MEET THE WINNERS OF THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION 2023
The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) is the world's oldest international schools' writing contest, established by the Society in 1883. With thousands of young people taking part each year, it is an important way to recognise achievement, elevate youth voices and develop key skills through creative writing.
Each year, entrants write on a theme that explores the Commonwealth's values, fostering an empathetic world view in the next generation of leaders and encouraging young people to consider new perspectives to the challenges that the world faces. Themes have included the environment, community, inclusion, the role of youth leadership, and gender equality.
In the past decade alone, this high-profile competition has engaged approximately 140,000 young people, over 5,000 schools and thousands of volunteer judges across the Commonwealth.
Celebrating the Commonwealth Year of Youth, the theme, 'A Youth-Powered Commonwealth,’ asked QCEC entrants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and to consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.
We were thrilled to receive a record-breaking 34,924 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from India and Malaysia. Find out more about this year's winners below and watch their reactions on discovering this significant achievement!
Siddhi Deshmukh
Senior Winner
A creative thinker and a voracious reader, Siddhi De shmukh is from the city of Mumbai, India. Siddhi is a 17 year-old student currently studying in Mayo College Girls’ Scho ol, Ajmer. She is the President of the English Creative Writing Society , and head of the World Scholar’s Cup club at her school. Siddhi’s role is instrumental in writing and directing the upcoming Annual School Play, and she is also an act ive member of Mayo College Girls’ School’s English Editorial Team. Siddhi’s passions lie in studying English Literature, History, Psychology, and Political Science, and she plans to pursue her passions in the future.
Siddhi is a canine lover and values her time that she spends with her dog, Snowy, whenever she is home. One of her major interests is films, as she finds them immensely empowering, and she loves watching them with her mother. A huge fan of Hozier, Bowie and the Beatles, Siddhi also finds inspiration in music and books. Her favourite authors include J.R.R Tolkien, Donna Tartt and Oscar Wilde. Siddhi, through her expression of writing, delves into the existential conflict of human existence and her writing is often inspired by the experiences she draws from her personal life.
Read her winning entry , 'An Angel That Burns' .
Shreeya Sahi
Junior Winner
Ever since Shreeya was young, she was hungry for stories, and always wanted more. Now, at age 12, she loves writing stories as much as reading them.
She currently lives in Panchkula, a cosy town in Northern India. Shreeya has hopped through schools with varied philosophies in USA and India. The different perspectives and thoughts have shaped her into who she is today.
Her passion lies in creating magic from the mundane. She fills empty sketchbooks with whimsical drawings, bakes with whatever's in her kitchen, and delights in skipping stones on a still pond.
For the Queens Commonwealth Essay competition Shreeya wrote a letter to the Little Prince, expressing her admiration for him. She is grateful for her family, friends, and facilitators and wishes all of them could be present for the award ceremony. A special nod to Mr. Gibbs and Mrs. Mckeown, who seeded her love for writing, and her steadfast mom and comical brother, who were there for every story twist.
Read her winning entry, 'Dear Little Prince' .
Yong Sin Kong
Senior Runner-up
Yong Sin K ong is a 15-year-old Form 3 student from Kluang High School. She has been an avid enjoyer of storytelling since her early years, whether it be in the form of literature, cinema, or th eatre. Whenever she writes, she draws inspiration from the people she idolises, ranging from Neil Gaiman to Lin Manuel-Miranda. She is an ardent fan of the Beatles, musicals, 80s coming-of-age films, and dystopian novels. More often than not, you can find her dancing around her room to the latest Taylor Swift album or diligently journaling with glitter gel pens. In Johor, Malaysia, she shares her life with her family and her loyal dog, Mimi.
Read her winning entry , ‘Observations made at a Local Kopitiam, 13th of March, 2023’ .
Mitali Ragtah
Junior Runner-up
Isabel Allende once s aid, “Write what should not be forgotten.”
That is a quote 11-year-old Mitali Rag tah has always lived by on her journey as a young writing enthusiast. In the gloomy winters of 2020, during the lockdown, 9-year-old bookworm Mitali wanted to do something different. So, she brought together some short poetry and voilà, her first book, “Freedom then and now” was written.
Then she wrote her second book in 2022, “Fairy tales with a twist”. It was inspired by all the girls who believed they were weak and powerless and needed a prince to solve all their problems. Mitali strongly believes in and advocates gender equality and for this she has participated in some in-school organisations and many debate clubs.
When she isn’t scribbling away, Mitali likes to hang out with her family and friends, play soccer and perform the classical India dance, Bharatnatyam.
Read her winning entry, 'Water Girl of India' .
2022 WINNERS
We were thrilled to receive a record-breaking 26,322 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and India.
2021 WINNERS
We were delighted to receive a record-breaking 25,648 entries to The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2021, with entries from every Commonwealth region on the topic 'Community in the Commonwealth'.
2020 WINNERS
From more than 11,000 entries, four pieces were selected as the Winners and Runners up of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2020. Read them here and watch the Awards Ceremony.
2019 WINNERS
The 2019 Winners and Runners-up were drawn from across the Commonwealth and wrote inspiring poems, stories and narratives on the topic 'A Connected Commonwealth'.
| The Annual International Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence 2021 | |
| Winners of the twenty-third annual Berkeley Prize Essay Competition and Community Service Fellowship Competition are announced by University of California, Berkeley Professor Emeritus of Architecture and City & Regional Planning Raymond Lifchez, Chair of the international Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence. The 2021 Berkeley Prize focuses on the topic: “ARCHITECTS IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.” A record 258 Essay Competition proposals of 500 words each, written by 359 individual undergraduate students collaborating in one and two-person teams from 36 countries were received in response to this year’s Question. This year there is a First Prize (shared by the two-person team); a Second Prize; two Third Prizes; two Fourth Prizes (one shared by a two-person team), and three Honorable Mentions (one shared by a two-person team). These 12 students split a purse totaling 35,000USD. studying in the Bachelor of Architecture program and studying in the Bachelor of Planning program, both at the School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, India for: “To Pride From Prejudice: An Architectural Transition” (8500USD)| | Bachelor of Environmental Design program at Montana State University, Bozeman, U.S.A. for: ” (6000USD)| | r studying in the Bachelor of Architecture program at the School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, India for: (4500USD) | | studying in the Bachelor of Architecture program at Drexel University, Philadelphia, U.S.A. for (4500USD) | | studying in the Bachelor of Architecture program at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia for (3500USD) | | studying in the Bachelor of Architecture program at the School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, India the Bachelor of Architecture program at the Goa College of Architecture, Panji, India for (3500USD) | | at RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany for: (1500USD) | | from the Maldives, studying in the Bachelor of Architecture program at the University of Bath, United Kingdom for: (1500USD) | | studying in the Bachelor of Architecture program at the Associação Escola da Cidade, São Paulo, Brazil for: “Until when will the real estate market dictate the rules?” (1500USD) | | Are you in need of assistance? Please email . | Forum Collection2021 yale law journal student-essay competition. The Essays in this Collection won the fifth annual Yale Law Journal Student Essay Competition on emerging issues in employment and labor law. In Solidarity, Legitimacy, and the Janus Double Bind , J. Colin Bradley analyzes labor organizing and civic trust. In Unemployment Insurance for the Gig Economy , Benjamin Della Rocca proposes extending unemployment benefits to gig-economy workers. Solidarity, Legitimacy, and the Janus Double BindJanus ’s failure to recognize a state interest in labor organizing contained a twofold mistake. Organizing develops a culture of civic trust. In turn, civic trust is necessary for citizens to accept the sorts of accommodations raised by conscience-based exemptions claims—like Janus’s—that the state m… Unemployment Insurance for the Gig EconomyHistorically, U.S. unemployment insurance has excluded workers lying outside the conventional employer/employee binary. That should change. This Essay argues for extending benefits to gig-economy workers, via structures fashioned after states’ existing unemployment programs. It grounds its argument … Volume 133’s Emerging Scholar of the Year: Robyn PowellAnnouncing the eighth annual student essay competition, announcing the ylj academic summer grants program, featured content, lock them™ up: holding transnational corporate human-rights abusers accountable, administrative law at a turning point, law and movements: clinical perspectives. Essay Competition“the ideas of economists… both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood… indeed the world is ruled by little else” , j. m. keynes (general theory, 1936), essay competition 2024. The Marshall Society Essay Competition for 2024 has officially opened! We are proud to announce that the 2024 Marshall Society Essay Competition is being sponsored by Cambridge Global Connect (http://www.camgc-edu.com) . Cambridge Global Connect are a subsidiary of Oxbridge Global Connect, an award-winning education technology platform and research think tank founded at the University of Cambridge that offers premier tutoring services.  Marshall Society Essay Competition 2024The competition. The Marshall Society, the economics society of the University of Cambridge, is excited to launch its 2024 essay competition! This is an opportunity for all students who have not begun their university studies to demonstrate their ability to write a convincing and well-structured essay. Emphasis should be placed on sound explanation of economic theory and well-reasoned, original arguments, drawing on relevant real-world evidence. Participants are invited to submit an essay response to one of the following questions:
Writing the essayYour essay should be written in English with good grammar and structure . We will evaluate your essay based on the logic and persuasiveness of the arguments presented, the quality of the evidence used to support your points, and the originality of your ideas. Your essay should be properly referenced , citing all sources along the way. It is recommended to use the APA (Author, Year) style of citation in the text. (For example, “The persistence of high unemployment rates is mainly associated with rigidities in the labour markets (Bertola and Rogerson, 1997).”) Please also provide a bibliography , where you list all your sources at the end of the essay. Don’t worry too much about sticking to one citation format for this; spend your time writing your essay instead (although look to the APA format as a guide for this). Just make sure all the information needed to verify your sources is in here. Before submitting your essay, do a word count. Words in your bibliography and in any data tables don’t count towards the limit, but everything else does, including footnotes. The limit is 1,250 words (we will check!). We put a word limit so you can focus on what the really important aspects of the question are. Because of the limit, you shouldn’t worry about providing a complete overview of the topic; rather, focus on getting a really good insight into the key aspects, with facts to back it up. You may assume that the judging panel have a basic understanding of the question topic, i.e., there is no need for lengthy definitions or background information. Finally, some notes on style:
Use of Generative AIThe use of Generative AI programmes, such as ChatGPT, is not prohibited in producing your essay, and you will not be penalised for fair usage. However, any use of AI must be declared on the form used to submit your essay. All essays will be passed through software which detects plagiarism and the use of AI, including where passages have been produced by AI and manually rewritten. Any essays found to have used AI without proper declaration will be disqualified. Use the submission form below to submit your essay. Do not email your essay to us: we will not read it if you do! If you encounter any issues while submitting your essay via the Google Form below, please email [email protected] at least 48 hours prior to the deadline. We have extended the deadline for submissions to Sunday 18 th August 2024, 11:59pm BST . Late submissions will not be considered. Before submitting, please convert your file to a PDF and change the file name to “[your name] Q[question number].pdf” . (For example, “Adam Smith Q4.pdf”). Make sure this is no larger than 10 MB in size. Competition results will be published on the Marshall Society website by late-August 2024. Prizes are as follows: First place: £100 Finalists: £50 Commendation: No monetary prize, awarded to excellent submissions shortlisted for finalist. Selected winning essays will be featured in the Marshall Society’s annual publication, The Dismal Scientist . Terms and Conditions of Entry Please also observe that by entering you agree to the terms and conditions listed below:
We look forward to reading your submissions! Jing, Research Director 2024/25 Chiara, Magazine Editor 2024/25
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Goi Peace Foundation – 2021 International essay contest for young people Deadline: 15 June 2021 This annual international essay contest is organized in an effort to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world’s youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world. The program is an activity within the framework of UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs (ESD for 2030). The theme of the contest: “What is Life?” What does life mean to you? Have you had an experience that made you think about the meaning of life? What kinds of things can you do to cherish and invigorate your own life and all life on earth? Guidelines :
Entries must be received by June 15, 2021 (23:59 your local time). The following awards will be given in the Children’s category and Youth category respectively:
* 1st to 3rd prize winners will be invited to the Winners Gathering to be held online. * Additional awards (Best School Award, School Incentive Award) will be given if applicable. * All prize winners will be announced on October 31, 2021 on the Goi Peace Foundation website: www.goipeace.or.jp . Additional links:
More UN Competitions and ContestsMore from our Engagement Hub Creative Sci-fAI Challenge2024 youth eyes on the silk roads photo contest, updates from the hub, 2024 iaea marie sklodowska-curie fellowship programme, nippon foundation fellowship programme 2025, upu: voice mail – delivering the stories behind the..., ohchr: un human rights podcast, opcw-the hague award 2024.
Global Essay Competition 2021- John Locke Institute
 Submissions are now open for 2021 Global Essay Competition organised by The John Locke Institute! Apply now! 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. The 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 the competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of the essay prizes are judged by senior academics from the University of Oxford. The judges will choose their favourite essay from each subject category and an overall ‘best essay’ across seven subjects: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law.
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Criteria: Essays will be judged on the level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, the quality of argumentation, the structure, writing style and persuasive force. Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible. 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-
The judges’ decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Eligibilities
Application Process
Application Deadline: June 30, 2021 For Further Queries Apply now: Global Youth Climate Training Programme (GYCT) 2024 UN Internship Opportunity 2024 at UNHQ in New York, USA Admission Open: Ton Duc Thang University in Vietnam (Full Scholarship) India EVolve Innovation Challenge 2024 University of Edinburgh Digital Marketing Online Course 2024 (Free)Keep connected.  Youth Opportunities is the largest opportunities discovery platform for youth across the globe. © 2024 Youth Opportunities Youth Opportunities
Log in with your credentials Forgot your details?Writing Appalachia Contest
 “Writing gives someone else the opportunity to hear your voice, internalize what you've said, and then make their own assumptions and opinions based on words and messages you've written. That is so profound, and to be able to reach a wider audience with a noteworthy and empathetic message should be held above all. ” Coming to Terms with Tomato ThieveryAt the beginning of this past summer, I had just moved into a new house in South Park -a rarity, too: a nice corner lot with the sun hitting it from two sides. For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to garden! I had always lived in apartment buildings in Los Angeles, sharing concrete walls with hundreds of other residents. The thought of having a full garden hadn’t even crossed my mind. Maybe when I was in my fifties or sixties and finally able to own a home, I could try growing a few tomatoes and watermelons. It wasn’t until I was sitting on my newfound porch looking at the small patch of lawn that I thought - “hey... I can grow something!” That was in early June. I went out that day to get tomato starts and some other seeds: squash, beets, and peppers. I planted them. I watered them diligently every day. In August, much to my surprise, I had full grown tomato plants! Me! Having never gardened before, the Earth had lent me literally hundreds of red, round, juicy, delicious, perfect tomatoes. The peppers and squash and beets had a lackluster turnout and I finished them inside of a week. But the tomatoes… the tomatoes were flourishing! Then I realized that I wasn’t the only one reaping the benefits of my hard work. People who were taking walks down my street were leaning down to admire the perfect red spheres. To some, however, admiration took the form of ripping off the arms and legs of the plant, carrying 15 tomatoes in their arms and hurrying back down the street! How dare they take my tomatoes! I worked so hard to grow these and they were taking them without even asking! (Had they would have asked, I would have said “yes, please, help yourself!”) I was mad! My screen door was open. I was at home. In fact, the tomato thieves probably saw me sitting on the couch and still didn’t ask me! And then it hit me, what am I possibly going to do with two hundred and fifty-plus tomatoes? Am I a tomato hoarder? I had already made sauce countless times and eaten Italian dishes for dinner more times than I could count. So, I made a sign on a stake right next to the garden for everyone to see: “FREE! Take some tomatoes, please!” I think at this point I had made the sign partially (maybe even fully) out of spite - killing the tomato thieves with kindness--but also because I figured, hey, I’m not going to eat all of these so they may as well go to someone who will! Lo, and behold, the sign worked in a way I hadn’t imagined. People didn’t decimate my hard-earned plants anymore. Now that they were officially free, they took two or three tomatoes. Not even enough to make sauce out of! Not one more branch was snipped off our beautiful plants. I honestly didn’t understand what was occurring. What psychological phenomena was happening to these people to make them take less of a free item? Then I read a great essay by Robin Kimmerer called “The Gift of Strawberries” from her book Braiding Sweetgrass. Kimmerer talks about connections to the land, gratitude for what is plentiful and thankfulness for what can be redistributed in a so-called gift economy. If you replaced the word “strawberries” in “The Gift of Strawberries” with the word “tomatoes”, I swear the essay could have been written about my little garden. In this text, Kimmerer and other academics explain the gift economy I set in motion: “objects will remain plentiful because they are treated as gifts” (Kimmerer 39). As I kept reading, I realized that I had experienced a gift economy - in practice, no less! Kimmerer alleges that “for a plant to be sacred, it cannot be sold… practices such as posting land against trespass, for example, are expected and accepted in a property economy but are unacceptable in an economy where land is seen as a gift to all…” (Kimmerer 27). I had unknowingly, unwittingly and inadvertently created a gift economy on a piece of yard smaller than fifteen by fifteen feet. It felt good. And I believe the people treasured my tomatoes more - they had more value and more life. One way or another, the tomatoes would have ended up back to the earth in my compost bin, but that wasn’t the optimal ending I had for them. I was glad they made it to people’s bellies instead. I felt a bond with these people, and I hope they felt a bond with me, or at least with my work. Some even knocked on my door to have a quick chat. I don’t think I would have gotten the same satisfaction had my spite led me to erect a small chicken-wire fence and a sign saying “tomato thieves will be chased down the street until one of us gets tired!” This summer I will have a community garden. Work Cited Kimmerer, Robin Wall. “The Gift of Strawberries.” Braiding Sweetgrass. First edition. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Milkweed Editi ons, 2013. Print. 27-39. Home › Essay Competition Essay Competition: Win a 100% Scholarship With Immerse EducationParticipate in the Immerse Education Essay Competition for a chance to win a full or partial scholarship to our university and career preparation programs. Since 2020 the competition has offered ambitious students the opportunity to win a full or partial scholarship on our award-winning programmes.
 Alumni globally Participants would recommend Immerse 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. Immerse annually updates its questions to inspire students to delve deeper into their favourite subjects. 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. Submission timelineFeb 23, 2024. Competition opens Sept 12, 2024Competition closes Oct 17, 2024Results announced January, July & August 2025Programme dates Any student who submits a full-length essay , but doesn’t receive a scholarship, will be eligible for the option of a £1000 voucher for our residential programmes, a £500 voucher for our Online Research Programmes, or a £250 voucher for our Group Online Research Programme. And Many Other Benefits...Enhance your academic profile for university applications. Partial winners receive completion certificates – and those who write outstanding essays also receive comments from our remarkable guest judges. University interviewers want you to discuss the subject you’re applying for with genuine enthusiasm. They look for depth of understanding and the ability to articulate your thoughts clearly. Writing an essay deepens your knowledge and improves your ability to present complex ideas. Our essays are assessed against a mark scheme designed by academic experts. Completing an essay allows you to experience academic writing, promoting related skills like research, critical thinking and editing. Immerse provides support every step of the way. Competition DetailsYou’re not on your own. To help your essay shine, Immerse Eduction provides guides, tips and support. Open to 13-18 year old studentsStudents can submit an essay if they will be 13-18 years old when the programmes for which the scholarships are valid begin. 500-word academic essayRegister interest to access the Essay Competition Guide with all the questions, tips and guidance on plagiarism, AI & referencing. You can also attend one of our regular essay writing webinars to level-up your writing. Graded by experts and guest judgesExpert judges assess the essays based on their content, quality of research and critical analysis. Elements like word choice and structure, evidence and inference, as well as vocabulary spelling, grammar and punctuation are also assessed. Student age groups are also taken into consideration. A chance to win a scholarship for any programme you likeIf you win a scholarship, you can use it toward one of our renowned online programmes or one of our award-winning residential courses in any of our locations including Oxford Cambridge, London, Sydney and New York to name a few. Programmes Our Scholarship Can Be Redeemed AgainstParticipants will learn to explore the world around them with an architect’s eye, analysing their environment and identifying how each building, structure, and feature influenced by Britain’s long history with urban design. Choose from a range of subjects to study in the historic city of Oxford. Embrace each college’s unique atmosphere and stunning surroundings, enjoy the vibrant cultural offerings, and feel your subject mastery blossom. Whilst the sun’s out, explore the city’s winding river on a punt. Choose from a number of industries to explore in this densely packed capital. Experience the pulse of sectors like finance, fashion, and media, immersing yourself in key London hubs, from Canary Wharf’s financial centre to the West End’s theatre scene. Learn directly from industry professionals and get a sense of your future career. Study in the vibrant city of Sydney, where modern skyscrapers meet iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House. Dive into one of many subjects, explore the bustling markets, and relax on the world-renowned beaches whilst supercharging your subject mastery. In New York, the city that never sleeps, engage with an industry-led programme —embracing iconic industry hotspots, from Wall Street finance to Broadway entertainment. Gain hands-on experience and network with professionals in the Big Apple, all while taking in the unmatched skyline and culture. Study in the cosmopolitan city of Toronto, offering a rich tapestry of cultures, explore one of our career-led programmes. Experience the buzz of city life, skyscrapers, and historic districts. In your downtime, escape to nearby natural wonders like Niagara Falls whilst you accelerate your subject expertise. In San Francisco, delve into the world of tech and innovation to explore one of our industry-focused programmes. Work alongside startups in Silicon Valley, or explore the sustainable practices of the city’s green businesses. The city offers a window into cutting-edge industries, all set against a backdrop of scenic natural beauty. Singapore is a great summer programme destination for its vibrant multicultural atmosphere, cutting-edge educational institutions, and its status as a global hub for innovation and technology. With its blend of academic excellence, cultural richness, and modern amenities. Tokyo offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity, providing students with a rich cultural experience and endless opportunities for learning and exploration, making it a great summer school destination. A summer programme in Tokyo means diving into the heart of Japanese culture and innovation. Boston is an ideal summer programme destination due to its rich historical significance, vibrant cultural scene. Home to top-ranked universities, and offering an array of activities ranging from exploring Freedom Trail to enjoying performances at renowned theatres. This online programme sees students work in a 1-1 or a group session with tutors from renowned institutions like Cambridge, Oxford, and Ivy League schools. Each student undertakes advanced research in a topic of their interest, culminating in a full-length academic research paper. Our Guest JudgesOur guest judges and markers are chosen for their exceptional subject matter knowledge and the prominence of their organisation in industries aligned with our essay topics. Many of them come from a teaching or academic background with advanced degrees in political science, English, business, physics, medicine, creative writing and more. This diverse expertise ensures that our judging process is both rigorous and insightful. The essay competition assessment criteria look at academic writing qualities like research and evidence, word choice and critical analysis, in addition to spelling, grammar & punctuation. Student age groups and are also considered in this assessment.  Business & Economics Judge Pamela O’Brien Humanities Judge Christina Bunce Medicine Judge Arnold Longboy Business Management Judge Tom Ireland Biology Judge, Editor of The BiologistHear from our previous winners, register interest for these essay-writing resources, how to enter, essay questions, writing tips, referencing guide, submission guidelines, judging criteria, winning essays. 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. Any scholarships or vouchers awarded during the current round of the essay competition will only be 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. Essays are graded by expert markers and guest judges who assess the essays across the following criteria:
Scholarship offers depend on the grades that students achieve. The higher the grade a student receives, the higher the likelihood of achieving a 100% or high partial scholarship. The essay competition receives thousands of entries each year, and with the vast number of high-standard entries, we acknowledge the efforts of all participants who have dedicated their time to completing an essay. As such, beyond our full and high-partial scholarships we provide further offers to entrants to facilitate access to our transformative programmes. 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, New York, Toronto, 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 the Immerse Essay Competition falls in early September and early January each year. The deadline for the next round is on Thursday 12th September . Register to receive free Essay Competition guidanceThe 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:
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Subject is unavailable at locationYou have selected a subject that is not available at the location that you have previously chosen. The location filter has been reset, and you are now able to search for all the courses where we offer the subject. Fall 2024 Admissions is officially OPEN. Sign up for the next live information session here . Discourse, debate, and analysisCambridge re:think essay competition 2024. This year, CCIR saw over 4,200 submissions from more than 50 countries. Of these 4,200 essays, our jury panel, consists of scholars across the Atlantic, selected approximately 350 Honourable Mention students, and 33 award winners. The mission of the Re:think essay competition has always been to encourage critical thinking and exploration of a wide range of thought-provoking and often controversial topics. The hope is to create a discourse capable of broadening our collective understanding and generating innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. This year’s submissions more than exceeded our expectations in terms of their depth and their critical engagement with the proposed topics. The decision process was, accordingly, difficult. After four rigorous rounds of blind review by scholars from Cambridge, Oxford, Stanford, MIT and several Ivy League universities, we have arrived at the following list of award recipients: Competition Opens: 15th January, 2024 Essay Submission Deadline: 10th May, 2024 Result Announcement: 20th June, 2024 Award Ceremony and Dinner at the University of Cambridge: 30th July, 2024 We welcome talented high school students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition. Entry to the competition is free. About the Competition The spirit of the Re:think essay competition is to encourage critical thinking and exploration of a wide range of thought-provoking and often controversial topics. The competition covers a diverse array of subjects, from historical and present issues to speculative future scenarios. Participants are invited to engage deeply with these topics, critically analysing their various facets and implications. It promotes intellectual exploration and encourages participants to challenge established norms and beliefs, presenting opportunities to envision alternative futures, consider the consequences of new technologies, and reevaluate longstanding traditions. Ultimately, our aim is to create a platform for students and scholars to share their perspectives on pressing issues of the past and future, with the hope of broadening our collective understanding and generating innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. This year’s competition aims to underscore the importance of discourse, debate, and critical analysis in addressing complex societal issues in nine areas, including: Religion and PoliticsPolitical science and law, linguistics, environment, sociology and philosophy, business and investment, public health and sustainability, biotechonology. Artificial Intelligence Neuroengineering2024 essay prompts. This year, the essay prompts are contributed by distinguished professors from Harvard, Brown, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT. Essay Guidelines and Judging CriteriaReview general guidelines, format guidelines, eligibility, judging criteria. Awards and Award CeremonyAward winners will be invited to attend the Award Ceremony and Dinner hosted at the King’s College, University of Cambridge. The Dinner is free of charge for select award recipients. Registration and SubmissionRegister a participant account today and submit your essay before the deadline. Advisory Committee and Judging Panel The Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition is guided by an esteemed Advisory Committee comprising distinguished academics and experts from elite universities worldwide. These committee members, drawn from prestigious institutions, such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT, bring diverse expertise in various disciplines. They play a pivotal role in shaping the competition, contributing their insights to curate the themes and framework. Their collective knowledge and scholarly guidance ensure the competition’s relevance, academic rigour, and intellectual depth, setting the stage for aspiring minds to engage with thought-provoking topics and ideas. We are honoured to invite the following distinguished professors to contribute to this year’s competition. The judging panel of the competition comprises leading researchers and professors from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford, engaging in a strictly double blind review process.  Keynote Speeches by 10 Nobel Laureates We are beyond excited to announce that multiple Nobel laureates have confirmed to attend and speak at this year’s ceremony on 30th July, 2024 . They will each be delivering a keynote speech to the attendees. Some of them distinguished speakers will speak virtually, while others will attend and present in person and attend the Reception at Cambridge.  The Official List of Re:Think 2024 WinnersGold Recipients
Silver Recipients
Bronze Recipients
The Logos Prize for Best Argument
The Pathos Prize for Best Writing Isabelle Cox-Garleanu, Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School, Frontenac, United States The Ethos Prize for Best Research Garrick Tan, Harrow School, Harrow on the Hill, United Kingdom  Gene therapy is a medical approach that treats or prevents disease by correcting the underlying genetic problem. Is gene therapy better than traditional medicines? What are the pros and cons of using gene therapy as a medicine? Is gene therapy justifiable? Especially after Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, gene therapy is getting more and more interesting approach to cure. That’s why that could be interesting to think about. I believe that students will enjoy and learn a lot while they are investigating this topic.  The Hall at King’s College, Cambridge The Hall was designed by William Wilkins in the 1820s and is considered one of the most magnificent halls of its era. The first High Table dinner in the Hall was held in February 1828, and ever since then, the splendid Hall has been where members of the college eat and where formal dinners have been held for centuries. The Award Ceremony and Dinner will be held in the Hall in the evening of 30th July, 2024.  Stretching out down to the River Cam, the Back Lawn has one of the most iconic backdrop of King’s College Chapel. The early evening reception will be hosted on the Back Lawn with the iconic Chapel in the background (weather permitting).  King’s College Chapel With construction started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build, King’s College Chapel is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and is a splendid example of late Gothic architecture. Attendees are also granted complimentary access to the King’s College Chapel before and during the event. Confirmed Nobel Laureates  Dr Thomas R. CechThe nobel prize in chemistry 1989 , for the discovery of catalytic properties of rna. Thomas Robert Cech is an American chemist who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman, for their discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA. Cech discovered that RNA could itself cut strands of RNA, suggesting that life might have started as RNA. He found that RNA can not only transmit instructions, but also that it can speed up the necessary reactions. He also studied telomeres, and his lab discovered an enzyme, TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), which is part of the process of restoring telomeres after they are shortened during cell division. As president of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, he promoted science education, and he teaches an undergraduate chemistry course at the University of Colorado  Sir Richard J. RobertsThe nobel prize in medicine 1993 . F or the discovery of split genes During 1969–1972, Sir Richard J. Roberts did postdoctoral research at Harvard University before moving to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he was hired by James Dewey Watson, a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and a fellow Nobel laureate. In this period he also visited the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology for the first time, working alongside Fred Sanger. In 1977, he published his discovery of RNA splicing. In 1992, he moved to New England Biolabs. The following year, he shared a Nobel Prize with his former colleague at Cold Spring Harbor Phillip Allen Sharp. His discovery of the alternative splicing of genes, in particular, has had a profound impact on the study and applications of molecular biology. The realisation that individual genes could exist as separate, disconnected segments within longer strands of DNA first arose in his 1977 study of adenovirus, one of the viruses responsible for causing the common cold. Robert’s research in this field resulted in a fundamental shift in our understanding of genetics, and has led to the discovery of split genes in higher organisms, including human beings.  Dr Aaron CiechanoverThe nobel prize in chemistry 2004 . F or the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation Aaron Ciechanover is one of Israel’s first Nobel Laureates in science, earning his Nobel Prize in 2004 for his work in ubiquitination. He is honored for playing a central role in the history of Israel and in the history of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Dr Ciechanover is currently a Technion Distinguished Research Professor in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute at the Technion. He is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Russian Academy of Sciences and is a foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 2008, he was a visiting Distinguished Chair Professor at NCKU, Taiwan. As part of Shenzhen’s 13th Five-Year Plan funding research in emerging technologies and opening “Nobel laureate research labs”, in 2018 he opened the Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen campus.  Dr Robert LefkowitzThe nobel prize in chemistry 2012 . F or the discovery of G protein-coupled receptors Robert Joseph Lefkowitz is an American physician (internist and cardiologist) and biochemist. He is best known for his discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family G protein-coupled receptors, for which he was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry with Brian Kobilka. He is currently an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as well as a James B. Duke Professor of Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at Duke University. Dr Lefkowitz made a remarkable contribution in the mid-1980s when he and his colleagues cloned the gene first for the β-adrenergic receptor, and then rapidly thereafter, for a total of 8 adrenergic receptors (receptors for adrenaline and noradrenaline). This led to the seminal discovery that all GPCRs (which include the β-adrenergic receptor) have a very similar molecular structure. The structure is defined by an amino acid sequence which weaves its way back and forth across the plasma membrane seven times. Today we know that about 1,000 receptors in the human body belong to this same family. The importance of this is that all of these receptors use the same basic mechanisms so that pharmaceutical researchers now understand how to effectively target the largest receptor family in the human body. Today, as many as 30 to 50 percent of all prescription drugs are designed to “fit” like keys into the similarly structured locks of Dr Lefkowitz’ receptors—everything from anti-histamines to ulcer drugs to beta blockers that help relieve hypertension, angina and coronary disease. Dr Lefkowitz is among the most highly cited researchers in the fields of biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical medicine according to Thomson-ISI.  Dr Joachim FrankThe nobel prize in chemistry 2017 . F or developing cryo-electron microscopy Joachim Frank is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University and a Nobel laureate. He is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017 with Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson. He also made significant contributions to structure and function of the ribosome from bacteria and eukaryotes. In 1975, Dr Frank was offered a position of senior research scientist in the Division of Laboratories and Research (now Wadsworth Center), New York State Department of Health,where he started working on single-particle approaches in electron microscopy. In 1985 he was appointed associate and then (1986) full professor at the newly formed Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University at Albany, State University of New York. In 1987 and 1994, he went on sabbaticals in Europe, one to work with Richard Henderson, Laboratory of Molecular Biology Medical Research Council in Cambridge and the other as a Humboldt Research Award winner with Kenneth C. Holmes, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. In 1998, Dr Frank was appointed investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Since 2003 he was also lecturer at Columbia University, and he joined Columbia University in 2008 as professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and of biological sciences.  Dr Barry C. BarishThe nobel prize in physics 2017 . For the decisive contributions to the detection of gravitational waves Dr Barry Clark Barish is an American experimental physicist and Nobel Laureate. He is a Linde Professor of Physics, emeritus at California Institute of Technology and a leading expert on gravitational waves. In 2017, Barish was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with Rainer Weiss and Kip Thorne “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves”. He said, “I didn’t know if I would succeed. I was afraid I would fail, but because I tried, I had a breakthrough.” In 2018, he joined the faculty at University of California, Riverside, becoming the university’s second Nobel Prize winner on the faculty. In the fall of 2023, he joined Stony Brook University as the inaugural President’s Distinguished Endowed Chair in Physics. In 2023, Dr Barish was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Biden in a White House ceremony.  Dr Harvey J. AlterThe nobel prize in medicine 2020 . For the discovery of Hepatitis C virus Dr Harvey J. Alter is an American medical researcher, virologist, physician and Nobel Prize laureate, who is best known for his work that led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. Alter is the former chief of the infectious disease section and the associate director for research of the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. In the mid-1970s, Alter and his research team demonstrated that most post-transfusion hepatitis cases were not due to hepatitis A or hepatitis B viruses. Working independently, Alter and Edward Tabor, a scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, proved through transmission studies in chimpanzees that a new form of hepatitis, initially called “non-A, non-B hepatitis” caused the infections, and that the causative agent was probably a virus. This work eventually led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus in 1988, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2020 along with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice. Dr Alter has received recognition for the research leading to the discovery of the virus that causes hepatitis C. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award conferred to civilians in United States government public health service, and the 2000 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research.  Dr Ardem PatapoutianThe nobel prize in medicine 2021 . For discovering how pressure is translated into nerve impulses Dr Ardem Patapoutian is an Lebanese-American molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate of Armenian descent. He is known for his work in characterising the PIEZO1, PIEZO2, and TRPM8 receptors that detect pressure, menthol, and temperature. Dr Patapoutian is a neuroscience professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. In 2021, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with David Julius. Frequently Asked Questions Why should I participate in the Re:think essay competition? The Re:think Essay competition is meant to serve as fertile ground for honing writing skills, fostering critical thinking, and refining communication abilities. Winning or participating in reputable contests can lead to recognition, awards, scholarships, or even publication opportunities, elevating your academic profile for college applications and future endeavours. Moreover, these competitions facilitate intellectual growth by encouraging exploration of diverse topics, while also providing networking opportunities and exposure to peers, educators, and professionals. Beyond accolades, they instil confidence, prepare for higher education demands, and often allow you to contribute meaningfully to societal conversations or causes, making an impact with your ideas. Who is eligible to enter the Re:think essay competition? As long as you’re currently attending high school, regardless of your location or background, you’re eligible to participate. We welcome students from diverse educational settings worldwide to contribute their unique perspectives to the competition. Is there any entry fee for the competition? There is no entry fee for the competition. Waiving the entry fee for our essay competition demonstrates CCIR’s dedication to equity. CCIR believes everyone should have an equal chance to participate and showcase their talents, regardless of financial circumstances. Removing this barrier ensures a diverse pool of participants and emphasises merit and creativity over economic capacity, fostering a fair and inclusive environment for all contributors. Subscribe for Competition Updates If you are interested to receive latest information and updates of this year’s competition, please sign up here.  SELECTION oF PAST ESSAYSA government funds its own expenditure by taxing its population. suppose, instead, it relied solely on money newly created by the central bank what would be the advantages and/or disadvantages , should we judge those from the past by the standards of today how will historians in the future judge us, kit young tham first prize, 2023, are beliefs voluntary, hannah kim third prize, 2023 , if you cannot persuade your intelligent, sympathetic friends to embrace your religious belief system, do you have enough reason to believe what you believe, should ‘innocent until proven guilty’ apply not only to courts of law, but also to public censure, should the law ever prevent people from freely making self-harming decisions if so, what should and shouldn’t be forbidden – and according to which principles, major shokar first prize, 2021 , shivrav sharma second prize, 2023, economics essay, history essay, psychology essay, theology essay, huaming li second prize, 2021 , joonyoung heo first prize, 2021, junior essay, philosophy essay.  Is tax theft?Hosai kishida, shanghai american school grand prize, 2023, which characteristics distinguish successful movements for social change from unsuccessful ones, hannah fareed second prize, 2023. Human ResourcesStaff essay contest winners celebrated.  Four Princeton staff members have been honored for their writing in the 10th annual Princeton Writes essay contest. By Adrianne Da Ponte, Advancement The 2023-2024 contest invited participants to describe a space they would like to create “within our University community or elsewhere.” Thirty-one staff members representing 27 academic and administrative units took up the challenge. An essay by Alison Cummins, office and events coordinator at the Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies, won the Princeton Writes prize. Essays by Joseph Gessner, Julie Meyers, and Alice Señeres received honorable mentions. Chancellor Green’s rotunda served as the setting for a celebration of honorees and their fellow contest participants on June 6. Princeton Writes Program Director John Weeren thanked all entrants for constructing spaces “designed to nourish ourselves and engage with others,” whether “magical” or “grounded in the here and now.” Cummins’ prizewinning essay is less about creating a space from scratch than coming to terms with a space that once existed and is now both a source of longing and a catalyst for re-imagination. In passages of vivid color and intimate detail, The Blue Room(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) evokes a beloved childhood bedroom and draws readers into a reflection on growing up and the ways in which the past shapes the present. As a writer with primary interests in plays and fiction, Cummins enjoyed the chance to explore non-fiction writing through her essay. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in writing for the stage and screen from University College Dublin, along with a BA in sociology and minors in English and creative writing from Muhlenberg College. She has had several plays produced and is currently working on a novel. Throughout her life, Cummins has enjoyed opportunities to travel and to live and study abroad, including a brief stint in Nepal cut short by the pandemic. She brings this international perspective to her work at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center, where frequent event-planning responsibilities enable her to engage with scholars and artists from around the world. For Gessner, a mail carrier with Print and Mail Services who also happens to be a playwright, this year’s contest provided a welcome opportunity to connect his writing to his lifelong interest in the natural environment. In his essay, A Thousand Trees from Now(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) , he proposes the creation of a “mini-forest” on Princeton’s campus. Modeled on a method developed by botanist Akira Miyawaki, this concept relies on native plants and intensive cultivation to rapidly replicate mature forest communities on small plots in locations around the world. As Gessner envisions it, this Princeton forest would build community—not only among plants but also among the generations of people involved in its cultivation and stewardship. The theme of community, of finding and building “the connections between things,” is a through-line in Gessner’s life and work. His undergraduate studies in sociology shaped an abiding interest in cultural encounters, both between and within communities. A move to Princeton some 25 years ago from rural south Jersey represented a personal cultural shift, one that he relishes on daily rounds and in conversations within what he calls the University “ecosystem.” His latest project is a play about a billionaire trying to sell her plan to revive a struggling mining town. Meyers’ essay, Hidden Daggers(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) , envisions the creation of a “Well, Come!” center on campus that offers warmth, comfort, and solace to all who enter. She recounts her own experience as a college student facing the death of her mother while her roommates eagerly discussed plans for winter break, a reminder that even seemingly innocuous conversations can unwittingly inflame hidden suffering. Meyers’ center is meant to be a place of sanctuary where this pain need not remain concealed. In the loss of her mother, Meyers found inspiration for her life’s work—fundraising for causes that matter. “Although I chose not to go into medicine, I knew I could make a difference speaking about health and other vital issues,” says Meyers, whose first job involved fundraising for breast cancer. Through subsequent fundraising and communications teaching roles, she has continued to work for causes she believes in, and sees her life as an experience of gratitude. Now an associate director for donor relations in University Advancement, Meyers relishes the opportunity to express gratitude to those whose generosity helps sustain Princeton’s mission. Señeres, an associate dean for academic affairs in the Graduate School, never thought of herself as a writer until she started taking classes through Princeton Writes . The easy camaraderie of these sessions gave her the confidence to enter this year’s contest. Her essay, Tell Me About It(Link is external) , which imagines a campus coffee shop built around “deep but brief interactions,” was inspired by a transformative encounter in her own life. In her role at the Graduate School, Señeres works with students in the sciences and engineering, guiding them through every touchpoint of their careers at Princeton, from admissions to program completion. Formerly a professor of mathematics and director of the Learning Centers at Rutgers University, she brings to her work at Princeton a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of graduate education. The central theme of her essay—finding opportunities to listen to others and to trust in even fleeting connections—has also informed many of her life decisions, whether choosing to embark on a new doctoral program, pulling up stakes and spending a year in Germany on a Fulbright, or taking up horseback riding as an adult. Princeton Writes , established in 2013, provides a welcoming space for employees and students to strengthen their practical communication skills through workshops, tutorials, practice-based learning groups, and other forms of support. Among these offerings is Writing Space, a congenial and creative community of writers and would-be writers who meet monthly between September and June in the classroom in B03 New South. Writing Space gives participants the opportunity, inspiration, and motivation they need to set aside time to write and is sometimes the starting point for winning essays. To join the Writing Space mailing list, email [email protected] . Inside PrincetonPrinceton toasts 2023-2024 staff essay contest winners.  Photo: From left to right, Joseph Gessner, Julie Meyers, Alison Cummins and Alice Señeres. Photo by David Kelly Crow. Four Princeton employees have been honored for their essays in the 10th annual Princeton Writes staff essay contest. The 2023-2024 contest invited participants to describe a space they would like to create “within our University community or elsewhere.” Thirty-one staff members representing 27 academic and administrative units took up the challenge. An essay by Alison Cummins, office and events coordinator at the Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies, won the Princeton Writes prize. Essays by Joseph Gessner, Julie Meyers, and Alice Señeres received honorable mentions. Chancellor Green’s rotunda served as the setting for a celebration of honorees and their fellow contest participants on June 6. Princeton Writes Program Director John Weeren thanked all entrants for constructing spaces “designed to nourish ourselves and engage with others,” whether “magical” or “grounded in the here and now.” Cummins’ prizewinning essay is less about creating a space from scratch than coming to terms with a space that once existed and is now both a source of longing and a catalyst for re-imagination. In passages of vivid color and intimate detail, The Blue Room evokes a beloved childhood bedroom and draws readers into a reflection on growing up and the ways in which the past shapes the present. As a writer with primary interests in plays and fiction, Cummins enjoyed the chance to explore non-fiction writing through her essay. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in writing for the stage and screen from University College Dublin, along with a BA in sociology and minors in English and creative writing from Muhlenberg College. She has had several plays produced and is currently working on a novel. Throughout her life, Cummins has enjoyed opportunities to travel and to live and study abroad, including a brief stint in Nepal cut short by the pandemic. She brings this international perspective to her work at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center, where frequent event-planning responsibilities enable her to engage with scholars and artists from around the world. For Gessner, a mail carrier with Print and Mail Services who also happens to be a playwright, this year’s contest provided a welcome opportunity to connect his writing to his lifelong interest in the natural environment. In his essay, A Thousand Trees from Now , he proposes the creation of a “mini-forest” on Princeton’s campus. Modeled on a method developed by botanist Akira Miyawaki, this concept relies on native plants and intensive cultivation to rapidly replicate mature forest communities on small plots in locations around the world. As Gessner envisions it, this Princeton forest would build community—not only among plants but also among the generations of people involved in its cultivation and stewardship. The theme of community, of finding and building “the connections between things,” is a through-line in Gessner’s life and work. His undergraduate studies in sociology shaped an abiding interest in cultural encounters, both between and within communities. A move to Princeton some 25 years ago from rural south Jersey represented a personal cultural shift, one that he relishes on daily rounds and in conversations within what he calls the University “ecosystem.” His latest project is a play about a billionaire trying to sell her plan to revive a struggling mining town. Meyers’ essay, Hidden Daggers , envisions the creation of a “Well, Come!” center on campus that offers warmth, comfort, and solace to all who enter. She recounts her own experience as a college student facing the death of her mother while her roommates eagerly discussed plans for winter break, a reminder that even seemingly innocuous conversations can unwittingly inflame hidden suffering. Meyers’ center is meant to be a place of sanctuary where this pain need not remain concealed. In the loss of her mother, Meyers found inspiration for her life’s work—fundraising for causes that matter. “Although I chose not to go into medicine, I knew I could make a difference speaking about health and other vital issues,” says Meyers, whose first job involved fundraising for breast cancer. Through subsequent fundraising and communications teaching roles, she has continued to work for causes she believes in, and sees her life as an experience of gratitude. Now an associate director for donor relations in University Advancement, Meyers relishes the opportunity to express gratitude to those whose generosity helps sustain Princeton’s mission. Señeres, an associate dean for academic affairs in the Graduate School, never thought of herself as a writer until she started taking classes through Princeton Writes . The easy camaraderie of these sessions gave her the confidence to enter this year’s contest. Her essay, Tell Me About It , which imagines a campus coffee shop built around “deep but brief interactions,” was inspired by a transformative encounter in her own life. In her role at the Graduate School, Señeres works with students in the sciences and engineering, guiding them through every touchpoint of their careers at Princeton, from admissions to program completion. Formerly a professor of mathematics and director of the Learning Centers at Rutgers University, she brings to her work at Princeton a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of graduate education. The central theme of her essay—finding opportunities to listen to others and to trust in even fleeting connections—has also informed many of her life decisions, whether choosing to embark on a new doctoral program, pulling up stakes and spending a year in Germany on a Fulbright, or taking up horseback riding as an adult. Princeton Writes , established in 2013, provides a welcoming space for employees and students to strengthen their practical communication skills through workshops, tutorials, practice-based learning groups, and other forms of support. Among these offerings is Writing Space, a congenial and creative community of writers and would-be writers who meet monthly between September and June in the classroom in B03 New South. Writing Space gives participants the opportunity, inspiration, and motivation they need to set aside time to write and is sometimes the starting point for winning essays. To join the Writing Space mailing list, email [email protected] . |
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The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition provides a platform for young, ambitious high school students to exercise their writing skills and compete with students from all over the world! ... 2021 Winner gallery. About the competition . Find out more about the competition format, key dates, and upcoming webinars! Learn more! Resources. Find ...
HCGEC 2021 ESSAY PROMPTS. Participants chose a prompt from one of two categories: creative or argumentative. In response to their selected prompt, participants submitted a 500-word essay (limit) for the regional qualifying competition. The top five creative and top five argumentative essays from each region were invited to the global finals.
2021 Creative Essays. North America. East, South & Southeast Asia. Global Winners. Central and South America. EMEA, Russia & Central Asia. Australia & New Zealand. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2021 GLOBAL WINNERS!
In 2021 we were thrilled to announce that a record-breaking 25,648 children entered The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2021 from every Commonwealth region. The 2021 winners and runners-up are: Senior Winner: Kayla Bosire. aged 16 from Nairobi, Kenya.
NIS. The human body is comprised of trillions and trillions of building blocks called cells. Every cell is a carrier of an essential molecule, DNA, that stores genetic code. Even 0.03% of your genome will be enough to predict your ancestry, personal traits, and possible hereditary diseases.
This essay competition is designed to give students the opportunity to develop and showcase their independent study and writing skills. Unfortunately, for external reasons, the essay won't be running in 2023, but may well be running in 2024 so do keep an eye out so you don't miss it! Sample Essay Questions from 2020.
Since 1883, we have delivered The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world's oldest international schools' writing competition. Today, we work to expand its reach, providing life-changing opportunities for young people around the world. QCEC 2024. Download.
We were thrilled to receive a record-breaking 26,322 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and India. 2021 WINNERS. We were delighted to receive a record-breaking 25,648 entries to The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2021, with entries from ...
Mid-December, 2021. Essay Semifinalists announced. February 1, 2022. (Stage Two) Essay Semifinalists' 2,500-word essays due. February 8, 2022. Launch of Community Service Fellowship Competition for Essay Semifinalists. Early-March, 2022. Essay Finalists announced. March 12, 2022.
The 2021 Berkeley Prize focuses on the topic: "ARCHITECTS IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.". A record 258 Essay Competition proposals of 500 words each, written by 359 individual undergraduate students collaborating in one and two-person teams from 36 countries were received in response to this year's Question.
Writer's Digest's newest competition, the Personal Essay Awards, is currently accepting entries. Winners of the competition are announced annually in our May/June issue of Writer's Digest. By Tara Johnson Jul 12, 2021
The Essays in this Collection won the fifth annual Yale Law Journal Student Essay Competition on emerging issues in employment and labor law. In Solidarity, Legitimacy, and the Janus Double Bind, J. Colin Bradley analyzes labor organizing and civic trust.In Unemployment Insurance for the Gig Economy, Benjamin Della Rocca proposes extending unemployment benefits to gig-economy workers.
The Marshall Society, the economics society of the University of Cambridge, is excited to launch its 2024 essay competition! This is an opportunity for all students who have not begun their university studies to demonstrate their ability to write a convincing and well-structured essay. Emphasis should be placed on sound explanation of economic ...
1999. The 2021 Essay Prize Competition. An essay contest in Threestages open to all current full-time registered students in an undergraduate architecture degree program, undergraduates majoring in architecture, or diploma students in accredited schools of architecture worldwide. 25,000USDPurse. Background.
Source Goi Peace Foundation / UNESCO. Deadline: 15 June 2021. This annual international essay contest is organized in an effort to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world's youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how ...
Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024. Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024. Contact. 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.
The Immerse Education annual essay competition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a scholarship to a Cambridge or Oxford summer school . If you're aged 13-18 and you're interested in applying to the Immerse Education essay competition then please visit our essay competition page for more details.
Competitions. Deadline June 30, 2021. Region Online. Subscribe. Submissions are now open for 2021 Global Essay Competition organised by The John Locke Institute! Apply now! The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear ...
Spring 2021 Writing Appalachia Contest Winner History major — from Los Angeles, CA "Writing gives someone else the opportunity to hear your voice, internalize what you've said, and then make their own assumptions and opinions based on words and messages you've written. ... Essay "Coming to Terms with Tomato Thievery" explores my first ...
The Immerse Education annual essay competition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a scholarship to a Cambridge or Oxford summer school . If you're aged 13-18 and you're interested in applying to the Immerse Education essay competition then please visit our essay competition page for more details.
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. Immerse annually updates its questions to inspire students to delve deeper into their favourite subjects. There are over twenty questions to choose from which can be ...
Discourse, debate, and analysis Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition 2024 This year, CCIR saw over 4,200 submissions from more than 50 countries. Of these 4,200 essays, our jury panel, consists of scholars across the Atlantic, selected approximately 350 Honourable Mention students, and 33 award winners. The mission of the Re:think essay competition has always been to encourage critical […]
First Prize, 2021. JUNIOR ESSAY. Philosophy ESSAY. Is tax theft? Hosai Kishida, Shanghai American School Grand Prize, 2023. HISTORY ESSAY. Which characteristics distinguish successful movements for social change from unsuccessful ones? Hannah Fareed ... ESSAY COMPETITION. 2024 Questions.
The essay cautions on the overreliance of AI and raises awareness of potential issues and exploits that can affect its effectiveness in the field. Jatho got the inspiration to write about the essay for the annual USNI contest while taking Kroll's Trustworthy and Responsible AI course in 2020.
Four Princeton staff members have been honored for their writing in the 10th annual Princeton Writes essay contest. By Adrianne Da Ponte, Advancement The 2023-2024 contest invited participants to describe a space they would like to create "within our University community or elsewhere." Thirty-one staff members representing 27 academic and ...
This year, the panel of judges considered 15 essays written in response to the prompt: Describe the most transformative relationship you've made while at UAFS. The Grand Prize winner is Sophia McLain, a senior rhetoric and writing major when she submitted her essay. Sophia wrote about how a chance meeting with a non-traditional student caused ...
SMS Essay Competition 2024 ... We are delighted to announce that "Mathematics and Generative Artificial Intelligence" will be the theme of the competition this year. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful AI tool that can comprehend and generate new content like text, codes, and graphics. ...
FFRF launched its first essay contest for college students in 1979, added one for college-bound high school seniors in 1994, grad students in 2010 and one for law students in 2019. These competitions are open to any eligible students. Winners of the 2024 high school competition will be announced soon!
NATCHITOCHES - Elayna Babineaux of Hanhville High School in Boutte has been named the first-place winner of the 2024 Northwestern State University Louisiana High School Essay Contest. Babineaux won the honor for her poem "I Sway." Ren Sercovich of Belle Chasse High School won second place for his creative non-fiction essay "Dr. John and
Four Princeton employees have been honored for their essays in the 10th annual Princeton Writes staff essay contest. The 2023-2024 contest invited participants to describe a space they would like to create "within our University community or elsewhere." Thirty-one staff members representing 27 academic and administrative units took up the ...