massachusetts

Cora Usurela

11th grade student

Thornhill Secondary School

Thornhill, Ontario

Shepherd International Edu.

Gangdong-gu, Seoul

South Korea

Lucas Pringle

Repton School

Repton, England

United Kingdom

Improve Your Writing Skills

Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback for essays submitted to its contests. However, we do recommend the following resources as ways to improve the content of your essays.

The Fountainhead

Writing: a mini-course.

Sign Up for Contest Updates!

Want to stay up-to-date on any new developments to the contest? Sign up to our email list below.

We’ll send you periodic reminders about the contest deadlines, as well as helpful resources to ensure you get the most out of your experience reading and writing about Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead .

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We've received your request for a free copy of The Fountainhead and will be emailing you details on how you can access it shortly. In the meantime, are you ready to begin the entry process?

Please enter your password below, either to create a new account or to sign in to your existing account for the contest. Once you're logged in to your account, you'll be able to save your entry progress and return later to complete it.

Hi, . Ready to enter the contest?

Now that you've logged in to your account, let's get you started on your entry for the contest. It's OK if you haven't finished reading the book or writing your essay yet. We'll save your progress for you to continue later.

Then, when you're ready to submit your essay, just return to our platform. Your saved entry will be right where you left off. So, why wait? Take the first step, and start your entry today.

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Articles & Advice > Financial Aid > Blog

CollegeXpress Easy Scholarship Contests and Winners 2023

CollegeXpress is back with more easy-to-enter, no-essay scholarship contests every month in 2023! Learn about new opportunities and see who's won here.

by CollegeXpress

Last Updated: Feb 5, 2024

Originally Posted: Jan 3, 2023

CollegeXpress is back with another year of easy scholarship contests for students! That’s right—we’re giving away more free scholarship money every month in 2023. They're super easy to enter—just create a free CollegeXpress account and answer our featured question in one word or sentence (we're talking stuff like “What’s your favorite color?” with no wrong answer!). After each month’s contest ends, one entry will be randomly selected to win—and any registered student from the US can win, even if you're not a college-bound senior yet! If you’re the lucky recipient, we’ll email you and add your name to this blog. Keep up-to-date each month with the list below, and be sure to bookmark this page to see who's won the latest contest.

January 2023

New Year, New Me Scholarship Contest

Amount:  $2,023 Question:  What is one new thing you hope to try in 2023? Deadline:  January 31, 2023 (closed) Winner: Katherin S., Class of 2025 Answer : I am working on becoming more fluent in Thai so I can confidently phone my family in Thailand.

February 2023

Thank Your Counselor Scholarship Contest

Amount:  $1,000 for you and $500 for your counselor Question: How has your school counselor helped you this academic year? Deadline: February 28, 2023 (closed) Winner:  Kelsea N., Class of 2023 (and counselor Keri Bowman) Answer:  My school counselor wrote a letter of recommendation in one day so I could finish my applications.

March Madness Scholarship Contest

Amount:  $1,000 Question: What is your favorite college mascot? Deadline: March 31, 2023 (closed) Winner: Adrianne C., Class of 2024 Answer:  My favorite college mascot is Brutus Buckeye from Ohio State University.

Self-Care Scholarship Contest

Amount: $1,000 Question: What is something you're doing to help you de-stress this semester? Deadline:  April 30, 2023 (closed) Winner: Emma F., Class of 2022 Answer: Knit!

Book Recommendation Scholarship Contest

Amount: $1,300 Question: What is a good book you'd recommend to a friend for the summer? Deadline: May 31, 2023 (closed) Winner: Cinthia B., Class of 2025 Answer:  Please Look After Mom is a novel about loss and understanding people who are close to us.

School's Out Scholarship Contest

Amount: $1,000 Question: What are you most excited to do this summer? Deadline: June 30, 2023 (closed) Winner: Kaitlyn L., Class of 2024 Answer: I am most excited to spend time with my parents, grandmother, and cousins this summer.

iPad Summer Giveaway

Prize:  Brand-new 10 th -Generation iPad Question: Which phone app do you use the most and why? Deadline:  July 31, 2023 (closed) Winner:  Angie P., Class of 2027 Answer: The phone app I use the most would be Instagram and Messages, in order to communicate with friends.

August 2023

Summer Song Scholarship Contest

Amount: $1,500 Question: What is your favorite song to listen to during the summer? Deadline: August 31, 2023 (closed) Winner: Laylah L., Class of 2024 Answer: " Good Days" by Sza is my favorite song because it reminds me that good days are soon to come.

September 2023

Back-to-School Scholarship Contest

Amount: $2,000 Question: What is your favorite subject in school? Deadline: September 30, 2023 (closed) Winner:  Mackenzie H., Class of 2024 Answer:  My favorite subject is math. I am a numbers person and like knowing there is only one answer.

October 2023

Candy corn contest.

Amount:  $1,000 Question: Is candy corn tasty or is it trash? Deadline:  October 31, 2023 (closed) Winner: Lauren K., Class of 2024 Answer:  Tasty

November 2023

Holiday Wishlist Scholarship

Amount:  $500 Question: What’s the #1 gift you would like to receive this holiday season? Deadline:  November 30, 2023 (closed) Winner: Kelsey C., Class of 2024 Answer: College dorm necessities

December 2023

Winter Break Scholarship

Amount:  $2,000 Question: What’s the best way to spend your time during winter break? Deadline:  December 31, 2023 (closed) Winner: Emma R., Class of 2024 Answer:  Cherishing the time I have left and hanging with my friends before I graduate while I have the chance.

I've already created an account—how do I enter?

If you're already part of the CollegeXpress community, you can find the application for each new monthly offering on the  Featured Scholarships page  when you’re logged in to CollegeXpress—there’s no need to register again. And if you’re not this month’s winner, there will be another chance to win next month! The deadline for each contest is the last day of the month, and we’ll pick and contact the winner soon after. This could be your year to win. Best of luck!

2023 may be over, but we have even more easy scholarship opportunities in the new year! Check out CollegeXpress Easy Scholarship Contests and Winners 2024 for 12 more chances to win.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

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$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2013

CollegeXpress has tremendously helped me in my search for financial aid opportunities as I enter my college career. It is easy to navigate and quickly narrowed down scholarships that I could apply for. Being awarded the scholarship will greatly help me in my finances regarding books and tuition. Thank you for this opportunity. Without CollegeXpress, it would have been more difficult to apply. I would recommend this site to everyone!

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Essay Competition: Win a 100% Scholarship With Immerse Education

Take part in the Immerse Education Essay Competition for your chance to win a full or partial scholarship to our university and career preparation programmes

12th September 2024: Submission Deadline

Competition Open

full scholarships Awarded each year

entries each year

Share Your Success

Scholarship Award Certificate PDFs For Winners

What is the Essay Competition?

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a question of their choice relating to a subject of interest. There are over twenty questions to choose from which can be found in our full Essay Competition Guide. 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship to study with us at a world-leading university of their choosing. Outstanding runners-up also receive partial scholarships.

23rd February 2024

Competition opens

12th September 2024

Competition closes

17th October 2024

Results announced

January, July & August 2025

Programme dates

Who Can Apply?

• The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to students worldwide of all nationalities. You must be aged between 13-18 during your chosen programme.

10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship. Take a look at previous essay competition winners.

Runners Up will be awarded partial scholarships of up to 50% to study their chosen subject with Immerse. The number of runners-up will be determined by the number of entries received and the quality of the work submitted. The next category of entrants who are not runner-ups receive partial scholarships worth up to 20%.

Our Guest Judges

Programmes our scholarship can be redeemed against, reviews and winners, what do our alumni say.

I loved the little conversations we had when a question about the topic turned into explanations of the ethical, personal and economic issues that surround medicine. Overall, I found my lessons very beneficial. I know so much more about medicine and its different subsets, but also about what a career in medicine really looks like.

Immerse alumni, and scholarship winner

I could see that the essay competition was an incredible opportunity for international students to win a scholarship purely based on merit. More importantly, after doing some more research, I realised that the process for choosing winners was incredibly fair, that everyone would get an equal chance regardless of their socio-economic background, race, nationality, gender, etc.

100% Scholarship Winner

I enrolled because I wanted to expand my knowledge of physics and meet other people with the same interests as myself. Both of which I was successful in doing! My favourite aspect of the programme was the small class sizes – this helped both the tutor and students with learning and understanding the subject.

Immerse was very fun as well as useful. You were able to experience what it would be like if you studied here for university. The most beneficial part of the course was being able to see what International Relations is like, and it helped me decide what I want to study in the future.

My school invited everyone to participate, and the further I read about Immerse Education, the more motivated I was to enter the competition. Not only did I have the chance to study a subject I love, I would also be able to expand on my essay skills since writing has always been a passion of mine.

I really wanted to go to medicine summer school this year, and so I literally was searching for summer school opportunities and Immerse is one that came up. Through this, I found out about the essay competition and I decided to submit an answer. Immerse was very helpful whilst I was writing my essay, especially with things like the referencing guide.

I’m 16, so I’ve never written an academic essay before, so it was really important that I actually knew what I was doing in the first place and it definitely helped me with that. The programme so far has been very enriching. It’s helped me understand more about medicine and made me realise that this is what I want to do in life. Meeting new friends, tutors, and the mentors, they’re all amazing. My favourite things on the programme have been the evening activities, like murder mystery night. I am so happy to be able to have seen people that are like minded, and competitive as well. I really think that the tutors and the mentors have all been very supportive of me.

Academic Insights, Medicine

Hear From a Previous Scholarship Winner

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to entries from young people aged 13-18 interested in all subjects, from Architecture to Medicine, Creative Writing to Film Studies. However, students aged 18 should only submit an essay if they will still be 18 when the programmes the scholarships are valid for begin.

To confirm, if participants are successful, they should be aged between 13 and 18 at the start of their programme.

This current round of the essay competition is valid for 2025 Immerse Education programmes.

Immerse provides a full essay-writing guide which is sent to your email address once you register your interest in the competition. This guide includes a full list of essay questions, our essay specification, top tips for writing an academic essay, referencing guidance, our terms and conditions and guidance on plagiarism! Registering interest also ensures that you’re on track to submitting your essay on time, through a series of helpful reminder prompts. To support further you can register for our  webinars , which offer top tips and guidance with essay writing from our experts. You are also welcome to explore our  creative writing resources .

Funded scholarship to study abroad:  Our essay competition offers students like you the chance to win a full or partial scholarship to one of our Online Programmes or residential programmes in locations such as Oxford, Cambridge, Sydney, London and more.

Ongoing support from Immerse while you write:  Full support from our team as you write your essay, with free guides and top tips to help you along the way. Sign up to receive our full Essay competition Guide and free tips and tricks as you write. You can also follow us on Instagram and Tik Tok to get more useful essay writing tips.

Demonstrate what you know:  The competition is a chance for you to demonstrate your content knowledge by answering advanced university-style questions.

Build your skills and knowledge:  The opportunity to apply and advance your essay writing skills. You will likely learn something new in the process!

Develop your self-discipline:  A chance to strengthen your self-discipline as you commit to a challenging project and complete it from start to finish.

If you win a scholarship via the Essay Competition 2024/2025 you can use it toward any residential course in any of our locations. Use your scholarship to enrol on one of our renowned online programmes* or enriching in-person/residential summer school programmes in cultural melting pots such as Cambridge, Oxford, London or Sydney and more. * Essay competition schorlaships cannot be redeemed against online Intensive programmes.

No, there is no entry fee and you do not need to have already enrolled onto any of our programmes to take part in the essay competition.

The deadline for all essay entries for the last round of the competition is 4th January 2024. The next deadline will most likely be on 12th September 2024.

Register to receive free Essay Competition guidance

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. Register interest to receive your guide with the comprehensive list of questions including:

• – Essay Specifications
• – Top Tips for Writing an Academic Essay
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NPG IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF OUR 2023 ESSAY SCHOLARSHIP CONTESTS

• July 10, 2023
• Scholarship

NPG is pleased to offer challenging contests as part of our mission to enlist a new generation of activists who will be focused on calling attention to the dangers of population growth. We send our thanks to all of our members and friends who have so generously contributed, as well as our appreciation for the tens of thousands of students who have competed in our contests. It is your support and participation that make this critical program possible!

Please scroll down to see the winners from both our Essay Scholarship Contests!

2023 Graduate Students Essay Scholarship Topic

Experts from the U.S. Census Bureau predict U.S. population may reach 404 million by 2060 unless we change course. That means we may be living with an additional 70 million people in less than 40 years. What aspects of your life will be most affected by this growth? In order to protect our environment and quality of life for future generations, should the US government encourage policies designed to reduce growth to a smaller, truly sustainable, level?

Click on each name to view the text of the winning essay.

2023 High School Seniors & Undergraduate Students Essay Scholarship Topic

Experts from the U.S. Census Bureau predict U.S. population may reach 404 million by 2060 unless we change course. That means we may be living with an additional 70 million people in less than 40 years. What 3 aspects of your life will be most affected by this growth?

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$5,000 – The Donald W. Mann Memorial Scholarship for Population Studies  Alex Blake University of Nevada, Las Vegas

The world we inhabit contains finite resources that we depend on. As the population increases, the strain we place on both our limited resources and our infrastructure puts our livelihoods at risk. National policies should be implemented that aim to achieve an optimum population, sustain our finite resources, and improve the quality of life for our present and future generations.

Over the course of a century, the United States’ population has skyrocketed. The population grew from 111 million in 1923 to almost 340 million in 2023. As a result of advancements in medicine and accelerating migration, our carrying capacity – the maximum population size that can be sustained in an environment based on its available resources – has been exceeded. In his article, Way Too Many For Us , Hillel J. Hoffmann of Cornell University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology projected the U.S. carrying capacity to be 200 million. If the U.S. population is predicted to reach 404 million by 2060, our government needs to take action. This growth will impact many aspects of our daily lives by amplifying existing issues such as traffic congestion, resource depletion, and a competitive workforce. With regard to our society’s urbanization, an additional 70 million people would drastically increase commute times in a city that relies heavily on vehicular transportation resulting in lower air quality. Severe supply chain issues would arise from the projected population growth due to a heavier demand for limited resources similar to the global supply chain crisis we witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in automation and artificial intelligence has already impacted the workforce’s limited capacity. Finding good, secure jobs will become incredibly competitive with the increase in population. These issues merely scratch the surface of the impact our projected population growth will have without the proper policy implementation.

The United States has the highest immigrant population in the world with nearly 50 million as of 2020, which accounts for 15% of the population. The second largest immigrant population in the world is Germany with about 15 million. In 2020, the United States granted 707,362 people with lawful permanent resident status. This is a significant decrease from the typical average of over a million. According to Brookings, “the bulk of last year’s increase in population growth (about 86%) was due to a rise in immigration.” In an effort to achieve a sustainable growth in population, the rate of immigration should be limited to a drastically lower number.

As a democratic society, the United States government should not dictate the family planning of the general public. The decision-making needed to combat overpopulation will be driven largely by a general public that is well-informed. Ideally, the government’s role should be to inform people about the causes and effects of overpopulation and provide incentives to families that adhere to sizes suitable for offsetting population increase. Implementing such policies may not necessarily be a priority, however. U.S. census data indicates that fertility rates are at an all-time low with an average of 1.62 births per woman in 2020. Although the average family has reached a sustainable size, the sheer number of families is still a factor not to be overlooked. The policies the U.S. government should focus on are those that modernize our infrastructure by taking into account the population growth that has already taken place.

In order to protect our environment and quality of life, the foundation of our infrastructure needs to be restructured. Cities that solely rely on vehicular transportation are not sustainable for the growing population. Policies that fund public transportation and fixed-route transit services would benefit both the economy and the environment through their ability to serve the masses. According to the American Public Transportation Association, “an investment of $10 million in public transportation generates about $32 million in increased business sales” and creates tens of thousands of jobs. Public transportation can accommodate 90 to 100 times more people than individual automobiles which significantly reduces traffic congestion and air pollution. Policies that directly aim at removing air pollution would improve our quality of life and protect our environment for future generations. The U.S. government should prioritize our shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy such as wind and solar. Our reliance on non-renewable energy sources is detrimental as these limited sources of energy cannot sustain our growing population in the near nor distant future.

Reaching an optimum population will require a conscious effort from the general public and advocacy from the government through policy implementation. Responsible family planning as well as policies that limit immigration into the United States will aid in a gradual decline in our population growth. Having already exceeded our projected carrying capacity, it is crucial to also support policies that take into account our existing growth by addressing issues of infrastructure and sustainable energy. Quality of life is a notion that we should strive to improve upon for not only the present but more importantly the future.

$2,500 Veronica Irwin NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute

As a resident of San Francisco, I am acutely aware of the harm that population growth can inflict. San Francisco has been densely populated since its transition from a Gold Rush town in the late 1800s, and the constant influx of people in the time since has only exacerbated the issues we face as a small, coastal city. Every day, San Franciscans are reminded of the impacts of population growth on the local environment and cost of living, whether it be because of rising sea levels flooding the Embarcadero or crowds of homeless people filling the downtown core. Because of my experience living here, I have come to believe that proactive federal action is necessary to slow population growth to a sustainable level and save major American cities like my own.

One of the most significant problems that population growth has caused in San Francisco is the skyrocketing cost of living. As more people move to the city, the demand for housing increases, and landlords can charge exorbitant rents. San Francisco is constantly battling New York City for being the most unaffordable place to live in the country, leading to four decades of steadily increasing homelessness. Just between 2005 and 2022 homelessness increased 43.5% in San Francisco, according to the city’s official point-in-time counts. Many long-term residents are forced to leave the city in search of more affordable living arrangements. Meanwhile, those who remain put a strain on our public transportation system and housing supply, leading to overcrowding, transit delays, and rising crime that impact both residents and visitors.

Another major issue that population growth has created in San Francisco is environmental degradation. The city is already prone to natural disasters: earthquakes because of its proximity to major fault lines, fires because of a state-wide drought and the close proximity of buildings, and a shrinking coastline on all three exposed sides of the peninsula. But the construction of new buildings and infrastructure has destroyed green spaces the city is known for and native wildlife’s natural habitats, leading to a loss of biodiversity and increased pollution. The sheer number of people in the city has also put a strain on our water and energy resources, making it increasingly difficult to maintain a sustainable way of life. According to the New York Times, even San Francisco’s iconic fog is disappearing due to local climate changes.

Fortunately, there are solutions that the US government could implement to help mitigate the negative impacts of population growth on coastal cities like San Francisco. For one, metropolitan public transit systems could be provided with funding to extend further into city suburbs, making it easier for people to both work in the city and live in less densely populated areas. When the Bay Area Public Transit System (BART) was first designed, for example, it stretched deep into cities up to a 90-minute drive from San Francisco. If it had been developed as originally intended, and not had its plans shrunk due to lobbying from the automobile industry, many of the city’s workers could comfortably live in cities like Fremont, Santa Rafael, and Redwood City, nearly twice as far from the city center as the BART lines extend now. Tax breaks and other subsidies could also be used to further incentivize people to trade the commute for more space in the suburbs. The government could also invest in infrastructure and job creation in these areas to make them more attractive to potential residents.

Another solution would be to invest more in dense, affordable housing and transportation options in coastal cities like San Francisco. This would help alleviate some of the strain that population growth has put on our housing supply, reducing homelessness and the waste that comes with people living on the city streets. Additionally, dense housing has been shown to reduce households’ carbon footprint. A collaborative 2022 study from the New York Times and UC Berkeley, for example, showed that dense neighborhoods in Manhattan expended nearly 50 tons of CO2 less per household than more spread-out neighborhoods in the New Jersey suburbs. Additional investments in renewable energy and water conservation efforts, particularly via subsidies for more environmentally friendly systems in this dense housing, would improve this solution.

Finally, the government could implement policies that encourage people to have fewer children. This could be achieved through more public education campaigns that promote family planning and birth control, as well as through tax incentives for families that choose to have fewer children. Investments in reproductive health care would also make it easier for people to make strong, informed decisions about their reproductive choices.

Since moving to the city in 2019, I have witnessed the firsthand harm that population growth has caused. In fact, I’ve seen it accelerate in just the four years I’ve been here, as cost of living spikes post-pandemic and people return to the re-awakening downtown. Personally, I am frightened — not only for our population, as a whole, but for my own future ability to afford to live and work in an urban area.

From the high cost of living to environmental degradation, population growth has created a host of problems that must be addressed if we want to create a sustainable future for our communities. By enabling and incentivizing people to move to less populated suburbs, investing in dense affordable housing options, and encouraging families to have fewer children, the US government can help to reduce population growth and create a better future for all of us. It is time for us to take actions and protect our cities and our planet from the harmful effects of population growth.

$1,500 Leanne Deng Georgetown University

 A Call to Manage Overpopulation in the United States 

As an immigrant from China living in the United States and now a nurse working every day and caring for patients, I want to bring a different take to limiting population growth in the United States. Immigration for many people is life changing. It has personally given me the opportunity to move out of a tiny village in China, obtain my master’s degree in nursing, and now pursue a career as a nurse practitioner. It is hard for someone like me who was given the opportunities to be in favor of policies designed to reduce population in the United States because at least one of them would probably involve limiting immigration. However, based on the claims of experts from the U.S. Census Bureau that we will have a 70 million increase in population in less than 40 years, the United States will need to start incorporating policies to limit population growth in order for its residents to live quality lives.  

I believe legalizing abortion and providing individuals with additional education on the use of contraceptives would be a step in the right direction to mitigate overpopulation in the United States. I am fully aware that abortion rights are a whole separate battle with many other factors and cannot limit population growth alone. However, having abortion as an option would help maintain our population numbers and decrease abandoned children. I had a patient come from Texas to my hospital in Oregon for an abortion because it was illegal in that state. If my patient did not have the financial ability to travel, she probably would’ve kept the child and contributed to unwanted population growth. In a study of population growth in 116 of the world’s largest countries, the use of contraception and abortion was able to keep the growth rate low. The results showed that abortion is necessary but not sufficient alone to lower the growth rate. Legalizing abortion and promoting education of contraceptive use in high school would be beneficial in reducing our growth rate. 

I also agree that aspects of immigration should be limited such as stopping illegal immigration and prohibiting anchor babies. In 2016, about 250,000 babies were born to unauthorized immigrant parents in the United States making up 6% of the total birth that year. I strongly believe the United States should discourage unintentional fertility through high school education on the use of contraceptives and the high cost of raising children. The United States should also endorse families to limit their household to two children. I was born in China while the one child per household policy was in effect, and while it was harsh and radical, it did help China’s population become more sustainable. While I do not believe the United States should do something as harsh as China, I do believe the United States should provide more benefits for couples to have less children. This will help promote smaller families and help them financially. 

Slowly but surely, everyone will be affected by the large population surge in the next 40 years. Working in surgery, I am able to see how fast technology is advancing and that life expectancy has been longer than ever before. In the 1960s, the average life expectancy of Americans was 69.77 years old and currently it is at 77.28 years old with a slight decrease due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What will most likely happen is that we will expand our cities and there will be an increase in deforestation resulting in an increase in carbon dioxide into our environment. From a nurse’s perspective, losing even more trees and natural reserves which are healing to the mind and body can lead to an increase in mental health problems more than ever before. In a worldwide ecological study, deforestation was shown to be strongly associated with poor mental health including higher suicide rates. Aside from mental health, we will most likely also be living in overcrowded cities allowing contagious diseases to spread quickly. Decreasing our growth rate will slow down deforestation to expand our cities.  

I do believe the United States government needs to establish policies to prohibit illegal immigration and anchor babies while approving and supporting abortion rights for women and education on contraceptive use. The combination of these actions will help maintain our population, and from thereon we can promote proper education for families to prevent having more than two children per household, showing them health benefits. As an immigrant, I do support immigration through family reunification because I would never be the way I am without being raised in a nuclear family and having the support of both my parents. As a nurse, I believe population should be limited so we can slow expansion of cities and deforestation leading to mental health and stress with the loss of nature which can be healing for many. We need to look at the bigger picture and ahead for the future of our next generations and support limiting population growth.  

$1,500 Ashlyn Puckett Georgia State University College of Law 

The rush of millions of minds crowds the streets in Houston, TX.  Their metropolitan area boasts a population of over seven million and growing.  Almost 1.7 million immigrants and refugees call Houston home, which accounts for roughly a quarter of their population.  While these relocations have made Houston the diverse cultural center it is today, they have also threatened the wellbeing of the residents who live there.  Without a strict immigration policy, areas like Houston will become overpopulated.  To combat this, the United States should enforce a stricter immigration policy to prevent overpopulation, which would ultimately harm both the environment, and our citizens’ quality of life.

Although the fundamental idea of immigration is not a threat to the United States, the effects of it, should it continue in the proportions it is now, could lead to overpopulation.  Immigration is “a major driver of population growth” in the United States, meaning that decreasing the number of immigrants who come in will lower the population growth dramatically.  Especially because many of the immigrants who enter are illegal, improving security on the border could have great effects.  Contrarily, “the number of babies born in the U.S. hit its lowest level in more than three decades last year.” This further proves that the most efficient way to limit the U.S. population growth is by decreasing incoming immigrants.  If the number of babies born in the U.S. remains low, and immigration is slowed, then the U.S. will maintain a stagnant growth rate, allowing it to avoid many overpopulation related issues in the future.

Overpopulation both increases climate change and decreases one’s quality of life.  Climate change is, in part, fueled by the amount of people on the planet.  The industrial revolution occurred in the 19 th century, and sparked a wide culture of innovation, causing humans to use more of their natural resources.  Despite the industrial revolution, “if we had invented steam engines and coal- powered electrical grids and automobiles but kept global population at 1800 levels – climate change would be much less of an issue” In the 19 th century, population levels were much lower than they are today, meaning that the scale of pollution was much smaller.  With a reduced level of pollution, earth’s natural cycles could easily keep up with the waste created.  However, this is not the case today, as the global population has skyrocketed, so has pollution.  If the United States wants to remain, in terms of reference to other countries, one of the leaders in global environmentalism, keeping populations down is a necessity.  Another large effect of overpopulation is the lowered quality of life that comes with population density.  If the United States becomes too overcrowded, there will be a “rise [in] unemployment,” an increase of the cost of living, and “starvation, [will] become more likely.” Protecting the citizens of the U.S. from these occurrences can only be done through monitoring population growth.  Without it, there will be a dramatic decrease in the quality of life in the U.S, and in the quality of the environment. 

In order to protect the United States from the effects of overpopulation, the best policies to decrease illegal immigration include the use of E-Verify like systems, and the removal of dangerous foreign nationals.  Previous administrations have enforced the use of E-Verify, which “checks the social security numbers of newly hired employees against Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records to help ensure that they are genuinely eligible to work in the U.S.” By accounting for every employee’s eligibility to work in the U.S, employers help take a step to enforce documentation of immigrants.  Those that make it into the U.S. undocumented will find it difficult to be there and will thereby be encouraged to go through the legal immigration process.  Additionally, the U.S. should “arrest, detain, and remove criminals, fugitives, and other dangerous foreign nationals  by leveraging federal information […] and working with the Department of Justice to ensure more timely hearing of immigration cases and appeals.”  The U.S. immigration system has long been a part of its journey to one of the most powerful nations in the world.  It is important to keep this essential factor well-oiled and polished, even if it means enforcing verification systems and removing those who are illegally in the country.  By restricting illegal immigration, the U.S. will be able to lower growth rates and prevent overpopulation. 

With the global population projected to reach eight billion this year, the earth is reaching its carrying capacity. With a limited number of resources, it is vital that measures are taken to decrease population growth rates, not just in the United States, but across the globe.  However, as one of the most influential nations in the world, it is important that the United States takes this important step toward human survival. 

$1,000 Lorena Elizabeth Diaz Strayer University

Albert Einstein once said, “ Overpopulation in various countries has become a serious threat to the well-being of many people and a grave obstacle to any attempt to organize peace on this planet of ours.” (1) I wholeheartedly agree with him. In the United States’ overpopulation has become one of the most serious threats to the environment’s health, natural resources, ecosystems, and quality of life. Many factors contribute to this serious threat, the most impactful are uncontrolled immigration and higher birth rates. The United States government must make decisions and policies aimed at reducing population growth to preserve our country’s resources and quality of life for future generations. Failure to do so could have a destructive effect, including environmental deterioration, starvation, stress, and even violence.

Overpopulation and Immigration Crisis

According to Merriam-Webster, the term overpopulation is defined as “the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash.” (2) I believe that overpopulation occurs when there are no longer sufficient natural resources to sustain the lives of all people inhabiting the earth and still leave behind a healthy planet for future generations. To put this definition into perspective and give it the credence it deserves, I present data from the United States Census Bureau. According to data provided by the Unites States Census Bureau, as of March 2023, the total estimated U.S. population will have reached 334,545,826 people. (3) Their data further shows that the estimated population continues to increase exponentially every year. The chart below shows population growth in the U.S. over the past four years.

Additionally, the data from the United States Census Bureau suggests that a leading cause to the threat of overpopulation is immigration. Data from the United States Census Bureau indicates that there is precisely one migrant to the U.S. every 22 seconds .(5) At present, there is an alarming inflow of undocumented immigrants coming through the U.S. southern borders. For example, in my home state of Florida, there have been at least 8,000 immigrants apprehended on the waters off the coast of Florida since August 2022. (6) There are also examples of numerous immigrants who reach the shores of Florida by boat every day. Many times, these boats are left on shore for local authorities to dispose of, creating an environmental hazard. (7).According to Migration Policy Institute, in 2021 Florida had the third most immigrants of any state, at approximately 4.6 million. (4) Regrettably, it is not feasible for Florida to continue to accept everyone who wants to come in without extreme repercussions to the state’s natural resources.  

While immigration may have some positive impacts on our communities, such as providing skilled, documented immigrant workers who contribute to the health of the economy. Undocumented immigrants, on the other hand, bring more issues because they are not vetted and their ability to financially support themselves could be lacking. (6) This issue directly impacts our communities by way of unaffordable housing and overcrowded classrooms. Undocumented immigrants contribute to the issue of run-down neighborhoods, which in turn increases crime, pollution, and unsanitary living conditions. Not to mention, the tremendous strain on our local authorities and social services that do not have the resources to accommodate such a large influx of immigrants. (7) It is important for the health of our communities that the government take initiatives to make polices about reducing immigration on our shores.

It is also imperative that we acknowledge that higher birth rates contribute to the threat of overpopulation .(5) According to the United States Census Bureau, there is one birth every 9 seconds. (5) Impoverished areas are experiencing higher birth rates due to lack of educational resources. It is the government’s responsibility to conduct research and identify areas of need and provide free contraception and education for boys and girls. Education among young women and teenage girls can have several positive effects, including delayed motherhood, and an increase in labor force contribution. (9) The government must increase Its efforts to share information about family planning and expose myths about contraception. This will surely help with the high birth rate in the U.S, which is currently a leading factor in the threat of overpopulation.

Conversations about population control present ethical challenges, especially when referring to the number of children a household should have. However, we should not be deterred from having these conversations. In the end, these conversations could prove to have an everlasting positive effect on the topic of overpopulation that threatens our small world. Pope Francis once said, “Some people think that — excuse my expression here — that in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits. No. Parenthood is about being responsible. This is clear.” (8) I believe what the Pope was trying to say is that procreation should never be regarded as a requirement, and instead we must look outward and claim responsibility for choices in creating a family. Certainly, participating in responsible population growth is one of the most reliable and economic methods of helping our environment and securing a sustainable future.

Overpopulation is the biggest threat we are currently facing, and it will become a more complex issue in the coming decades. This issue has a devastating impact on the Earth’s limited supply of natural resources, and leads to problems such as environmental degradation and adverse effects on our forests and oceans. The biggest contributors to U.S. overpopulation are illegal immigration and higher birth rates in impoverished areas. Overpopulation negatively impacts our communities in many ways, including increasing pollution and contributing to the lack of affordable housing, which leads to homelessness and overcrowded classrooms. Recognizing the issue is not sufficient. The United States Government must act immediately and incessantly adopt policies to solve the issue before it worsens.

$1,000 Grace Katzmar Columbia University, Teachers College 

With a projected increase of 70 million people by 2060, the United States is facing a population growth crisis which would lead to increased damage to the environment and put further pressure on the housing crisis and the economy. On a personal level, my life as a teacher would be greatly impacted by population growth, as the American education system is already breaking under the strain of too much need, and too few resources. The American Government has a responsibility to enact policies intended to limit further growth to protect the health of the environment and increase equity and sustainable living for Americans.

As a teacher in American public schools, I have experienced crowded classrooms, with abysmally low funding and little support. The education system is on the verge of a breaking point, and it’s hard to imagine the additional stress an increasing population would put on already overwhelmed teachers. Between housing insecurity, hunger, poverty, environmental change, community violence and infrastructural decline, schools feel the ripple effects of all societal crises. With an increased population, the cost of housing, healthcare, and food would likely skyrocket, leaving communities in need with even fewer resources, and schools would be taking on even more responsibility to pick up the slack. For my students in New York City, the price of housing is already a severe problem in many of their lives, an increased population would only create more demand for housing, and fewer resources from educational and social agencies to support an increased number of students experiencing houselessness. The National Center for Education Statistics predicts that the number of students enrolled in American schools could double by 2100. Such an increase would be untenable under the current education system without government intervention to curb population growth and support American schools.

Based on my experiences as a teacher, I feel that the U.S. Government has a responsibility to enact policies designed to limit population growth in ways that increase quality of life for American citizens through greater access to women’s healthcare and education. The ethical dilemma in population growth policies lies in creating more access and more equity without violating human rights. The primary way to limit population growth while upholding equity would be universal support of women’s healthcare including affordable and accessible birth control methods, and nation-wide abortion access. By inhibiting women’s access to birth control and abortion, American women are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies, even in cases of rape and incest. With the power to make decisions about their own healthcare, even women without insurance could make the decision not to have children or have the agency to prevent unwanted pregnancy in the first place. Data from the University of Washington shows a significant link between the rise in contraceptive use and a decline in fertility rates in El Salvador, citing, “the country’s total fertility rate went from 5.44 births per woman in the mid-1970s — when 28% of women used birth control — to 2.72 births in the mid-2000s, when contraceptive prevalence had more than doubled”.  The solution to make contraception more accessible and affordable empowers communities while also addressing population growth.

Furthermore, more access to educational programs would empower Americans to make informed decisions about having children. Many people who have more than the average amount of children do so due to lack of other options. Societies with higher levels of education also have lower population levels. The public forum cites research from the Population Council which shows, overall, educated women have significantly fewer children than women who have not received formal education, “We’ve seen some astonishing transitions, especially in the 1970s in what were then poor countries where fertility rates fell when levels of education went up” (Murray).  There is a direct link between low birth rates and education around contraception and women’s health, but also when it comes to education in general.

When people are educated and have universal access to contraceptive methods, they can make more informed decisions about their fertility. Based on several studies on the link between contraception, education, and lower birth rates, I posit that creating educational programs surrounding women’s health and family planning, as well as offering universal and affordable contraception and access to abortion are positive first steps for the U.S. Government to take to address the threat of overpopulation.

$1,000 Brian Lum University of Arkansas

It is predicted in the year 2060, the U.S. population may reach 404 million. This should be an alarming number for everyone. It does not matter your political affiliation, background, economic status, or location. Everyone will be drastically impacted. That includes me. I will be forced into the effects of overpopulation.

My entire life has been spent in the most rural areas of Iowa or Arkansas. My lifestyle is an evolution of living rural and remote. At 47 years old, I now reside in an unincorporated community with a population of 223. Our community has one gas station, which is only open Monday through Saturday for eight hours each day. I can only see one house from any point on our five-acre property. On any day, there are less than a hundred cars that pass the house. One of the big factors that contributed to me and my wife, Jenn, choosing this property was its lack of population and attractions to the area.

  I am a technical trainer for a large thermoforming plastic company. At our facility, we produce food packaging made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Yes, the evil plastic is the means that provides my income.

  Now that the picture is painted of my current position, we can begin to complicate it with projections from the rapid growth of population.

  In the last couple of decades, Jenn and I have noticed the area between our small community and the larger metropolitan areas dwindling down. More and more farmlands are being turned into subdivisions. The forests are shrinking in size to accommodate for more businesses, housing, parking lots, and roadways. During late night drives, as we get closer to the city, the stars in the sky begin to disappear as the lights of the hustle and bustle take over the sky. At home, we can sleep with the windows open and only awakened by the sound of a cow, or one of our chickens, that has an apparent internal broken clock. When at a friend’s house in the city, there is the constant noise of a sleepless population.

Our meals are usually food provided by our farm or neighboring farms. With several farmers in the area selling fresh from the farm products, traveling to the grocery store is minimized. These farms have been in their families for many generations and have provided their livelihoods. As word runs rapid through our community when someone sells their farm to developers, conversations are started. Questions are asked about when it reaches us, what will happen. Will we sell? Will we be forced into buying our meat, vegetables, milk, and eggs from some big-name store that buys from big producers? Will we be the last generation of farmers in our family?

  The company I work for has been growing at record rates in the last decade as the demand for food packaging has increased at a parallel rate as population. This might be the only positive impact population growth has for me. However, irresponsibility of recycling is a huge problem. A large part of our product is made with post-consumer recycled material. The unfortunate side, some of our customers require that their products be made with 100% virgin materials. The most common reason is for the appearance of the packaging. It saddens me to think the product we produce can be recycled repeatedly, making a small mark on our environment, but there is a huge part of the population that either does not care or do not have a means of recycling reusable products. Our product, when mishandled, will end up in a landfill for 500-700 years. This is outrageous and action need to be taken.

What is the approach to protect the night sky, farm to table foods, silence in the night, the trees, the animals, and the environment? Should the government intervene and make aggressive policies to push change? I am a “less government is better” kind of guy, but not in this case. I support policies to reduce growth to a smaller, truly sustainable level. I wish there were other avenues to consider and try, but I am convinced that most businesses and individuals are selfish in their approach to environmental conservation. As a teacher, I see how difficult it is to impress an idea on someone that is not affected immediately or directly and must resort to changing company policies and procedures to force team members to abide.

What will my life look like in 40 years? Well, I imagine my 87 year-old self will no longer be able to live the rural life I love and crave. I am sure I will have neighbors living in my backyard (in my front and side yards also). My diet will consist primarily of processed and packaged foods. I could see noise pollution will be unbearable. Crime, I do not even want to think about crime. Clean water problems will become the norm for our area. Resources will be depleted and scarce. It will be a different world entirely forced to change by overpopulation. It will not be the “good ole days” any longer.

$1,000 Michael Soaries Union Theological Seminary New York

I moved into the community in which I now live approximately 25+ years ago. It was a mixed income community and a diverse population. While there were still the problems of race, gender, economics, I think the relative small size, coupled with a demographic who lived and engaged through the 1960s, allowed for a better working out of these issues. However, over time gentrification set in and the population increased as well as became less diverse. This has resulted in some issues that I believe correspond to the projected increase in world population.

A simple change has been more buildings needed to house more people. This means constant construction, closing of businesses for space, and increased rents and property values as well as noise and other pollutions. Then there is the increase in automobile traffic resulting in jams on the two main avenues at the going to work and coming home from work hours – as well as the school pick up and drop offs that result in congestion nightmares. More cars also mean more pollution which means more breathing and other related health problems that then contribute to an even larger flow into the emergency rooms for treatments. Health costs are enormous.

Add to that the after-pandemic affects of workforce changes, the struggling economy that is seeing tech companies dropping thousands of jobs and with a population increase that will only fuel potentials for fighting over already limited resources – we see this already playing out with immigration fights in the US and other countries.

Other qualities of life will definitely be impacted. We will need to manage resources much better. We’ve seen in the past in some African countries where the problem of hunger could have been alleviated much quicker had the obstacles to the needed resources getting in been dealt with. We already have an historic model for what can happen if we don’t become more aware, on an individual basis, of how we use and misuse resources. Hungry people eventually will not sit and wait for food. They will get up and go to where they think it is and not always peacefully. Can the US military withstand an onslaught of hungry people banging at the doors of the great wall? Maybe for a time but not forever. Especially when some of the hungry are within the wall itself. We already see the negative results of the political infighting, the racial divides, the gender gaps have on our way of life. Multiply that by 100 and add in unemployed anger, hungry children, the elderly, desperate people and it is a mess.

I’ve seen the stress growing up in low income black communities plagued with food deserts, a scarcity of jobs, over policing, overcrowded and underfunded schools – a mismanagement of resources in the sense that it generally was just a matter of time before a match was struck and somebody or group of bodies exploded in a rage that threatened to consume even the little that was there.

With advancements in technology I am not sure we would go back to that but I don’t know. Larger populations also mean a larger divide between the haves and the have-nots. Personally, I don’t believe in a war on the rich. However, as tempers get strained, as the competition for work gets greater and jobs harder to come by the have-nots will look to the haves and see them as the cause. And the haves will probably already put in place mechanisms of protection because psychologically it seems harder to give up money than to share.

We also have a model for population control already in place. China has been struggling with this for years. Their one child rule may have seemed like a good idea at the time to control growth but it has resulted in a deficit of people able to contribute to the economy and an increase in people aging out of the economy. According to an article on Forbes.com:

“The key demographic in this regard is the relative size of the country’s working population. Because China’s one-child policy has over time come to limit the human resources available to support the country’s dependent population, largely China’s elderly, the nation will lose much of its ability to invest for future growth. The figures are stark. According to United Nations (UN) demographers, China’s workforce has already begun to shrink absolutely even as the country’s dependent elderly population has continued to grow rapidly. Of course, labor power is not the whole story. Technological advances and productivity increases will allow a more efficient use of China’s available human resources, but the demographic situation will nonetheless limit Beijing’s options, especially when it comes to the huge development projects that have awed so many around the world, including the so-called “Belt and Road,” as well as China’s military buildup.”

Here we can see that China has a problem. We also get a sense that they recognize it and have implemented some strategies of resource management that might prove a better solution than population control. By the way, China has increased the amount of children couples can have to three, a concession of sorts.

All that being said I do believe that governments, particularly the US government should continue to encourage policies that support slower/smaller more sustainable growth, with a heavy emphasis on educating individual members in regards to their impact and role in the process. I as an individual have had and continue to have to learn that my individuality is not endless. What I do impacts others here and in other countries. As what others do impacts me. Understanding what that means and then how to translate that into meaningful actions is where education and support might make the biggest difference.

$2,500 Peter Sloniewsky Georgetown University

Among all of the other crises facing the members of my generation, few receive less attention than the impending reality of overpopulation. In the United States, a country defined by its existing inequalities, the consequences look dire for those unable to afford an escape. For myself, as an individual beginning my college education next year, the progressing tides look to threaten not only my potential for a secure livelihood but also that of my children.

The earth is groaning beneath our feet, and we must learn to walk more lightly upon it.

 – John Muir, “My First Summer in the Sierra”

Overpopulation seeks to threaten the most existential threat faced by those in my generation: the effect of humanity on the Earth’s climate. People generate waste; more people will result in increased usage of goods and needs for energy, which will lead to increased pollution and depletion of our natural resources. Some have declared that the climate disaster is already here; we are already beginning to see unprecedented increases in the frequency and intensity of massive storms and extreme weather events, and overpopulation threatens to accelerate that environmental decline by a significant margin. It is a sincere possibility that more than four hundred million Americans, including myself, will live in a world, within forty years, both unrecognizable and significantly less habitable than the one we enjoy today.

We have lived our lives / in the shadow of towering buildings / Where the air is thick with the smell / of fear and despair.

– Langston Hughes, “The Dream Keeper and Other Poems”

As the population expands, the inequalities which divide America today have no clear future beyond expansion. A lack of effective social services, housing, and infrastructure lead to diaspora and widen the gap between rich and poor. Additionally, a significant expansion of population increases demand for jobs that may just not exist, as it is likely that job market growth will not be able to compete with rapid changes in population. As the gap between rich and poor widens as well, those in areas which cannot support their populations will crumble, exacerbated by climate change. The economic decline which grows from a trend of stressed industrial systems and local economies will undoubtedly come to affect me in a personal way, in part due to the economic vulnerability attached to this period wherein I am meant to be spent acquiring the wealth which will secure my future.

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere / The ceremony of innocence is drowned.

– W.B. Yeats, “The Second Coming”

Lastly, the strain of increased population will perhaps most prominently and decisively manifest itself within my life in social tension, namely through the spread of disease, increased crime, and an increase in competition for important natural resources. Correlations are clear between overpopulation and groups with a high tendency to spread disease not unlike the pandemic which so powerfully affected my upbringing. Increases in crime as cities begin to crowd even further are inevitable, which has the potential to fuel political fires and inflammatory rhetoric. Competition for natural resources, now depleted even further, will become rampant to serve to reinforce our socioeconomic divides and distinguish the rich from the poor even more distinctly from today.

It is easy to diminish the problem of overpopulation as alarmist, or simply not an issue of extreme concern in a period of time which seems plagued by an infinite list of catastrophes. However, this dilemma holds the potential to severely diminish the futures of myself and others my age as we grow up in an America which cannot give as much as we take.

$2,000 Curtis J. Halpin Penn State University 

Annihilation by Population

The time bomb is ticking with every heartbeat that is created.  The predicted increase of 70 million people by 2060 in the United States will have a detrimental effect on not only our country, but the citizens that populate our borders.  Life is defined by balance.  Actions have their consequences.  Over the next several years, balancing the demands of a growing population will put a strain on the limited resources of the United States.  When the seesaw of the ecological balance is overthrown by the density of a growing population, harsh realities such as pollution, urbanization, and increased conflicts will begin to arise. 

For the past 16 years, I have had a front row seat to the pyrotechnic display from the coal powered steam plant five miles from my house.  Daily, I can watch the white plumes of pollutants released from the towering, cannon-like smokestacks.  According to the EPA, these pollutants contribute to the decline of the ozone layer and numerous health issues.  Not only are hazardous chemicals being released into the air, the chemicals found in coal ash are also imposing health and environmental problems.    In the year 2014, the harms of coal ash became personal.  A spill at a retired Eden, NC power plant carried between 50,000 tons and 82,000 tons of cancer-causing chemicals and hazardous pollutants to my doorstep.  The effects of this accident and the tons of coal ash that are still stockpiled in the United States will continue to pose health issues, environmental hazards, and increased consumer electrical costs well into our future. 

The density of a growing population has erupted through rural towns across the United States.   Urbanization is spreading at an uncontrollable rate.  It is predicted by 2040 that North Carolina will be ranked second in the United States for losing the most farmland to urbanization. Urbanization does not just result in the loss of land, but it creates a demand for infrastructure to support the growing neighborhoods.  Our local high school enrollment exceeds the size of the building and has entire grade levels housed in trailers.  The local communities are funding regional water studies to identify outside water supplies.   Several areas of North Carolina experienced rolling blackouts in December because the local grid was not able to handle the power demand.   As urbanization continues to spread, the chances of dark hours, crowded spaces, and increased water costs will haunt our future.

In addition to the infrastructure conflicts that are caused by population growth in our borders, vast worldwide conflicts are experienced on a global scale as we compete for more crude resources.  Already, wars are being fought in the Middle East and other regions for these resources.  The war in Ukraine is centered on acquiring more land and control of a nuclear power plant.  The hunger for more, as the result of starvation and destruction, will come at the cost of lives being lost in conflicts and the annihilation of nations. 

Power versus waste byproducts, urbanization versus farmland, conflicts versus resolutions – the predicted population growth by the year 2060 is the ticking time bomb threatening our ecological seesaw.  Our actions, inventions, and technological advancements that have enabled our population to grow may ultimately seal our fate by 2060.   If nothing is done now to counterbalance, our demands will continue to come at a cost that is higher than our earth can afford.

$2,000 Amanda Jorjorian-Furcho Valencia College 

The Effects of an Increased Population on Florida Beautiful

Earth, air, fire, and water. Four elements that are essential to life as we know it. As the world population increases, we are the puppeteers in the delicate balancing of the stresses placed on these elements. On a personal level, a population increase would negatively affect my life within earth, air, and water elements. Looking ahead nearly 40 years, the U.S. population is predicted to reach 404 million adding additional pressure on my home state’s natural resources and ultimate quality of life. The first element – water surrounds the state on three sides and is one of the most essential elements to life.

Of the 71 percent of water on the planet, only about 0.3 percent is usable. Florida relies on water primarily from the Floridan Aquifer. This aquifer – one of the world’s most productive – is stressed with the current addition of 900 residents a day and could join nearly half of America’s water basins in experiencing significant water supply shortages in the next 50 years. A bird’s eye view would suggest the acceptance of a future without green lawns, but a closer look would showcase a future without water to clean dishes, take showers, limited access to water to drink and particularly for agriculture. Population growth would therefore have a detrimental effect on daily life and importantly as well, food supply.

Another aspect of my life that would be affected by population growth is air quality. I will be in retirement by 2060. Poor air quality can cause health problems towards humans, plants, and wildlife and research suggests that older adults are “more susceptible to air pollution-induced health effects”. An increased population means an increase in cars on the road and reduction in natural land or open space which has negative effects on the vibrant ecology of Florida.  

For example, without continued protection and investment towards a wildlife corridor and conservation of lands due to urbanization, I may see the extinction of animals, such as the Florida Panther in my lifetime due to a loss of habitat and biodiversity. To me, this is the earth element that is vital to my spirit, peace and ultimately my wellbeing.

Not only could a population increase see the loss of unique animals, place strain on the water supply and air quality but the natural beauty of Florida including its pristine springs, the Florida everglades, and miles of glorious beaches have the potential to be damaged by increased human activity. Couple this with climate change and sea level rise causing homes to be moved or built further inland, an increase in population in Florida will have unfavorable effects on my life quality, health, and wellbeing and not be sustainable in balancing the four elements to keep Florida Beautiful.

$2,000 Morgan Pursley University of Tennessee Chattanooga

In 2060 I will be 56 years old. If the population continues to grow at the expected rate, I imagine a world where healthcare will be harder to obtain, my children and I will be paying an unreasonable amount of taxes to support an overburdened education system, and my family and I will be facing water and food shortages.

I work at an Assisted Living. During the pandemic, there was such a shortage of beds at hospitals that our Covid positive residents would get turned away at the hospital, have to come back to the Assisted Living, and would pass away. The hospital could not support the amount of care that was needed, and if the population rises at the expected rate, it is unlikely the hospitals can support the rate of population growth, even when there is no disease or health crisis currently happening. Since the majority of population growth is coming from immigration, and non-insured people, The United States medical systems cannot continue to provide free services and stay in business.

My great Aunts are retired teachers in West Texas. They have witnessed firsthand the unbalance in resource allocation that it takes to get immigrant children up to grade level. Texas schools get their funding from property taxes. Because most illegal immigrants don’t own property or pay taxes, these school systems are forced to provide an unrealistic amount of educational resources to Spanish speaking children without the increase in funding to hire more teachers or other staff. The school system is legally required to provide Spanish translators for the children, leaving less resources to hire other staff or purchase supplies. In the next 40 years I believe the school systems all across the US will be experiencing the same burden that West Texas has faced for so long. My children and grandchildren will likely be taught by teachers who have to choose whether to help them reach their potential or get the immigrant children up to grade level. It’s not fair to give these immigrants false hope. We can’t sustain the education that we’ve been providing with the same amount of tax money if we have to provide interpreters for 30+ languages.

My Grandmother lives on 10 acres near Austin, Texas. She has a well. I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee and we have city water. It is easy when the city provides water to think that it is unlimited, but it is not. When they build new neighborhoods in Texas near my grandmother’s place, the underground water table gets depleted and there’s not enough water for everyone to drink, much less flush their toilets, take showers, wash their clothes, etc. People need to understand that water is not unlimited and we cannot make more of it. As the population grows exponentially, and the water does not increase, it is very likely that within the next 40 years, my family and I will face dire water shortages. Without enough water to sustain agriculture, the United States will likely face severe shortages in our food supply as well.

In conclusion, by the time I am 56, The United States will hopefully have found a way to stop the current rates of overpopulation. I want my children and grandchildren to inherit the quality of life I have been fortunate to have in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I am grateful to NPG for bringing a voice to the concern of overpopulation in America. The process of writing this scholarship has opened my eyes on the problems we face from overpopulation. I hope to carry this message forward for the rest of my life.

$1,500 Sebastian Henson Lake Forest College

How Will I Be Affected by Population Growth?

I don’t believe that any American can breathe fully without the touch of nature reminding us of our origins and gently guiding us on a path of calm, purpose, and joy. I certainly can’t­—when I sit in my yard, take a breath of fresh air, and listen to the cardinals’ songs, I am reminded of my place in life. In these moments, we forget that nature may not always be our guiding light. As the U.S. population is expected to grow by 70 million people in the next forty years, I can only expect to see increased habitat destruction, and see my connection with nature, quality of life, and health decrease.

Living in an area with limited access to open space and nature preserves, I cherish every nature excursion or glimpse of it. Open forests give me room for contemplation, learning, and joy. But these havens may not be available forever. Population growth invariably means loss of land and loss of natural habitat, leading to the most irreversible loss, the extinction of species. From 2000 to 2017, the U.S. population increased by 37 million, resulting in almost 12,000 acres of land developed due to population related factors. With a population growth of 70 million, developed land could be calculated to increase by almost 23,000 acres. It’s hard to imagine the implications of losing a portion of open space the size of West Virginia. I fear the day when I tell children tales about times when nature was abundant, and our nation was rich with biodiversity.

I usually think of the United States as a country with copious agricultural resources, and a shelter from dangers present in other parts of the world. But with the projected population increase, even this may be challenged. As population increases, so does America’s carbon dioxide emissions, which intensifies global warming. This has a multitude of results. When temperatures rise, certain crops cannot grow as well, become more vulnerable to weeds, and can even lose their nutritional value. Increased development may also decrease available farmland. Both factors can decrease agricultural output, potentially making quality food less accessible for my family. Beyond food impacts, additional global warming will cause natural disasters that are far more frequent than now. This will put more homes, including mine, in danger of destruction from storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, directly affecting my quality of life.

The increase will also affect our health. The COVID-19 pandemic put to light the dangers of a large population—heightened disease transmission and overcrowded medical facilities. As America’s cities become denser, we can only expect these problems to get worse. A population increase will also result in more pollution as there is a greater need for energy and consumer goods. This will result in lower air quality, which has been linked to numerous health conditions. Since I plan to become a physician, I anticipate that my career will be very different than those before me; there will be a greater focus on improving the health of a nation afflicted with overpopulation related illnesses.

All that said, there is always hope. With proper immigration, land use, and infrastructure legislation, as well as initiatives to educate on family-planning, it doesn’t have to come to this. Without intervention, however, we can expect to lose our connection with nature, safety and security, and health—all of which have been cornerstones of my life and pillars of our nation.

$1,500 Connor Karpilovsky St. Joseph’s University – Long Island

My Future in a Growing Population

Twenty-one. Twenty, one. No, I am not talking about the legal drinking age in the United States nor am I referring to the 2008, critically panned film of the same name. Vespa et al. (2020) of the U.S. Census Bureau project that the United States’ population will reach roughly 404 million people by 2060, from a roughly 332 million population in 2020 (p. 4). The “twenty-one” I was referring to is the growth of about 21.6% in the U.S. population that would occur, which would certainly change the world as we know and see it today. By analyzing these projections, I can better understand how such an increase would affect my everyday life.

One aspect of my life that would be impacted with a drastic population increase would, in my view, be the housing market. Living on Long Island, I am no stranger to a housing market that is inconceivably expensive, but if you add in a 21.6% population increase then I believe that will be a recipe for disaster. More people means an increased demand for housing, and thus an amplified market.  I believe that this projected population growth will only exacerbate the housing market crisis and make it even more difficult to purchase a home during my lifetime.

The food supply chain is another aspect of my life that would be impacted. We have seen shocks and constraints in the supply chain ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started back in 2020, so it is my assertion that a population increase of this magnitude would only create more shortages at local stores. Similar to the housing issue, additional people in the economy would equate to an increased demand for basic goods and if our supply chains are not improved upon in the next 40 years then that will pose a key problem. This would not only have a major impact on my own personal life, but it would have a wide-ranging effect on the entire country as people would start to struggle to find basic goods that we all consume.

Lastly, I believe the environmental impacts will be grave and dire with this population increase. Our country already has a tremendous number of issues with respecting our environment, ranging from pollution to worsening climate change to even just daily littering, all of which will continue to have negative environmental ramifications. This will affect me personally as it could mean the further destruction of parts of nature that I interact with and see daily. Spending time with my wife on Peconic Lake or traversing through the Pine Barrens could be ancient history if necessary actions are not taken to lessen the impact of a dramatic population increase.

A 21.6% increase in the population over the next 40 years would have a profound impact on a plethora of aspects of my life. If no changes are made in how we live our lives then there will be severe consequences for us all. It is my hope that we as a society can come together to ensure that such devastation does not happen for the betterment of, not only ourselves, but more importantly for future generations as well. We cannot keep pushing our problems to the side; we need to be the change that we want to see in the world.

$1,000 Simran Bhogle Irvine Valley College

In its prime, population growth was the machine that revolutionized America’s power in the world. The country bled with newfound potential and scared the rest of the world into submission. The economy strengthened and culture found its muse through the arts. Yet, this benefactor slowly but surely turned to a disadvantage. The bustling transportation and manufacturing changed the climate, polluted the waterways, and contributed to social inequalities. Although population growth caused an influx in American wealth, it slowly destroys our success now. As I look around the world in the future, the three aspects of my life most affected by population growth will be climate, pollution, and social inequality.

Climate is an incredibly important aspect of life because it determines the availability of crops and other valuable resources, but human overpopulation changes these delicately-set functions. Population growth has been identified as an immediate cause of greenhouse emissions. These emissions are increased due to “increased material extraction, deforestation, industrial agriculture,” and many other forms of man-made production.[1] These acts take massive tolls on Earth’s resources because there is an influx of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in the air. These acts would be necessary to support an overpopulated group of people, yet they would destroy nature’s balance with the resources and animals around it. This will affect my life along with others’ lives because we will face soul-blazing forest fires and unbearable weather conditions as long as overpopulation continues to harm Earth’s climate.

Along with greenhouse gasses released in the air due to overpopulation, there will also be added pollution. This will affect my life and others’ lives incredibly because pollution decimates the resources people can use for nutrition and recreation. As an example, “In 2004, 31 states had statewide fish consumption advisories in place because of toxic pollution.”[2] Since overpopulation leads to a lesser amount of fish, people would have to limit their consumption. In the future, this would not just apply to fish, but to a multitude of animals and plants that many people once enjoyed. Added pollution will be one of the largest effects of overpopulation in the future, which will affect my life greatly because there may be many shortages of goods once enjoyed around the world.

Along with climate change and pollution, social inequality would be a large aspect of the future due to overpopulation. When there is a lack of resources in the world, it becomes difficult “for low-income and lower-middle-income countries to commit sufficient resources to improving the health and education of their populations.”[3] This means that overpopulation would lead to a further imbalance in society in which people are limited in their ability to succeed. Without an equal playing field, people may lose hope in society and find a lack of joy in everyday life. This would be significant for my life and the lives of others because a life without hope of advancement would be unbearably bleak. If overpopulation continues at the rate predicted by the  U.S. Census Bureau, a lack of social and economic equality would be incredibly apparent.

As I look around the world in the future, the three aspects of my life most affected by population growth will be climate, pollution, and social inequality. Life would be surrounded by disastrous natural events due to climate change, scarcities of precious animals and plants, and social imbalances in society. In order to ensure a bright future filled with pleasant climate, an abundance of natural resources, and greater life satisfaction, we must take action to slow the population growth.

$1,000 Madelyn Heckert Portland State University

Not a Movie Title but Real Life: The Impending Crush of People in 2060

A few years ago, my dad’s company eliminated his job, and we moved in with my grandparents. The house was a decent size, but even so, my grandpa got really stressed out about the noise and the lack of privacy. There weren’t enough seats for everyone to sit at the kitchen table and there were never enough snacks. Eventually, my dad found a job, we moved out, and my grandparents got their quiet house back. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to solve when it’s not a house that’s overcrowded, but the whole United States. This country is expected to grow from 334 million people in 2020 to 404 million by 2060. If we don’t make changes to stop this from happening, the repercussions will be significant. I will be impacted by the resulting climate change, the shortages of resources, and the psychological distress of being stuck in a clown car from which there is no escape.

We’re already seeing climate change. We’ve known for a long time that human activities that create greenhouse gases like CO2 cause climate change. Adding more people will accelerate climate change. The results would be a catastrophic chain of events, causing weather-related crises and widespread diseases, threatening our health/overall well-being. I would have to suffer through more pandemics and more natural disasters, while watching sadly as habitats disappear and animals go extinct.

Remember how there were never enough snacks for everyone in my grandma’s house? Well, if the United States population grows to 404 million, the problem will be more than just a snack shortage. Demand for food in general will increase and food shortages like the kind we experienced during COVID will be common. Food won’t be the only commodity affected. We’ll have to change the way we collect and/or use water as it would be impossible to meet the growing demand. Virtually, everything we consume would be affected. When more people compete for a limited amount of something, like housing, prices skyrocket. I will likely spend a lot of time worrying over how to afford the necessities.

Another effect of population growth will be psychological. Dense neighborhoods drive up noise and crime, negatively impacting psychological well-being. It will be like that terrible crush of holiday traffic at the beginning of a long weekend, but instead it will be all the time, all year round. Every time you leave home, it will be like what happens when you leave a sports game; you’ll be surrounded by people, everywhere you look. In addition to the stress of overcrowding, there’s also the stress of the other effects – having to deal with climate change and its terrible repercussions, combined with the endless economic struggle of sky high prices.

It sounds like a survivalist movie – too many people and not enough water or food or housing – but it will be the reality of this country if we don’t make changes. Just like there weren’t endless amounts of chairs around my grandma’s kitchen table, there aren’t endless spaces here in the United States. We need to be careful to not overpopulate our planet so that all of the people living in the future have the same opportunities for health and well-being that people living right now have. Let’s make changes now before it’s too late.

$1,000 Domnica Reutov Portland State University

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts the U.S. population may reach 404 million by 2060. This increase in population creates a slew of problems, such as an increase in disease outbreaks, water insecurity, and an increase in emissions which contribute to climate change.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. As cases of COVID-19 increased, weaknesses in the United States healthcare system began revealing themselves. This, mixed with citizens’ reluctance to follow guidelines and the lack of coordination from government offices, proved that action needs to be taken to prevent future pandemics. “However, infectious disease outbreaks have been increasing over the last decades. The exponential growth of the human population has led to increased urbanization which accelerates epidemics, as was the case with COVID-19 in Wuhan” (Spernovasilis at el.). Overpopulation and urbanization go hand in hand. Densely populated areas accelerate disease outbreaks. This was very apparent in New York City. New York is the largest city in the United States, which is a significant reason why the city consistently ranked highest for confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 (Bean). If actions against overpopulation are not taken, pandemics such as COVID-19 will become more frequent.

Fresh water is a fundamental human right. However, many people need to remember that it is a finite resource becoming less and less available. Humans rely on water to consume, cook, wash, and clean. It is estimated that in this year, 2023, “2.2 million people in the United States are without running water and basic indoor plumbing, and more than 44 million people have inadequate water systems” (Rees). Many Americans face water insecurity due to groundwater exhaustion, climate change conditions, and contamination, and with an increased population, these causes will only be exaggerated. Wells will dry out faster on account of increased use; climate change will worsen due to the rise in greenhouse gasses released due to a higher demand for products and services from the larger population, causing millions of Americans to be without water. Although America is a developed country, millions of its citizens face issues obtaining a fundamental human need: water. If this is already a problem, it will only intensify with a larger population.

Climate change creates long term-shifts in temperature and weather patterns, and since the 1800s, human activity has been the main driver of climate change (United Nations). Climate change can worsen our air and water quality, increase the spread of certain diseases and change the frequency and intensity of severe weather events (EPA). As greenhouse emissions increase, these issues will become more common. It is stated by Population Connection that:

Population growth and increasing consumption tend to increase emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gasses. Moreover, rapid population growth worsens the impacts of climate change by straining resources and exposing more people to climate-related risks—especially in low-resource regions (Population Connection).

Climate change affects everyone, and as the population grows, the intensity of climate change will grow with it.

It is clear that the United States has limited resources, and with those limitations, there is a limit on the number of people the country can support. An increase in exposure to disease outbreaks, water scarcity, and the effects of climate change don’t only affect an individual but the entire country. Because of this, action must be taken to prevent issues like these from progressing.

It is a strange and trying time for all of us in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We certainly understand times are tough for you, as it is for us. We have been proud to bring School Band & Orchestra for free for more than two decades and we will continue to provide you with free subscriptions during the pandemic. However, we would like your consideration in these difficult times to help support our efforts here at School Band & Orchestra to keep our information flowing and to provide you with a continuous stream of current and vital information when you need it the most.

It is with the utmost sincerity we ask you to consider supporting our efforts here with a small donation which will allow our staff the ability to keep these interesting stories about your chosen career coming to you in a consistent and timely basis. Your consideration is greatly appreciated. We at School Band & Orchestra wish nothing but the best for you, your school, your family and co-workers. We hope you continue to remain healthy during this most strenuous of times.

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2023 SBO+ Essay Contest Winners

Thanks to our generous sponsors Casio, Alfred Music Publishing, MakeMusic, Yamaha Corporation of America, Hal Leonard, NAMM Foundation, Focusrite and Adam Audio.

T his year, we asked essayists to answer this question: “Tell us about a music teacher who has changed your life. What was it about them that had an impact on you? How did their teaching, personality, or actions differ from other good teachers?”

Gabriel Hill, 12 th Grade Current Teacher: Lindsay Ciechanski – Skyline High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan

I   distinctly remember my first day of music class in first grade. I had recently moved from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Ann Arbor, Michigan midyear -a huge transition for any first grader. I had been used to 14 minutes of music class every other week where we did nothing but watch movies and have bubble gum blowing contests. In Ann Arbor, though, we had music class twice a week for 35 to 40 minutes! When I walked into the classroom for the first time, I knew this was going to be different. Ms. Rothfeld greeted me with a kind smile and a captivating demeanor. She had a unique personality and understood how to get any young student excited about music. Soon, I was singing and playing instruments like the ukulele and the recorder; I was completely engrossed in the music and melodies that surrounded me. She opened a whole new world of music that I didn’t know existed. Despite growing up in a musical family, I now know that I had to find music on my own to truly enjoy it. Ms. Rothfeld fostered this at an early age and educated me about the wonders of using melody to create an emotional response. I know I would not have discovered my love of music if she had not been there twice a week instilling not only the skills but sharing her pure joy and love of music with me.

Zoie Dozier, 12 th Grade Current Teacher: Erma Davis   – South Gwinnett High School, Snellville, Georgia

Those who have had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Davis, my high school orchestra teacher, know she’s one of a kind. Mrs. Davis adores hearing about the positive things happening in our lives and constantly encourages us. Many people today criticize teachers, yet I cannot imagine my life or high school experience without Mrs. Davis. I have had many great teachers through my 13 years in the Gwinnett County Public School System but my favorite one of all must be Mrs. Davis. She taught me how to be more disciplined by implementing the importance of practicing my instrument, being able to be assertive, and the significance of being detail oriented. Mrs. Davis has positively impacted my life through her kindness and her due diligence. Whenever anyone needs a helping hand Mrs. Davis is always there with a smile on her face. For example, when an orchestra student couldn’t afford to buy their concert attire Mrs. Davis surprised them by buying it for them! She goes above and beyond for her students because she loves us and wants to see us succeed. I began high school under difficult circumstances, but because of Mrs. Davis’s encouragement and inspiration, I will graduate with a 3.4 GPA. I have been accepted to Georgia Southern University to major in healthcare administration and sonography. I worked hard to attain academic success, but I also credit Mrs. Davis for encouraging me and assuring me that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to.

Aiden Johnson, 11 th Grade Current Teacher: Daniel Schantol – Lied STEM Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada

The music teacher who has affected my life would be Daniel Schantol, my middle school guitar teacher. When I first started middle school, I noticed a class for teaching guitar, and I originally thought it’d be a fun little class to just get out of tougher electives, but little did I know it would spark my love for music and its inner workings. Mr. Schantol has an optimistic and bright personality, and it was obvious that he had a deep admiration and respect for music, which I would come to share. This passion for their subject is what separates teachers from good to amazing, and an amazing teacher he was. He helped our class explore the intricacies of music, even going into a lesson or two on music theory to help us understand why some music pieces had such a profound effect. I even had the honor to be in the Honor’s Guitar program at the school, a title which only five other people at the school shared. Before the class, I only understood music as something fun to listen to break up the monotonous silence of various pieces of media. It was his teachings and inspiring passion that, to this day, made me love picking apart various music pieces from different media and examining their techniques, a far cry from the simple understanding of music I had before. Mr. Schantol opened my eyes from a once basic understanding of music to a deep love and appreciation for it.

Bridget Bassinger, 12 th Grade Current Teacher: Kate Margrave – Pine Creek High School, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Ms. Margrave never sends an email with less than five exclamation points!!!!! Excitement and enthusiasm bleeds into everything she does, and throughout my high school career, that has made every difference in the world. Ms. Margrave is one of those people who genuinely cares about her students. She has gone to bat again and again for her students, going above and beyond to show how much she cares. When I went to All State Orchestra for the first time, she couldn’t go with me, but she checked in on me every day to make sure I was having a good time. She would text other band directors to go talk to me to ensure that everything was okay and send me support with every update I sent her. She took the time out of her schedule to let me know she was thinking of me, even when I was the only person from our school to go. Her actions of kindness are not just specific to me, though. Ms. Margrave tries her hardest to make every student feel welcome in her classroom. The instrumental music program includes hundreds of kids, but she knows all of us. She isn’t afraid to admit when she doesn’t know something, and she is always willing to find out something for you. She is the ultimate model of what a teacher should be, and I am immensely grateful for getting to learn from her. I want to take her lessons of kindness and inclusion to change others’ lives, the way she changed mine.

Taryn Mareau, 12 th Grade Current Teacher: Josh Markham, Sequoyah High School, Canton, Georgia

Depending on the teacher, chorus class can be a slew of notes and words, or it can make music come alive. My high school choir teacher breathed life into music. Mr. Markham taught me that every song resonates with someone. He always gives everyone in the class a chance to share what life experience of theirs allows them to connect to the music. I’ll never forget the first time I noticed someone cry at the end of a song my freshman year: the picture is so burned within my brain because we weren’t even singing English. That person was brought to tears by the sheer subliminal emotion evoked through the chords/singing. I’ve thrown my heart into every song since that one; there’s always a reason to since learning that every song resonates with someone. And I may not have ever learned that if Markham hadn’t tried to teach it. He also taught me that anyone can have a passion for and be brought together by music. Markham reminded us that the point of music was to learn and sing it together. And maybe that—rather than any musicality or technical skill applied—is what makes a song beautiful, that unseen yet ever-present tether tying us to the music and to each other. Ultimately, Mr. Markham has irrevocably changed my life because unlike other ‘good’ teachers, he gave me a lesson I can take with me no matter where I end up: he taught me that music connects us all.

Prudence Peng, 6 th Grade Current Teacher: Matt Murdock, Sycamore School, Indianapolis, Indiana

Do-Re-Mi … 1-2-3 … were the words that I always heard any time after I entered my elementary school music room. However, I was not curious about these words and numbers at that time, I was astonished by my elementary school music teacher, Mrs. Shaw, who had a huge impact on my view of music. She was an old, affectionate lady with a pleasant voice who adored every kid and had a soft spot for teaching. No matter how horrible a mistake was, if you learned a lesson from it, she would still be the nicest person on the planet. One of the amusing memories I had was learning how to play the recorder. Although our recorder playing sounded like a dying goat with pneumonia, Mrs. Shaw would still support us with passion and love. Another vivid memory of Mrs. Shaw is when we were practicing playing the xylophone. Mrs. Shaw gave everyone a perfect example of how to play the xylophone. When it’s our turn to play, “oh boy!” was an understatement but Mrs. Shaw was so encouraging with friendly smiles and had us to start again. Mrs. Shaw taught me that it’s okay not to be perfect if we enjoy the process and appreciate the opportunities to enjoy music. Even though most of us were not going to become professional musicians and play all these instruments, Mrs. Shaw planted the seeds of loving music in our hearts, minds, and souls, forever blooming.

Olivia Laudicina, 7 th Grade Current Teacher: Man May – Lake Travis Middle School, Spicewood, Texas

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops,” said Henry Brooks Adams, an acclaimed American historian. A teacher is not just someone who gives us daily lessons, but someone whose lessons are lifelong and impacts our personal growth and maturity. Mrs. May exemplifies this philosophy because she has made a meaningful impact on my character development. Mrs. May taught me “the harder way is the better way,” the road less traveled has thorns and gravel, but it will make me a stronger person. For instance, Mrs. May will challenge me to play more complex literature knowing I may not win in competition. It is not about winning, but about the calluses caused by the immeasurable number of times I practiced on my cello to achieve the perfect pitch. Though learning the harder piece is more painful and takes more dedication, I win in the end because I am now a better cellist.   Mrs. May’s classroom provides a safe haven for me. When I’m sad, the music in her room lifts my spirits and makes me happy. When I am stressed, her classroom helps me find peace and quietude because she teaches us to find relaxation in music. Finally, her class is a place where I can socialize without judgment or peer-pressure because the orchestra students come from various ethnic backgrounds and social-economic status, and I don’t have to pretend to fit in. Mrs. May teaches us that music brings people together from all walks of life.

Ansley Floyd, 8 th Grade Current Teacher: Shanna Danielson, Bermudian Springs Middle School, York Springs, Pennsylvania

“You work on your own time. We are here to practice, not rehearse.” My band director Mrs. Danielson has shown me how integrating passion and dedication into music can change a person’s life, because it changed mine. Many of my music teachers in the past have reluctantly told students to play a song, but not give any valuable feedback to make us better as a band as well as individual musicians. Mrs. Danielson is the opposite. Her voice is always bouncy and energetic. She is always motivating us and pushing us to our limits. Mrs. Danielson has made me view notes like a baby that needs love. We need to take care of each and every note based on its personality. If it has a staccato, embrace the jumpy, short bursts of energy. If it is a tenuto, embrace its curiosity in living longer. Before Mrs. Danielson led the way, notes were only notes. Now when I see an accent or a slur, my heart leaps. I couldn’t wait to embrace each note’s unique character to be a unified, harmonious, and musical song. My passion for music wasn’t always as alive as it is now. In fact, my old band directors influenced my hatred for music. Mrs. Danielson, however, made music an enjoyable, sometimes emotional experience. She took our band on a colorful, wonderful adventure in the land of music. I couldn’t ask for a better tour guide to help lead the way in the diverse world of music.

Leah Salavarria, 8 th Grade Current Teacher: Brenda Hascall – Vandenberg Middle School, Lompoc, California

The music teacher that changed my life is Mrs. Hascall. I have never really been interested in any instrument, and I had just happened to choose guitar as my elective. I wanted to try it out since it was a new elective option for my school, and I never knew it’d lead to my biggest passion. Ms. Hascall has introduced me to guitar and helped me learn more about music. Ms. Hascall’s teaching is so simple, yet effective and resonates with me. She has been able to teach me guitar basics and fundamentals while bringing joy to it, like singing and playing together as a class. She makes this class my favorite class out of my whole schedule because she allows me to be creative. Of course, there are many other good teachers, but I feel like the difference between Ms. Hascall and other teachers is she can invoke creativity and joy in a person while playing guitar. When we play songs together as a class, it feels fun but calming at the same time. Even though I don’t know Ms. Hascall on a personal level, she has always been kind to me, and my class and she has always had a smile on her face. Even if things are as simple as playing guitar for one period and learning in class, it makes my day much better because I get to express myself through my music. For that, she has changed my life. Even when school is over and I go home, I continue to play guitar for hours on end just to improve. Without Ms. Hascall, I don’t even know if I would’ve gotten into guitar in the first place. Playing the guitar is my life now, and one day I aspire to be a great guitarist like Ms. Hascall.

Simone Rankin, 5 th Grade Current Teacher: Allison Kipp, Legacy Elementary, Brambleton, Virginia

Déjà vu! Mrs. Kipp has an interesting story, and it happened to me as well. The story is about her as a fifth grader, being inspired by her music teacher. I understand this feeling, and I feel powerful every time I sing. I feel even stronger when Mrs. Kipp is conducting. It’s an incredible feeling, having her around, as she is exceptionally enjoyable and kindhearted. I also like that she makes sure no one’s being distracting. Distractions, in my opinion, are hard to get rid of, while Mrs. Kipp makes it look extremely easy. Also, Mrs. Kipp is not just teaching us the basic music staff. In my school, there is a fifth (and fourth) grade chorus, and Mrs. Kipp gracefully conducts it. There is also All County Chorus, a program that requires auditioning. Applying for All County Chorus was stressful, and only a thing fifth grade chorus members could get into. I was accepted and learned that practice would occur every Wednesday. On my first day, Mrs. Kipp was there, bright and happy, welcoming everyone in. It made me feel a lot more confident. Evidently, Mrs. Kipp is an extraordinary music teacher. She is filled with kindness and passion. She also teaches well and passes on valuable skills. I hope Mrs. Kipp knows how much her students need and admire her, and I will be sad to leave her for sixth grade. Every single day, I am so appreciative of her.

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Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest

Their Story. Your Voice.

Your voice is your own. But it's also been impacted by others. Who, we wonder, has inspired you? Let us know by entering the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest. 

You could win an $8,000 college scholarship

For the opportunity to win an $8,000 scholarship, submit a video or written essay about an individual you know personally (who lives in your community) who has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

The details

The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate Quarterly Contests - one for each calendar quarter of 2024. Regions is awarding four $8,000 scholarships through each Quarterly Contest.

Each Quarterly Contest has its own separate entry period, as provided in the chart below.

The entry deadline for each Quarterly Contest is 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date (set forth in the chart above).

No purchase or banking relationship required.

Regions believes in supporting the students whose passion and actions every day will continue to make stories worth sharing. That’s why we have awarded over $1 million in total scholarships to high school and college students.

How to enter, 1. complete an online quarterly contest application.

Enter the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest by completing a Quarterly Contest application.  The second Quarterly Contest runs from April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024. Complete and save all requested information. 

2. Prepare your Written Essay or Video Essay

For each Quarterly Contest, the topic of your Written Essay or Video Essay (your “Essay Topic”) must be an individual you know personally, who lives in your community. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must address how the individual you have selected as your Essay Topic has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

Written Essay and Video Essay submissions must meet all of the requirements described in the contest Official Rules. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must be (i) in English, (ii) your own original work, created solely by you (and without the use of any means of artificial intelligence (“AI”)), and (iii) the exclusive property of you alone.

Written Essays must be 500 words or less. You can write your Written Essay directly in the application, or you can copy and paste it into the appropriate area in the application form.

Video Essay submissions must be directly uploaded to the contest application site. Video Essays must be no more than 3 minutes in length and no larger than 1 GB. Only the following file formats are accepted: MP4, MPG, MOV, AVI, and WMV. Video Essays must not contain music of any kind nor display any illegal, explicit, or inappropriate material, and Video Essays must not be password protected or require a log-in/sign-in to view. You must upload your Video Essay to the application, and you may not submit your Video Essay in DVD or other physical form. (Video Essays submitted via mail will not be reviewed or returned.)

Tips to Record Quality Videos on a Smartphone:

• Don’t shoot vertical video. Computer monitors have landscape-oriented displays, so shoot your video horizontally.
• Use a tripod. Even small movements can make a big difference when editing.
• Don’t use zoom. If you need to get a close shot of the subject, move closer as zooming can cause pixilation.
• Use natural lighting. Smartphone lighting can wash out your video.

3. Review and submit your Quarterly Contest application

Review your information on your Quarterly Application (and check the spelling of a Written Essay) and submit your entry by 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date. The second Quarterly Contest period end date is June 30, 2024.

4. Await notification

Winning entries are selected by an independent panel of judges who are not affiliated with Regions. If your entry is selected as a Quarterly Contest winner, you will need to respond to ISTS with the required information.

Eligibility

For purposes of this contest:

• The “Eligible States” are defined as the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
• An “accredited college” is defined as a nonprofit, two- or four-year college or university located within one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.

To be eligible to enter this contest and to win an award in a Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must:

• Be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States.
• Be age 16 or older.
• Have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation.
• If you are not yet in college, begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year.
• As of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no GPA is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school).

View Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP REQUIRED. PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest (the “Contest”) consists of four (4) separate quarterly contests (each a “Quarterly Contest”): (1) the “Q-1 Contest;” (2) the “Q-2 Contest;” (3) the “Q-3 Contest;” and (4) the “Q-4 Contest.” The Q-1 Contest begins on 02/01/24 and ends on 03/31/24; the Q-2 Contest begins on 04/01/24 and ends on 06/30/24; the Q-3 Contest begins on 07/01/24 and ends on 09/30/24; and the Q-4 Contest begins on 10/01/24 and ends on 12/31/24. (For each Quarterly Contest, entries must be submitted and received by 11:59:59 PM CT on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date.) To enter and participate in a particular Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must: (a) be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States; (b) be 16 years of age or older; (c) have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation; (d) (if you are not yet in college) begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year; and (e) as of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no grade point average is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school). (For purposes of Contest, the “Eligible States” are defined as the states of AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TN and TX.) Visit regions.com/ridingforward for complete Contest details, including eligibility and Written Essay and Video Essay requirements and Official Rules. (Limit one (1) entry per person, per Quarterly Contest.) For each Quarterly Contest, eligible entries will be grouped according to form of entry (Written Essay or Video Essay) and judged by a panel of independent, qualified judges. A total of four (4) Quarterly Contest Prizes will be awarded in each Quarterly Contest, consisting of two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Written Essay Entry Group and two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Video Essay Entry Group. Each Quarterly Contest Prize consists of a check in the amount of $8,000 made out to winner’s designated accredited college. (Limit one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize per person; a contestant is permitted to win only one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize through the Contest.) Sponsor: Regions Bank, 1900 Fifth Ave. N., Birmingham, AL 35203.

© 2024 Regions Bank. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

2023 Winners

High school:.

• Amyrrean Acoff
• Leon Aldridge
• Kharis Andrews
• Colton Collier
• Indya Griffin
• Christopher Hak
• Aquil Hayes
• Jayden Haynes
• McKenna Jodoin
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2024 Midwest Slavic Association Student Essay Prize Competitions Now Open

The Midwest Slavic Association, with support from the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), is now accepting submissions for its 2024 Student Essay Prize Competitions. Students can submit a paper on any topic related to Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies to the Midwest Slavic Association for consideration. The best undergraduate paper will win a one-year membership to the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), and the graduate winner will receive a one-year membership to ASEEES, as well as being considered then for the ASEEES Graduate Student Essay Prize at the national level. The graduate winner of the ASEEES Student Essay Prize at the national level wins travel, lodging, and registration for the Annual ASEEES Convention and membership for the following year. The prize is presented during the awards presentation at the Annual Convention. All submissions should be turned in by May 1, 2024 .

Undergraduate Papers

Undergraduate paper submissions can be in a variety of formats, including: conference paper, thesis, course paper, or article. They should be no longer than 20 double-spaced pages including notes and bibliography. Entries must be submitted electronically and written in English. 

Graduate Papers

Graduate essay submissions can be of several formats: expanded versions of conference papers, graduate level seminar papers, Master's thesis chapters, or dissertation chapters. The student should indicate what type of paper they are submitting and provide an abstract. Essays should have a minimum word count of 7,500 and a maximum word count of 14,000 (25 to 50 pages approximately) inclusive of footnotes and bibliography. Submissions must be written in English, double-spaced, and include footnotes or endnotes. 

Eligibility  

Students who wish to submit an essay should have participated in the Midwest Slavic Conference, or be from an institution in the Midwest (defined as any college or university in the states of  Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin ). With your submission, please also include a short bio of the author, an abstract of the essay, and indicate the format of the essay. 

Email your submission to [email protected] , stating your name, institution at which you are enrolled, and in which competition you are participating (undergraduate/graduate), as well as a PDF of your paper with all information as outlined above.

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Upper Valley school notes for April 8

Eight Windsor High School students competed at the Vermont STEM Fair at Norwich University last month. They were part of a group of 30 high school and 78 middle school students from around the state who attended the competition. The Windsor students – who were chosen after competing during Windsor’s science fair in January – developed their science fair topics during a class at the high school called “Science Research & Inquiry,” according to science fair director  Catharine Engwall , who advises the class along with Jeff Bachey and Tim Maddalena-Lucey.

“They follow the scientific method which includes researching their topics, designing their experiments, presenting to an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Scientific Review Committee (SRC) if they are including humans or biological hazards, carrying out their experiments, revising and recollecting data (if needed), statistical analysis, creation of a scientific poster and presentation of their projects in our local science fair in January,” Engwall wrote in an email.

The following students were awarded scholarships for the work they presented during the state science fair by the NH Academy of Sciences to continue their research during a summer program at the Lyme-based nonprofit organization:  Emma Simino , $1,500 half scholarship;  Sophia DuFour , $3,000 full scholarship; Helen Ennis , $3,000 full scholarship; and  Joey Gaudette , $3,000 full scholarship. The four were also awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Norwich University, which is applicable if they apply and are accepted to the Northfield, Vt., school. Gaudette, DuFour,  Riley Cahoon ,  Michael Lopez and  Austin Xiao were awarded silver medals for their projects.

The students presented on the following topics: Dufour, “Shell or No Shell: A Novel Way to Hatch Chickens”; Ennis, “Antioxidants: Can They Increase the Efficacy of Antibiotics With Bacterial Infections?”; Lopez, “Home Court Advantage in the NBA: Significance in Wins Versus Losses”;  Lyzel Pruden , “Charged Up: Do sports drinks provide more electrolytes than orange juice?”; Cahoon, “Music Versus Productivity”; Xiao, “Does Age Impact How a Person Perceives Emotion?”; Gaudette, “The Effect of Physical Activity on Concentration”; and Simino, “How Well Do People Determine Flavor Without the Use of All Five Senses?”

Liliana Dicks , a junior at Oxbow High School, was a finalist in U.S. Bernie Sanders 2024 State of the Union Essay Contest. Dicks’ essay was about mental health and social media.

Oxbow High School senior  Matthew Corti has been awarded the Newbury, Vt.-based Oxbow Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution’s 2024 DAR Good Citizen Award. Corti also earned a Vermont State Society DAR Good Citizen Scholarship Award for an essay he wrote about civic responsibilities.

Lillian Hall , of Norwich, and  Oliver Mustoe , of Windsor, made the Champlain College Trustees' List for the fall 2023 semester in Burlington.

The following Upper Valley residents made the president’s list at Champlain College in Burlington for the fall 2023 semester:  John Groton , Sunapee, computer science and innovation;  Lillian Hall , Norwich, creative media;  Oliver Mustoe , Windsor, computer networking & cybersecurity;  Noelle Rebusmen , Hartland, criminology and criminal justice;  Anastasia Seregina , Lebanon, computer networking & cybersecurity; and  Autumn Stickney , Claremont, early childhood/elementary education.

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The following Upper Valley residents made the dean’s list at Champlain College in Burlington for the fall 2023 semester:  Dawson Bovat , Springfield, Vt.;  Alexandra Bradley , West Lebanon;  Adra Gonzalez , Newport;  William Howe , Vershire;  Zachary Kilmer , Orford;  Rhona Lofton , Springfield, Vt.;  Jacob Mayotte , White River Junction;  Jackson Miller , Newport;  Brielle Nestler , Bridgewater;  Xavier Olmstead , Randolph; Amber Prepost , Springfield, Vt.;  Margaret Rose , Bethel;  Anthony Saporito , Norwich;  Kaiden Seymour , Newport;  Reece Sheehan , Woodstock;  Benjamin Tyler , Sunapee; and Courtney Walker , Enfield.

Jeanette McKillop has been named Colby-Sawyer College’s next athletic director. She will replace baseball coach Tom White, who has served as interim athletic director since last summer. McKillop will join Colby-Sawyer on June 1 after five years at Franklin Pierce University where she has been employed as the associate athletic director for compliance and senior woman administrator.

Email academic accomplishments to [email protected].

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