Essay competitions for high school students are among the most accessible ways to develop structured thinking, research skills, and academic writing skills. These competitions require you to evaluate sources, build arguments, and present ideas clearly within defined constraints. Unlike classroom assignments, essay competitions for high school students often emphasize independent inquiry and original thinking.
Participating in essay competitions for high school students also helps you explore niche academic interests, from law and public policy to environmental science and literature. You typically work with citation styles, structured outlines, and evidence-based reasoning, skills commonly used in academic research.
What do essay competitions for high schoolers include?
Essay competitions typically require you to respond to a prompt using structured research and academic writing conventions. You may work with:
- Citation styles such as MLA, APA, or Chicago
- Primary sources like court rulings, interviews, or archival documents
- Secondary sources such as academic journals and policy reports
- Argument frameworks like thesis-evidence-counterargument
- Word limits and formatting requirements
Judges, often academics, researchers, or professionals, evaluate essays based on analytical depth, clarity, structure, and originality. Some competitions also publish winning essays or award scholarships and cash prizes.
To help you get started, below is a curated list of 15 essay competitions for high school students.
15 Essay Competitions for High School Students
1. Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest
Location: Virtual
Cost | Stipend: Free | Cash award of $1000 for Gold Award, $750 for Silver Award, $500 for Bronze Award, $250 for Pearl Award, $50 each for Distinguished Honourable Mention and Honourable Mention
Dates: Self-paced
Application Deadline: June 8
Eligibility: Middle and high school students ages 11-18 | Junior Division (age 11-14) and Senior Division (age 15-18)
The Ocean Awareness Contest is an international competition where participants respond to an annual theme focused on ocean health and environmental issues through an essay submission. You are required to interpret the theme and develop a focused argument by researching topics such as climate change, marine ecosystems, and conservation. Evidence from articles, reports, and other credible sources is used to support your position. You can then structure your essay while incorporating and analyzing different perspectives. Additionally, you are expected to follow submission guidelines, including word limits and formatting requirements. Entries are evaluated based on how effectively the theme is addressed, along with originality, depth of analysis, and clarity of writing.
2. John Locke Global Essay Competition
Location: Virtual | Awards ceremony takes place in London
Cost | Stipend: Free (fees apply for deadline extension) | Scholarship of $5000 towards attending any John Locke Institute program as first prize, $2000 for second prize, and $1000 for third | Best essay overall will receive a $10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or visiting scholars programs
Dates: Submissions open from April 1 to May 31
Application Deadline: May 31 | June 7 (seven-day extension) | June 21 (twenty-one-day extension)
Eligibility: Anyone who is under 19 years old as of the regular submission deadline is eligible to apply
The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize is an annual writing competition open to students under 19, with entries judged by academics from universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. You will get to choose one question from ten subject categories: Economics, History, International Relations, Law, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Public Policy, Science & Technology, or Theology, and write an essay of up to 2,000 words. Essays are assessed on knowledge, use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, and persuasive force. Judges look specifically for essays that engage with counter-arguments and answer the question directly rather than broadly. You may use AI tools as a research aid, but the writing and reasoning must be your own, and essays are screened for AI reliance. An academic referee, typically a teacher, will verify that the work is original. Shortlisted contestants are invited to an academic conference and awards dinner in London, though attendance is not required to receive a prize.
3. The National WWII Museum’s Annual Student Writing Contest
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | Prize of $750 for first place, $500 for second place, $250 for third place, and $100 for Honorable Mentions
Dates: Submissions will be accepted from October 26 through January 22
Application Deadline: January 22
Eligibility: US students in grades 7–12 attending public, private, parochial, or home schools | US students under the age of 20 enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the US territories | US citizens attending schools overseas
The National WWII Museum Student Writing Contest is an annual argumentative essay competition in which students respond to a prompt tied to a specific WWII topic or theme that changes each year. You research the topic, develop a position, and support it with at least five sources, which can include government documents, newspaper articles, books, letters, or personal interviews. Your essay must be 500 to 750 words, structured in five paragraphs, and cite sources using parenthetical citations within the text. A bibliography in APA, MLA, or Turabian format is also required. Entries go through three rounds of blind evaluation by classroom teachers, museum curators, and museum educators. There will be two judging categories: Junior (grades 7–9) and Senior (grades 10–12). The use of AI in the essay or bibliography is grounds for disqualification.
4. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Varies based on category | National Medalists are eligible for scholarships of up to $12500
Dates: Open for entries from October 1
Application Deadline: Typically between December and January | Varies by region
Eligibility: Teens in grades 7–12, ages 13 and up
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is an annual national competition for students in grades 7 through 12 across 29 categories in art and writing. Writing categories include critical essay, flash fiction, journalism, personal essay and memoir, poetry, short story, speculative fiction, screenplays and scripts, and novel excerpt, among others. You are required to submit work in a single category, with word limits that vary by category. Work is judged regionally first, with top entries advancing to national-level review by professionals in the visual and literary arts. Graduating seniors can additionally submit a portfolio of six distinct works, which requires both a writer’s or an artist’s statement and a personal statement. National Medalists are recognized through ceremonies, exhibitions, and publications, and are eligible for scholarships.
5. Jane Austen Society of America (JASNA) Essay Contest
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | First Place: $1,000 (plus free registration and two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s upcoming Annual General Meeting), Second Place: $500, Third Place: $250
Dates: Entries typically accepted from February
Application Deadline: June 1
Eligibility: High school students (including home-schooled students) | College/University students enrolled in at least six credit hours of coursework | Graduate school students enrolled during the contest year in at least three credit hours of graduate coursework
The Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest is an annual competition in which students write analytical essays about Jane Austen’s novels. Each year, a new topic is announced, and you can develop your own argument in response to it, drawing on a close reading of the text and supporting your points with passages from the novel or novels you choose. The contest favors personal analysis over research-heavy writing, and entries are expected to be written for a general audience rather than in an academic register. High school entrants typically work with one or more novels, while undergraduate and graduate divisions require engagement with at least two.
6. River of Words Youth Art and Poetry Contest
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | Prizes are awarded, but specific information is not listed on the website
Dates: Open for entries from October 15
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Open to Pre-K–12th grade students, ages 5–19, who are enrolled in school | Entries for students younger than 18 to be made by parent, guardian, educator, or facilitator
The River of Words Contest is an international competition where participants create written or artistic responses focused on environmental themes, particularly local watersheds and ecosystems. You can develop an essay or written piece by observing your surroundings and selecting a specific environmental topic or concept to explore. You will also have to incorporate details from real-world observations and may draw on scientific knowledge related to ecosystems, geography, or environmental processes. It’s best to use descriptive and analytical writing techniques to communicate your ideas clearly and connect them to the theme. You can then structure your submission within defined guidelines, including length and format requirements. Your work is evaluated based on clarity of expression, use of imagery or detail, coherence, and how effectively it reflects the theme.
7. Bennington College Young Writers Awards
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | Prize of $$2,000 for first-place winners, $1,000 for second-place winners, and $500 for third-place winners | $250 for YWA distinguished writers | YWA winners who enroll at Bennington will receive a full-tuition scholarship of up to $60,000 per year | YWA distinguished writers will receive a half-tuition scholarship of more than $30,000 per year | YWA finalists who enroll will get a scholarship of up to $25,000 per year
Dates: Open for entries from September 1
Application Deadline: November 1
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in Grades 9-12 | Grade 12 students should submit their YWA entry by completing either the Common Application or Coalition Application
The Bennington Young Writers Awards is an annual writing competition hosted by Bennington College that recognizes achievement in poetry, short fiction, and personal essay. As part of the contest, you are required to submit a single piece of writing in one of these three categories for evaluation by readers familiar with literature. Work is assessed on the basis of form, voice, language, and structure within its genre. Poetry might be examined for its use of line, image, and sound; fiction for its narrative control and character; essays for the clarity and movement of their argument or observation. Feedback and recognition come through a tiered placement system, with selected work receiving distinction at the grade level. Judges are drawn from Bennington’s writing faculty, a community that includes Pulitzer Prize winners and U.S. Poet Laureates.
8. Coolidge Student Essay Contest
Location: Online | Finalists’ event held at Coolidge House in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Cost | Stipend: Free | Awards worth up to $10,000 for first place, $5000 for second place and $1,000 for third place
Dates: Varies annually (Typically opens October 15)
Application Deadline: September 10 (Tentative)
Eligibility: High school or college student who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident | Not immediately related to a significant Coolidge Foundation donor
The Coolidge Foundation Essay Contest is an annual writing competition hosted by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation that focuses on a specific economic or policy topic. The foundation usually chooses prompts related to topics of protectionism and national security. Your essay should ideally engage with sources across formats, including legislative texts, congressional speeches, news articles, academic policy analyses, and audio recordings. You can use parenthetical citations throughout and include a full reference list at the end. Finalists also write an additional impromptu essay on an assigned topic related to the contest theme, with both pieces factoring into the final judges’ assessment.
9. JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | First-place: $10,000, Second-place: $3,000, Three Finalists: $1,000 each
Dates: Submissions open on September 1
Application Deadline: January 12
Eligibility: U.S. high school students in grades nine through twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools | U.S. students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or the U.S. territories | U.S. citizens attending schools overseas | Past winners and finalists are not eligible | Employees of sponsors and members of their families are not eligible
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s Profile in Courage Essay Contest asks you to research and write an essay of 700–1,000 words analyzing an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served after 1917. The first step would be to identify a specific official at the local, state, or national level and examine the obstacles, risks, and consequences they faced in taking a principled stand. Your essay must draw on at least five cited sources, using parenthetical citations and a bibliography in APA, MLA, or Turabian format. A nominating teacher reads and reviews your draft before submission, offering feedback on argument, writing quality, and contest requirements. Essays are judged on originality, depth of analysis, quality of evidence, and writing clarity. The contest encourages you to look beyond well-known figures and profile officials whose acts of courage are less commonly written about.
10. YoungArts Writing Competition
Location: Online | Headquarters in Biscayne Boulevard, Miami
Cost | Stipend: Application fee of $35 | YoungArts Award of $250, YoungArts Award With Distinction of $500
Dates: Submissions typically open in the summer
Application Deadline: Typically in October
Eligibility: Open to 15- to 18-year-old (grades 10–12) visual, literary, or performing artists based in the United States
YoungArts is a national competition open to artists in 10 disciplines, including writing, which encompasses fiction, nonfiction, play or script, poetry, and spoken word. Your submission will be evaluated by discipline-specific panels of working artists through multiple rounds of adjudication. Winners with distinction are invited to National YoungArts Week, a week-long program in Miami where you attend craft-focused classes and interdisciplinary workshops led by nationally recognized writers and artists. During the week, you will get to give public readings of your work, receive feedback on your writing, and engage with peers across all 10 artistic disciplines. After the competition, winners gain ongoing access to a network of fellowships, residencies, and professional development opportunities in the literary arts.
11. New York Times Student Writing Contests
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | Prizes vary based on contest
Dates: Vary based on contest
Application Deadline: Varies based on contest
Eligibility: Open to high school students | Exact requirements vary based on the specific contest
The New York Times Learning Network hosts a year-round series of writing and multimedia contests open to students worldwide. Depending on the contest, you can write in formats that include personal narrative, opinion editorials, open letters, micro-memoir, photo essays, podcast scripts, and short responses to New York Times journalism. Each contest has its own prompt, word count, and format requirements. For opinion-based contests, you can build an evidence-based argument citing both Times and non-Times sources, while narrative contests ask you to shape a specific personal experience into a story with a distinct voice and structure. Entries are judged by New York Times editors and staff, who evaluate writing on clarity, originality, voice, and adherence to the contest’s specific format. Winning and recognized entries are published on the Learning Network and may appear in the print edition of the Times.
12. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Awards in Writing
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | No cash prize
Dates: Opens for submissions in Fall
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Sophomores and juniors in the current academic school year (Grades 10 to 12)
The NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing is a national competition run by the National Council of Teachers of English in which your school’s English department can nominate you based on your ability to inform and move an audience through writing. Writing prompts are usually theme-based, and you can choose to write a personal narrative, poetry, screenplay, photo essay, or other formats that feel authentic to your voice and perspective. Judges, who are teachers from across the country, evaluate your work holistically on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style. They specifically look for thematic control, syntactical variation, original word choice, evocative imagery, and a distinct, authentic voice that comes through in your stylistic choices. The piece must be written from your personal perspective.
13. Columbia Undergraduate Law Review High School Essay Contest
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | Prize details not publicly listed
Dates: Usually Spring–Summer (vary annually)
Application Deadline: June 26
Eligibility: Open to current high school students
The Columbia Undergraduate Law Review High School Essay Contest is an annual writing competition focused on legal analysis and constitutional law. Each year, a prompt is released centering on a specific legal issue, and past topics have included due process, freedom of speech, gender justice, and the right to privacy. You can research the assigned topic, develop a legal argument, and submit an essay that incorporates relevant case law, legislation, or legal scholarship. The essay requires you to engage with legal questions and support your position using legal reasoning and cited sources. Submissions are reviewed by members of the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review, and selected essays are recognized as First Place, Runner-Up, or Honorable Mention. Winning essays are published on the CULR website and made publicly available.
14. David McCullough Essay Prizes (Gilder Lehrman Institute)
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Free | 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
Dates: Prompt released late spring
Application Deadline: June 22
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12 attending schools in the Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School Program
The David McCullough Essay Prizes are an annual writing competition organized by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, focused on American history from 1491 to 2001. The contest is named in memory of David McCullough (1933–2022), a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Gilder Lehrman Life Trustee known for his work chronicling American history. There are two categories: research and interpretive essays. For the research essay, you write on a topic of your choosing in American history, drawing on both primary and secondary sources. For the interpretive essay, you analyze a single primary source from the Gilder Lehrman Collection, which holds over 87,000 historical documents. Essays can be written independently or produced for a current academic year class, provided they are revised and adapted to meet the competition’s formatting requirements. Submissions are first reviewed by a panel of Gilder Lehrman master teachers who select a pool of finalists, and a jury of historians then selects the winners.
15. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest
Location: Online
Cost | Stipend: Entry fee $10 per essay | First Place: $1,000 scholarship, Second Place: $500 scholarship, Third Place: $300 scholarship
Dates: Vary each year
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12 in public, private, and home schools within the United States
The SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest is an annual writing competition co-sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association, focused on the role of free and independent media. Established in 1998, the contest releases a new prompt each year centered on a specific question about journalism and press freedom. Past topics have included misinformation, political polarization, press freedom, and the ethics of social media. You can write an original essay of 300 to 500 words responding to the prompt, and submissions must be double-spaced and formatted as a Word document. If you reference any external sources, a bibliography is required. Essays are scored on material organization, adherence to the topic, and writing quality, and are judged by a panel of journalism educators from around the country.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program, 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 Institute