Competitions · Season calendar

Writing Competitions:
Format, Dates & Prep for Irvine Students

8 writing competitions in school-year order; 4 have official dates for this season.

Writing Competitions: Format, Dates & Prep for Irvine Students
Photo: Min An / Pexels

Writing (8)

  1. Sep162026The New York Times Learning Network Student ContestsThis is the highest-value entry point in student writing: free, open worldwide, with six or seven chances a year, and winning pieces are published under a New York Times domain - about the easiest verifiable publication a teenager can earn. For Irvine middle-schoolers and ninth graders it is the natural bridge from classroom essays to writing for a real audience.MiddleHighOpen worldwide to students aged 13-19 who are enrolled in middle or high school. Entry is free. Children of New York Times employees are excluded. Most contests allow individual or small-group entries; each contest posts its own rules.Opens Sep 16
  2. May312026John Locke Institute Global Essay PrizeIt is one of the few humanities and social-science writing prizes that US admissions readers actually recognise: questions are set by Oxford-affiliated academics, the judging criteria are public, and winner lists are published openly. For an Irvine high-schooler it does double duty - a 2,000-word argument that demonstrates independent thinking, plus a genuine academic story to draw on in essays, recommendations and major selection.MiddleHighOpen to secondary-school students worldwide with no nationality or school restriction. Entrants must be under 19 on the regular submission deadline (31 May in the 2026 cycle). Two divisions: Junior (under 15 on the deadline) and Senior (15-18).Register by Mar 31
  3. Aug302026Marshall Society Essay CompetitionRun by Cambridge's official economics society, free to enter, open worldwide, and with an end-of-August deadline that lands squarely in the US summer - no clash with fall coursework or applications. For students applying in economics (UK UCAS, or economics and PPE tracks in the US) it is the most direct evidence of subject interest, and selection for the annual magazine amounts to a public publication credit.HighOpen to students worldwide who have not yet begun university study - US high schoolers, UK sixth-formers, IB students and equivalents. Students already at university are not eligible. No entry fee.Register by Aug 30
  4. Aug312026IEA Student Essay Competitions (Monetary Policy Essay Prize / Dorian Fisher Memorial Prize)The IEA is one of Britain's oldest free-market think tanks, and its student essay prizes pay unusually well for this level (GBP 1,500 for the Sixth Form winner). Shortlisted entrants also face semi-final and final rounds, so the contest tests written argument plus oral defence - a structure rarely found in high-school essay competitions.HighUnivThe current Monetary Policy Essay Prize runs two separate competitions: a Sixth Form division (students in the final two years of secondary school, including A-Level and IB students internationally) and an Undergraduate division. The historic Dorian Fisher Memorial Prize was for A-Level and IB students who had not entered tertiary education, but that page has not been updated since the 2022 edition. The IEA also runs The Budget Challenge for school teams.Register by Aug 31

Dates to be announced

  1. TBAScholastic Art & Writing Awards (Writing categories)This is the oldest and most widely recognised creative writing competition for US secondary students, familiar to admissions officers and summer writing programmes alike. Its value is verifiability - regional Gold Keys and National Medals appear on published lists you can cite directly. Because each category is judged separately, a student who is strong in only poetry or only journalism can still win.MiddleHighStudents in grades 7-12, age 13 or older, residing in the United States, US territories or military bases, or Canada (excluding Quebec). Homeschooled students are eligible. The Writing Portfolio is open only to current graduating seniors.Register by Jan 4
  2. TBABennington College Young Writers AwardsOne of the few creative writing prizes run directly by a US liberal arts college, open worldwide, entirely free, with real cash awards. Bennington is known for its writing programme, so the award carries weight in literary circles. For students targeting writing-strong colleges it is the best complement to Scholastic.HighHigh school students in grades 9-12 worldwide, writing in English. Students who have already graduated are not eligible. Work must be original, and AI tools may not be used in any way - including brainstorming, drafting or revising.Register by Nov 1
  3. TBAYoung Authors Writing Competition (Columbia College Chicago)A long-standing US high school creative writing contest (founded 1995), run by the English and Creative Writing Department at a college known for creative writing, and unusually generous on length - two entries per category and up to ten pages each, which suits students working at longer scale. Caveat: recent activity is unclear, so treat it as a backup rather than a core plan.HighOpen to high school students (historically grades 9-12) worldwide, writing original work in English. Entries must be previously unpublished; simultaneous submissions are allowed but must be withdrawn promptly if accepted elsewhere. Note: the official site has posted no new call for entries since 2023, so email youngauthors@colum.edu to confirm the contest is running before planning around it.
  4. TBAHarvard International Economics Essay ContestFor students aiming at economics, business or public policy, this is closer to real academic work than a typical business case competition: a 1,500-word economics essay forces you to turn a real-world question into a model or an evidence chain rather than a slide deck. Being run by the Harvard undergraduate economics society with faculty involvement gives it more recognition than most student-organised contests.HighOpen to high school students in grades 9-12 anywhere in the world; no prior economics coursework required. Entries are individual, not team-based.

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