essay competitions oxbridge

News | 2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize opens for entries

2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize opens for entries

Essay competition.

The 2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize has opened for entries from Year 12 students.

Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, in 1933, Ralston “Rex” Nettleford was a scholar and a social critic as well as a choreographer and activist. In 1957 he studied for an MPhil in Political Science at Oriel College, Oxford, with a Rhodes Scholarship. Then after his studies he returned to Jamaica to take on a role at the University of the West Indies, where in due course he would be appointed Vice-Chancellor.

The essay prize aims to recognise Rex’s contributions to scholarship, education and culture while encouraging students to engage with the lasting influence of colonialism and uncomfortable questions posed by it.

Candidates are asked to submit an answer to one of four questions before Friday 15 March 2024. Prizes will be awarded at Oriel College on the occasion of the 2024 Rex Nettleford Lecture on Colonialism and its Legacies during Trinity term.

While British colonialism sets the specific context for the competition, candidates may address any geographical centre of colonialism in their essays.

At the 2023 Rex Nettleford Lecture Ekow Eshun, Chairman of the Fourth Plinth, talked about how recent works of visual art by the African diaspora are imagining new ways of being Black which are free from the restraints that the legacy of colonialism places on Black people.

The winners of the 2023 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize were Isaac Gavaghan and Rufus Shutter. Special commendations also went to Fatima Dambatta, Elicia Brance and Raian Gantra.

To find out more about the 2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize, including details on how to enter, click here .

Oriel College to support new EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Superconductivity

Year 12 students attend oriel college for four overnight residential programmes, mellon longevity scholars organise early career researcher conference at oriel college.

anjaliraghbeer
Aug 12, 2023

Exploring the World of Oxbridge Essay Competitions: List of 10 Competitions and Subject Categories

Oxford and Cambridge, two prestigious universities located in the United Kingdom, are renowned for their rigorous academic standards and intellectual excellence. Among the many opportunities they offer, Oxbridge essay competitions stand out as a unique platform for students to showcase their critical thinking, research abilities, and passion for their chosen subjects. In this blog, we will delve into the world of Oxbridge essay competitions, providing you with 10 examples across various subject categories.

Humanities:

a) English Literature: The Oxford English Essay Prize invites students to explore literary themes, analyze texts, and develop well-structured arguments.

b) History: Cambridge's Historical Essay Competition covers a wide range of historical periods and encourages students to engage with primary and secondary sources.

Social Sciences:

a) Economics: The Marshall Society Essay Competition, organized by Cambridge, focuses on contemporary economic issues, requiring students to apply economic theories to real-world problems.

b) Politics and International Relations: The Oxford Political Review's Essay Competition offers students the chance to discuss political theories, analyze global events, and propose policy solutions.

a) Biological Sciences: The Oxford Biology Essay Competition explores topics such as genetics, ecology, and biotechnology, promoting critical thinking and scientific communication skills.

b) Physics: Cambridge's Woolf Essay Prize challenges students to delve into complex physics concepts, encouraging original thinking and clear explanations.

Mathematics and Computer Science:

a) Mathematics: The Oxford Mathematical Institute runs an essay competition that encourages students to explore mathematical concepts, solve problems, and present their findings concisely.

b) Computer Science: Cambridge's Computer Science Essay Prize asks students to tackle cutting-edge technological issues, discuss the social implications of computer science, and propose innovative solutions.

Philosophy and Theology:

a) Philosophy: The Oxford Philsoc Philosophy Essay Prize invites students to engage with philosophical ideas, argue for or against philosophical positions, and develop logical reasoning skills.

b) Theology: Cambridge's Theology and Religious Studies Essay Prize encourages students to explore religious texts, engage with theological debates, and critically analyze different religious traditions.

Creative Writing:

a) Poetry: The Oxford University Poetry Society's (OUPS) Poetry Competition invites aspiring poets to submit their original works, allowing them to express their creativity and showcase their poetic talent.

b) Short Story: Cambridge's The Thomas Campion English Prize for Creative Writing challenges students to craft compelling short stories, demonstrating their storytelling skills and imaginative prowess.

Conclusion:

Oxbridge essay competitions provide an exceptional opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of various subjects, refine their research and analytical skills, and engage with academia at a higher level. The examples mentioned above represent just a fraction of the wide range of competitions available across numerous disciplines. By participating in these competitions, students not only enhance their academic profiles but also gain valuable experience that prepares them for future studies and careers. So, if you have a passion for a particular subject, don't hesitate to explore the world of Oxbridge essay competitions and embark on an intellectual journey like no other.

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A Comprehensive Guide to the Cambridge College Essay Competitions

Cambridge college essay competitions, thinking of applying to oxbridge but need new ways to get ahead of the game with your application what plenty of students aren’t aware of is the fact that many of the cambridge colleges hold essay prizes for students in year 12 focusing on various subjects, allowing prospective applicants to get a taste of what uni-level essay writing might be like, as well as giving you something great to put on your cv. below is a comprehensive list of the essay competitions help by the various cambridge colleges, listed by subject. if any of them take your fancy, be sure to head over to the college website to get more details about how to enter and when the deadlines are we’ve also included past and present questions to give you a bit of an idea about what each competition is likely to entail., multi-disciplinary/humanities robinson college essay prize the robinson college essay prize is open to all students in year 12 (lower sixth, or equivalent) at a uk school during the 2020-21 academic year. it is designed to give students the opportunity to develop and showcase their independent study and writing skills. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the questions given, which should be no longer than 2,000 words (including footnotes and captions). the questions may be discussed with reference to any academic discipline or area of interest. up to three entries may be submitted per school, so please discuss your application with your school prior to entry. 2021 questions: 1. "a person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury." (js mill). do you agree 2. 'creativity should be the highest goal of education.' discuss. 3. "in policy making, there is no such thing as 'the data', and therefore no such thing as 'acting on the data'." do you agree 4. "the translated text must add up to the original... [translation] is like a problem in math—using different numbers, the answer must be the same, different numbers must add up to the same answer." (lydia davis). discuss. 5. watch this video featuring the poet kamau braithwaite and discuss the significance of 'archives of freedom'. girton college humanities writing competition this annual competition is an opportunity for year 12 students to research and write beyond the curriculum, using one or more of the lawrence room museum objects, as their focus. essays or creative responses (such as dramatic monologues or short stories) are equally welcome. the judges are looking for the ability to connect different areas of knowledge, to think about details and to communicate clearly. archaeology fitzwilliam college archaeology essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 questions: 1. what can responses to climate in the past teach us today 2. in what ways does the study of archaeology remain political 3. how is construction and building in the past symptomatic of imminent social collapse architecture fitzwilliam college architecture design competition 2022 brief: you are challenged to design a new building somewhere on the fitzwilliam college site. this building will serve as a hub for interaction between teaching staff and students, where they can share and explore ideas. during the design process, you will need to think about what programmes or activities need to be accommodated in the new building. for instance, you can consider including spaces for social interaction such as a new cafe, as well as spaces to have quieter conversations in groups of different sizes. you must also consider possible locations for the new building within the college site, taking into consideration the other college buildings in your design, as well as the landscaped areas preserving mature trees as much as possible. this should be seen as an opportunity to create an interesting relationship between the interior and exterior spaces. you are required to submit: - project title that best describes your design intention and final design solution - design narrative of 500 words that concisely explains your design inspiration, design objective, and final design strategy developed to meet your design objective - drawings that show the following: 1) floor plan(s) of your building at 1:200 scale 2) one elevation and one section of the building that best describes main features of the design solution 3) one site plan that indicates the location of the building in relation to existing buildings in the college site. a detailed site plan showing the ground floor plans of the individual buildings is available on the essay competition website for reference, but you should produce a new drawing for the competition submission. 4) one perspective drawing of your building that highlights your design intention and shows the placement of a new building in relation to existing college buildings nearby. classics fitzwilliam college ancient world and classics essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 questions: 1. do ancient audiences / readers / listeners matter to our interpretations of ancient texts discuss with reference to any text or texts of your choice. 2. why do we need new translations of ancient texts discuss with reference to any text or texts of your choice. 3. “the ancient world was more concerned with controlling nature than conserving it.” discuss with reference to any area or period of your choice. 4. when does childhood end in the ancient world discuss with reference to any area or period of your choice. 5. why does aristotle say that people are ‘political animals’ was he right 6. how important was trade with the near east and / or egypt in any period of your choice english trinity college gould prize for essays in english literature trinity college launched the gould prize for essays in english literature in 2013. this is an annual competition for year 12 or lower 6th students. the prize has been established from a bequest made by dr dennis gould in 2004 for the furtherance of education in english literature. candidates are invited each year to submit an essay of between 1,500 and 2,500 words on a topic to be chosen from the list of questions. newnham college the woolf essay prize n 1928, virginia woolf addressed the newnham arts society on the subject of ‘women and fiction’, and from this talk emerged her seminal text, a room of one’s own. a room of one’s own raises a number of questions surrounding the place of women in society and culture, and the competition allows students to contemplate these themes and ideas while developing the independent research and writing skills essential to university-level study. 2021-22 questions: 1. ‘only the fellows and scholars are allowed here; the gravel is the place for me.’ how have female writers been inspired by limitations placed on their educational experiences you may discuss historical or modern-day examples. 2. ‘a woman might write letters while she was sitting by her father’s sick-bed. she might write them by the fire whilst the men talked without disturbing them’. how might letters add to our understanding of female writers and their work you may discuss the letters of any female author, poet or playwright. 3. ‘anonymity runs in their blood. […] they are not even now as concerned about the health of their fame as men are, and speaking generally, will pass a tombstone or a signpost without feeling an irresistible desire to cut their names into it’. should the women of the past be commemorated in a different manner to their male counterparts explain. queen’s college the estelle prize for english queens' college invites submissions for the english prize 2021, which will be awarded to the best essay submitted by a year 12 (lower sixth form) student. essays must be less that 2500 words., fitzwilliam college history essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 brief: fitzwilliam college traces its origins to 1869, when the university of cambridge launched an initiative to facilitate access to higher education for the many students who could not afford the costs of college membership. the initiative was part of the broader transformation of education in britain, as the changes wrought by industrialisation and urbanisation created a need to cater for a growing, increasingly diverse and literate population. earlier decades had already witnessed the establishment of king’s college london, durham university, and the university of london, for instance, and colleges for women were beginning to open in cambridge and oxford. these radical social and economic changes were themselves connected to the intensification of globalisation in the second half of the nineteenth century, which placed britain at the heart of an ever-tighter web of economic relations between the world’s continents. but the same year also witnessed the birth of mohandas – later mahatma – gandhi, who would come to challenge britain’s colonial rule and lead india on the path to independence; the death of alphonse de lamartine, the poet and politician who had proudly proclaimed france’s second republic in 1848, but whose final years were lived under the more authoritarian second empire; the marriage of emperor meiji, which consolidated japan’s monarchy as the country began a new process of industrialisation; and the establishment by susan b. anthony and elizabeth cady stanton of the national woman suffrage association in a united states still recovering from the civil war. in 1869, as throughout history, old and new worlds collided. we invite applicants to examine, in their essays, a topic of their choice, connected to the changes taking place in or around the year 1869. essays may focus on a particular event, a person, a political movement, or even a process of social, economic or cultural change, but they should consider the interaction of ‘old’ and ‘new’ forces which the chosen topic illuminates. fitzwilliam college rosemary horrox medieval world essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 questions: 1. how can the study of dead languages help us understand medieval cultures 2. what qualities made heroes heroic and villains villainous in medieval literature 3. how far do medieval texts give us any cause for optimism in their presentation of gender 4. did the european middle ages witness the “invention of race” 5. were war and/or rebellion the defining features of medieval society 6. “medieval europe cannot be studied in isolation from the rest of the world”. do you agree trinity college robson history prize the robson history prize is an annual competition for year 12 or lower 6th students. the prize was established in 2007 in memory of the historian robert robson, who was for many years a fellow and tutor at trinity. the aims of the robson prize are twofold: firstly, to encourage ambitious and talented year 12 or lower sixth students considering applying to university to read history or a related discipline; and secondly, to recognize the achievements both of high-calibre students and of those who teach them. 2022 questions: the robson history prize for 2022 had 94 questions in the categories of british history, european history, world history, and historiography, so head to the website for the full list. newnham college history essay prize the newnham history essay prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at uk state school. essays should be between 1500 and 2500 words. 2021-22 questions: 1. ‘historians shouldn’t be political pundits’. discuss 2. can the history of clothing tell us about anything other than changes in fashion 3. is historical change driven by great individuals, land economy fitzwilliam college land economy essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 questions: 1. do you believe that environmentalist civil society organisations, such as extinction rebellion and greenpeace, can be effective at pushing governments to adopt environmental policies aimed at addressing the climate and ecological crises 2. ‘territorial inequality between different parts of the uk is extremely high. this undermines the principle of equality of opportunities, because individuals’ life chances crucially depend on where one happens to be born and raised.’ discuss, possibly drawing on examples from your own area of residence. 3. some argue that the covid-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the fate of inner cities and, in the future, expensive, commuter-driven urban cores will decline in favour of less compact/dense areas such as towns and the countryside. do you agree, law trinity college robert walker prize for essays in law the prize is named after an honorary fellow of the college, lord walker of gestingthorpe, a retired justice of the supreme court and former law student at trinity. essays can be of any length up to 2,000 words (including footnotes). 2022 question: ‘what responsibilities in connection with the environment and sustainability, if any, should the law assign to owners and to occupiers of land’, linguistics trinity college linguistics essay prize this annual essay competition aims to raise awareness of the systematic study of language as an interesting and multifaceted subject in and of itself. the competition is open to all students with an interest in how language works regardless of the specific subjects they are currently studying at a-level (or similar qualification). for example, it may be of interest to students taking a-levels in modern languages, english language or classics, but also to students taking psychology or mathematics. 2022 topic: ‘people who speak two or more languages or dialects sometimes switch between them within the same conversation, and even within the same sentence. what reasons make people switch languages (or dialects) why is this interesting for linguists should linguists prescribe if switching is good or bad’, philosophy trinity college philosophy essay prize the philosophy essay prize is open to year 12 or lower 6th students. the aim of the prize is to encourage able sixth formers to pursue their interest in philosophy, with the hope that they will be encouraged to read this or related subjects at university. 2022 questions: - which philosophical insight that you have come across in your life so far has been the most important one for you - what is the difference between knowledge and understanding - is truth a human invention newnham college philosophy essay prize the newnham philosophy essay prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a uk state school. it is designed to give students the opportunity to think and write about philosophy and philosophical matters in the broadest sense, while developing their independent study and writing skills. through exposure to the type of work they might be expected to do at cambridge, newnham hope to encourage philosophy applicants to the university – and hopefully to newnham, where women’s history and educational excellence are, of course, central. 2021-22 question: ‘sentences such as “a good oak tree has deep roots” can be true, and true irrespective of anybody’s opinion. in other words, such sentences can be objectively true. now, the word “good” doesn’t change its meaning just because it’s being applied to members of one species rather than another. so, sentences such as “a good human being is kind” can be objectively true as well.’ should we be convinced by this kind of argument for the objectivity of ethical judgements, politics trinity college r.a. butler politics prize the objectives of the r.a. butler prize are twofold. firstly, it aims to encourage students with an interest in modern politics and world affairs to think about undertaking university studies in politics, international studies or a related discipline; it is not limited to those already studying these subjects or indeed other social sciences. secondly, its intention is to recognise the achievements both of high-calibre students and of those who teach them. essays can be up to 3,000 words, including all footnotes and references but excluding the bibliography. 2022 questions: - whom do elected representatives, in practice, represent - are the police institutionally discriminatory - is it ever legitimate for one country to invade another - should countries be punished for the actions of their leaders - do international regional organisations offer the best prospects for cooperation between states in the contemporary world - are international organisations biased towards the interests of wealthy countries - what should the uk be doing to help refugees - should every family own its own home - what statues should come down, and which (if any) should stay up - what policies should the uk government be implementing to ensure it meets its commitments made at the un climate change conferences, maths newnham college philippa fawcett mathematics essay prize the philippa fawcett mathematics prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a uk state school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying mathematics, statistics or further mathematics but we welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the questions below. submissions should comply with the following: • 4-6 a4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography • 12 point font minimum • 2 cm margins minimum • 2500 words max. 2021-22 questions: 1. how does mathematics protect your privacy online 2. what are the most fascinating aspects behind the mathematics of music discuss how mathematics is related to the theory of musical structures and/or instruments. 3. mathematics and climate change: what role do you think mathematics can play in guiding policy makers and in helping public understanding, medicine newnham college medicine prize the newnham college medicine prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a maintained sector uk school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying biology and chemistry, but we welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the questions below. submissions should comply with the following: • 6 a4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography • 12 point font minimum • 2 cm margins minimum • 1500-2500 words total (including footnotes and figure captions, but excluding bibliography) 2021-22 questions: 1. how realistic is it to develop a small molecule therapy for covid-19 could such a therapy be rolled out in a timeframe that it could have an impact on the current pandemic 2. sleep deprivation in clinical health settings. does it matter 3. looking to the future. will stem cell therapies be outpaced by machine-brain interfaces for the treatment of retinal disease, music newnham college music essay prize the newnham music essay prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a maintained sector uk school. it is designed to give students the opportunity to think and write about music in its broadest context, while developing their independent study and writing skills. 2021-22 questions: 1) how have improvements in transport and communications infrastructure affected the history of music – and in what ways might they do so in future 2) evaluate the challenges and opportunities presented to musical culture in a time of global pandemic. 3) in some ways music can be thought of as the ultimate interdisciplinary subject, but it is also highly specialised in other respects. examine this paradox in the context of the debate about music’s role in primary and secondary education., sciences newnham college engineering essay prize the newnham engineering prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a uk state school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying physics, mathematics, further mathematics, chemistry, biology, design and technology or economics, but they welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. 2021-22 questions: 1. what can engineers do to mitigate climate change - atmospheric levels of co2 are increasing and the world is waking up to the problem of climate change brought about by human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. as engineers, we have the skills and expertise to make a difference, providing technological solutions to reduce global carbon emissions. all engineering disciplines have a role to play and some areas are suggested below. (a) electric power generation and consumption. what are ‘renewable sources’ of electric power generation how do they work and what are their strengths and limitations are there any new sources being researched and developed that might provide solutions for the future could the uk generate all its electricity from renewable sources - how can we reduce our demand for electric power so that we don’t need to generate so much - there may be opportunities in both domestic and commercial/industrial consumption, e.g. energy efficient homes, energy-efficient manufacturing, low power consumer electronics. (b) transport. modern lifestyles involve a lot of transport, of people as well as goods. how energy-efficient are different modes of transport, and what is the potential for reducing their carbon footprint (c) construction. this sector is one of the biggest emitters of carbon globally. the carbon emissions arise from many sources, especially the huge amount of concrete used in construction projects but also including the energy to power machines. do we have any alternatives for materials or technology strategies to reduce these emissions (d) other engineering areas. technological solutions can be found in all engineering disciplines. you are encouraged to choose for the topic of your essay an example that interests you. 2. data and information engineering data and information engineering is being used everywhere around us. our life increasingly relies on data analysis, from the recent developments in the automotive sector to social media, from machine assisted surgery to law forensics. the data deluge provided by recent technological advances has made automation in data analysis necessary to identify hidden patterns of information within the considered datasets. it is also true that a fully automated world could bring new risks and dangers that did not exist even just a few years ago (e.g., the ethical dilemmas of self driving cars). write an essay on the major aspects of social awareness in ai development, and how this could impact: a) the health sector. b) government, democracy and policing. c) sustainable development. d) another major topic of your interest. you are encouraged to think about the engineering considerations related to some of these topics as well as the ethical considerations. what makes an algorithm particularly helpful or harmful newnham college biological sciences essay prize the newnham college biological sciences prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a uk state school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics, but we welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the titles overleaf. submissions should comply with the following: - 5 a4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography - 12 point font minimum - 2 cm margins minimum - 2500 words max. 2021-22 questions: 1. is biology in a reproducibility crisis 2. assess the contribution of artificial intelligence (ai) to recent scientific advances. 3. past and present: how has infection shaped the human genome newnham college computer science essay prize the computer science essay prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a maintained sector uk school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying computer science, mathematics, physics, or chemistry, but we welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the questions overleaf. submissions should comply with the following: - 4-6 a4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography - 12 point font minimum - 2 cm margins minimum - 2500 words maximum 2021-22 questions: 1. is there a fundamental difference between self-driving cars and a "slaughter army" of killer drones 2. mobile phone apps are generally written by commercial entities for private gain. if you had the same resources to design one mobile phone app that would make the world better, what would it be and how would it work, get in touch.

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Tag: Essay Competitions

Essay competitions.

When it comes to applying to university, experience in an essay competition can be helpful in a number of ways:

Writing an essay demonstrates that you are passionate and committed to your subject
Researching for the essay shows that you can study independently, an essential skill at any university
Exploring a topic within your subject, beyond the bounds of the usual school curriculum, gives you things to talk about in a personal statement or interview
Delving into a topic might reveal new passions or interests which you can follow up on and expand your reading/writing around your subject

Not to mention, many competitions carry cash prizes for the winners!

The following essay competitions are grouped by broad subject areas and are, for the most part, annual. The dates for each competition change each year, so the timescales are tagged with seasons to give you a rough idea as to when they open/close. If any of these links are broken, please notify me via the contact form.

I would strongly recommend you look at essay competitions in related fields. An essay competition from one subject could definitely be worthwhile for someone wanting to study another subject. For example, many history competitions ask questions relevant to politics and other social sciences. The categories below are mostly guidelines, so do check competitions in subjects similar to yours.

Humanities and Social Sciences

The Pembroke Tyler Essay Prize – Pembroke College Oxford

Archaeology

Archaeology – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, Spring/Summer
Humanities Writing Competition – Girton College Cambridge

Architecture

Architecture – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, Spring/Summer

Art History

NCH Essay Competition – NCH
Ancient World/Classics – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, Spring/Summer
The Mary Renault Prize – St Hugh’s College Oxford
Classics and Ancient History Essay Competition – St John’s College Oxford
Economics Essay – John Locke Institute, Summer
Corpus Dixit Essay Prize for Economics – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
Young Economist of the Year Competition – Royal Economic Society
The Marshall Society Essay Competition – Marshall Society (Cambridge Economics Society)

English Literature

Gould Prize For Essays In English Literature – Trinity College Cambridge, Summer
Thomas Campion English Prize – Peterhouse College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
Corpus Christopher Marlowe Prize for English – Corpus Christi College Cambridge – Winter/Spring
The Estelle Prize for English – Queens’ College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition – Tower Poetry
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition – Royal Commonwealth Society
Connell Guides Essay Prize – Connell Guides
Corpus Essay Prize for Geography – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring – https://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate-study/admissions-events/essay-competitions
Young Geographer of the Year – Royal Geographical Society – https://www.rgs.org/schools/competitions/young-geographer-of-the-year/
History Essay – John Locke Institute, Summer
Robson History Prize – Trinity College Cambridge, Summer
Vellacott History Prize – Peterhouse College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
History Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge
Woolf Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge, relevant to many subjects other than history
The Julia Wood Prize – St Hugh’s College Oxford, opens February each year

Land Economy

Land Economy – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge
Corpus Essay Competition for Languages and Linguistics – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
Russian Studies – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, Spring/Summer
Modern and Medieval Languages Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge
Robert Walker Prize For Essays In Law – Trinity College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
Politics and Law Essay – John Locke Institute, Summer

Linguistics

Linguistics Essay Prize – Trinity College Cambridge, Summer
Corpus Prize for Harmony – Corpus Christi College Cambridge
Styler Choral Composition Prize – Corpus Christi College Cambridge
Music Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge
Philosophy Essay – John Locke Institute, Summer
Philosophy Essay Prize – Trinity College Cambridge, Spring
Philosophy Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge
Edgar Jones Philosophy Essay Competition – St Peter’s College Oxford, Summer
Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize – Oriel College Oxford, Spring/Summer

Politics and International Relations

R.A. Butler Politics Prize – Trinity College Cambridge, March to September
Corpus Bacon Prize for Politics and International Relations – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
Corpus Hosykn Prize for Theology – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
St John’s Theology Essay Competition – St John’s College Oxford, Summer

Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics

The Oxford Scientist School Science Writing Competition – Oxford University

Engineering

The Engineering Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge

Life Sciences Essays

Kelvin Science Prize – Peterhouse College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
Corpus Rackham Essay Prize for Biology – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
Biological Sciences Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge

Physical Sciences Essays

Weston-Smith Physical Sciences Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge

Summer School Scholarship Competitions

Cambridge Immerse – you choose the topic
Reach Cambridge – there is one question which you interpret and answer

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St Hugh’s essay competitions are open to Sixth Formers from the UK and across the world. These are a fantastic opportunity to explore a topic of interest in a particular subject in more depth, whether something you have studied at school has inspired you, or whether you are keen to broaden your horizons in a new academic discipline.

All four competitions are now open: the deadline for submissions is 5pm (GMT) on Friday 26th July 2024.

To find out more about these competitions please click on the links below:

Mary Renault

Kavita singh, gwyneth bebb, privacy overview.

Oxbridge Law 24/25 Entry
Non-Oxbridge Law 24/25 Entry
Oxford PPE 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Economics 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Modern Languages 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Land Economy 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Psychology 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge English 24/25 Entry
Oxford Human Sciences 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge History 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Geography 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Philosophy 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Classics 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Architecture 24/25 Entry
Cambridge HSPS Programme 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Medicine 24/25 Entry
Oxford Biomedical Sciences 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Engineering 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Natural Science 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Maths 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Computer Science 24/25 Entry
Oxford Physics 24/25 Entry
Oxford PPL 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Veterinary Science 24/25 Entry
Oxford Chemistry 24/25 Entry
Oxford Biology 24/25 Entry
Oxford Biochemistry 24/25 Entry
Non-Oxbridge Medicine 24/25 Entry
Non-Oxbridge Dentistry 24/25 Entry
IMAT Medicine 24/25 Entry
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Academic Competitions for Oxbridge Applicants: A Teacher’s Guide

Author: Matthew Amalfitano-Stroud

19th April 2024

If your students are looking to take part in something that will give them valuable learning experiences and something impressive to put on their Personal Statement, then you should introduce them to the world of academic competitions, particularly those run by Oxford and Cambridge.

Oxbridge applicants need to find ways to make themselves stand out from their competition, whether it’s through work experience, volunteering or research projects. However, one option that many applicants won’t be aware of is to apply for and take part in an academic competition.

The benefits of taking part in these competitions are numerous even without winning, so this guide will show you some of the best competitions that you can recommend to your cohort. First, let’s take some time to discuss what these competitions are and why applicants should take part in them.

What Are Academic Competitions?

Academic competitions are events or contests that assess participants’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in specific academic subjects or disciplines. These competitions often involve challenging tests, projects, presentations, or debates that require participants to demonstrate their understanding, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills within a particular academic field.

Academic competitions are organised at all levels, including local, regional, national, and even international levels. Generally speaking, there are competitions that cover a wide range of subjects, such as mathematics, science, literature, history, social sciences, computer science, and more. These competitions aim to promote academic excellence, foster intellectual curiosity, and provide opportunities for students to showcase their talents and achievements in their respective fields of study.

What Types of Academic Competitions are there?

Across the world, these are some of the most popular types of academic competitions that students can take part in:

STEM Academic Competition Types

Math Competitions: Math competitions assess participants’ problem-solving skills, mathematical reasoning, and ability to apply concepts in challenging scenarios. Examples include the Mathematical Olympiad, MathCounts, and the International Mathematical Modeling Challenge.

Science Olympiads: Science Olympiads focus on different branches of science, such as physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, or environmental science. Participants may have to solve complex problems, conduct experiments, or demonstrate practical knowledge in these fields.

Robotics and Engineering Competitions: These competitions focus on designing, building, and programming robots using a variety of materials to complete specific tasks or challenges. Examples include FIRST Robotics Competition, VEX Robotics Competition and the International RoboCup.

Humanities Academic Competition Types

Model United Nations: Model United Nations (MUN) simulations involve participants representing countries or delegates in mock United Nations assemblies. They discuss and debate global issues, develop diplomatic skills, and engage in public speaking.

Language Competitions: Language competitions test participants’ proficiency in languages, such as spelling bees, vocabulary challenges, translation contests, or language proficiency exams like the DELE (Spanish) or DELF (French).

General Academic Competition Types

Quiz Bowls: These competitions involve teams or individuals answering questions in a fast-paced quiz format. They cover a wide range of subjects, including general knowledge, science, history, literature, and more. These will often be formatted into multiple rounds.

Writing and Debating Contests: These competitions evaluate participants’ abilities in written composition, persuasive speaking, and critical thinking. They often involve essay writing, speech competitions, or debates on specific topics.

Academic Decathlons: Academic Decathlons are multi-disciplinary competitions that cover a wide range of subjects, including math, science, literature, social sciences, art, and music. Participants compete individually or as part of a team in written exams, speeches, interviews, and other activities.

Some of these competition types aren’t always that common to find in the UK, so here are some of the most well-known competition types that your students can take part in:

UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Challenges : The UKMT organizes a range of mathematics challenges for different age groups, including the Junior Mathematical Challenge, Intermediate Mathematical Challenge, Senior Mathematical Challenge, and the British Mathematical Olympiad.

British Physics Olympiad : The British Physics Olympiad offers challenging physics competitions for students at different levels, such as the Physics Challenge, AS Challenge, A2 Challenge, and the British Physics Olympiad papers.

Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad : The Royal Society of Chemistry organizes the Chemistry Olympiad, which challenges students’ chemistry knowledge and problem-solving skills through a series of challenging exams.

Royal Society of Biology Olympiad : The Royal Society of Biology conducts an annual Olympiad to assess students’ biology knowledge and understanding at different levels, including the British Biology Olympiad and Biology Challenge.

National Science and Engineering Competition : Organized by the British Science Association, this competition invites students to present their science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) projects for a chance to showcase their creativity and innovation.

National Schools’ Debating Competitions: These competitions focus on debating skills and critical thinking. Examples include the English-Speaking Union (ESU) Schools Mace, Oxford Schools’ Debating Competition , and the Cambridge Union Schools’ Competition .

UK Linguistics Olympiad : The UK Linguistics Olympiad offers competitions that test participants’ analytical and problem-solving skills in languages and linguistics.

Young Writers’ Competitions: Various organizations and publications in the UK host writing competitions for young writers, such as the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award .

Of course, these are all competitions held on a national level by large organisations. Be sure to keep an eye out for competitions at a local level as these will be easier for your students to take part in while still offering the benefits of taking part. Speaking of which, why should your applicants apply for these competitions? Let’s find out.

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Why Should Students Take Part In Academic Competitions?

As a teacher, you most likely already understand why students should be taking part in these competitions. However, they require a lot of time and effort and can often involve travel and other expenses. To a student, it may not seem worth it to do all this when they could spend their time studying for exams or taking part in volunteering and work placements for their personal development.

These competitions aren’t for everyone but they should appeal to Oxbridge applicants. If they wish to attend Oxford or Cambridge, your students need to be motivated, inquisitive and have the desire to seek out opportunities and immerse themselves in their subject. Academic competitions are a great way to not only satisfy those traits but also impress the Oxbridge admissions tutors in the process. These are some of the top reasons for competing that your students should be aware of:

Application Advantages

The first and most obvious reason is the boost that the average application will receive when a student takes part in a competition. As we already mentioned, taking part in an academic competition is hard work, before even considering that most competitors will be doing this alongside their regular studies and potentially their university applications.

A student who can follow through and complete a competition will have already shown a great deal of commitment to their subject on top of academic and time management skills. All of this will have already shown the admissions tutors at Oxbridge that the student is highly talented and has a genuine drive to study their subject.

All of this is true no matter whether the student wins or not. Winning is obviously an even greater accolade to add to their resume, but simply entering a competition will provide a much-needed boost to their Personal Statement and interview discussion points.

Extra Learning Experiences

Going into these competitions, a student isn’t going to know everything that comes up in the questions or everything that is required to complete a task. Therefore, they are going to learn plenty of new things when they take part.

Whether it’s learning from error, researching issues that they had no prior knowledge of or discovering things from other contestants, they are sure to learn at least one interesting fact or new skill that will help them in their Oxbridge application.

Developing Teamwork Skills

Many competitions will see groups of contestants compete together rather than individually, so this is the perfect chance for your students to improve their camaraderie and teamwork skills. Sometimes contestants will need to apply as a team while other competitions will group contestants at random on the day.

Either way, your students will be able to learn valuable skills such as verbal reasoning, group ideation, management, compromising and more. As some students may already have a lot of experience in group work through sports and other activities, this will be their chance to practice those skills in a high-pressure academic environment.

Confidence Building

For students who are unsure of their skills or feel they aren’t good enough to attend Oxbridge, an academic competition may be exactly what they need to show themselves that they have the capabilities to succeed.

Of course, this does depend on whether the student actually does have the necessary skills to be competitive, but you should be able to determine this as their teacher and advise them towards taking part in a competition should you feel it will help.

Even if the student doesn’t win, being able to submit a high-quality piece of work or hold their own in a debate should be proof that they are more than capable of attending their desired course.

High-Level Academic Experience

Most of your students will have not experienced academia at a higher level than their classes, which is a far cry from what they will experience at Oxbridge. While academic competitions aren’t a one-to-one simulation of the Oxbridge learning environment, students will still be able to experience the competitiveness and intellectual inspiration of being among other academics.

Many competitions are a place to experiment with new ideas while learning from others, exactly as students are expected to act when studying at Oxford and Cambridge. While this may come naturally to some, others may have difficulty adjusting so attending a competition will give them the experience they need to be prepared for Oxbridge.

Winning Prizes

Of course, the overall goal of a competition is to win. Other than the acclaim and title of doing so, winners may also be able to win a variety of prizes that could have a massive impact on their life going forwards. Some examples include:

Awards (Trophies, Certificates, etc)
Cash Prizes
Scholarships and Bursaries
Internships Opportunities
Publication Opportunities
Equipment and Resources

So, if any of these perks seem appealing to your students then they should definitely consider taking part in an academic competition. As we are speaking about Oxbridge applicants, let’s take a look at what competitions are run by Oxford and Cambridge.

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Oxbridge Academic Competitions

Oxford and Cambridge both host a wide variety of academic competitions, although they aren’t typically run by the universities as a whole. Instead, they are run by specific colleges, meaning many of the competitions are smaller scale. While this isn’t a comprehensive list of all Oxbridge competitions, we have selected some of the most well-known competitions that are aimed at Sixth Form students (and equivalents). Let’s start with the University of Oxford:

Oxford Academic Competitions

Oxford has a page available that is regularly updated with upcoming competitions , so be sure to check there to see what options your students have to enter. Here are some of the competitions that Oxford currently hold for students:

The Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize

College:

Competition Type

Competition Date:

The Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize is an essay writing competition described as an opportunity for students to “write about a subject they are interested in” within the subject of philosophy. Students’ works are assessed by the following criteria:

Originality of thought
An accurate understanding of the issues
Clarity of structure and expression
And a critical approach to what has been read

The word limit for this essay is 2,500 and all submissions need to be sent digitally to [email protected] . Prizes available include £250 for the winner and £150 for the runner up.

Theology Essay Competition

9th June (Deadline)

In the Theology Essay Competition , applicants must answer one of five questions relating to Theology. Answers are written as essays, with a maximum length of 1,500 words. It is stated that applicants must answer these questions individually and schools should submit no more than three essays.

The essays are marked by a panel of theologians who are looking for “carefully researched, well-structured and well-presented” that also demonstrate verbal reasoning and critical awareness. The prize for the best essay is £300, with smaller prizes sometimes given to runner-ups.

The Oxford Scientist Schools’ Science Writing Competition

In this Science Writing Competition , run by the University of Oxford’s independent science magazine, students must write an essay based on a prompt relating to science. Previous questions have been fairly topical, tackling topics like COVID-19 and climate change, so your students should be sure to keep an eye on current trends in science if they wish to enter this competition.

The essay must not exceed 700 words and the judges will be looking for quality in “topic, relevance, writing style and grammar, interest to a general audience, and factual accuracy”. Prizes for the winning essay change from year-to-year.

The University of Oxford is less prolific when it comes to its annual competitions, although it does still run a wide variety of one-off competitions throughout the year. Be sure to check their website regularly to stay up to date on the current competitions that are underway.

The University of Cambridge holds a lot more annual competitions, many of which are handled by Trinity College, so let’s take a look at some of them:

Cambridge Academic Competitions

Gould prize for essays in english literature.

1st August (Deadline)
Year 12/Lower Sixth

The Gould Prize was established in 2013 and sees applicants answer one of several questions. These questions can vary from analysis of passages to general statements to discuss. It is said that the award was created to increase students’ interest in reading, recognise achievements in writing and encourage students to apply for English at Cambridge.

Essays can be between 1,500 and 2,500 words long and must be submitted via the entry form on the Trinity College website. The winner receives £600 while second place gets £400 although these cash prizes are split between the student and their school.

Languages and Cultures Essay Prize

The Languages and Cultures Essay Prize sees students write an essay based on one of a series of topics relating to cultural and language-based topics. The prompts given to students include:

“It is difficult to craft a form of protest using words that have been appropriated by power.” Discuss.

“It is easier to control the power and message of images than of words.” Discuss.

“Language is a more powerful indicator and agent of inclusion and/or exclusion than any image.” Discuss.

The essay must be a maximum of 3,000 words and should be submitted via an online application form. The top prize is £600 to be split between the student and their school, while 2nd place wins £400 with the same stipulation.

Linguistics Essay Prize

Contestants of the Linguistics Essay Prize must write a 3,000-word essay discussing a prompt given by the college. There is only one prompt so applicants cannot choose what they answer. In 2023, the prompt is as follows:

“What are the implications for fairness or bias when an Artificial Intelligence system learns about language from online resources? Discuss with relevance to how language can be influenced by social variables such as age, race, gender, and social hierarchies.”

The college states that the competition is suitable for applicants from a wide variety of subjects, from Linguistics to Classics to Mathematics. Essays must be submitted via an online form on the college website, were students will also find a collection of free resources to help the research the topic of the essay. The prizes for this competition are £600 for 1st place and £400 for 2nd place, each split equally between the contestant and school.

Philosophy Essay Prize

31st May (Deadline)

The Philosophy Essay Prize was created to encourage Sixth Formers to engage their interest in Philosophy in a way that will benefit their applications. Contestants must submit an essay discussing one of two prompts:

“There is progress in science. Is there progress in philosophy, and is the field only successful if there is?”

“Can we love someone more than ourselves, and what does this imply about the human condition?”

Essays should be 2,000 words or less and should be submitted to the college via the online application form. The winner receives £600 to split equally between themselves and the school, while the runner-up receives £400 to also be split.

R.A. Butler Prize

The R.A. Butler Prize is an essay competition for those with an interest in Politics and International Studies. Contestants will write an essay that answers one of various questions provided by the organisers, where they will be expected to provide references in their work and “use a diverse selection of contemporary, historical or literary examples”.

The essay should not exceed 3,000 words and needs to be submitted using an online application form. The top prize is £600, which will be shared between the student and their school. The second-place winner receives £400 under the same conditions.

Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law

11th April (Deadline)

As the name suggests, the Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law is aimed at students interested in Law. The award is named after Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe and was created to encourage students to explore their interests in Law and apply to study Law and Cambridge. Essays are judged by the “development of argument, the quality of expression and the appropriate use of supporting facts and material” .

The essay must be no longer than 2,000 words and should be submitted on the college website via an application form. There are winners in two divisions, UK and International, who each receive £300 for first place and £200 for runner-ups. As well as this, the top 10 writers from each division will be “invited to a Prize Ceremony at Trinity to see the College and to meet the Law Fellows” .

Robson History Prize

Like other Trinity College competitions, the Robson History Prize was created as a way to encourage students with an interest in History to interact with the subject and apply to study at Cambridge. Contestants must submit a 3,000-word essay answering one of over 60 available questions covering a wide variety of topics. Questions in 2023 include:

“Why did divorce rise so dramatically over the course of the twentieth century in Britain?”

“Does the American constitution owe more to the ideas of whigs or of royalists?”

“What role did seventeenth-century natural philosophers regard experimentation as playing in natural science? Discuss with reference to one or more of Francis Bacon, Robert Boyle, and Isaac Newton.”

“Why, and how effectively, did the Roman authorities persecute Christians?”

Essays should include all references within the bibliography and must be submitted via the online application form found on the website. The top prize is £600 to split between the student and their school while 2nd place receives £400 to split as well.

Fitzwilliam College Architecture Design Competition

Fitzwilliam
1st March (Deadline)

The Fitzwilliam College Architecture Design Competition is an annual competition for those interested in architecture. This is a design task that sees applicants aim to design a new building and present a full project including a title, design narrative and various sketches. In 2023, the task was to design a building within Fitzwilliam College that would act as a place for students and teachers to interact. Applicants must register to take part in this competition before submitting work via [email protected] .

Registered contestants are typically invited to campus in February for a guided tour of the college campus to provide visual inspiration for their designs. Submissions are then due at the beginning of March. The top prizes are £300 and £200 as well as £25 book vouchers to commended applicants.

Girton College Humanities Writing Competition

The Girton College Humanities Writing Competition isn’t strictly an essay competition but is rather a general writing competition. Contestants are required to write a piece focusing on one or more items from the Lawrence Room Museum. It is stated that this can be written in multiple formats, be it an essay, a short story or a monologue.

The top prize is £200 and up to £200 worth of Cambridge Press books which will be shared out between the winner and their school.

As we said, this list only scratches the surface of the competition available at Oxbridge. As well as even more annual competitions, you will also find a wide variety of one-off competitions held throughout the year. We would recommend additional research with your students to find competitors for various colleges that relate to their subject of interest.

If you want to learn more about what you, as a teacher should know about the university admissions process for Oxford and Cambridge, be sure to explore our Teacher’s Hub today for guides covering every step of your student’s application. Alternatively, you can find out how UniAdmissions can provide you with the ultimate preparation programme for your Oxbridge applicants through our unique and comprehensive formula.

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Discourse, debate, and analysis

Cambridge re:think essay competition 2024.

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 Politics

Political science and law, linguistics, environment, sociology and philosophy, business and investment, public health and sustainability, biotechonology.

Artificial Intelligence

Neuroengineering

2024 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 Criteria

Review general guidelines, format guidelines, eligibility, judging criteria.

Awards and Award Ceremony

Award 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 Submission

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.

Why has religion remained a force in a secular world?

Professor Commentary:

Arguably, the developed world has become more secular in the last century or so. The influence of Christianity, e.g. has diminished and people’s life worlds are less shaped by faith and allegiance to Churches. Conversely, arguments have persisted that hold that we live in a post-secular world. After all, religion – be it in terms of faith, transcendence, or meaning – may be seen as an alternative to a disenchanted world ruled by entirely profane criteria such as economic rationality, progressivism, or science. Is the revival of religion a pale reminder of a by-gone past or does it provide sources of hope for the future?

‘Religion in the Public Sphere’ by Jürgen Habermas (European Journal of Philosophy, 2006)

In this paper, philosopher Jürgen Habermas discusses the limits of church-state separation, emphasizing the significant contribution of religion to public discourse when translated into publicly accessible reasons.

‘Public Religions in the Modern World’ by José Casanova (University Of Chicago Press, 1994)

Sociologist José Casanova explores the global emergence of public religion, analyzing case studies from Catholicism and Protestantism in Spain, Poland, Brazil, and the USA, challenging traditional theories of secularization.

‘The Power of Religion in the Public Sphere’ by Judith Butler, Jürgen Habermas, Charles Taylor, and Cornel West (Edited by Eduardo Mendieta and Jonathan VanAntwerpen, Columbia University Press, 2011)

This collection features dialogues by prominent intellectuals on the role of religion in the public sphere, examining various approaches and their impacts on cultural, social, and political debates.

‘Rethinking Secularism’ by Craig Calhoun, Mark Juergensmeyer, and Jonathan VanAntwerpen (Oxford University Press, 2011)

An interdisciplinary examination of secularism, this book challenges traditional views, highlighting the complex relationship between religion and secularism in contemporary global politics.

‘God is Back: How the Global Rise of Faith is Changing the World’ by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge (Penguin, 2010)

Micklethwait and Wooldridge argue for the coexistence of religion and modernity, suggesting that religious beliefs can contribute to a more open, tolerant, and peaceful modern world.

‘Multiculturalism’ by Tariq Modood (Polity Press, 2013)

Sociologist Tariq Modood emphasizes the importance of multiculturalism in integrating diverse identities, particularly in post-immigration contexts, and its role in shaping democratic citizenship.

‘God’s Agents: Biblical Publicity in Contemporary England’ by Matthew Engelke (University of California Press, 2013)

In this ethnographic study, Matthew Engelke explores how a group in England seeks to expand the role of religion in the public sphere, challenging perceptions of religion in post-secular England.

Ccir Essay Competition Prompt Contributed By Dr Mashail Malik

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.

Ccir Essay Competition Prompt Contributed By Dr Mamiko Yajima

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. Cech

The 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. Roberts

The 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 Ciechanover

The 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 Lefkowitz

The 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 Frank

The 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. Barish

The 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. Alter

The 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 Patapoutian

The 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.

Essay COMPETITION

2024 global essay prize, registrations are now open all essayists must register here before friday 31 may, 2024.

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. Our 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 our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton, under the leadership of the Chairman of Examiners, former Cambridge philosopher, Dr Jamie Whyte.

The judges will choose their favourite essay from each of seven subject categories - Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law - and then select the winner of the Grand Prize for the best entry in any subject. There is also a separate prize awarded for the best essay in the junior category, for under 15s.

Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?

Q2. Do girls have a (moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?

Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe?

Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy?

Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?

Q3. When is compliance complicity?

Q1. What is the optimal global population?

Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?

Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?

Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?

Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?

Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?

Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?

Q2. In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?

Q3. Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?

Q1. According to a study by researchers at four British universities, for each 15-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by around 35% for a man but decreases by around 58% for a woman. Why?

In the original version of this question we misstated a statistic. This was caused by reproducing an error that appeared in several media summaries of the study. We are grateful to one of our contestants, Xinyi Zhang, who helped us to see (with humility and courtesy) why we should take more care to check our sources. We corrected the text on 4 April. Happily, the correction does not in any way alter the thrust of the question.

Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?

Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?

Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?

Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?

Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

JUNIOR prize

Q1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?

Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?

Q3. Is there life after death?

Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise?

Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?

Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies?

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILS

Please read the following carefully.

Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 is open to students from any country.

Registration

Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of Friday, 31 May 2024 may enter this year's competition. To register, click here .

All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on the submission deadline: Sunday, 30 June 2024 . Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on that date. (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date.)

Entry is free.

Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration).

The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name:

Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

The candidate's name should NOT appear within the document itself.

Candidates should NOT add footnotes. They may, however, add endnotes and/or a Bibliography that is clearly titled as such.

Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email referees to verify that the essays submitted are indeed the original work of the candidates.

Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of th e deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.

Acceptance of your essay depends on your granting us permission to use your data for the purposes of receiving and processing your entry as well as communicating with you about the Awards Ceremony Dinner, the academic conference, and other events and programmes of the John Locke Institute and its associated entities.

Late entries

If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions:

a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and

b) Your essay must be submitted before 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 10 July 2024.

To pay for late entry, a registrant need only log into his or her account, select the relevant option and provide the requested payment information.

Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful .

Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

The writers of the best essays will receive a commendation and be shortlisted for a prize. Writers of shortlisted essays will be notified by 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 31 July. They will also be invited to London for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London.

All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that acknowledge their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to London for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate.

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 a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in London, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet some of the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome.

The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or visiting scholars programmes.

The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

R egistration opens: 1 April, 2024.

Registration deadline: 31 May, 2024. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)

Submission deadline: 30 June, 2024.

Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2024. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.)

Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2024.

Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024.

Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024.

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. In particular, regrettably, we are unable to respond to questions whose answers can be found on our website.

If you would like to receive helpful tips from our examiners about what makes for a winning essay or reminders of upcoming key dates for the 2024 essay competition, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list. .

Thanks for subscribing!

oxf-essay-competition-16SEP23-723-CR2_edited_edited.jpg

The John Locke Institute's Global Essay Prize is acknowledged as the world's most prestigious essay competition.

We welcome tens of thousands of submissions from ambitious students in more than 150 countries, and our examiners - including distinguished philosophers, political scientists, economists, historians, psychologists, theologians, and legal scholars - read and carefully assess every entry.

I encourage you to register for this competition, not only for the hope of winning a prize or commendation, and not only for the chance to join the very best contestants at our academic conference and gala ceremony in London, but equally for the opportunity to engage in the serious scholarly enterprise of researching, reflecting on, writing about, and editing an answer to one of the important and provocative questions in this year's Global Essay Prize.

We believe that the skills you will acquire in the process will make you a better thinker and a more effective advocate for the ideas that matter most to you.

I hope to see you in September!

Best wishes,

Jamie Whyte, Ph.D. (C ANTAB )

Chairman of Examiners

Q. I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay?

A. No. Only candidates who registered before 31 May will be able to submit an essay.

Q. Are footnote s, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit?

A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted.

Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit?

A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

Q. Is it necessary to include foo tnotes or endnotes in an essay?

A. You may not include footnotes, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes. You should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should ackn owledge any other authors on whom you rely.

Q. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it?

A. You may interpret a question as you deem appropriate, clarifying your interpretation if necessary. Having done so, you must answer the question as directly as possible.

Q. How strict are the age eligibility criteria?

A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation.

Q. May I submit more than one essay?

A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.

Q. If I am eligible to compete in the Junior category, may I also (or instead) compete in another category?

A. Yes, you may.

Q. May I team up with someone else to write an essay?

A. No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual.

Q. May I use AI, such as ChatGPT or the like, in writing my essay?

A. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If we find that any content is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified. We will also ask you, upon submission of your essay, whether you used AI for any purpose related to the writing of your essay, and if so, you will be required to provide details. In that case, if, in our judgement, you have not provided full and accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified.

Since any use of AI (that does not result in disqualification) can only negatively affect our assessment of your work relative to that of work that is done without using AI, your safest course of action is simply not to use it at all. If, however, you choose to use it for any purpose, we reserve the right to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis and we will not enter into any correspondence.

Q. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay?

A. You may of course discuss your essay with others, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses in your writing or content, leaving you to address them.

However, no part of your essay may be written by anyone else. This means that you must edit your own work and that while a proofreader may point out errors, you as the essayist must be the one to correct them.

Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize?

A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London. But if we invite you to London it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation.

Q. Is there an entry fee?

A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD .

Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted?

A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in London will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to London, you will be able to download your eCertificate.

Q. Can I receive feedba ck on my essay?

A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays.

Q. The deadline for publishing the names of short-listed essayists has passed but I did not receive an email to tell me whether I was short-listed.

A. Log into your account and check "Shortlist Status" for (each of) your essay(s).

Q. Why isn't the awards ceremony in Oxford this year?

A. Last year, many shortlisted finalists who applied to join our invitation-only academic conference missed the opportunity because of capacity constraints at Oxford's largest venues. This year, the conference will be held in central London and the gala awards dinner will take place in an iconic London ballroom.

TECHNICAL FAQ s

Q. The system will not accept my essay. I have checked the filename and it has the correct format. What should I do?

A. You have almost certainly added a space before or after one of your names in your profile. Edit it accordingly and try to submit again.

Q. The profile page shows my birth date to be wrong by a day, even after I edit it. What should I do?

A. Ignore it. The date that you typed has been correctly input to our database.

Q. How can I be sure that my registration for the essay competition was successful? Will I receive a confirmation email?

A. You will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can at any time log in to the account that you created and see that your registration details are present and correct.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SUBMISSION

If you are unable to submit your essay to the John Locke Institute’s global essay competition, your problem is almost certainly one of the following.

If so, please proceed as indicated.

1) PROBLEM: I receive the ‘registrations are now closed’ message when I enter my email and verification code. SOLUTION. You did not register for the essay competition and create your account. If you think you did, you probably only provided us with your email to receive updates from us about the competition or otherwise. You may not enter the competition this year.

2) PROBLEM I do not receive a login code after I enter my email to enter my account. SOLUTION. Enter your email address again, checking that you do so correctly. If this fails, restart your browser using an incognito window; clear your cache, and try again. Wait for a few minutes for the code. If this still fails, restart your machine and try one more time. If this still fails, send an email to [email protected] with “No verification code – [your name]” in the subject line.

SUBMITTING AN ESSAY

3) PROBLEM: The filename of my essay is in the correct format but it is rejected. SOLUTION: Use “Edit Profile” to check that you did not add a space before or after either of your names. If you did, delete it. Whether you did or did not, try again to submit your essay. If submission fails again, email [email protected] with “Filename format – [your name]” in the subject line.

4) PROBLEM: When trying to view my submitted essay, a .txt file is downloaded – not the .pdf file that I submitted. SOLUTION: Delete the essay. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “File extension problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

5) PROBLEM: When I try to submit, the submission form just reloads without giving me an error message. SOLUTION. Log out of your account. Open a new browser; clear the cache; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Submission form problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

6) PROBLEM: I receive an “Unexpected Error” when trying to submit. SOLUTION. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If this resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Unexpected error – [your name]” in thesubject line. Your email must tell us e xactly where in the submission process you received this error.

7) PROBLEM: I have a problem with submitting and it is not addressed above on this list. SOLUTION: Restart your machine. Clear your browser’s cache. Try to submit again. If this fails, email [email protected] with “Unlisted problem – [your name]” in the subject line. Your email must tell us exactly the nature of your problem with relevant screen caps.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU EMAIL US.

Do not email us before you have tried the specified solutions to your problem.

Do not email us more than once about a single problem. We will respond to your email within 72 hours. Only if you have not heard from us in that time may you contact us again to ask for an update.

If you email us regarding a problem, you must include relevant screen-shots and information on both your operating system and your browser. You must also declare that you have tried the solutions presented above and had a good connection to the internet when you did so.

If you have tried the relevant solution to your problem outlined above, have emailed us, and are still unable to submit before the 30 June deadline on account of any fault of the John Locke Institute or our systems, please do not worry: we will have a way to accept your essay in that case. However, if there is no fault on our side, we will not accept your essay if it is not submitted on time – whatever your reason: we will not make exceptions for IT issues for which we are not responsible.

We reserve the right to disqualify the entries of essayists who do not follow all provided instructions, including those concerning technical matters.

THE OXBRIDGE LAUNCHPAd

Winning essays 2023, joint winner : xanthe foster, biology, joint winner : lily blackhurst, law, runner-up : yemisi oguntimirin, politics, runner-up : hiyab gebremeskel, medicine, shortlist: varya mishra, medicine, shortlist: kitty langdon, classics, shortlist: kevin vross, engineering, shortlist: ilan cohen, economics, shortlist: allegra cucos, law, shortlist: yahya a, law, shortlist: shahid grera, medicine.

Congratulations again to all who entered our 2023 essay competition! We hope you enjoyed researching your essays, and that it helps you with your UCAS applications this autumn. If you'd like the chance to be published here next year, and are state-educated 15-17 year old in the UK, watch this space for info in 2024!

Essay Competition: Win a 100% Scholarship With Immerse Education

Take part in the Immerse Education Essay Competition for your chance to win a full or partial scholarship to our university and career preparation programmes

12th September 2024: Submission Deadline

Competition Open

full scholarships Awarded each year

entries each year

Share Your Success

Scholarship Award Certificate PDFs For Winners

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. 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.

23rd February 2024

Competition opens

12th September 2024

Competition closes

17th October 2024

Results announced

January, July & August 2025

Programme dates

Who Can Apply?

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to students worldwide of all nationalities. You must be aged between 13-18 during your chosen programme.

10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship. Take a look at previous essay competition winners.

Runners Up will be awarded partial scholarships of up to 50% to study their chosen subject with Immerse. The number of runners-up will be determined by the number of entries received and the quality of the work submitted. The next category of entrants who are not runner-ups receive partial scholarships worth up to 20%.

Our Guest Judges

Arnold Longboy

Arnold Longboy has worked amongst the top business schools in the world, and is currently the Executive Director of the Recruitment & Admissions Team at London Business School.

Susmita Bhattacharya

Susmita won the Winchester Writer’s Festival Memoir Prize in 2016 and her novel, The Normal State of Mind was longlisted for the Words to Screen Prize at the Mumbai Association of Moving Images (MAMI) festival in India.

Amelia Suda-Gosch

Female Future Leaders Judge, Co-CEO of Female Founders

Tom Ireland

Tom Ireland is an editor at The Biologist, an award-winning magazine of the Royal Society of Biology. He is a regular contributor to the monthly magazine BBC Science Focus and has also written for The Guardian, New Scientist, and BBC News.

Programmes Our Scholarship Can be Redeemed Against

Reviews and winners, what do our alumni say.

I loved the little conversations we had when a question about the topic turned into explanations of the ethical, personal and economic issues that surround medicine. Overall, I found my lessons very beneficial. I know so much more about medicine and its different subsets, but also about what a career in medicine really looks like.

Immerse alumni, and scholarship winner

a woman standing in front of a stone archway

I could see that the essay competition was an incredible opportunity for international students to win a scholarship purely based on merit. More importantly, after doing some more research, I realised that the process for choosing winners was incredibly fair, that everyone would get an equal chance regardless of their socio-economic background, race, nationality, gender, etc.

100% Scholarship Winner

I enrolled because I wanted to expand my knowledge of physics and meet other people with the same interests as myself. Both of which I was successful in doing! My favourite aspect of the programme was the small class sizes – this helped both the tutor and students with learning and understanding the subject.

Adriadna M holding flowers in front of a house

Immerse was very fun as well as useful. You were able to experience what it would be like if you studied here for university. The most beneficial part of the course was being able to see what International Relations is like, and it helped me decide what I want to study in the future.

My school invited everyone to participate, and the further I read about Immerse Education, the more motivated I was to enter the competition. Not only did I have the chance to study a subject I love, I would also be able to expand on my essay skills since writing has always been a passion of mine.

I really wanted to go to medicine summer school this year, and so I literally was searching for summer school opportunities and Immerse is one that came up. Through this, I found out about the essay competition and I decided to submit an answer. Immerse was very helpful whilst I was writing my essay, especially with things like the referencing guide.

I’m 16, so I’ve never written an academic essay before, so it was really important that I actually knew what I was doing in the first place and it definitely helped me with that. The programme so far has been very enriching. It’s helped me understand more about medicine and made me realise that this is what I want to do in life. Meeting new friends, tutors, and the mentors, they’re all amazing. My favourite things on the programme have been the evening activities, like murder mystery night. I am so happy to be able to have seen people that are like minded, and competitive as well. I really think that the tutors and the mentors have all been very supportive of me.

Academic Insights, Medicine

Hear From a Previous Scholarship Winner

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.

To confirm, if participants are successful, they should be aged between 13 and 18 at the start of their programme.

This current round of the essay competition is 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.

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 or 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 all essay entries for the last round of the competition is 4th January 2024. The next deadline will most likely be on 12th September 2024.

Register to receive free Essay Competition guidance

The 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:

– Essay Specifications
– Top Tips for Writing an Academic Essay
– Referencing Guidance
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Course-wide Oxbridge Essay Competitions: Robinson College, Cambridge's Essay Prize. 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 ...
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2024. Test your academic skills with the OxBright Essay Competition. Designed for bright 15-18 year olds, the competition will challenge you to go beyond the school curriculum and think about the future of your subject. Think big, stretch yourself - and stand out from the crowd when the time comes to apply to university.
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Essay competition. The Oxbridge Launchpad is excited to announce that our annual essay competition is now up and running for 2024! We want to provide a writing opportunity with guaranteed feedback from Oxbridge students to help you on your way to making a strong university application, whether that be to Oxbridge or somewhere else.
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The 2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize has opened for entries from Year 12 students. Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, in 1933, Ralston "Rex" Nettleford was a scholar and a social critic as well as a choreographer and activist. In 1957 he studied for an MPhil in Political Science at Oriel College, Oxford, with a Rhodes Scholarship.
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In this blog, we will delve into the world of Oxbridge essay competitions, providing you with 10 examples across various subject categories. a) English Literature: The Oxford English Essay Prize invites students to explore literary themes, analyze texts, and develop well-structured arguments. b) History: Cambridge's Historical Essay Competition ...
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One key aspect which separates an Oxbridge application from most other UK universities is the choice of college. Map Oxbridge Applications, 14 - 16 Waterloo Place, London, ... Below is a comprehensive list of the essay competitions help by the various Cambridge colleges, listed by subject. If any of them take your fancy, be sure to head over ...
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from £78.00. The Minds Underground™ Modern Languages Essay Competition is open to students in Year 12. The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews, particularly benefitting Oxbridge applications for Modern Foreign ...
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Hannah de DombalThe Grammar School at Leeds. We are very pleased to announce that Hannah de Dombal has won the award for the Most Outstanding Essay 2023, with an essay on the subject of Philosophy. She has won a free place on the Oxford Scholastica Academy (our sister organisation) Oxford Summer School 2024, worth £6,995. Congratulations Hannah!
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Vellacott History Prize - Peterhouse College Cambridge, Winter/Spring. History Essay Prize - Newnham College Cambridge. Woolf Essay Prize - Newnham College Cambridge, relevant to many subjects other than history. The Julia Wood Prize - St Hugh's College Oxford, opens February each year. NCH Essay Competition - NCH.
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Our Oxbridge-educated masterminds are here to help! Sessions from £75/h +VAT. Enquire here. The Minds Underground™ Classics Essay Competition is open to students in Year 12. The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university ...
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St Hugh's essay competitions are open to Sixth Formers from the UK and across the world. These are a fantastic opportunity to explore a topic of interest in a particular subject in more depth, whether something you have studied at school has inspired you, or whether you are keen to broaden your horizons in a new academic discipline.
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Gain access to our 12-Document Oxbridge Resource Pack, which includes our Oxbridge Competitions handout for students and many more helpful Oxbridge tools. ... The R.A. Butler Prize is an essay competition for those with an interest in Politics and International Studies. Contestants will write an essay that answers one of various questions ...
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Discourse, debate, and analysis Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition 2024 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 […]
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Here are a handful of top essay writing competitions that might be the one for you: 1. Woolf Essay Prize 2023. The Woolf Essay Competition is run by the University of Cambridge's Newnham College, where modernist writer Virginia Woolf gave a talk on "Women and Fiction" in 1928. This was later canonised in her seminal essay 'A Room of One ...
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2022 Essay Competition Winner
The Immerse Education essay competition allows you the chance to submit an essay for the chance to be awarded a scholarship to the award-winning ... Immerse Education brands previously include 'Cambridge Immerse' and 'Oxbridge Immerse'. Register Your Interest Receive priority enrolment for new summer school locations by registering your ...
2024 Essay Competition
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.
English Essay Competition
We offer a range of exciting opportunities for students aspiring to a degree in English at a leading university: Research Projects in exciting current fields with subject experts. English Literature Summer School for university/ Oxbridge applicants . Long-term Oxbridge English mentoring: Boosting knowledge beyond the curriculum, preparing for personal statement and interviews - visit our on ...
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SHORTLIST: SHAHID GRERA, MEDICINE. Congratulations again to all who entered our 2023 essay competition! We hope you enjoyed researching your essays, and that it helps you with your UCAS applications this autumn. If you'd like the chance to be published here next year, and are state-educated 15-17 year old in the UK, watch this space for info in ...
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Essay competitions are great practice for students to hone their research and writing skills, particularly in preparation for future personal statement writing and university applications. ... competitions to history, geography, and writing competitions. We have also provided a list of the full set of Oxbridge Essay Competitions for Year 12 ...
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Our Guest Judges. 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. 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 ...
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