An essay contest is a writing contest that often pays a cash prize. As a rule, you have to write on a specified topic or answer writing prompts paying attention to style, clarity and word count. Winning writers often have their work published and prize money that helps to pay for college. Plus, entrants don’t typically need to fill out a long application or pay an entry fee which makes these contests pretty easy to apply for.
According to a Sallie Mae study, only 21% of students have applied for scholarships in 2019 to 2020. Essay contests could be worth it for college students. It depends on your goals, the competition, and how well you may handle rejection. Writing contests could be fun to get your creative juices flowing. Also, you may win extra funds to help pay for textbooks, tuition, and other fees.
Different Types of Essay Contests
There are writing competitions of all kinds due to the many genres and platforms including social media. Here are a few you should write for:
Novella or Short story contest
Creative writing / creative nonfiction
Poetry contest
Short fiction
One act play
Science fiction
Flash fiction
Personal essay
Another type of essay competition is all about the work of a specific author. Ayn Rand Institute’s essay writing contests ask students for an 800 to 1,600 word essay discussing a book such as ‘Atlas Shrugged‘. Current high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply.
Scholarship essay contests are the same but the prize winner may have to verify enrollment for college at an accredited university. This is true for the Race Entry Student Scholarship. It’s an annual $500 scholarship writing contest where you write about why you enjoy running a race.
If you prefer to write what’s on your mind, check out the Think For Yourself College Scholarship Essay Contest. There are four awards (one first place top prize and three runners up). The contest is only for high school students. It asks you to consider the value of free speech, curiosity, and open mindedness in your everyday lives and write on the topic.
You might also pick up your pen to kickstart a writing career. Writer’s Digest helps up and coming writers in all genres with their annual competition. Winning stories (articles, memoirs, poetry etc.) may catch the eye of editors and literary agents alike. One grand prize winner takes away $5,000 in cash, first place is $1,000, second place $500 and another 8 writers also win money. The literary magazine also publishes the names of honorable mentions.
10 Essay Contests You Should Write for in 2021
Eligibility for many essay contests vary but there are ones for seasoned and new writers. If you live and study in the United States, see if you qualify for the scholarship essay awards below and apply soon!
Cafe Bustelo® El Cafe Del Futuro Scholarship Essay Contest
2021 Think For Yourself College Scholarship Contest
Americans United Essay Contest
Americanism Education Leaders Essay Contest
Zavodnick, Zavodnick & Lasky, LLC Essay Contest
Nicholas Braswell Strong Roots Scholarship
Eyre Writing Center Ayn Rand – Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest
Race to Inspire Essay Contest
Ayn Rand – Fountainhead Essay Contest
Ayn Rand – Anthem Essay Contest
How Do You Write a Winning Scholarship Essay?
Expressing yourself in a unique way that addresses the topic at hand is one aspect of writing a winning scholarship essay contest. When you’re writing a winning essay, consider the following tips.
1. Identify the question or idea to write a clear and personal answer. Is it about leadership, community service, family, etc.? Then find examples of how you led, helped out or interact.
2. Dig into the theme a bit more. Maybe you did not lead a group but you babysat or tutored. Take part in the discussion in the best way for you.
3. Use any key words that the essay asks so that the team looking over your statement knows you read the question.
4. Engage your audience. Some people add quotes or pull in inspiration from others. If it stays on topic, try to show you have a broad experience in some way.
5. If you are applying for a named scholarship, find out about the person’s legacy. Try to show how they inspire or motivate you.
6. Know what criteria the committee is using to evaluate your essay. Try to check them all without it sounding rote.
7. A essay contest is an award and also an investment in your education and future. Make sure to explain how you plan to use your degree and leader skills once you graduate.
8. Many full ride scholarships look beyond grades. If this is the case, you may have to show how you helped others. Apart from stating your experience, relate it to what you learned through giving back.
How Should a Scholarship Essay be Structured?
Many scholarship essays come with prompts to help you format your writing. These guides are useful and necessary to stick to. Read them carefully and follow instructions because this is part of the exercise.
Format
This includes style (e.g. AP, Chicago), double or single spaced, Word or PDF Document, margins and so on.
Word Count
This is the number of words you have to stick to while answering every question. The judges want to see you understand the questions and answer them in a clear way so don’t attempt to write a full length book.
Title
You may need a title for a short story competition but not always for a scholarship essay contest.
Introduction
This is where you draw your audience in with opening remarks in 1 to 2 paragraphs. It should include the main points but should not go into detail.
Main Body
After you introduce your main points, expand on each of them. If you made 3 points (e.g. first generation to go to college, faced a challenge, excited to reach my potential) make each point its own paragraph.
Conclusion
This is where you show how the essay contest could make a difference to your goals and future.
Edit and Proofread
You read and followed directions now go back and double check yourself. Make sure to check your spelling and that you answered each prompt. Proofread to catch mistakes like grammatical errors, run on sentences, and others.
The Young Innovators to Watch contest is open to U.S. students between the ages of 13 – 19 who submit a project or innovation that shows technical or scientific creativity. Applicants may work individually or in small teams.
Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas. Students may be attending a public, private, or parochial school. Entries from home-schooled students are also accepted.
This contest is open to all public and private high school seniors and college students residing in the following counties in BBB’s service area in Chicago & Northern Illinois. Students must have residence in one of the following counties to be eligible: (Boone, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, JoDavies, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago).
Amazeinvent.com is pleased to offer a $500 scholarship to students facing financial adversity who are enrolled in High School, University or College full time. This annual scholarship was created for students who are interested in the study of online reviews, guides, and crowdsourcing.
Sponsored by Admark Technologies Ltd./ CoinIQ.com. Carefully review the requirements to be sure you qualify for this source of financial aid and confirm information with the program before applying. Sponsoring organizations may have changed policies, awards, or requirements since supplying their information.
This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite…of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy…and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator.
As fresh today as it was then, Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress.
Howard Roark. John Galt. Dagny Taggart. Hank Rearden. The heroes of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged are famous because they’re unique. Rand’s stories, full of drama and intrigue, portray businessmen, inventors, architects, workers and scientists as noble, passionate figures. Where else will you find an inventor who must rediscover the word “I,” a young woman who defies a nation embracing communism, or an industrialist who must disguise himself as a playboy? A philosopher-pirate? An architect who is fiercely selfish yet enormously benevolent? A man who vows to stop the motor of the world — and does?
In creating her novels, Rand sought to make real her exalted view of man and of life — “like a beacon,” she wrote, “raised over the dark crossroads of the world, saying ‘This is possible.’” For millions of readers, the experience of entering Rand’s universe proves unforgettable.
