Strong writing is a core skill for school, college applications, and many careers. If you are a high school student, learning how to write clearly and persuasively can give you a real advantage. One of the best ways to practice is by joining essay competitions.
These contests help you go beyond school assignments. You get to write on serious topics, sharpen your thinking, and learn how to build stronger arguments. Many of them also offer feedback, cash prizes, and awards that look good on your college applications.
Along the way, you can also win cash prizes, scholarships, or publication. Even if you do not win, your entry can still be recognized with honorable mentions or added to your resume. To help you get started, here are 15 free essay competitions for high school students!
15 Free Essay Competitions for High School Students
1. Horizon Academic Essay Prize
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Dates: July 13 is submission day, and winners are announced on Aug 26
Registration/Submission Deadline: July 13
Eligibility: High schoolers are eligible to apply
The Horizon Academic Essay Prize is an international competition that challenges you to think deeply, research independently, and write with clarity. If you enjoy asking big questions and building strong arguments, this is your kind of contest.
The theme is “Horizons of Knowledge,” and you get to explore big topics like how AI might shape the way we think, whether privacy still matters in today’s world, or what we should do about fake news on social media. You’ll dive into research, make sense of different viewpoints, and turn your ideas into a clear, well-argued essay.
Your work will be read by a board of professors and scholars. Winners can receive expert feedback, prizes, or even scholarships to Horizon’s advanced research program.
2. Global Essay Prize, John Locke Institute
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Registration Deadline: 31 May
Submission Deadline: 30 June
Eligibility: All high schoolers from grades 9 – 12 are eligible to apply. For the junior prize, applicants must be 14 or younger.
The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize is an international competition judged by academics from universities like Oxford and Princeton. It invites high school students to write essays on topics in seven subjects, including Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Law, Psychology, and Theology. There is also a Junior category for younger students.
This contest teaches you how to build clear arguments, address complex questions, and organize your ideas with academic care beyond school work. Judges look for original thinking, understanding, and logic. You must submit your essay with an academic referee’s verification and follow formatting and citation rules.
Winners in each subject and the Junior category receive scholarships worth five thousand US dollars to attend John Locke Institute programs. Second and third place winners receive scholarships of two thousand and one thousand US dollars. The best overall essay earns the title of John Locke Institute Junior Fellow and a ten-thousand-dollar scholarship for future programs. Winners and runners-up are invited to a prize ceremony in London, where you can meet judges, faculty, and other students in a formal setting.
3. Annual Summer Reading Essay Contest – The New York Times
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual
Dates: Weekly contests run from mid-June to late August
Registration Deadline: Not mentioned
Eligibility: All students between the ages of 13 – 19 are allowed to participate
The New York Times Summer Reading Contest is an online essay program for high school students to improve critical thinking, media literacy, and personal expression. It is run by The New York Times Learning Network. Each week, you respond to different types of content like articles, podcasts, opinion pieces, and images by writing or making a short video explaining why a piece caught your attention.
You will learn to build clear analytical arguments, connect your personal views to global issues, and use evidence well within a 250-word limit. A panel of Times journalists and educators reviews the work and provides feedback through publication and weekly recognition.
This program helps you form opinions based on media content and practice writing short essays under editorial rules. You can submit one entry per week and respond to new topics as news develops.
4. Society of Professional Journalists – High School Essay Contest
Cost: Free apart from a small $5 application fee
Location: Online
Registration/Submission Deadline: Feb 19
Eligibility: All high school students from grades 9-12 residing in the US are eligible to apply
The High School Essay Contest is run by the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation with the Journalism Education Association. It is a national program that helps you understand the role of journalism in democracy.
This year’s theme asks, “What is the biggest challenge journalists face today, and how might they overcome it?” You will research this question, write a clear and focused essay between 300 and 500 words, and practice writing with structure and journalistic standards. Your work should show original thinking and follow citation and style rules.
Experienced journalism educators judge the essays. Winning entries are published on SPJ.org and JEA.org, giving you a chance to share your work publicly. The contest also offers national scholarships and helps you learn about the challenges and responsibilities journalists face today.
5. Essay Contests – The Fountainhead | Ayn Rand Institute
Cost: None
Location: Online
Dates: July 18 to October 10
Registration/Submission Deadline: Aug 1
Eligibility: All high schoolers from grades 8 – 12 are eligible to apply
The Ayn Rand Institute’s annual Fountainhead Essay Contest is open to students worldwide in grades 8 through 12. You can win scholarship prizes up to twenty-five thousand dollars by writing an essay about themes and ideas from Ayn Rand’s book The Fountainhead.
In this contest, you will work on critical thinking, building strong arguments, and writing clearly. You will explore complex ideas and learn how to explain them in a clear and organized way. Winning can bring recognition from the Ayn Rand Institute and add value to your academic profile. You can also advance through different rounds to compete for the top prize of twenty-two thousand dollars.
6. Young Authors Writing Competition, Columbia College Chicago
Cost: None
Location: Online
Dates: Not mentioned
Registration Deadline: Not mentioned clearly, but submissions usually end in December
Eligibility: High schoolers are eligible to apply
The Young Authors Writing Competition is run by Columbia College Chicago. It lets you create and share original work in three categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. You can submit up to two pieces in each category, with each piece up to ten pages.
This gives you practice writing clearly and creatively, editing your work, and following rules used in the publishing world. You will learn how to prepare your writing for submission, including how to title it, format files, and handle rules about originality and submitting to multiple contests.
7. World Historian Student Essay Competition
Cost: No cost
Location: Free
Registration/Submission Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply
The World Historian Student Essay Competition is run by the World History Association. It asks you to connect your family history or regional experiences with global historical themes. You will learn how to write a clear thesis, support it with personal and historical examples, and think about how global history relates to your own life.
The contest focuses on critical thinking, combining ideas, and clear writing. You must show how your understanding of history has changed or grown. Finalists’ essays are checked for originality using AI tools to keep the contest fair. Winners receive five hundred dollars and a one-year membership to the World History Association.
8. The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition
Cost: Free. Cash prizes for the winner range from $1000 to $500
Location: Online
Registration/Submission Deadline: October 1 registration opens; 10 Feb – Registration closes; 23 Feb – Regional Essay Submission
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply
The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition is a fully online contest open to high school students worldwide. It is run by The Harvard Crimson at Harvard College. In this competition, you will work on writing in three styles: creative, argumentative, and journalistic.
You will learn to build strong arguments and write clearly, following rules like those used in college. The contest also offers workshops and webinars to help improve your skills with professional support. Your essays will be reviewed by The Harvard Crimson, and you could earn recognition from them.
Winning essays might be published on the official HCGEC website. Top winners can get prizes like free entry to the Harvard Crimson Summer Journalism course, cash awards, and credits from Crimson Education.
9. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Cost: No cost
Location: Online
Dates: September – January
Registration/Submission Deadline: Jan 17
Eligibility: Open to United States high school students in grades nine through twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools
The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest is run by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. It asks you to explore political courage by studying a decision made by a U.S. elected official since 1917.
You will learn how to build a strong historical argument using different sources like government documents, news reports, and interviews. The contest encourages original work, asking you to focus on lesser-known politicians or issues that matter to you or your community.
Writing this essay helps you improve research, critical thinking, and analytical skills while considering topics like ethical leadership and public responsibility. Your essay must be between 700 and 1,000 words and include at least five cited sources following academic rules. Top essays can win national awards up to ten thousand dollars.
10. Essay Contest – Atlas Shrugged | Ayn Rand Institute
Cost: None
Location: Online
Dates: July 18 to October 10
Registration/Submission Deadline: Aug 1
Eligibility: All high schoolers from grades 8 – 12 are eligible to apply
The Ayn Rand Institute’s annual Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest is open to students worldwide in grades 8 through 12. You can win scholarship prizes up to $25,000 by writing an essay about themes and ideas from Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.
This contest helps you build your critical thinking, argument skills, and writing by working with complex ideas. You will practice creating clear, organized arguments that explain difficult concepts strongly and convincingly.
The competition uses seasonal prompts, so you can keep improving your skills as you work toward the grand prize. You may also move through different rounds in the contest, with the chance to compete for the grand prize of $22,000.
11. Young Writers Awards | Bennington College
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Registration/Submission Deadline: November 1. Contest opens up on Sept 1
Eligibility: Open to students in the 9th–12th grades
The Young Writers Awards, run by Bennington College, is an international writing contest for high school students. It accepts original work in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. You will write a short story, a personal or academic essay, or a set of three poems within a 1,500-word limit.
This helps you learn how to edit your work carefully, structure your writing, and express ideas clearly. The contest teaches you to follow the rules of each genre and build writing discipline. Your submission must be original and honest. A teacher or mentor reviews your work, giving you early feedback.
12. Student Writing Contest | The National WWII Museum
Cost: None
Location: Online
Dates: Oct 27 to Jan 23
Registration/Submission Deadline: October 27 through January 23.
Eligibility: Contest is open to US students in grades 7–12 attending public, private, parochial, or home schools
The National WWII Museum Student Writing Contest, held each year by The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, invites high school students to explore history through research and writing. You will focus on complex topics like African American service in WWII and civil rights by writing a formal letter responding to real historical figures, such as James G. Thompson, a Black serviceman who questioned democracy during the war.
This contest helps you build skills in interpreting history, writing persuasively, and thinking critically. You will learn to connect archival materials with today’s ideas about rights and justice. If your work is chosen, you might get a chance to share it nationally and work with historians and museum experts.
13. High School Contests – Lewis Center for the Arts
Cost: None
Location: Online
Dates: Till March end
Registration/Submission Deadline: March 29
Eligibility: Students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. or international equivalent of the eleventh grade are eligible to apply
The Lewis Centre for the Arts at Princeton University hosts free annual competitions for high school juniors in playwriting and poetry. The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize accepts poetry submissions from 11th-grade students. The ten-minute play contest focuses on original short plays, with a maximum length of ten pages.
By entering, you will learn how to write dialogue, structure scenes, and express ideas through drama, while also developing your poetry skills. The contest encourages original work on any theme or topic. Winners receive cash prizes ranging from $100 to $500 and public recognition. You can submit solo or collaborative entries if both writers meet eligibility rules.
14. Youth Scholarships – Veterans of Foreign Wars
Cost: None
Location: Online
Dates: Not mentioned
Registration/Submission Deadline: Oct 31
Eligibility: This program is open to students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled in a public, private, or parochial high school or home study program in the United States
The Voice of Democracy audio-essay competition, run by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is a free national program for high school students in grades 9 to 12. The contest encourages civic engagement through personal reflection on a yearly theme. For this year, the theme is “How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?”
You will create and record a 3 to 5-minute audio essay, developing skills in narrative writing, analyzing themes, and speaking clearly. The contest focuses on originality, clear ideas, and structured arguments, while exploring current democratic values. By writing, revising, and recording your essay, you will gain experience in both written and oral communication.
Entries are judged on content, originality, and delivery. Winners can receive scholarships, with the top prize at the national level reaching $35,000.
15. Essay Contest – Atlas Shrugged | Ayn Rand Institute
Cost: None
Location: Online
Dates: July 18 to October 10
Registration/Submission Deadline: Aug 1
Eligibility: All high schoolers from grades 8 – 12 are eligible to apply
The Ayn Rand Institute runs the Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest for students in grades 8 to 12 worldwide. You are asked to write an essay that explores the themes and ideas in Ayn Rand’s novel, Atlas Shrugged. This contest helps you practice critical thinking, argument building, and clear writing.
You will learn how to support your points with examples and explain complex ideas in a logical way. Each year, the contest offers prompts that guide your essay. You can use these to build your writing step by step and improve with each draft. Judges look for essays that are clear, thoughtful, and well-structured.
Winning entries are selected based on how well you understand the text and present your ideas. The contest awards up to $25,000 in total prizes, with the top winner receiving $22,000.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – John Locke Insititute
