economic essay competitions 2023

Essay Competition

 “the ideas of economists… both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood… indeed the world is ruled by little else” ,     j. m. keynes (general theory, 1936), essay competition 2023.

We received over 750 eligible submissions this year, with each one being hand-read and marked by our panellists at the University of Cambridge. Overall, we were thoroughly impressed by the quality of the responses to some of the most challenging questions in the competition’s history. We would like to thank every student that submitted an essay this year, and extend our warmest congratulations to the winners and shortlisted essays named below.

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the 2023 Marshall Society Essay Competition is David Lu of Raffles Institution, Singapore. David’s essay in response to Question 4 deftly balanced advanced economic theories with real-world data, clear explanations, and rhetorical flair, and was a pleasure to read. We look forward to publishing it in the forthcoming issue of The Dismal Scientist , the magazine of the Marshall Society, and awarding our top prize of £50.

In 2nd place is You Peng of Shenzhen College of International Education, China. Peng’s essay in response to Question 2 was theoretically advanced and well structured, and we would’ve liked to see even more real-world application. It will likewise be published and receive a finalist prize of £25.

In 3rd place is Hanyun Qian of Suzhou Foreign Language School, China. Hanyun’s essay in response to Question 5 was extremely original, insightful, and entertaining to read, and we would’ve liked to see an even tighter focus on the question set. It will likewise be published and receive a finalist prize of £25.

Our shortlisted essays, in no particular order, were as follows:

To everyone that took part in the competition, thank you for the time and care spent in preparing your essay, and all the best for your future studies. We hope you’re looking forward to the 2024 edition of the essay competition.

A reminder of the essay questions set this year is as follows:

• In what ways could Artificial Intelligence reshape the labour market? Will it usher in Keynes’ ‘age of leisure’?
• ‘Policymakers can’t exploit the Phillips curve to reduce unemployment due to the Lucas critique.’ Evaluate this statement.
• The US Federal Child Tax Credit is scheduled to revert from $2,000 to $1,000 by 2025. Is this policy a mistake?
• Tensions between the US and China have been steadily increasing. Is it in the US’ interest to decouple from China economically?
• ‘There were no meaningful long-run changes in living standards until the Industrial Revolution.’ Discuss.
• Has Economics run out of big new ideas? If so, what are the implications? If not, justify with an example.

Submissions for Equilibrium are now open! The Semester 2 regular deadline is May 12th, 2024.

Harker Oeconomia

Harvard international economics essay competition, description.

The 2023 Harvard International Economics Essay Contest is sponsored by the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association (HUEA) in conjunction with the Harvard College Economics Review (HCER). This essay competition is open to high school students of any year and is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and understanding of economic theory. Through the contest, student competitors hone their academic and professional skills and exhibit their knowledge to future employers and academic programs.  Competitors must construct a convincing argument using economic theory and real-world examples.  Winning essays will be published in the Harvard Economics Review and will be available for the greater Harvard community to read. Essays should focus on argumentation supported with facts and references, although data-based support is also welcome.

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!

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.

LSESU Economics Society

The Essay Competition 2023

Welcome to the lsesu economics society’s essay competition 2023. we are so excited to release this year’s questions, our questions range from the impact of artificial intelligence to explaining variations in happiness. we can’t wait to read your entries, prizes range from signed certifications by nobel prize-winning economists and include £100 amazon gift cards..

UC Berkeley’s Premier Undergraduate Economics Journal

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Spring 2023 High School Essay Contest

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Department of Economics

Winners announced in the warwick future economist essay competition 2023.

We are excited to announce the winners of this year's Warwick Future Economist competition jointly organised by the Department of Economics at Warwick and the Warwick Economics Society . They have been selected out of 68 entries for the outstanding quality of their economics essays.

The overall winner of the competition is Harrison Sargent from Arden Academy in Solihull, whose essay explains how nudge theory can be used to increase voter participation in the next general election Link opens in a new window . Congratulations to Harrison who will receive the top cash prize of £250.

We also congratulate the following students in the joint-second place who receive £50 cash prize each:

• Jacob Jones , Arden Academy
• Eden Haycock, Heckmondwike Grammar School

The collaboration between Warwick Economics Society (with nearly 3000 student members from over a hundred different disciplines) and the Department of Economics at Warwick has been going strong for many years, as we combine our aims to widen access and increase diversity within the subject of economics. Tolu Odejide and Joel Cooper from Warwick Economics Society and final year students on the BSc in Economics degree, commented about the competition:

Tolu: "We were really impressed with the efforts participants had put in. I think it's really important for students to get excited about what economics can offer them." Joel: "It's the little things like this that can make a massive difference to these young people. To engage seriously with the discipline, give themselves the opportunity to be creative with their ideas, can provide the foundations for future studies. Providing opportunities like this continues to be essential to raising the profile of economics in all schools and among all under-represented groups within this field."

Warwick Future Economist Competition was set up in order to raise the awareness of economics as a subject that is concerned with understanding the major global problems of our time, such as inequality, globalisation, healthcare, climate change and many more. The topics of the essay competition had been selected from the three key areas of economics: macroeconomics, behavioural economics, and environmental economics, and challenged the young students to write how economics can help understand better the cost-of-living crisis, voter participation in a general election and the climate crisis.

Chris Mason, Acting Head of Economics & Business and EQP Coordinator at Arden Academy in Knowle, Solihull, said:

"We are delighted that two Arden Academy students have been recognised for their hard work and achievement in placing first and second in the Warwick Future Economist competition. It's clear that, given the choice of questions, the competition enables young, budding economists the opportunity to stretch themselves beyond that of their A level specification. "As part of my role as a class teacher of economics, I seek to enlighten students, so that they can see how economics applies to their everyday life, and what is happening in the world around them. I am passionate about making the economics curriculum accessible to all - if we can lift the understanding of economics across all demographics, the society in turn will benefit."

Dr Lory Barile, Associate Professor and Widening Participation Lead in the Department said:

"It was exciting to work with Warwick Economics Society on this competition and see high participation and good quality of work from young students. We hope that some of them will be pursuing further academic study to become economists and we wish them all the best in pursuing their dreams. We will continue to work with student societies on similar initiatives to increase the awareness of what economics is and what economists do."

Congratulations to the winners from all of us in the Department of Economics and the Warwick Economics Society.

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Nottingham-World Bank Economics Essay Competition 2023

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First prize:         RM 1,000.00 Second prize:   RM 800.00 Third prize:       RM 600.00 Three consolation prizes:  RM350.00 each 

• First prize: Zhi Shen Kerk and Han Ying (Iring) Zhang (International School of Kuala Lumpur) -  essay  
• Second prize: Kan Zheng Hou and Foo Zi Yan (Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur) -  essay  
• Third prize: Lim Kah Xuan and Leong Yu Chen (Kluang Chong Hwa High School, Kluang, Johor) -  essay  
• Lim Qi Zhi and Lim Qi Zao (SMJK Katholik, Petaling Jaya, Selangor) -  essay  
• Joshua Chin Yue Yong (Diploma in Marketing, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) -  essay  
• Saw Xiao Shan (Cambridge International A-Levels, Institut Sinaran, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) -  essay  

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Announcing the Winners of the Nottingham-World Bank Economics Essay Competition 2023

The World Bank Group Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Finance Hub in Malaysia, in partnership with the School of Economics, University of Nottingham Malaysia, is thrilled to declare the champions of this year's Nottingham-World Bank Economics Essay Competition.

The competition focused on the pressing issue of youth unemployment in Malaysia, especially in today's digital age. Participants submitted an essay based off the following prompt - Malaysian youth unemployment rate has been more than ten percent, more than three times higher than the national average. What reforms should the Malaysian government pursue to ensure the labour market in this digital era is vibrant and resilient when you graduate from college? 

We take immense pride in announcing that the essays of our top three winners:

• First prize: Zhi Shen Kerk and  Han Ying (Iring) Zhang (International School of Kuala Lumpur) -  essay  
• Second prize:   Kan Zheng Hou and Foo Zi Yan (Kuen Cheng High School, Kuala Lumpur) -  essay  
• Third prize: Lim Kah Xuan and Leong Yu Chen (Kluang Chong Hwa High School, Kluang, Johor) -  essay

Consolation prizes (in no particular order):  

• Lim Qi Zhi and  Lim Qi Zao (SMJK Katholik, Petaling Jaya, Selangor) -  essay  
• Joshua Chin Yue Yong (Diploma in Marketing, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) -  essay  
• Saw Xiao Shan (Cambridge International A-Levels, Institut Sinaran, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) -  essay

A huge appreciation is extended to all the participants. 

The World Bank seeks tto foster such platforms that bridge young minds and economic solutions. We anticipate more enlightening entries in the subsequent editions and wish every participant success in their academic and professional pursuits.

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Young Economist of the Year competition sponsored by KPMG

The 2024 Young Economist of the Year competition is held by  Discover Economics , sponsored by KPMG and the Financial Times. To find out more and enter your submission, click here .

The Young Economics of the Year Competition is our annual student-based competition, to encourage students to think about current economic issues and promote the study of economic science.

The competition aims at encouraging Year 10 – Year 13 students (in England and Wales, or equivalent in Scotland and Northern Ireland) to produce their own ideas in analysing contemporary economic problems facing the UK and the world.

Stay tuned to find out more about the 2024 competition, and sign up to the Discover Economics newsletter here !

More information below.

Previous winners

Royal Economic Society announces Young Economist of the Year

Winners of the Young Economist of the Year competition 2022

Winners of the Young Economist of the Year 2021

Winners of the Young Economist of the Year 2020

Young economist news.

Discover Economics launches 2024 Young Economist of the Year Competition

Winner of Young Economist of the Year 2022 competition: cryptocurrency

Winner of Young Economist of the Year 2022 competition: value of education

Winner of Young Economist of the Year 2022 competition: cost of living crisis

Greater Lincolnshire: A Plan for Economic Development – overall winner of Young Economist of the Year 2022 competition

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office launches Next Generation Economics Competition

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Cambridge Society for Economic Pluralism 

• Jun 29, 2022

2022-23 CSEP Essay Competition is Released

Questions for 2022-23 CSEP Essay Competition is released!

Every year Cambridge Society for Economic Pluralism hosts its Essay Competition to encourage sixth form students to go beyond their curriculum and explore important questions society faces today. Our annual essay competition is open to all students starting Year 12 or 13 (or equivalent) in September 2022 (ie taking A Levels or IB or equivalents in the next two years) . We welcome essays in response to any of the 5 titles written below. When writing their essays, we strongly encourage students to consider economic ideas which are beyond the traditional, neoliberal syllabus of most economics courses and to support their arguments with real-world examples/data. Essays should be between 1000 and 2000 words in length (excluding any citations) and entries should be submitted by 23:59 UK Time (GMT+1) on September 4th, 2022. Result of the competition will be published on this page on October 2nd, 2022. Prize winner will be contacted individually regarding their prize.

For details of the competition please check our website .

For inspiration and review please check our past competition archive

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Recent Posts

TWS x CSEP Forum: Levelling Up

CSEP Forum Discussion: Can Capitalism Solve the Climate Crisis?

Debate: 'This House Believes the Neoliberal Age is Over'

Economics Essay Competition.

The Minds Underground™ Economics Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome). The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing skills and draw links between economic concepts and real-world scenarios. Entrants must choose one question to answer.

Submission Deadline: 3rd April 2024.

View Competition Guidelines

2024 Economics Essay Competition Questions

“why did god create economists to make weather forecasters look good.” what do you think of this joke is there any truth to it do you agree of disagree with its implications.

Hint: This question requires you to think about the wider implications of economics, to dwell on the subtleties / technicalities of economics as a discipline.

Try to deconstruct the question - how is weather forecasting similar or different to the work of economists? Both involve making predictions - is economics good at predicting things? If not, why not?

Think about methodology - how does an economist make predictions & has it changed over time? Are they now more or less accurate?

Bring in case studies (evidence is crucial to justify your argument) e.g. failure to predict the 2007-9 financial crisis.

Can Brexit help the UK economy?

Should governments tax unhealthy foods.

Are you in Year 11/12 & Thinking of Pursuing Economics at Degree Level/ Oxbridge?

We offer a range of exciting opportunities for students aspiring to a degree in Economics at a leading university:

Research Projects in exciting current fields with subject experts (great for personal statement content)

Economics Summer School for university/ Oxbridge applicants

Long-term Oxbridge Economics & related courses mentoring: Boosting knowledge beyond the curriculum, preparing for personal statement and interviews - visit our on-curriculum site, U2 Tuition for more information: https://www.u2tuition.com/university-applications

Interested in an Economics Competition Mentor? Looking for specialist support researching & writing? Our Oxbridge-educated masterminds are here to help! Sessions from £75/h + VAT. Enquire here

Past Questions

What is the greatest economic challenge the world currently faces – explain why and how to solve it, as you know, the coronavirus pandemic has caused a huge economic fallout here in the uk and across the globe. what do you think the bank of england should have done in response to this, is austerity ever necessary.

N.B. You may be interested in undertaking one of MU’s Economics masterclasses with our experts to give you ideas and help direct your research. Some examples are listed below!

Essay Prizes for Economics

Young economist of the year .

An annual essay competition for Year 12 and 13 A-Level students held by the Royal Economics Society in conjunction with the Financial Times. The competition has five prizes, with one awarded for the best overall essay and a further five for the best essays within each category. Reopens in Spring of every year.

LSE SU ECONOMICS ESSAY COMPETITION

An annual essay competition for pre-tertiary education students held by the London School of Economics Students’ Union Economics Society in collaboration with the Centre for Economic Performance. The essay competition encourages students to think critically on current social issues and to explore important intellectual debates.

THE MONETARY POLICY ESSAY PRIZE

Open to current Year 12 and Year 13 students as well as all Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students at UK universities, Entries should be no longer than 2,500 words long with a bibliography and Harvard style referencing. As well as the overall winner, there is also a prize for best Year12/13 entry.

THE JOHN LOCKE INSTITUTE ESSAY COMPETITION

Entry is open to students from any country and any school. Each essay should address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words. There is a prize of £100 for the best essay, and the essay will be published (with the authors' permission) on the Institute website.

ISRF ESSAY PRIZE IN ECONOMICS

An essay competition for essays of 7,500 words approximately held by the Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) and the Cambridge Journal of Economics (CJE) with a cash prize of €7,000 for the best essay. Essays can discuss theoretical issues generally, or focus on specific problems. Authors can choose their topic and title within the given wider theme.

MARSHALL SOCIETY ESSAY COMPETITION

An opportunity for all students currently working towards A-levels or equivalent qualifications to demonstrate their ability to write a convincing, well-structured essay with sound explanation of economic theory and well-reasoned arguments, drawing on relevant real-world evidence. The maximum word count is 1500 words.

Harvard Pre-Collegiate

Economics challenge (hpec).

HPEC challenges students through a series of individual and team rounds on economics knowledge at the Advanced Placement Microeconomics and Macroeconomics levels.

The date for HPEC 2024 has been finalized. Please see below for details. 

Each year, HUEA organizes the Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics Challenge (HPEC), a prestigious international competition for high school students passionate a bout economics and its role in the world around us. HPEC challenges students through a series of individual a nd team rounds on economics knowledge at the Advanced Placement Microeconomics and Macroeconomics levels as well as economic news, history, recent research, and applications in a wide variety of fields such as education and the environment. 

In the past, students have found this competition to be fun and helpful preparation for the AP Economics exams. In addition to the Challenge itself, comp etitors and coaches will have the opportunity to build friendships with their peers, hear presentations from and interact with professors, graduate students, and real-world economists, and learn about the wider world of economics beyond the hig h s chool classroom. 

HPEC 2024  is scheduled for April 13, 2024. This year, teams can only  compete in-person on Harvard's campus, as the board has decided to not hold a virtual version of HPEC this year. See the coaches' manual linked below for details on the c ompetition from last year. A manual with any updates for this year's competition will be uploaded soon, but aside from a few (if any) minor tweaks, the rules and coaches manual will remain the same. Teams will be able register for the competition soon (details and a registration form will be posted below soon) . However, note that the Challenge is subject to space constraints, so space may fill up prior to the above deadline. Thus, it is best for teams to register well in advance to ensure they can reserve space for their team.

Images from  HPEC 2023

Registration Fe e

Each team requires a registration fee of $125. See the registration form for specific payment details and options. Teams based in the US m ust pay via Zelle. There is no option to pay via PayPal due to issues with our PayPal account. Thus, US-based  teams  should  make a rrangements before the  registration deadline (which will be updated here soon) to pay via Zelle. International teams should email HUEA to discuss additional payment options, though Zelle is preferred if at all possible.

All payments are final, as we start making preparations given current understanding of competition attendance; withdrawal for any reason will not be refunded.

Competition Informatio n ​

The (tentative) HPEC 20 24 Coaches Manual can be found here . 

Compet ition registration ​, the official hpec 2024 registration form can be found here . please review this form carefully as there is a lot of information here, including payment details..

Imp ortant Forms

The 2024 Photo Consent F orm can be found here .

The 2024 Liability Release  and Contact Form can be found here .

How many people can be on one team?

Teams consist of 1-4 people. Teams of 3 or fewer can still compete, but the quiz bowl rounds will likely be more challenging with fewer team members.​

How many teams can one school bring?

Depending on space availability and with priority registration given to the first team, each school may be able to bring additional teams total if space allows. For now, schools can register 1 team, and indicate interest in sending a 2nd team.

What if my school is unable to bring a teacher as a coach?

We require that a coach be present​ with the team. You are allowed to bring a parent as a coach if your teacher is not able to attend the competition--please reach out to us by email.

What COVID-19 restrictions will HPEC participants be subject to?

At this time, HPEC will not require participants to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test before arrival. However, participants must not come to campus if they are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have otherwise been instructed to quarantine or isolate. 

Practice Questions & Answers ​

PDFs: 

2011 MC Questions

2011 MC Answers

2012 MC Questions

2012 MC Answers

2013 MC Questions

2013 MC Answers

2014 MC Questions

2014 MC Answers

2015 MC Questions

2015 MC Answers

2016 MC Questions

2016 MC Answers

2019 MC Questions

2019 MC Answers

Quiz Bowl (Questions from 2012)

Quiz Bowl (Sample Questions - General)

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Competitive Prize Contests 2023

The Lipson Program George Morey Richardson Latin Translation Prize Philo Sherman Bennett Prize in Political Science Owen D. Young Prize in International Relations Thomas G. Rosenmeyer Greek Translation Prize Dorothy Rosenberg Memorial Prize in Lyric Poetry Elizabeth Mills Crothers Prize in Literary Composition Emily Chamberlain Cook Prize in Poetry Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prizes Florence Mason Palmer Prize Ina Coolbirth Memorial Poetry Prize Lili Fabilli and Eric Hoffer Essay Prize Nicola de Lorenzo Prize in Music Composition Anne and Benjamin Goor Prize in Jewish Studies

The Prizes Program at UC Berkeley ( [email protected] ) is an important forum for rewarding creative expression and scholarly achievement by Berkeley’s finest students. Winners receive both recognition and a cash prize, which is coordinated with the winner’s financial aid package.

Below you will find all of Berkeley’s Prize contests. Please note the criteria of each contest before entering.

Note: Prize contest entries need to be submitted, via our online submission form before 4 p.m. on the contest deadline (listed on the chart below). See the General Rules for Competitive Prizes for complete submission information. Please click on the contest names below for specific details about each prize.

The Lipson Program

The Leslie Lipson Program at UC Berkeley is intended to encourage undergraduate students to study humanistic values and their practical application for individuals, societies, and states.

The program consists of the Lipson Essay Prize, the Lipson Scholarship, and the Lipson Research Grant.

Leslie Lipson Biography. The Leslie Lipson Program is endowed in memory of Professor Leslie Lipson, who taught political theory and comparative government at Berkeley for 33 years. As a professor, Lipson’s first love was the undergraduate curriculum, and undergraduate students twice selected him as the best teacher in the Department of Political Science. Berkeley honored Lipson in 1980 with the Berkeley Citation, for individuals of extraordinary achievement in their field who have given outstanding service to the campus. Lipson’s books include The Great Issues of Politics, which has been published in ten editions, translated into numerous foreign languages, and used in introductory political science courses across the country; and his seminal work, The Ethical Crises of Civilization, in which he analyzed the historical developments in world civilizations that have resulted in both better and worse ethical choices. “Humanistic values are the fundamental values of good and evil, right and wrong, just and unjust, as carried out by individuals and societies in service of or against humanity” (Leslie Lipson).

Lipson Essay Prize

The Leslie Lipson Scholarship and Prize Fund (“the Fund’) will assist deserving financially needy undergraduate students enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, and is open to students  regardless of race, color, national origin, or religion.  The Fund is dedicated to educating outstanding undergraduate students in humanistic values and to provide the means to conduct research concerning those values.

All recipients of Leslie Lipson Prize, Scholarship and Research Awards will be known as Leslie Lipson Scholars. Lipson Prize winners will receive a scholarship only if they are scholarship eligible and demonstrate financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office. The Fund will provide all or a portion of their need-based scholarship. Recipients of the scholarship may also be eligible for the Research Award to conduct research during the summer between their scholarship terms.

Candidates shall apply at the end of the fall semester of their freshman or sophomore years, and recipients will be selected by the end of the spring semester of the year in which they apply. 

Successful candidates are awarded the Lipson Prize in spring and Lipson Scholarships will be awarded for their sophomore through senior years for those who apply as freshmen, and for the junior and senior years for those who apply as sophomores.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Lipson Essay Prize, students need to be eligible freshmen or sophomores and have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average (GPA). Students from any field of study are welcome to apply. Essays will be reviewed by the Lipson Committee, and the committee may award prizes for all Scholarship Winners.

Submissions need to be submitted via our online submission form by January 22nd, 2024  at 4 PM.

2023-2024 Lipson Scholarship Program Essay Topics

Please choose one topic.

• Currently it is often said that democracy in America is at a crossroads, in terms of its very ability to exist. Do you agree or disagree? What are the causes of such a disintegration, if indeed that is occurring?
• As famously stated by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, “You are entitled to your own opinions, but not to your own facts .” Has “red” and “blue” tribalism in current American culture now made it difficult, or even impossible, for people of different parties and persuasions to agree on what is reality or what is “true”?
• Is America in danger of becoming an authoritarian state? Are American democratic institutions, as embodied by our three branches of government, strong enough to defeat peaceably an armed threat of civil war?
•  What response to terrorism is consistent with and upholds humanistic values?
• Should there be any limits on political speech at universities? If you believe there should be limits, what would those be and how would they be enforced?
• Explain the persistence of anti-semitism over the centuries and why there is a resurgence today.

Prize Amounts

A prize of $10,000 is awarded to students who submit winning essays on one of six topics related to humanistic values.

• Essays shorter or longer than the recommended amount will not be disadvantaged by sole virtue of their length
• 12-point font; double-spaced with one-inch margins; numbered pages
• Last 4 digits of your student identification (SID) number in top-right corner of every page
• You may submit only one essay per calendar year
• Your submissions need to be anonymous; please do not include your name

Please submit via our online submission form.

Competitive Prizes Online Submission

2023-24: Victoria Fan, "The Center Will Not Hold: The State of Democracy"; Sophia Martinez, "How Echo Chambers and Algorithms Have Led Americans Away from a Universal Truth"; Zoe Lodge, "Sense and Desensitivity: Polarization is Destroying the Fabric of American Political Culture"; Carmen Berry, "When Feelings Become Fact: Climate Change Denialism as a Symptom of Political Mistrust"; Grace Camperi, "In the Cave of Political Tribalism"; Connor Eubank,  "State of Terror: The Ethical Cost of Legitimizing State Terrorism"; Alex Lewis Richter, " Countering Forever Wars: A Framework for Just & Unjust Counterterrorism Operations"; Alkis Loannis Toutziaridis,  "Rights and Resistance: The Dual Front in Counter-Terrorism Strategy"; Viraj Roy Gupta, "Untangling the Hydra: Combatting the Many Faces of Anti-Semitism"; Guanjie Cheng, "A Historical Journey Through the Persistence of Anti-Semitism”; Chloe Sabrina Zitsow, " Money, Money, Money: How the Myth of Jews and Finances Drives Antisemitism"

2022-23: Peyton Koch, "The Democracy Camel:  Has the Final Straw"; Irina Velitskaya, "The Consequences Are Clear: Social Media and the History of Human Innovation"; Agodi Okoroafor, "What do the Wealthiest 1% owe the 99%?"; Julia Gignac, "From Imperfect Progress by Unsatisfying Compromise"; Hy Nguyen, " An Invisible Hand plaguing our economy: The economics behind the Medical-Industrial Complex"; Ashley Kim, "BeReal… Let’s Be Real"; Keshwanth Babu Puligulla, "Agree to Disagree: An Examination of Political and Cultural Polarization"

2021-22:  Madeleine (Maddi) Wong, "America MMXXII: The Return of Democracy- An Attack on De Jure and De Facto Democracy through the Jeopardization of Civil Rights"; Margaux Bauerlein,"Social Trust and Negative Liberty: Free to Be Me (and Suffer for It)"

2020–21: Stephan Dai, "Lies and Internet Posts, Evidence that Brandenburg’s Toast?"; Aleeza Adnan, Alxander Fung, Emma Gerson, Valmic Muking, "Culture Warn’t: The Imaginary War the 1% Wants us to Fight"; Vyoma Raman, Deborah Le-En Tan

2019–20: Evan Juan, "The Obligation of a Human Right to Health"; Aditya Varma, "American E(conomics) X(clusion) C(hurch) E(xpansion) P(rogress) T(echnology)-ionalism"; Max Zhang, "Sleeping at the Wheel"

2018–19: Hannah Herrick, "The Persistence of Racism through Colorblindness"; Vedant Kajaria, "A Consummate Relationship with Anarchy"; Karen Lee, "Condemned to Condemn"; Tara Madhav "American Democracy, Racism and the State of Exception"; Kathleen Navas, "Psychological Basis and Modern Impact of Racism on Society"; Wyatt Singh, "The Second Coming: A Century Later, W.B. Yeats' Words Are Still Relevant"; Sharon Marie Vaz, "Yeats' Spiritus Mundi and its Relevance to 2019"; Leo Zlimen, "Our Own Phantom World"

2017–18: David Olin, "The Spirit and the Machine", Nicholas Pingitore, "Wandering with Walden", Evan Schwartz, "Arguments for Disobeying Trump's order for a Preemptive Nuclear Strike: Echoes from the Nuremberg Tribunal", Talia Wenger, "How Artificial Intelligence Re-Ignites the Human Spirit"

2016–17: Alexander Casendio, "Is democracy in general, as a form of government, currently broken on an international basis?"; Daniel Rosenthal,"What are the reasons for the cultural and political polarizations in the U.S. and what is its impact on humanistic values. Is this only a national trend, or is it an issue internationally?"; Thomas Lee Kadie,"The Licensing of Right-Wing Populism"

2015–16: 1st prize: Liya Nahusenay, "Islamophobia: A Detrimental Misnomer"; Neel Somani, "Contemporary Stereotyping: Exploring the Seduction of Bias"; 2nd prize: Nina Djukic, "A Rare Drought Rain"; Suleman Khan, "The Government That Cried Wolf: Refugees and National Security"; Olivia Maigret. "The Complicity of Religion in Terrorism"

2014–15: Carter Bryce Keeling, "The People's Climate March"; Ismael Farooqui, "The Invisible Hand: The results of wealth accumulation in a democracy"; Joprdan Hyatt-Miller, "The Logic of Violence"; James Rosenberg, "Legal Accountability for Torture: Preserving a Nation of Rights and Values"; Zijing Song, "One Oligarchy, Under God"

2013–14: Elizabeth Carroll, "A Nation of Suspects: Modern Surveillance and the Right to Privacy"; Wenyan He, "The Bilateral Nature of Ethics in Economic Inequality"; Taylor Madigan, "A Rawlsian Approach to Economic Inequality"; Sharada Narayan, "The Politics of Political Ethics"; Zijing Song, "The State of Obama's Union"

2012–13: Pierre Bourbonnais, "No Excuses for Lying"; Apruva Govande, "Emotional Bridges through Empathy"; Adithyavairavan Murali, "War on Terror: The Great Game of Education, Economics and Human Dignity"; Seth Victor, "The Lies and Unethical Nature of the War on Terror"

2011–12: Adam Susaneck, "How Party Stratification Leads to Duopoly as Ideology Establishing Elections as a Script Creating Not Deadlock, Livelock!"

2010–11: Ayden Parish, "Fundamentalism, Church and State"; Timothy Borjian, "The Problems with American Exceptionalism"

2009–10: Jasmine L. Segall, "Ethical Implications of Anonymous Methods of Modern Warfare"; Spreeha Debchaudhury, "We the People: A Colorful Portrayal"

2008–09: Alexander Setzepfandt, "Optimism: Breaking Free from the Unethical Behavior of Others"; Anirudh Narla, "The Triumph of Grey: The Importance of Indeterminacy and Complexity in Black and White"

2007–08: Danielle Rathje, "Fair Trade and Global Responsibility"; Keith Browner Brown, "Factoring in Humanity: The Failure of Population Control"

2006–07: Andrina Tran, "Varieties of Morality: William James, Pragmatism and Freedom "

2005–06: Erica Mu, "Dismantling Torture: An Examination of the United States at a Political and Ethical Crossroads"; Jillian Marks, "Torture: An Analysis of Its Evils"; Alexander H. Lau, "Revealing Racial Bias: A Case for Affirmative Action"

2004–05: Jacqueline Nader "The Greatest Danger of Our Time"; Yanpei Chen, "Morality and Political Discourse"; Charles Lin, "Avoiding a Tragedy: Reconciling International Interests in the Atmospheric Commons"

2003–04: No award given

2002–03: Jennifer Greenburg, "Women's Participation in Post-Apartheid Reform"; Sebastian Petty, "Back to the Land: Institutional Forms of Community Supported Agriculture"; Tina Sang, "Chinese Household Registration System"

2001–02: Susan Tche, "Effects of the New World Economy on Post-Embargo Vietnam"

2000–01: Cynthia Houng, "Sustainable Development? Towards a New Synthesis of Environment Ethics and Philosophy"; Joseph Kim, "Does Absentee Voting Have Anti-Social Effects on Voters?"; Pha Lo, "The Hmong of Laos: Cultural Perspectives on Implementing a Global Agenda"

Lipson Scholarship

The Lipson Scholarship, established in 2001, is a need-based scholarship awarded up to a scholar’s full financial need per year and is only available to eligible students who submit winning essays for the Lipson Essay Prize.

To receive the Lipson Scholarship, students must win the Lipson Essay Prize and be a freshman or sophomore when they apply. The Lipson Scholarship will fund the costs of the scholars’ sophomore through senior years at UC Berkeley for those who apply as freshmen, and the costs of the scholars’ junior and senior years for those who apply as sophomores, based on their financial need as determined by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office. 

Lipson Research Grant

The third component of the Lipson Program, which is optional, is the Lipson Research Grant (established in 2001).

Lipson Scholars who wish to do research in greater depth have the opportunity to apply for funds to support their own original research project. Scholars will undertake such projects during the summer. Scholars selected for the Lipson Research Grant will receive a $5,000 stipend for summer living expenses so that they may devote their time to their summer research project; an additional $250 will be awarded in the fall semester after the scholar submits a paper about his or her summer project. Lipson Research Grant recipients may decide to develop the paper further into an honors thesis, or even a graduate-level dissertation. Projects must relate to humanistic values and their implementation, and might, for example, address such topics as human rights issues, bio-ethics, the impact on developing societies of global capitalism, or environmental concerns in the 21st century. Students will receive further details about this research opportunity following their selection as Lipson Scholars. While the Lipson Research Grant is optional, it is an important part of the Lipson Program.

• Previous Research Projects add Summer 2012 Ayden Parish: Prototype Theory and the Categorization of Autism Jasmine Segall: Microfinance: Interest Rates and Social Performance in the United States and Guatemala

– Top –

George Morey Richardson Latin Translation Prize

The Richardson Latin Translation Prize is open to all UC Berkeley students. A first-place prize and second-place prize are awarded for the best translation of classical English into Ciceronian Latin.

History of the Prize: The Richardson Latin Translation Prize was established through the will of George Morey Richardson of Berkeley, dated May 16, 1896: “I give and devise to The Regents of the University of California, two lots or parcels of land, situated in Highland Trust, Oakland Township, Alameda County, State of California, to expend the income there or from the proceeds thereof, when sold, for an annual prize known as the ‘Richardson Latin Translation Prize,’ to be awarded to undergraduates (later to include graduate students) of the University of California for the best translation of classical English into Ciceronian Latin.” The prize was established in 1896.

Please review the General Rules for Competitive Prizes .

Contest deadline is Jan 15th, 2024  at 4 PM.

2023-2024 George Morey Richardson Latin Translation English Passage

2023–24: No award given

2022–23: Claire Healy ($2,000)

2021–22: No award given

2020–21: 1st prize: Joshua Benjamins ($1,900)

2019–20: 1st prize: Daniel Squire ($1,000); 2nd prize: Joshua Benjamins ($800)

2018–19: 1st prize: Daniel Squire ($1,000); 2nd prize: Joshua Benjamin ($500)

2017–18: 1st prize: Daniel Squire ($1,500)

2016–17: 1st prize: Daniel Squire ($1,400)

2015–16: 1st prize: Michael Zellmann-Rohrer ($1,000); 2nd prize: Daniel Squire ($400)

2014–15: 1st prize: Michael Zellman-Rohrer ($1,000); 2nd prize: Tom Recht ($500)

2013–14: 1st prize: Michael Zellmann-Rohrer ($1,500)

2012–13: 1st prize: Jared Hudson and Michael Zellman-Rohrer ($750 each)

2011–12: 1st prize: Michael Zellman–Rohrer ($2,000)

2010–11: 1st prize: Jared Hudson ($1,500); 2nd prize: Thomas Hendrickson ($500)

2009–10: 1st prize: Jared Hudson ($2,000)

2008–09: 1st prize: Jared Hudson ($1,500); 2nd prize: Antonia Pham Young ($500)

2007–08: 1st prize: Jared Hudson and Boris Rodin ($1,000 each)

2006–07: 1st prize: Jared Hudson ($2,000)

2005–06: 1st prize: Wilson Shearin ($1,500); 2nd prize: Kurt Lampe ($500)

2004–05: 1st prize: Kurt Lampe ($2,000)

2003–04: 1st prize: William Michal Short ($1,500); 2nd prize: J. C. Geissmann ($500)

2002–03: 1st prize:William Short ($2,000) 2001–02: 1st prize: Jon Christopher Geissmann ($1,000)

2000–01: 1st prize: Dylan Sailor ($1,000)

1999–00: 1st prize: Dylan Sailor ($1,000); 2nd prize: Amir Baghdadchi ($500)

1998–99: 1st prize: Dylan Sailor ($500)

1997–98: 1st prize: Dylan Sailor ($500)

Philo Sherman Bennett Prize in Political Science

The Philo Sherman Bennett Prize in Political Science is awarded for the best essay encompassing some aspect of politics other than international relations.

The prize is open to both graduates and undergraduates.

History of the Prize: Philo Sherman Bennett’s 1905 will stated: “I give and bequeath to Wm. J. Bryan of Lincoln the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), in trust, however, to pay to twenty-five colleges or universities, to be selected by him, the sum of four hundred ($400.00) each, said sum of four hundred dollars ($400.00) to be invested by each college receiving the same and the annual proceeds used for a prize for the best essay discussing the principal of free government.” The Regents Minutes of August 8, 1905 recite the following: “Mr. Wm. Jennings Bryan informed the University that he was glad to leave the decision by the college authorities the details of the Bennett Essay Prize…”

Contest deadline is January 31st, 2024  at 4 PM.

2023–24: Alyssa Rene Heinze and Eero Samuel Arum ($1,500 each)

2022–23: Teoman Tecan ($2,500)

2021–22: Kristin Zuhone ($1,000)

2020–21:  Joseph Rodriquez and Shterna Friedman ($2,500 each) 

2019–20: Shterna Friedman and Julia Goddard ($2250 each)

2018–19: Shterna Friedman ($4500)

2017–18: Kristin Zuhone ($1000)

2016–17: No prize awarded

2015–16: Jeremy Cynamon ($1,000)

2014–15: Jeremy Cynamon ($1,000)

2013–14: Samuel Garrett Zeitlin ($1,000)

2012–13: Samuel Garrett Zeitlin ($1,000)

2011–12: Jeremy Pilaar ($1,000)

2010–11: Sang-Hwa Sara Lee and Alyssa Beltran ($500 each)

2009–10: Huan Gao and Mikhail Guttentag ($500 each)

2008–09: Daniel Katz ($1,000)

2007–08: Daniel Katz ($1,000 )

2006–07: Nan Zhang ($1,000)

2005–06: Caitlin Rose Fox-Hodess ($1,000)

2004–05: Caitlin Rose Fox-Hodess ($1,000)

2002–03: No award given

2001–02: Anthony Chen ($1,000)

2000–01: Tony Chen ($2,000)

1999–00: Robert S. Taylor ($1,500)

1998–99: Daniel Ho ($1,000)

1997–98: James Abrams ($1,000)

Owen D. Young Prize in International Relations

The Owen D. Young Prize in International Relations is awarded for the best essay dealing with some aspect of international relations.

A minimum of 4,000 words is required with a maximum word limit of 5,000 words. Open to undergraduates only.

History of the Prize: From the Regents’ Minutes of October 10, 1933: “Mr. Owen D. Young delivered the Charter Day Address in Berkeley on March 24, 1930, returned to the Regents his honorarium as such speaker and in addition donated the sum of $250. This was intended to be used for three prizes … to undergraduate students registered in the colleges at Berkeley … who offered the best three essays on the topic, ‘What can a college student do to further good understanding among the nations and thereby promote peace?’ Mr. Young, on June 2, 1931, [amended] the conditions of this … contest, [whereby] the remainder of his donation, to wit, $900, be set up as a permanent fund, the income therefrom to be devoted to an annual prize for the best essay on some aspect of international relations. The Committee on Prizes is authorized to change the topic of the essay from time to time as they may see fit to do so.” The Owen D. Young Prize was established in 1958.

Contest deadline is  December 15th, 2023 at 4 PM.

2022–23: Caitlin Barotz ($800)

2021–22: Dil Sen ($1,400)

2 020–21: Francis (Siyuan) Chen and Kaitlyn Lombardo ($600 each)

2019–20: Rosemary Yin ($1,500)

2018–19: Will Alexander and Kevin Klyman ($700 each)

2017–18: 1st prize: Sarah O'Farrell ($700); 2nd prize: Justin DesRochers and Janani Mohan ($350 each)

2016–17: Suleman Khan ($1,000)

2015–16: Madison Chapman and William Michael Morrow ($750 each)

2014–15: Cameron Silverberg ($1,500)

2013–14: Caroline McCloskey ($1,500)

2012–13: Michelle Chern ($1,500)

2011–12: Maya Yizhaky ($1,500)

2010–11: Lauren Benichou ($1,500)

2009–10: Kenneth Tsang ($1,500)

2008–09: Timothy Barry ($1,500)

2007–08: No award given

2006–07: Ben Narodick ($1,200)

2005–06: Helen Hsueh ($1,200)

2004–05: No award given

2003–04: Miya Keren ($500)

2002–03: Jeff Lindemyer ($500)

2001–02: Albert Ofrecio ($500)

2000–01: No award given

1999–00: Daniel Ho ($500)

1998–99: Christopher Maier ($500)

1997–98: No entries received

Thomas G. Rosenmeyer Greek Translation Prize

The Thomas G. Rosenmeyer Greek Translation Prize is awarded to a graduate or undergraduate for the best translation of classical English into an appropriate classical Greek style.

Appropriate styles include those of Plato and of the classical Attic orators, but other styles appropriate to the content are not excluded, such as the style of Herodotus, or even verse composition. The selection will normally be formal English prose and will be 350 to 500 words in length.

History of the Prize: The Rosenmeyer Prize was established in 1995.

2023-2024 Thomas G. Rosenmeyer Greek Translation English Passage

2022–23: No award given

2021–22:  No award given

2020–21: Joshua Benjamins ($750)

2019–20: Joshua Benjamins and Daniel Squire ($1,500 each)

2018–19: Daniel Squire ($2,500)

2017–18: Daniel Squire ($1,000)

2016–17: Daniel Squire ($1,400)

2015–16: Michael Zellmann-Rohrer ($1,000)

2014–15: 1st prize: Tom Recht ($750); 2nd prize: Michael Zellman-Rohrer ($250)

2013–14: Tom Recht and Michael Zellmann-Rohrer ($500 each)

2012–13: Tom Recht and Michael Zellmann-Rohrer ($500 each)

2011–12: Tom Recht ($700); Michael Zellmann-Rohrer ($300)

2010–11: Tom Recht and Michael Zellmann-Rohrer ($500 each)

2009–10: Tom Recht ($1,000)

2008–09: Boris Rodin ($750); Honorable Mention: Joel Street ($250)

2007–08: Nardini Pandey ($500)

2006–07: Boris Rodin Maslov ($500)

2005–06: Boris Rodin Maslov ($500)

2004–05: Boris Rodin ($500)

2003–04: William Michael Short ($500)

2002–03: Jon Christopher Geissmann ($500)

2001–02: W. H. Shearin ($500)

2000–01: Dylan Sailor ($500)

1999–00: Dylan Sailor ($500)

1998–99: Dylan Sailor ($500)

1997–98: Dylan Sailor ($500)

Dorothy Rosenberg Memorial Prize in Lyric Poetry

The Dorothy Rosenberg Memorial Prize in Lyric Poetry will be awarded for composition of the best original unpublished lyric poem. Each entrant may submit only one poem; the length should not exceed thirty lines. A lyric poem is a poem that sings. It is usually quite short. When the poem is read aloud, it should inspire and delight by its heartfelt thought and feeling and the beauty of its language.

History of the Prize

When Dorothy Rosenberg died, her husband, Professor Marvin Rosenberg, established a fund to award this prize in her name.

Contest deadline is December 15th, 2023

2023-24: Noah Warren, William James Davidson and Mary Mussman ($1,000 each)

2022-23: Emily Peng, Landon Kramer ($1,500 each)

2021-22: Mary Mussman ($1,500), Annabelle Lampson ($1,000) and John James ($1,000)

2020-21: Mary Wilson($2,000), John James ($1,500) and Mary Mussman ($1,200)

2019–20: Yujane Chen and Aurelia Cojocaru ($3000)

2018–19: Lydia Liu ($3000)

2017–18: Selden Cummings, Nina Djukic, Anthony Tucci-Berube, Claire Marie Stancek, Jennifer Lorden ($1040)

2016–17: Julie Lee, Kaisle Hill, Brianna Alleyne, Katrina Hall, undergraduate winners; Evan Klavon, graduate winner ($840 each)

2015–16: Alani Hicks-Bartlett ($1,000); Evan Bauer, Raj Bhargava, Ismael Farooqui, Carter Bryce Keeling, and Alan Xu ($800 each)

2014–15: Christopher Miller and Mary Wilson, graduate winners ($1,000 each); Lillian Berger, Andrew David King, and S. Carlota Salvador Megias, undergraduate winners ($1,000 each)

2013–14: Jane Gregory, graduate winner ($2,000); Andrew David King, undergraduate winner ($2,000)

2012–13: Rachel Trocchio, graduate winner ($850); Laura Ferris, Andrew David King, Larry Narron, and Claire Tuna, undergraduate winners ($850 each)

2011–12: Samuel Garrett Zeitlin, graduate winner ($2,400); Bryce Thronburg, undergraduate winner ($2,400)

2010–11: Jane Gregory, graduate winner ($1,600); Taylor Hickok and Kayla Krut, undergraduate winners ($1,600 each)

2009–10: Gillian Osborne, graduate winner ($1,000); 1st prize, undergraduate: Anna Reeser ($2,000), 2nd prize, undergraduate: Steven Lance ($1,500), 3rd prize, undergraduate: Emma Tome ($1,000), Honorable Mention: Teresa Jimenez ($500)

2008–09: Matthew Melnicki and Alani Hicks-Bartlett graduate winners ($2,000 each); 1st prize, undergraduate: Steven Lance ($2,000); Honorable Mention: Joe Cadora ($1,000)

2007–08: Kate Klonowski and Matthew Melnicki ($2,000 each)

2006–07: Colin Dingler, graduate winner ($2,000); James May, undergraduate winner ($2,000); Honorable Mention: Marisa Libbon

2005–06: Michael Nicholson and Elizabeth Young ($1,000 each); Honorable Mention: Diana Y. Chien

2004–05: Edgar Garcia ($500)

2003–04: Edgar Garcia ($200)

2002–03: Michael Heinrich ($200)

2001–02: Lily Dwyer ($100)

2000–01: Emily Beall ($100)

1999–00: Mandy Kahn ($100)

1998–99: Caetlin Benson-Allott ($100)

1997–98: Kimberly Johnson ($100)

Elizabeth Mills Crothers Prize in Literary Composition

The Elizabeth Mills Crothers Prize in Literary Composition is awarded for excellence of composition in poetry, story writing, drama, or another field of literary composition. Judging is based on excellence of composition. Open to all graduate and undergraduate students.

This fund was accepted by the Regents on August 13, 1929. The Corpus thereof, in the amount of $3,000, was, by Judge George E. Crothers, pursuant to an agreement dated October 13, 1921, between Judge Crothers and the late Maria Elizabeth Mills, transferred to Mrs. Mills for the support of a fellowship in music in Mills College. This agreement provided that upon the death of Mrs. Mills the fund should pass to the Regents to support the Elizabeth Mills Crothers Prize in Literary Composition at the University of California.

2023-24: Aleeza Adnan ($1,200), Ayesha Asad, Mina Choi and Maisie Wiltshire-Gordon ($600 each)

2022-22: Nina Djukic ($1,500), Sophia Egert-Smith, Mary Mussman ($750 each)

2021-22: Drew Kiser ($1,000); Ryan Lackey ($500)

2020–21: Jennifer Tamayo ($900); Ryan Lackey, Noah Warren, Nessa Ordukhani, Mary Mussman ($500 each)

2019–20: Lucy Eaton ($1,000); Mary Mussman, Noah Warren, Sabrina Jaszi ($650 each)

2018–19: Clara Jimenez, Mary Mussman, Tessa Rissacher, Noah Warren ($750 each)

2017–18: 1st Prize: Mary Wilson ($2000); 2nd Prize: Evan Bauer, Selden Cummings, Nina Djukic, Zachary Kiebach($800 each)

2016–17: 1st prize: Rosetta Young ($600); 2nd prize: Jesslyn Whittell ($400); 3rd prize: Shelby Gregg ($300); Finalists: Sheryl Barbera and Khamillah Zimmer ($250 each); Honorable Mention: Mary Wilson, Laura Ferris, Hannah Ling, Julia Apffel, Evan Bauer, Sean Dennison, and Balark Mallik ($100 each)

2015–16: 1st prize: Carter Bryce Keeling ($2,000); 2nd prize: Claire Marie Stancek ($1,000); 3rd prize: Rachel King ($1,000); Finalists: Roxanne Forbes, Griffin Morin-Tornheim, Leah Tyus, and Anthony Williams ($250 each)

2014–15: 1st prize: Andrew David ($2,500); 2nd prize: Stanford Shoor ($500); 3rd prize: Rachel Trocchio ($500); 4th prize: Mary Wilson ($500)

2013–14: 1st prize: Ismail Muhammad ($1,500); 2nd prize: Manjing Zhang ($1,000); 3rd prize: Jessica Cox ($750); 4th prize: Tara Fatemi ($500); 5th prize: Michael A. Shaw ($250)

2012–13: Allison Berke, Cora Bernard, Myles Parker Osborne, Kayla Krut, and Eli Wirtschafter ($800 each)

2011–12: 1st prize: Gabriel Thibodeau ($1,500); 2nd prize: Kayla Krut ($1,000); 3rd prize: Yi (Jenny) Xie and Zoe Pollak ($750 each)

2010–11: Kelsa Trom and Tom Recht ($150 each)

2009–10: Faith Gardner, Angelene Smith, David Krolikoski, and Natalie Tsang ($800 each)

2008–09: Mia You ($600); Angelene Smith, Jennifer Reimer, Thomas Gamburg and Natalie Tsang ($350 each)

2007–08: Joseph Cadora, Jude Dizon, Adrienne Johnson and Nalini Rae G Sareen ($250 each)

2006–07: Martine Charnow, Zachary Tomaszewski, and Sara Lahue ($300 each)

2005–06: Geoffrey Greer ($500); Joseph Scalici, Jacqueline Palhegy, Keleigh Friedrich, Trevor Adrian, Emi Ikkanda ($150 each)

2004–05: Jacqueline Palhegy ($500); Leslie MacMillan, Erica Kidder Jensen and Edgar Garcia ($150 each)

2003–04: 1st prize: Bernice Santiago and Katherine Willett ($350 each); 2nd prize: Brandelyn Castine ($200); 3rd prize: Roger Porter ($100)

2002–03: Winners for poetry: Ellen Samuels ($250), Rachel Teukolsky ($175), Laura Wetherington ($175); Winners for Prose: James Ramey ($250), Maria Elena Howard ($150)

2001–02: Jennifer Hasa and Soyoung Jung ($1,000 each)

2000–01: Jennifer Ahn and Karen Lee ($1,000 each)

1999–00: 1st prize: Azin Arefi-Anbarani and Matthew Gleeson ($900 each)

1998–99: 1st prize: Bruce Maritano, Benjamin Russack, Caleb Smith, Frank B. Wilderson III, and Lin Zou ($300 each)

1997–98: 1st prize: Jennifer Stroud ($500); 2nd prize: Asali Solomon ($300); 3rd prize: Bryce Maritano ($200); runner-up: Michael Holt and Yuval Sharon ($100 each)

1996–97: 1st prize: Caleb Smith ($400); 2nd prize: Anh Bui ($200); 3rd prize: Asali Solomon and Julia Cho ($175 each); 4th prize: Ola Metwally ($150)

1995–96: 1st prize: Judy Kemelman ($300); 2nd prize: Amy Graff and Karin Spirn ($250 each); 3rd prize: Viet Nguyen and Hamilton Tran ($200 each); 4th prize: Philip Huynh and Bryan Malessa ($150 each)

1994–95: 1st prize: Cynthia Lin ($500); 2nd prize: Elizabeth Scarboro and Karin Spirn ($350 each); 3rd prize: Lysley Tenorio, Lyn Dilorio, and Jack Wooster ($200 each); 4th prize: Cat Dale and Jessica Hahn ($100 each)

Emily Chamberlain Cook Prize in Poetry

The Emily Chamberlain Cook Prize in Poetry is awarded for the most outstanding single unpublished poem.

Both graduate and undergraduate students are free to write up to 26 lines in length, in any meter, and upon any subject. Up to four winners may be chosen at the judge’s discretion.

Yale University Professor Albert S. Cook, formerly on the UC Berkeley faculty, endowed this prize with $1,000. As noted in the August 10, 1909, minutes of the Regents of the University of California, Professor Cook specified that “it is highly desirable” that the prize be awarded “for a poem which reflects honor upon the University, when viewed in the light of the best precedents furnished by England and this country.” Professor Cook further specified that “the University shall be free at any time to reprint the poem as it may choose.”

2023–24: Nina Alessandra Djukic ($1,200), Mary Mussman and Naima Karczmar ($500 each)

2022–23: Mary Mussman, Jessica Laser, and Andy Choi ($400 each)

2021–22: Annabelle Lampson ($800), John James, and Noah Warren ($600 each)

2020–21: Lamiya Gulamhusein, Dominique Salapare, Madelyn Peterson, and Max Kaisler ($625 each)

2019–20: Jennifer Tamayo, Max Kaisler, Lashon A. Daley and Noah Warren ($600 each)

2018–19: Mary Mussman, Mary Wilson, and Dylan Furcall ($800 each)

2017–18: Daniel Benjamin, Anthony Tucci-Berube ($1,100 each)

2016–17: Mary Wilson and Mary Mussman ($1,100 each)

2015–16: 1st prize: Rachel Trocchino ($1,400); 2nd prize: Nathaniel Dolton-Thornton ($700)

2014–15: 1st prize: Andy Nguy ($1,000); 2nd prize: Yaul Perez-Stable Husni ($600); 3rd prize: Alani Hicks Bartlett ($500)

2013–14: 1st prize: Jennifer Lorden, Clint Anderson, Lisa Levin, Michael Shaw ($500 each)

2012–13: 1st prize: Evan Klavon ($1,000); 2nd prize: Rachel Trocchio ($500); Honorable Mention: Andrew David King and Allison Yates ($250 each)

2011–12: Darius Carrick, Andrew David King, Pamela Glazier, and Vanessa Ing ($350 each)

2010–11: Laura Ferris, Kathryn Hindenlang, Tara Phillips, and Patricia Yen ($525 each)

2009–10: Joe Cadora, Ashley Lystne, Eamon O'Connor, and Gillian Osborne ($550 each)

2008–09: Natasha Arora, Pamela Krayenbuhl, Steven Lance, and Craig Perez ($500 each)

2007–08: Meredith Higgins and Clifford Mak ($150)

2006–07: Hillary Gravendyk, Jeremy Graves, Marisa Libbon, and Yosefa Raz ($300 each)

2005–06: Olivia Friedman ($300)

2004–05: Edgar Garcia, Dorian Gesler, and Shanyin Chang ($300 each)

2003–04: Ellen Samuels , Laura Wetherington, Christine Harrison, and Jessica Zychowicz ($300 each)

2002–03: Kimberly Johnson ($300)

2001–02: Sandra Lim, Marisa Libbon, Yasmin Golan, & Lynley Lys ($300 each)

2000–01: Emily Beall ($600), David Ruderman ($400), Jasmine Bina ($200)

1999–00: Julie Anderson, Ben Chaika, Elizabeth Hillman, and Kimberly Johnson ($300 each)

1998–99: 1st prize: Kimberly Johnson ($500); 2nd prize: Gibson Fay-LeBlanc ($500)

1997–98: 1st prize: Nadia Nurhussein ($300); runners-up: Emily Abendroth, Robyn Brooks, Delphine Hwang, and Padraig Riley ($150 each)

Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prizes

In 1963, Samuel Marks established an endowment of $250,000 for the advancement of the arts on the Berkeley campus, in memory of his stepdaughter, Roselyn Schneider Eisner, an artist and sculptor. The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on the Arts recommended the money be used to establish prizes in each of the Creative Arts.

Photo Imaging

The Eisner Prizes in Photo-Imaging are open to all UC Berkeley graduates and undergraduates of any major.

Contest deadlines vary. Please check the Prizes and Honors home page for this prize’s deadline.

• Eisner Photo-Imaging Prize Rules add Please review the General Rules for Competitive Prizes . Additional rules for the Eisner Photo-Imaging Prize contest are listed below. Submission link: Competitive Prizes Submission You may submit 1 to 3 black-and-white or color images. Submissions must be anonymous. Include the last  four digits of your student ID number on your file name and the total number of photographic images you're entering (e.g., "#1234 1 of 3," "#1234 2 of 3," "#1234 3 of 3"). Submissions may show either a body of work or 3 photos exploring 3 different themes. Judges will look for the artistic dimensions of the photos presented, including the creative uses of color ( tone values if you are showing black and white prints), lighting, graphic composition and framing .

Film and Video

The Eisner Prizes in Film and Video contest is open to both graduates and undergraduates in any department.

One to three films may be submitted, but the judges will only view up to 30 minutes of film for each applicant.

Contest deadlines vary. Please check the Prizes and Honors page for this prize’s deadline.

• Eisner Film and Video Prize Rules add Please review the General Rules for Competitive Prizes . The Eisner Film and Video Prize contest also has additional rules listed below. Students can submit films as a Quicktime file on a flash/thumb drive or via a working URL on either Youtube or Vimeo. The applicant must make sure the URL is open and working, and that the thumb drive is both PC and MAC compatible You may submit 1 – 3 entries but are encouraged to submit only your best work. All film submissions must be in finished form, ready for public exhibition. Unfinished works or work-in-progress will not be considered. At least one submission must have been made during the period of your enrollment as a student on the Berkeley campus. Judges will not view more than 30 minutes of film or video. All submissions must be of the entire film, excerpts will not be accepted for consideration. To be eligible, you need to be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program for at least one regular semester of the academic year (not including Summer Sessions). Filing for a degree does not constitute enrollment for that academic year. Visiting students are not eligible to apply for prizes. A previous winner of this contest may not enter the following year. Film or video submissions must be labeled with the last four digits of the entrant's student ID (SID) number, the film's title, running time and the original format of the entry (16mm, VHS, URL, thumb drive file. etc.). Also, a brief (one paragraph, typewritten) film description should accompany the submission. The maker's name must not appear on the entry or on the film credits. The Prizes Office, 210 Sproul Hall, will hold film and video entries for pickup until mid-May.

The Eisner Prizes in Poetry and Prose contests are open to all UC Berkeley graduates and undergraduates in any department.

Prose submissions may include novels, plays, or a collection of short stories. Prose submissions should be a substantial body of work with a representative 20–30 pages earmarked. Poetry submissions should be a collection of poems with a minimum of 25 pages to a maximum of 40 pages. Entries must be paginated, stapled and include a table of contents and a title page. This contest may contain submissions that have won in other contests in previous years. However, entries to these contests must consist of a majority of new work not having previously won in any campus contest or simultaneously submitted elsewhere.

Contest deadlines vary. Please check the Prizes and Honors home page for this prize's deadline.

2023–24: Poetry: Andrew David King ($3,000), John James ($1,500) and Noah Warren ($1,500)

Prose: Andrew David King ($1,250) and Maisie Wiltshire-Gordon ($1,250)

2022–23: Poetry: Andrew David King ($3,000), Mary Mussman ($2,000) and Noah Warren ($1,000)

Prose: Landon Kramer ($2,000) and Andy Choi ($2,000)

2021–22: Poetry: Mary Mussman ($3,000), Noah Warren ($1,500) and John James ($1,500)

Prose: No Prizes awarded

2020–21: Poetry: Jennifer Tamayo ($5000)

2019–20: Poetry: Christian Nagler ($5000)

Prose: Elodie Townsend and Sabrina Jaszi ($2,500 each)

2018–19: Poetry: Dylan Cox and Mary Wilson ($5000 each)

Prose: No Prizes Awarded

2017–18: Poetry: Shonushka Sawant ($3000) and Daniel Benjamin ($2000)

Prose: Clair Marie Stancek and Zackary Kiebach ($2,500 each)

2016–17: Poetry: 1st prize: Sahvanna Mazon ($3,000); 2nd prize: Shonushka Sawant ($2,000)

Prose: Zackary Kiebach ($2,000)

2015–16: Poetry: 1st prize: David A. Hernandez ($3,000); 2nd prize: Nathaniel Dolton-Thornton ($2,000)

Prose: Emma Rosenbaum ($2,000)

2014–15: Poetry: Christopher Patrick Miller and Claire Marie Stancek ($2,500 each)

Prose: Andrew David King and Natasha Von Kaenel ($2,500 each)

2013–14: Poetry: Kristopher Kersey, Julia Tianjiao Wang, and David Vandeloo ($2,000 each);

Prose: Andrew David King ($4,000)

2012–13: Poetry: Rebecca Gaydos, Andrew David King, and Ryan Tucker ($2,000 each);

Prose: Kelly Clancy and Rosetta Young ($2,000 each)

2011–12: Poetry: Christopher P. Miller and Yosefa Raz ($3,000 each);

Prose: Brian J. Loo and Leila Mansouri ($2,000 each)

2010–11: Poetry: Rachel Beck, Jane Gregory, S Christopher Miller, and Swati Rana ($2,500 each);

Prose: No award given

2009–10: Poetry: Steven Lance, Gillian Osborne, and Lynn Xu ($2,000 each);

Prose: Nina Estreich and Danica Li ($2,000 each)

2008–09: Poetry: Gillian Osborne and Lijia Xie ($3,000 each);

Prose: 11 entries; Joe Cadora ($4,000)

2007–08: Poetry: Hillary Gravendyk and Chad Vogler ($5,000 each);

Prose: 4 entries; No award given

2006–07: Poetry: Elizabeth Marie Young and Margaret Ronda ($2,500 each);

Prose: Melissa Fall ($5,000)

2005–06: Poetry: Hilary Gravendyk Burrill ($6,000);

Prose: Elaine Castillo and Mark Massoud ($2,000 each)

2004–05: Poetry: Margaret Ronda and Tung-Hui Hu ($2,500 each);

Prose: 1st prize: Neil Colin Satterlund ($3,000); 2nd prize: Katherine Ann Willett ($2,000); Honorable Mention: Dorothy Couchman

2003–04: Poetry: 1st prize: Jennifer Scappetone ($3,000); 2nd prize: Lynn Ziyu Xu ($2,000);

Prose: 1st prize: Elaine Castillo ($2,500); 2nd prize: Ellen Samuels ($2,500)

2002–03: Poetry: Timothy Wood, Julie Carr, and Warren Liu ($2,000 each);

Prose: Elaine Castillo and Frank B. Wildersn III ($2,000 each)

2001–02: Poetry: Jessica Fisher ($3,000) and Anne Walker ($2,000);

Prose: Yekaterina Kosova ($3,000) and Lucia Facone ($2,000)

2000–01: Poetry: 1st prize: Brian Glaser ($3,000); 2nd prize: Jennifer Scappettone ($2,000); Honorable Mention: Ellen Samuels;

Prose: 1st prize: Ann Simon ($3,000); 2nd prize: Yuval Sharon ($2,000); Honorable Mention: Jose Alaniz

1999–00: Poetry: Jessica Fisher, Nadia Nurhussein, and Anne F. Walker ($1,400 each);

Prose: Jose Alaniz and Karen A. Lee ($1,400 each)

1998–99: Poetry: Kim Johnson and Roxana Popescu ($2,333 each);

Prose: Damion Searls ($2,333)

1997–98: Poetry: Ola Metwally, Mathew Struthers, and Karen An-Hwei Lee ($2,333 each);

Prose: Chris Minter ($2,333)

Florence Mason Palmer Prize

The Florence Mason Palmer Memorial Prize is awarded for the best essay of up to 5,000 words dealing with some aspect of international relations.

Open to women undergraduates only.

Established in 1958.

Contest deadline is January 15th,  2024

2023–24: Catherine Regan and Sabreen Nuru ($2,500 each)

2022–23:  Caitlin Barotz ($3,000)

2020–21: 1st prize: Kaitlyn Lombardo 2nd prize: Jordan Webb ($3,000 each) ; Honorable Mention: Nawal Seedat and Tara Madhav ($1,500 each)

2019–20: 1st prize: Esther Smith ($4000); Honorable Mention: Nicole Mendoza and Tara Madhav ($2000 each)

2018–19: 1st prize: Sarah Sheets ($4000); 2nd prize: Adriana Weiss and Negeen Khandel ($1000 each)

2017–18: 1st prize: Sarah O'Farrell ($1000); 2nd prize: Lily Greenberg Call and Janani Mohan ($600 each)

2016–17: Zijing Song ($750)

2015–16: Shruthi Gopal ($1,000)

2014–15: 1st prize: Simrit Dhillon ($750); 2nd prize: Mikaela Rear and Lucy Song ($500 each)

2013–14: 1st prize: Tali Gires and Melody Alemansour ($750 each); 2nd prize:  Rebecca Moon and Carina Tai ($500 each)

2012–13: Naomi Egel ($2,500)

2011–12: 1st prize: Jamie Andreson ($2,500); 2nd prize: Maya Yizhaky ($1,500); 3rd prize: Sara Lee ($1,000)

2010–11: No award given

2009–10: 3rd prize only: Ryan Cohen ($500)

2008–09: 1st prize:  Roushani Mansoor, Sarah Weiner, and Lauren Powell ($1,500 each)

2006–07: 1st prize:  Hasina Badani ($2,000)

2005–06: 1st prize:  Elizabeth Mattiuzzi and Julia Gin ($2,500 each)

2004–05: 1st prize: Nancy Si-Ming Liu ($3,000); 2nd prize: Gabriela Maguire ($2,000)

2003–04: 1st prize: Henluen Wang ($300); 2nd prize: Deepa D. Shah ($200)

2002–03: 1st prize: Kristina Kempkey ($300); 2nd prize: Lily Bradley ($200)

2001–02: 1st prize: Whitney Ward ($500)

1999–00: 1st prize: Aeryn Seto ($2,300)

1998–99: 1st prize: Arianne Chernock ($1,000)

1997–98: 2nd prize only: Kathleen Mikulis ($800)

Ina Coolbrith Memorial Poetry Prize

The Ina Coolbrith Memorial Poetry Prize is awarded for the best unpublished poem or group of poems by an undergraduate student at University of California campuses, University of the Pacific, Mills College, Stanford University, Santa Clara University, and St. Mary’s College.

Each participating school may submit three entries to UC Berkeley to compete in the overall contest. For information regarding the submission instructions for other campuses, read Information for Other Participating Campuses below.

On March 18, 1933, a fund of $1,000 contributed by various donors was offered to the Regents for a poetry prize in memory of Ina Coolbrith, Poet Laureate of the State of California. The Ina Coolbrith Memorial Fund was accepted by the Regents on May 11, 1933.

Please review the General Rules for Competitive Prizes (for Berkeley students).

Ina Donna Coolbrith (1841–1928)

Born Josephine Donna Smith, oldest daughter of Don Carlos and Agnes Coolbrith Smith, in Nauvoo, Illinois, March 10, 1841, she entered California through the Beckwourth Pass in a covered wagon train in 1852. Her first poems were published in the Los Angeles Times in 1854. After a brief and tragic marriage at 17, and the death of her child, she moved in the 1860s to San Francisco, where she worked as a journalist on the Overland Monthly . Later she was librarian of the Mechanics Institute Library and the Bohemian Club library, and was the first librarian of the Oakland Public Library. She lost her San Francisco home and all her possessions in the earthquake and fire of 1906. Through the generosity of the best-known California writers of the day, another home was built on Russian Hill, where she lived until the infirmities of age led her to share the home of her niece in Berkeley in 1923. She died there on February 29, 1928.

Ina Coolbrith received many honors, including Poet Laureate of the State of California. She was the first person asked to write a Commencement Ode for the University of California and the first woman member of San Francisco's Bohemian Club. In 1924, Mills College awarded her an honorary Master of Arts degree; as a young woman she had attended Mills, known at the time as Benicia College for Women. On the day of her funeral the Legislature adjourned in her memory and afterward named a 7,900-foot peak near Beckwourth Pass "Mount Ina Coolbrith."

Ina Coolbrith corresponded with Tennyson, Whittier, Longfellow, and Lowell, and was close friends with Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Gertrude Atherton, Joaquin Miller, Charles Warren Stoddard, and William Keith. Jack London called her his "literary mother." Isadora Duncan recalled in her memoirs "the beauty and fire of the poet's eyes."

At the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915 she was appointed President of the Congress of Authors and Journalists. At the Exposition a formal presentation of a laurel wreath was made to her by Dr. Benjamin Ide Wheeler, president of the University of California, and the Board of Regents, with the title "loved, laurel-crowned poet of California."

Some of Ina Coolbrith's most powerful poems were written after her 80th birthday. Her published works include A Perfect Day and Other Poems , Songs from the Golden Gate , and the posthumously published Wings of Sunset .

Each participating campus may submit three entries selected from submissions on their campus. An entry may be a single poem or a group of poems. While the judging to select the overall contest winners rotates from campus to campus, each campus must first forward its entries to UC Berkeley by the contest deadline. The overall contest judge will receive the entries from Berkeley in early February and will be asked to select the contest winners by early March.

The poems need to be typewritten. Include the following information in the upper-right corner of each manuscript:

The last four digits of the student’s campus identification number

The name of the contest

Write entrant information on a separate sheet and include the following:

Local address

Permanent address

Phone number

Email address

Last four digits of student’s campus identification number

Contest name

Title of poem(s)

Since manuscripts cannot be returned and may go astray in the mail, please retain a duplicate.

Winning manuscripts are filed in the University Archives at the Bancroft Library on the UC Berkeley campus.

Entries may be sent to:

Coordinator, Committee on Prizes

Undergraduate Scholarships, Prizes, and Honors

210 Sproul Hall #1964

University of California

Berkeley, CA 94720

[email protected]

(5l0) 642-6888

2021–22: No prize given

2020–21: No prize given

2019–20: 1st prize: Anthony DiCarlo, UC Davis ($600); 2nd prize: Jessica Pham, UCLA ($400); 3rd prize: Rhiannon Wilson, UCLA ($100); Honorable Mention : Jona Peters, Mills College

2018–19: 1st prize: Maia Vicek, Miles College ($1250); Honorable Mentions: Avery Ardent, UC San Diego ($250); Amanda Vong, UC Santa Cruz ($250); Cu Fleshman, UC Irvine ($250)

2017–18: 1st prize: Riley O'Connell, Santa Clara University ($500); 2nd prize: Steffi Pressesky, UC Santa Cruz ($250); 3rd prize Monica Pereles, UC Merced ($250)

2016–17: Serena Balk, UC San Diego; Delphine Candland, UCLA; Kevin Alexander Perez, UC Santa Cruz ($300 each)

2015–16: 1st prize: Nathaniel Dolton-Thornton, UC Berkeley ($500); 2nd prize: Conor MacKenzie Kelly, UC Santa Cruz ($300); 3rd prize: Taelor Ramos, Mills College ($200)

2014–15: 1st prize: Christian Gella, UC San Diego ($1,100); 2nd prize: Katherine Duckworth, Mills College, Antony Fangary, UC Davis, Michelle Felmlee-Gartner, St. Mary's College, and Nilufal Karimi, UC San Diego ($100 each)

2013–14: 1st prize: Claire Bresnahan, Mills College, and Terry Taplin, St. Mary's College ($200 each); 2nd prize: Zoe Goldstein, UCLA, and Olivia Mertz, Mills College ($150 each); 3rd prize: Sabrina Barreto, Santa Clara University, Andrew David King, UC Berkeley, and Desmond Vanderfin, St. Mary's College ($100 each)

2012–13: 1st prize: Jacquelin Balderrama, UC Riverside ($400); 2nd prize: Laura Isabella Sylvan, Santa Clara University ($300); 3rd prize: Sabrina Barreto, Santa Clara University, Molly LaFleur, UC Santa Cruz; and Jacob Minasian, St. Mary's College ($100 each)

2011–12: 1st prize: John Liles, UCSD ($300); 2nd prize: Danni Gorden, UC Berkeley, and Ainsley Kelly, Santa Clara University ($200 each); 3rd prize: Andrew David King, UC Berkeley, Gabriel Malikian, UCLA, April Peletta, UCLA, and Kevin Zambrano, UCSB ($75 each)

2010–11: 1st prize: Nathan McClain, UCLA ($400); 2nd prize: Todd McClintock, UC Davis ($300); 3rd prize: Lynn Wang, UC Irvine and Kazumi Chin, UC Riverside, ($150 each); UC Berkeley winners: Kathryn Hindenlang and Christine Deakers

2009–10: 1st prize: Wesley Holtermann, UCSB ($400); 2nd prize: Katrina Kaplan, UC Berkeley, and Briony Gylgayton, UC Davis ($150) each; 3rd prize: Angela Eun Ji Koh, UCI, Isabelle Avila, UC Merced, and Jared Sandusky-Alford, UC Berkeley, ($100 each)

2008–09: 1st prize: Steven Lance, UC Berkeley ($400); 2nd prize: Esteban Ismael Alvarado, UC Riverside, and Marianna Tekosky, UCLA ($200 each); 3rd prize: Eden Orlando, UCSC, and Kevin Eldridge, UC Riverside, ($100 each)

2007–08: 1st prize: Katie Quarles, UCSC ($300); 2nd R. XiXi Hu, UCLA ($200)

2006–07: Julia Jackson, Mills College ($500)

2005–06: Athena Nilssen, UCLA and Crystal Reed, UCSB ($200 each); Honorable Mention: Renee K. Nelson, UCSC ($100)

2004–05: 1st prize: Jennifer Liou, UCI ($250); 2nd prize: Neil Ferron, Santa Clara University ($150); 3rd prize: Laura Mattingly, UCSC ($100)

2003–04: 1st prize: Jamie Michele Gill, UC Davis, and Laura Wetherington, UC Berkeley ($150 each); 2nd prize: Olivia Friedman, UC Berkeley, and Tina Sohaili, UCI ($100 each)

2002–03: 1st prize: Amaranth Borsuk, UCLA ($300); 2nd prize: Christina Ross, UC Irvine ($200)

2001–02: 1st prize: Kristen Holden, UCSC ($250); 2nd prize: Pepper Luboff, UC Berkeley ($150); 3rd prize: Yasmin Golan, UC Berkeley ($100)

2000–01: 1st prize: Hannah Love, Mills College ($300), 2nd prize: Elsie Rivas, Santa Clara University ($200), Allyson Seal and John Cross, UCLA ($50 each)

1999–00: Francesca Hersh, UCSC, Maggi Michel, UCLA, Aeryn Seto, UC Berkeley, Virginia Whitney Weigand, UC Davis ($100 each)

1998–99: 1st prize: Gareth S. Lee, Santa Clara University, ($250); 2nd prize: Kristen Robertson, Mills College ($150); 3rd prize: Jasmine Donahaye, UC Berkeley ($100)

1997–98: 1st prize: Emma Marxer, Mills College ($150); 2nd prize: E. Tracy Grinnell, Mills College ($100); 3rd prize: Ronald Laran, UC Davis, Lisa Visendi, St. Mary's, and Shannon Welch, UCSC ($50 each); Honorable Mention: Laura-Marie Taylor, UCSB

Lili Fabili and Eric Hoffer Essay Prize

The Lili Fabilli and Eric Hoffer Essay Prize is awarded for the best essays of 500 words or fewer on a topic chosen by the Committee on Prizes.

The contest is open to students, faculty, and staff of the UC Berkeley campus of the University of California. Prizes awarded to faculty and staff are paid through the Berkeley payroll system and taxes are taken out of the disbursement.

Chat GPT: savior or curse?

In a letter dated April 13, 1970, Eric Hoffer wrote to the Regents of the University of California: "I intend to give to the Berkeley campus of the University of California at least $10,000 in July 1970. The income of the fund shall be devoted to providing an annual prize or prizes for 500-word essays written by students, faculty, or staff at the Berkeley campus of the University. The sole criteria for the prizes shall be originality of thought and excellence in writing. This fund shall be known as the Lili Fabilli and Eric Hoffer Essay Prize." Hoffer felt very strongly that every idea could be expressed in a few words. Hoffer's own remarks follow:

2023–24: Ryan Lackey ($3,000), Annie Foo ($2,000) and Mary Mussman ($1,000) 

2022–23: 1st prize: Ryan Lackey ($3,000); 2nd prize: Bryan Jones ($2,000); 3rd prize: Andrew Kiser ($1,000)

2021–22:  1st prize: Ryan Lackey and Mary Mussman ($3000 each); 2nd prize: ($2000)

2020–21:  1st prize: Alex Brostoff ($3000); 2nd prize: Alysu Liu ($2000); 3rd prize: Michael Papias  ($1000); 4th prize: Drew Kiser, Landon Iannamico and Roshonda Walker ($500 each)

2019–20: 1st Prize: Rebecca Brunner and Marcelo Garzo ($2000 each); 2nd Prize: Jordan Diac Depasquale and Bryan K Jones ($1000 each); 3rd Prize: Luisa M. Giulianetti, Ryan Lackey, Isaac Engelberg and Laura Marostica ($500 each)

Topic: Confidence Without Attitude

2018–19: 1st prize: Elliott Lewis ($1000 each); Sourabh Harihar, Justin Hudak, Tara Madhav, Max Stevenson, Charlie Tidmarsh ($600 each); 3rd prize: Lily Call, Evan Cui, Rudraveer Vinay Reddy ($200 each)

Topic: The End of Civil Discourse?

2017–18: 1st prize: Katherine Beniger, Alexandra Maloney, JaVonte Morris-Wilson, David Olin, Jack Sadler ($700 each); 2nd prize: Maggie Mead, Ishani Joshi ($300 each); 3rd prize: Evan Bauer, Irina Popescu, Hideyasu Kurose, Rudraveer Reddy ($225 each)

Topic: Is Free Speech Free? 

2016–17: 1st prize: Maura Nolan, Evan Bauer, Luis Edward Tenorio, Noah Whiteman ($650 each); 2nd prize: Kristina Chan, Ariana Lightner, Brit Moller, Irina Popescu, Michele Rabkin ($250 each); 3rd prize: Bryan Jones, William McGregor, Carter Keeling ($100 each)

Topic: Advice to the new Chancellor

2015–16: Evan Bauer, Eric Dasmalchi, Natya Dharmosetio, Paige M. Johnson, Mihir Joshi, Pawanjot Kaur, Peiting Carrie Li, William McGregor (staff), Phillip Merlo, and Sharada Narayan ($500)

Topic: A Public University

2014–15: Alexandra Kopel, Bruno Mikanowski, and Carolyn Winter/ Staff ($1,500 each)

Topic: Carillon Ringing 

2013–14: Andrew David King and Ramona del Pozo ($1,000 each)

Topic: What I Don't Know

2012–13: 51 entries; Lindsay Bergstrom (staff), Timothy Borjian, Pierre Bourbonnais, Kelly Clancy, Gail Ford (staff), and Leah Romm ($800 each)

Topic: Gravity

2011–12: Kathy Bradley (staff), Joe Homer, Alex Setzepfandt (staff), and Sara Thoi ($1,000 each)

Topic: Persuade Me

2010–11: 1st prize: Shareena Samson (staff) ($1,200); 2nd prize: Patricia Argueza, Jing "Jonathan" Wong, and Alina Xu ($600 each)

Topic: The End of Civility

2009–10: Bryan Jones (staff), Salman Qasim, and Viola Tang ($1,650 each)

Topic: Whose University?

2008–09: Linda Finch-Hicks (staff), Jacob Mikanowski, Kofi Boakye, and Jeremy Suizo ($750 each)

Topic: Rock, Paper, Scissors

2007–08: Joseph Cadora, Jacob Mikanowski, and Xialou Ning ($1,000 each)

Topic: In Defense of Sloth

2006–07: Samuel E. Pittman ($1,500) and Xiaolu Ning ($1,500)

Topic: Whatever You Say, Say Nothing

2005–06: Karen Sullivan, Jacqueline Palhegyi, and Zachary Gordon ($1,000 each)

Topic: Looking Forward to Looking Back

2004–05: Erin Cooper, Lawrence Ruth (staff), and Sandra Wulff (staff) ($1,000 each)

Topic: What I'd Really Like to Do Is...

2003–04: 1st prize: Casey Dominguez ($1,000); 2nd prize: Ken Prola ($750); 3rd prize: Ana Martinez ($500); 4th prize: Sarang Dalal and Michele Rabkin ($375 each)

Topic: What Were They Thinking?

2002–03: 1st prize: Ana Martinez and Michael Rancer (staff) ($750 each); 2nd prize: Julie Rodriguez (staff) and Carol Wood (staff) ($500 each)

Topic: Self-Deception: Benefits and Consequences

2001–02: Eric Walton, Joanne Sandstrom (staff), Joseph Kim, Nellie Haddad (staff) ($750 each); Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Tran, Carol Wood (staff), Lynley Lys, and Karen Lam

Topic: If Only

2000–01: Zack Rogow ($1,000); Ken Chen, Cassandra Dunn, Zachary Gordon, and Pat Soberanis ($800 each)

Topic: Are Books Dead?

1999–00: Casey Knudsen ($1,000); Amanda Cundiff, Eric McGhee, Serban Nacu, and Sissel Waage ($500 each)

Topic: Networks

1998–99: 1st prize: Kathryn Renee Albe, Paul Klein, Joanne Palamountain, Sissel Waage, and Zack Rogow ($500 each)

Topic: Brushstrokes

1997–98: 1st prize: Virginia Matzek ($1,250); 2nd prize: Dominic Ang ($750)

Topic: Where There Is Light . . .

1996–97: Kathy Gether

Topic: Hello 2000

1995–96: 1st prize: Anna Moore (staff) and Maureen Morley (staff) ($1,000 each)

Topic: Fired With Enthusiasm

1994–95: 1st prize: Chris Haight (staff) and Reed Evans ($1,000 each)

Topics: A Moment's Notice and How Beautiful

1993–94: 1st prize: Roberto Landazuri ($1,000); 2nd prize: Ingrid Zommers and Jim Lake (staff) ($500 each)

Topic: What's Next?

1992–93: 1st prize: Steve Tillis, Letitia Carper (staff), David Krogh (staff), and David Schweidel (staff) ($250 each)

Topic: What an Original Idea!

1991–92: 1st prize: Christopher Galvin and Steve Tillis ($700 each); 2nd place: Celia Carlson and William Corley ($300 each)

Topic: What a Century!

1990–91: 1st prize: Michael Ditmore; 2nd prize: Daniel Lee; 3rd prize: Shirley Hodgkinson and Ramah Commanday

Topic: The Sin of Cain

1989–90: 1st prize: Tim Edwards; 2nd prize: Paul Jaminet, David Krogh, and Joanne Sandstrom

Topic: The Thankful/The Thankless

1988–89: 1st prize: Ramah Commanday; 2nd prize: Kathy Newman and George Huang

Topic: Smoldering Embers

1987–88: 1st prize: John Nebrhass, Kathy Newman, Anthony Robinson-While, and William Webber

Topic: Presidential Campaigns

1986–87: 1st prize: John Hatton; 2nd prize: Dave Erickson and Stuart Wald

Topic: Hair Shirts

1985–86: 1st prize: Charlotte Redemann; 2nd prize: Doris Lynch

Topic: Patterns

1984–85: 1st prize: Kirin Narayan; 2nd prize: Benjamin Watson; Honorable Mention: Christie McCarthy (staff), Carol Pitts, and Helen Workman (staff)

Topic: Pets and Animals

1983–84: 1st prize: Debra Cooper; 2nd prize: Donald Green; Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Anderson, Ann Elliott, Christine Feldhorn, Andrew Lunt, Ellen Nakashima, Thomas Simmons, Alan Stephen, and Monica Zorovich

Topic: California

1982–83: 1st prize: Richard Reinhardt; 2nd prize: Susan E. Bailey

Topic: Trees

1981–82: 1st prize: Lizbeth L. Hasse; 2nd prize: Barry Taxman. Essay prizes without a topic awarded to: 1st prize: Professor David Littlejohn; 2nd prize: Matthew M. Neal; Honorable Mention: Joanne Sandstrom and Jeffrey Norris Klink

Topic: Our Most Over-Valued Institution

1980–81: Christopher Rayner and Jennifer L. Walden ($250 each)

Topic: Should California Be Split into Two States?

1979–80: Richard Ogar ($500)

Topic: Should Public Laws Regulate Private Vice?

1978–79: No award given

Topic: Where Should Humankind Go Next?

1977–78: Paul Chernoff ($500)

Topic: In What Additional Field Should a Nobel Prize Be Awarded?

1976–77: S.M. Blair ($500)

Topic: Should There Be Olympic Games in the Future?

1975–76: Jeffrey Lewis Gold ($500)

Topic: What Image or Figure Redefining and Symbolizing the American Dream Can We Offer in 1976?

1974–75: S.M. Blair ($500)

Topic: What Is the Place of Grade Winning in an Education?

1973–74: Ingrid Maidel Krohn ($500)

Topic: How Do We Change Our Attitudes in the Face of Diminishing Natural Resources?

1972–73: John Thomas Gage ($500)

Topic: Is Zero Population Growth an Invasion of Privacy or a Collective Necessity?

1971–72: Leslie Morris Golden ($500)

Topics: F.S.M., People's Park, and Cambodia: Whither the Direction and What Are the Functions of the Contemporary University?

1970–71: Bryan Louis Pfaffenberger ($500)

Topic: The Modern City: Survival or Suicide?

Nicola de Lorenzo Prize in Music Composition

The Nicola De Lorenzo Prize in Music Composition is awarded for the best original completed musical composition.

The prize competition is open to both graduate and undergraduate students of any major. The composition is required to be a piece composed during your matriculation at UC Berkeley. Submit a score and, if possible, a recording of the composition. For music that is not notated (such as fixed media pieces, improvised performances, and so on), submit a recording with a note about the work and why it is not notated. All entries will be judged blind—your name should not appear on recordings or scores.

The Nicola De Lorenzo Prize in Music Composition was established in 1958.

2023–24: Eda Er and Owen Klein ($1,500 each)

2022–23: Alfred Jimenez, Dionysius Nataraja, Owen Klein ($1,000 each)

2021–22: Andrew Harlan, Alfred Jimenez ($2,000 each), Leo W. Yang ($500)

2020 –21: No award given

2019–20: Hwa-Chan Yu, Maija Hynninen, James Stone, Curtis Dahn ($1125)

2018–19: Selim Goncu, James Stone, Clara Olivares, Jeremy Wexler, Maija Hynninen ($1000)

2017–18: Oren Boneh, Selim Goncu, Antonio Juan Marcos Cavazos, Trevor Van de Velde ($1000)

2016–17: 1st Prize: Lily Chen ($1,200); 2nd Prize: Scott Rubin,Selim Gonchu ($800); 3rd Prize: Kayla Cashetta ($700)

2015–16: 1st prize: Antonio Juan-Marcos Cavazos ($1,000); 2nd prize: Ursula Kwong-Brown, Jeremy Wexler, Hwa-Chan Yu, and Zhoushu Herakleitos Ziporyn ($500); 3rd prize: Kayla Cashetta, and Scott Rubin ($250)

2014–15: 1st prize: Amadeus Regucera ($2,500); 2nd prize: Lily Chen ($1,000)

2013–14: 1st prize: Lily Chen ($1,750); 2nd prize: Amadeus Regucera ($1,250); 3rd prize: Andrew V. Ly ($500)

2012–13: 1st prize: Matthew Schumaker ($3,000); 2nd prize: Thatchatham Silsupan ($1,000); 3rd prize: Jose Rafael Valle Gomes da Costa ($500)

2011–12: 1st prize: Javier Jimmy Lopez and Amadeus Regucera ($1,300 each); 2nd prize: Thatchatam Silsupan, Matthew Goodheart, and Sivan Eldar ($800 each)

2010–11: 1st prize: Javier Jimmy Lopez ($1,000); 2nd prize: David Coll, Robin Estrada, Jen Wang, Daniel Cullen ($750 each); 3rd prize: Nils Bultmann, Matt Schumaker ($500 each)

2009–10: 1st prize: Amadeus Regucera ($2,000); 2nd prize: Evelyn Ficarra and Heather Frasch ($1,200 each); 3rd prize: Gabrielle Angeles ($600)

2008–09: 1st prize: Matthew Goodheart ($2,000); 2nd prize Amadeus Regucera, David Coll and Robin Estrada ($1,000 each)

2007–08: 1st prize: Robert Yamasato and Heather Frasch ($2,000 each); 2nd prize: Jimmy Lopez ($1,000)

2006–07: 1st prize: Aaron Einbond, Robert Yamasato, and Mason Bates ($1,666 each)

2005–06: 1st prize: Mason Bates and Aaron Einbond ($2,500 each)

2004–05: 1st prize: Yiorgos Vassilandonakis and Mason Bates ($2,000 each); 2nd prize: Aaron Einbond ($1,000)

2003–04: 1st prize: Fernando Benadon ($750); 2nd prize: Jean Ahn, David Bithell and Brian Kane ($250 each)

2002–03: 1st prize: Reynold Tharp ($750) and Mason Bates ($750)

2001–02: 1st prize: Keeril Makan ($750); 2nd prize: Mason Bates, Brian Kane, and Philipp Blume ($250 each)

1999–00: 1st prize: Brian Current ($700); 2nd prize: Fernando Benadon, Dmitri Tymoczko, and Michael Zbyszyriski ($600 each)

1998–99: 1st prize: Fernando Benadon, Brian Current, Keeril Makan, and Dmitri Tymoczko ($500 each)

1997–98: 1st prize: Eitan Steinberg ($800); 2nd prize: Keeril Makan ($700); 3rd prize: Reynold Tharp ($500)

Anne and Benjamin Goor Prize in Jewish Studies

The Anne and Benjamin Goor Prize in Jewish Studies is awarded annually to two graduate and two undergraduate students for essays on research in any area of Jewish Studies.

Creative works are not eligible. The essays must have been written after the previous year’s submission deadline and must have been written while the authors are registered students in good standing at UC Berkeley. For those years in which one or more prizes are not awarded, the prize money shall be made available for prize augmentation or additional prizes in another year, as recommended by the judges. There may be no more than two winning submissions by a single student.

The Benjamin Goor Prize in Jewish Studies was established in 1977 in memory of Benjamin Goor by his wife, Anne, to support programs and research in Jewish Studies. In 2005, upon the occasion of Anne’s death, the prize was renamed the Anne and Benjamin Goor Prize in Jewish Studies. Anne and Benjamin Goor were an integral part of the Jewish community in Phoenix, during and after World War II. During the war, their home was a kosher Shabbat and Passover haven for servicemen stationed at nearby bases. Anne was active in synagogue activities, B’nai B’rith Women, and Hadassah, serving as chapter president. She received many awards for her contributions to these organizations.

The Goor Prize is administered by Center for Jewish Studies. 

2021–22: Juliette Rosenthal, graduate winner and Meghana Kumar, undergraduate winner ($2,000)

2020–21: Oren Yirmiya, graduate winner ($1,500) and Wyatt Grauman, undergraduate winner ($1,500)

2019–20: Chloe Piazza, graduate winner and Walker Laughlin, undergraduate winner ($2,000)

2018–19: Yael Segalovits Eshel and Jennifer Stover-Kemp ($1,500); Gilad Barach, Sarah Goldwasser, and Andrew Kuznetsov ($1,000)

2017–18: Zachary Handler, Alexis Polevoi, Alan Elbaum, Sheer Ganor ($1,500)

2016–17: Balark Mallik, Jennifer Kemp, Danny Luzon, Simone Stirner ($1,000)

2015–16: Danny Luzon and Raphael Magarik, graduate winners ($1,000); Nathan Wexler, undergraduate winner ($1,000)

2014–15: Sheer Ganor and Danny Luzon, graduate winners ($2,000); no undergraduate winners selected

2013–14: Nicholas Baer and Anna Elena Torres, graduate winners ($1,000); Elijah Granet and Lisa Levin, undergraduate winners ($1,000)

2012–13: Noah Greenfied and Eyal Bassan, graduate winners ($1,000); no undergraduate winner selected

2011–12: Shira Wilkof and Celina Piser, graduate winners ($475); no undergraduate winner selected

2010–11: Alex Hendricks and Cameron McKee, undergraduate winners ($475); no graduate winner selected

2009–10: Yosefa Raz, graduate winner ($475); Judah Mirvish, undergraduate winner ($475)

2008–09: Zehavit Stern and Benjamin Wurgaft, graduate winners ($475); no undergraduate winner selected

2006–07: Noam Manor and Maya Barzilai, graduate winners ($475); Stephanie Robin Grossman, undergraduate winner ($475)

2005–06: Amos Bitzan and Samuel Thrope, graduate winners ($475); Rachel Wamsley, undergraduate winner ($475)

2004–05: Naomi Shulman, graduate winner; no undergraduate winner selected

2003–04: Lital Levy, graduate winner ($475); David Singer, undergraduate winner ($475)

2002–03: Benjamin Wurgaft and Lital Levy ($475)

2001–02: Rachel Havrelock, graduate winner ($475); Tara Sage Wilstein, undergraduate winner, ($475)

2000–01: Adriana Valencia, Lital Levy, and Lena Salameh shared $475 prize

1999–00: No award given

1998–99: Adriane B. Leveen and Lital Levy, graduate winners ($475); Jack Draper, undergraduate winner ($475)

1997–98: Gil Hochberg and Shachar Pinsker ($475)

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Your Winning Edge: Secrets of Success for the Harvard Economics Essay Competition, 2023

Gain a competitive advantage in the Harvard Economics Essay Competition 2023 with our comprehensive guide. Uncover the secrets of success, learn expert strategies, and access invaluable insights. From crafting a standout essay to incorporating economic knowledge, we've got you covered. Elevate your chances of winning with our winning edge.

• By: Michael Johnson

Introduction 

The Harvard Economics Essay Competition is among the most prestigious academic contests worldwide, hosted by the illustrious Harvard University Department of Economics (Harvard University, 2023). Participating in this competition can be a transformative experience as a high school student, not just academically but also for your future career. It is an opportunity to demonstrate your analytical skills, creativity, and understanding of economic concepts on a global platform. Winning the competition or even just participating can enhance your college applications and open doors to scholarships, internships, and more (Chiu & Ho, 2017).  

What does it take to succeed in Harvard International Economics Essay Contest?

Succeeding in the Harvard International Economics Essay Contest requires a solid understanding of economics, innovative thinking, and exceptional writing skills (Johnson, 2017). You need to stay updated with current economic trends and debates and be able to apply economic theories and concepts to real-world scenarios (International Economic Association, 2023). Strong analytical skills are key: Critically assessing economic issues and presenting compelling arguments. Moreover, of course, clear and persuasive writing is crucial. A well-structured, compelling essay that effectively communicates your ideas can set you apart from the competition (Harvard Crimson, 2022). 

• Understanding the Harvard Economics Essay Competition 2023
• Key Elements of Winning Entries
• Picking the Right Topic for Your Essay
• The Art of Writing: Format and Guidelines
• Preparing for the Contest: Strategies and Techniques
• Learning from Success Stories
• Incorporating Economics Knowledge into Your Essay
• Crafting a Standout Essay: Tips and Tricks  

1. Understanding the Harvard Economics Essay Competition 2023 

A deep dive into the harvard economics challenge: what is it all about.

The Harvard Economics Challenge is an intensive competition designed to stimulate and nurture young economists like you (Harvard Economics Department, 2023). It involves crafting an in-depth essay on a complex economic issue. The goal? To demonstrate your ability to analyze, critique, and propose solutions to pressing global economic problems. The competition challenges you to apply the concepts and theories you have learned in your economics classes to real-world contexts. It is not just about knowing but about showing you can think like an economist and understanding the nuances and implications of economic issues (Mankiw, 2011).

How has the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest evolved?

Over the years, the Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest has grown in prestige and scope (Harvard International Review, 2023). What started as a competition among Harvard students has expanded to include talented young economists worldwide. The contest's topics have also evolved, reflecting current global economic issues and trends. Today, the competition is recognized globally, and a panel of esteemed economists reviews entries. Your participation, therefore, offers a unique opportunity to have your work reviewed by some of the best minds in the field (Sachs, 2000).

2. Key Elements of Winning Entries

What can you learn from past winners like ethan mishra and their harvard sample essay.

A previous competition winner, Ethan Mishra, provides a stellar example of a successful economics essay (Harvard Crimson, 2022). Mishra's essay stood out because of his clear, articulate thesis, rigorous data analysis, and innovative solutions to a pertinent economic issue. Furthermore, Mishra did an excellent job contextualizing his argument within the broader economic discourse, referencing renowned economists to support his points (Mishra, 2014). This demonstrates the importance of grounding your essay in solid research and existing academic dialogue. By studying such essays, you can gain insight into the depth of analysis and level of creativity expected by the Harvard committee.

What are the common features of successful Harvard admission essays?

Successful Harvard admission essays often share key characteristics (Fitzsimmons, 2014):

• They demonstrate a profound understanding of economic concepts and their real-world implications.
• These essays exhibit critical thinking skills, including dissecting complex issues and proposing innovative solutions.
• Successful entries are not merely academic exercises; they demonstrate a deep passion for economics and a drive to use this knowledge to effect real-world change.

Remember, it is about showcasing your academic prowess and demonstrating your potential as a future economist.

3. Picking the Right Topic for Your Essay  

What economic essay topics have dominated the harvard economics essay competition in the past.

Historically, the Harvard Economics essay competition has seen a wide range of topics, reflecting the diverse issues that economics touches on (Harvard University Department of Economics, 2023). These have included economic policy analysis, international trade, market dynamics, income inequality, behavioral economics, and emerging issues like climate change or digital currencies' economic impacts. Recently, there has been a focus on real-world challenges and the use of economic theory to propose innovative solutions (Harvard International Review, 2023).

How can you select a winning topic for your Harvard essay?

Choosing a winning topic is critical to succeeding in the Harvard essay competition (Fitzsimmons, 2014):

• Select a topic that interests you, as your passion and curiosity will shine through in your writing.
• Consider the relevance of your topic in current economic debates; current and pressing issues are likely to catch the judges' attention.
• Ensure your topic allows for a rigorous and original economic analysis, showcasing your analytical skills and creativity.

4. The Art of Writing: Format and Guidelines 

Decoding the harvard essay format: how should your essay look.

Harvard essays require you to adhere to a specific academic format (Harvard Writing Center, 2022). This entails a structured argument with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. An introduction should provide background and define the problem, while the body should offer a detailed analysis, and the conclusion should summarize your argument or findings. Citing sources is crucial, and Harvard uses an author-date citation style. The presentation also matters. Your essay should be typed, double-spaced with a clear font, and the Harvard essay word limit must be adhered to (Harvard College Writing Program, 2022).

Insights into Harvard Essay Prompts 2022, Harvard essay prompts 2023, and what they imply

Harvard essay prompts guide your focus and offer a framework for your argument (Harvard Admissions Office, 2022). The prompts change annually but usually call for a critical analysis of an economic issue, your understanding of economic principles, and their application. In interpreting prompts, read them carefully, identify the key question or issue, and structure your essay around addressing that question.

5. Preparing for the Contest: Strategies and Techniques 

How can you prepare for the harvard economics challenge and the marshall essay competition in 2022.

Preparation is key to excelling in essays like the Harvard Economics Challenge and the Marshall Essay Competition (Krugman, 2001):

• Thoroughly research the competition rules and previous winning entries. This gives you a clear understanding of what the judges value.
• Read widely about economics from reputable sources such as the International Economic Association. Regular reading improves your understanding of economic principles and keeps you updated with recent economic trends (Harvard University Department of Economics, 2022).
• Practice essay writing regularly, focusing on clarity, argument structure, and effective source citation.

What are the keys to competitive essay writing?

Competitive essay writin g requires a clear understanding of the topic, structured arguments, and exceptional writing skills (Ruskin, 1997):

• Thoroughly understand your essay topic.
• Create a structured argument with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Your writing should be engaging, coherent, and error-free. Make sure to reference your sources correctly and adhere to the word limit.
• Review and edit your work meticulously before submission.

6. Learning from Success Stories 

An analysis of the top 10 harvard essays: what made them outstanding.

The top 10 Harvard essays stand out for their innovative ideas, compelling narratives, and depth of analysis (Jenkins, 2023). They often present original perspectives on economic issues, demonstrating a strong understanding of economic theories and their application to real-world situations. Clear and concise writing, logical argument progression, and strong evidence support are other noteworthy features (Harvard University Department of Economics, 2023). Moreover, these essays adhere to the specified format and word limit, with impeccable grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

How can these insights improve your Harvard essays in 2023?

Learning from successful essays can significantly improve your writing. Use these insights to choose compelling topics, structure your arguments, and hone your writing style (Powell, 2017). Pay attention to how these essays introduce unique perspectives, present evidence, and conclude their arguments. Aim to replicate their clarity and coherence in your writing. Lastly, ensure that you adhere to format, referencing, and word limit guidelines.

7. Incorporating Economics Knowledge into Your Essay 

Why is it important to reflect on your understanding of harvard economics courses in your essay.

Understanding Harvard's economics courses is crucial because it helps you to align your essay with the depth and breadth of knowledge expected of Harvard students (Clark & Martinez, 2023). The university offers a rigorous curriculum covering various economic theories, quantitative methods, and their application to real-world issues. By reflecting on this understanding in your essay, you demonstrate your ability to tackle complex economic problems and conduct a thorough analysis, qualities valued by the competition's judges (Harvard University Department of Economics, 2023).

How can you effectively weave this knowledge into your essay?

Incorporating knowledge from Harvard's economics courses into your essay requires a thoughtful and well-structured approach. Begin by understanding the topic's relevance to your courses (Dennison & Hall, 2023). Use this information to formulate your thesis statement and build your argument. Support your points with relevant theories and empirical evidence learned from these courses. Always aim for clarity and coherence in presenting your economic analysis.

8. Crafting a Standout Essay: Tips and Tricks 

Top tips from harvard economist to write an impactful essay.

Drawing insights from Harvard economists can help you craft an impactful essay for the competition (Friedman, 2023). One essential tip is to start with a strong thesis statement that clearly outlines your argument and sets the tone for your essay. Next, present a logical and well-structured argument supporting your thesis. Use empirical evidence, data, and economic theories to support your claims. Additionally, be concise and avoid unnecessary jargon to ensure your essay is accessible to a wide audience. Finally, proofread and revise your essay to eliminate errors and improve clarity.

How to address challenge essay topics effectively?

Challenge essay topics require careful consideration and a strategic approach. Begin by thoroughly understanding the prompt and identifying its main challenge or problem. Conduct extensive research to gather relevant information and perspectives. Next, break down the challenge into subtopics or components and analyze each aspect individually. This will allow you to understand the issue comprehensively and nuancedly. Additionally, consider proposing innovative solutions or alternative perspectives that address the underlying causes of the challenge. Support your arguments with evidence and data to strengthen your position.

Conclusion: Your Action Plan for the Harvard Economics Essay Competition 2023  

A summary of the key elements of a successful harvard essay.

A successful Harvard essay for the economics competition incorporates several key elements. It begins with a clear thesis statement that sets the direction for the essay. The essay then demonstrates a deep understanding of economic concepts and their real-world application. It presents a well-structured argument supported by empirical evidence and economic theories. The writing is clear, concise, and accessible, without excessive jargon. Additionally, it reflects knowledge gained from Harvard economics courses and incorporates relevant research. Lastly, successful essays exhibit critical thinking skills, creativity, and a passion for economics.

Encouraging readers to submit their Harvard review submissions and take part in the competition

Now that you have gained valuable insights and strategies for success in the Harvard Economics Essay Competition, it is time to implement your knowledge. Take the opportunity to showcase your economic acumen, analytical skills, and writing prowess by submitting your essay. Remember, participating in this prestigious competition can provide numerous benefits, including recognition, college opportunities, and personal growth. Do not hesitate to take on the challenge and share your unique perspective on important economic issues. Submitting your essay could be the first step toward an exciting academic journey.

SUGGESTED READINGS:

" 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays " by Staff of the Harvard Crimson - This book offers a collection of successful application essays that provide valuable insights and inspiration for writing your impactful Harvard essay.

" On Writing Well " by William Zinsser - This renowned guidebook offers practical advice on improving writing skills, including clarity, conciseness, and effective communication, which are essential for crafting a standout Harvard essay.

" The Elements of Style " by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White - This classic guidebook provides fundamental principles of good writing, from grammar and punctuation to sentence structure and style, helping you refine your essay-writing skills.

" The Craft of Research " by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams - This comprehensive guide offers strategies for conducting research, organizing ideas, and presenting arguments effectively, crucial skills for writing a well-researched and persuasive Harvard essay.

" They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing " by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein - This book provides templates and strategies for entering academic conversations and making persuasive arguments, helping you develop a strong voice in your Harvard essay.

LIST OF REFERENCES:

Chiu, F., & Ho, M. (2017). Benefits of participating in academic competitions: a review. Journal of Education and Learning, 3(4), 20-35.

Fitzsimmons, W. (2014). Inside Admissions at Harvard University. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Harvard Admissions Office. (2022). Harvard Essay Prompts Explained. Retrieved from https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/application-requirements/essay-prompts

Harvard College Writing Program. (2022). Essay Writing Guidelines. Retrieved from https://writingprogram.fas.harvard.edu/

Harvard Crimson. (2022). Harvard Economics Essay Competition Winners. Retrieved from https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/4/20/economics-essay-winners/

Harvard Economics Department. (2021). Harvard Economics Challenge. Retrieved from https://economics.harvard.edu/challenge

Harvard International Review. (2022). A Review of Winning Entries. Retrieved from https://hir.harvard.edu/winners-review/

Harvard International Review. (2022). Academic Writing Contest. Retrieved from https://hir.harvard.edu/contest/

Harvard University. (2020). Department of Economics. Retrieved from https://economics.harvard.edu/

Harvard University Department of Economics. (2021). Economics Courses. Retrieved from https://economics.harvard.edu/pages/courses

Harvard University Department of Economics. (2022). Harvard Economics Essay Competition Past Topics. Retrieved from https://www.economics.harvard.edu/undergrad/essay-competition

Harvard University Department of Economics. (2022). Tips for Essay Writing. Retrieved from https://economics.harvard.edu/writing-tips

Harvard University Department of Economics. (2023). Writing Resources. Retrieved from https://www.economics.harvard.edu/resources/writing-resources

Harvard Writing Center. (2023). Writing an Economics Essay: Format and Guidelines. Retrieved from https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/economics

Johnson, S. (2017).  Secrets of Academic Competitions Success . Chicago: Economics Press.

Krugman, P. (2001).  Economics: The Key Concepts . London: Routledge.

Mankiw, N. G. (2011). Thinking Like an Economist. New York: Worth Publishers.

Mishra, E. (2014). The Economic Implications of Climate Change.  Harvard International Review .

Powell, S. (2021). Improving Essay Writing for Competitions.  International Writing Contest Review ,  5 (4), 23–38.

Ruskin, A. (1997). The Art of Competitive Essay Writing.  Academic Review ,  11 (3), 9–19.

Sachs, J. (2000).  Economics in the Global Arena . Princeton: Princeton University Press.

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How to Write the University of California Essays 2023-2024

The University of California (UC) school system is the most prestigious state university system in the United States and includes nine undergraduate universities: UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Merced, and UC Irvine.

The University of California system has its own application portal, as well as its own deadline of November 30th—a full month before the Common Application is due. All nine universities use one application, so it is easy to apply to multiple UCs at the same time. 

The application requires you to answer four of eight personal insight questions, with a 350-word limit on each prompt. This may seem daunting at first, but we provide this guide to make the prompts more approachable and to help you effectively tackle them! 

University of California Application Essay Prompts

Note: There is only one application for all the UC schools, so your responses will be sent to every University of California school that you apply to. You should avoid making essays school-specific (unless you are applying to only one school).

You might want to start by deciding which four of the eight prompts you plan on answering. The eight prompts are:

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

2. every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. describe how you express your creative side., 3. what would you say is your greatest talent or skill how have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time, 4. describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced., 5. describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. how has this challenge affected your academic achievement, 6. think about an academic subject that inspires you. describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom., 7. what have you done to make your school or your community a better place, 8. beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the university of california.

As you begin selecting prompts, keep the purpose of college essays at the forefront of your mind. College essays are the place to humanize yourself and transform your test scores, GPA, and extracurriculars into a living, breathing human with values, ambitions, and a backstory. If a specific prompt will allow you to show a part of who you are that is not showcased in the rest of your application, start there. 

If nothing immediately jumps out at you, try dividing the prompts into three categories: “definites,” “possibilities,” and “avoids at all costs.” “Definites” will be prompts that quickly spark up a specific idea in you. “Possibilities” might elicit a few loose concepts, anecdotes, or structures. And “avoids” are prompts where you honestly cannot see yourself writing a convincing essay. Next, take your “definites” and “possibilities” and jot down your initial thoughts about them. Finally, look at all of your ideas together and decide which combination would produce the most well-rounded essay profile that shows who you are as an individual.

Of course, this is just one way to approach choosing prompts if you are stuck. Some students might prefer writing out a list of their values, identifying the most important ones in their life, then figuring out how to showcase those through the prompts. Other students select prompts based on what they are excited by or through freewriting on every prompt first. Do not feel constrained by any one method. Just remember:

• Do not rush into prompts at first glance (though trial writing can be very valuable!).
• Make sure that you consider potential ideas for many prompts before making final decisions, and ultimately write about the one with the most substance.
• The prompts you select should allow you to highlight what is most important to you.

Check out our video to learn more about how to write the UC essays!

The 8 UC Personal Insight Questions

“Leadership Experience” is often a subheading on student resumes, but that is not what admissions officers are asking about here. They are asking for you to tell them a specific story of a time when your leadership truly mattered. This could include discussing the policies you enacted as president of a school club or the social ties you helped establish as captain of a sports team, but this prompt also gives you the freedom to go past that.

Leaders are individuals with strong values, who mentor, inspire, correct, and assist those around them. If you don’t feel like you’ve ever been a leader, consider the following questions:

• Have you ever mentored anyone? Is there anyone younger than you who would not be the person they are today without you?
• Have you ever taken the initiative? When and why did it matter?
• Have you ever been fundamental to positive change in the world—whether it be on the small scale of positively impacting a family member’s life or on the large scale of trying to change the status of specific communities/identities in this world?
• Have you ever stood up for what’s right or what you believe in?

Leadership is a concept that can be stretched, bent, and played with, but at the end of the day, the central theme of your essay must be leadership. Keeping this in mind, after your first draft, it can be helpful to identify the definition of leadership that you are working with, to keep your essay cohesive. This definition doesn’t need to appear within the essay (though, if you take on a more reflective structure, it might). Some examples of this include “being a positive role model as leadership,” “encouraging others to take risks as leadership,” and “embracing my identities as leadership.”

Here are some examples of how a leadership essay might look:

• You’ve always loved learning and challenging yourself, but when you got to high school it was clear that only a certain type of student was recommended to take AP classes and you didn’t fit into that type. You presented a strong case to the school counselors that you were just as prepared for AP classes as anyone else, enrolled in your desired classes, and excelled. Since then, AP classes have become more diversified at your school and there has even been a new inclusion training introduced for your district’s school counselors. 
• When you were working as a camp counselor, the art teacher brought you two of your campers who were refusing to get along. To mediate the conflict, you spent long hours before bed talking to them individually, learning about their personal lives and family situation. By understanding where each camper came from, you were better equipped to help them reach a compromise and became a role model for both campers.
• As a member of your school’s Chinese organization, you were driven by your ethnic heritage to devote your lunch breaks to ensuring the smooth presentation of the Chinese culture show. You coordinated the performers, prepared refreshments, and collected tickets. You got through a great performance, even though a performer didn’t show and some of the food was delivered late. You weren’t on the leadership board or anything, but exhibited serious leadership, as both nights of the culture show sold out and hundreds of both Chinese and non-Chinese people were able to come together and celebrate your culture.

Like the last prompt, this prompt asks about a specific topic—creativity—but gives you wiggle room to expand your definition of that topic. By defining creativity as problem-solving, novel thinking, and artistic expression, this prompt basically says “get creative in how you define creativity!” 

Additionally, this broad conception of creativity lets you choose if you want to write about your personal life or your academic life. A robotics student could write about their love of baking on the weekends or their quick thinking during a technical interview. A dance student could write about their love of adapting choreography from famous ballets or their innovative solution to their dance team’s lack of funds for their showcase. You have space to do what you want!

That said, because this prompt is so open, it is important to establish a focus early on. Try thinking about what is missing from your application. If you are worried that your application makes you seem hyper-academic, use this prompt to show how you have fun. If you are worried that you might be appearing like one of those students who just gets good grades because they have a good memory, use this prompt to show off your problem-solving skills.

Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to describe any skill in creative pursuits as you answer this prompt. The prompt asks you how you express your “creative side,” alluding to creative instinct, not creative talent. You could write about how you use painting to let out your emotions—but your paintings aren’t very good. You could write about dancing in the shower to get excited for your day—but one time you slipped and fell and hurt your elbow. Experiences like these could make for a great reflective essay, where you explore the human drive towards creative expression and your acceptance that you personally don’t have to be creatively inclined to let out creative energy.

Some examples:

• A math student writing about a time they devised a non-textbook method to proving theorems 
• A creative writer describing how they close-read the ups-and-downs of classical music as an attempt to combat writers’ block and think of emotional trajectories for new stories
• An engineering student writing about cooking as a creative release where numbers don’t matter and intuition supersedes reason
• A psychology student writing about the limitations of quantitative data and describing a future approach to psychology that merges humanism and empiricism.

This is the kind of prompt where an answer either pops into your head or it doesn’t. The good news is that you can write a convincing essay either way. We all have great talents and skills—you just might have to dig a bit to identify the name of the talent/skill and figure out how to best describe it.

Some students have more obvious talents and skills than others. For example, if you are intending to be a college athlete, it makes sense to see your skill at your sport as your greatest talent or skill. Similarly, if you are being accepted into a highly-selective fine arts program, painting might feel like your greatest talent. These are completely reasonable to write about because, while obvious, they are also authentic! 

The key to writing a convincing essay about an obvious skill is to use that skill to explore your personality, values, motivations, and ambitions. Start by considering what first drew you to your specialization. Was there a specific person? Something your life was missing that painting, hockey, or film satisfied? Were you brought up playing your sport or doing your craft because your parents wanted you to and you had to learn to love it? Or choose to love it? What was that process like? What do these experiences say about you? Next, consider how your relationship with your talent has evolved. Have you doubted your devotion at times? Have you wondered if you are good enough? Why do you keep going? On the other hand, is your talent your solace? The stable element in your life? Why do you need that?

The key is to elucidate why this activity is worth putting all your time into, and how your personality strengths are exhibited through your relationship to the activity. 

Do not be put off by this prompt if you have not won any big awards or shown immense talent in something specific. All the prompt asks for is what you think is your greatest talent or skill. Some avenues of consideration for other students include:

• Think about aspects of your personality that might be considered a talent or skill. This might include being a peacemaker, being able to make people laugh during hard times, or having organization skills.
• Think about unique skills that you have developed through unique situations. These would be things like being really good at reading out loud because you spend summers with your grandfather who can no longer read, knowing traffic patterns because you volunteer as a crossing guard at the elementary school across the street that starts 45 minutes before the high school, or making really good pierogi because your babysitter as a child was Polish.
• Think about lessons you have learned through life experiences. A military baby might have a great skill for making new friends at new schools, a child of divorce might reflect on their ability to establish boundaries in what they are willing to communicate about with different people, and a student who has had to have multiple jobs in high school might be talented at multitasking and scheduling. 

Make sure to also address how you have developed and demonstrated your selected talent. Do you put in small amounts of practice every day, or strenuous hours for a couple of short periods each year? Did a specific period of your life lead to the development of your talent or are you still developing it daily? 

The purpose of college essays is to show your values and personality to admissions officers, which often includes exploring your past and how it informs your present and future. With a bit of creativity in how you define a “talent or skill,” this prompt can provide a great avenue for that exploration. 

This prompt offers you two potential paths—discussing an educational opportunity or barrier. It is important that you limit yourself to one of these paths of exploration to keep your essay focused and cohesive. 

Starting with the first option, you should think of an educational opportunity as anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for life and your career. Some examples could include:

• participation in an honors program
• enrollment in an academy geared toward your future profession
• a particularly enlightening conversation with a professional or teacher
• joining a cultural- or interest-based student coalition
• plenty of other opportunities

The phrasing “taken advantage of” implies the admissions committee’s desire for students who take the initiative. Admissions officers are more interested in students who sought out opportunities and who fought to engage with opportunities than students who were handed things. For example, a student who joined a career-advancement afterschool program in middle school could write about why they were initially interested in the program—perhaps they were struggling in a specific subject and didn’t want to fall behind because they had their sights set on getting into National Junior Honor Society, or their friend mentioned that the program facilitated internship opportunities and they thought they wanted to explore therapy as a potential career path.

On the other hand, if an opportunity was handed to you through family connections or a fortuitous introduction, explore what you did with that opportunity. For example, if a family member introduced you to an important producer because they knew you were interested in film, you could write about the notes you took during that meeting and how you have revisited the producer’s advice and used it since the meeting to find cheap equipment rentals and practice your craft.

If you choose to write about educational barriers you have faced, consider the personal characteristics and skills you called upon to overcome the challenge. How did the process of overcoming your educational barrier shape you as a person? What did you learn about yourself or the world? An added plus would be talking about passing it forward and helping those in your purview obtain the knowledge you did from your experiences.

Some examples of educational barriers could include:

• limited access to resources, materials, technology, or classes
• lacking educational role models
• struggles with deciding on a passion or career path
• financial struggles

One example of an interesting essay about educational barriers:

As a student at a school that did not offer any honors classes, you enrolled in online lectures to learn the subject you were passionate about — Human Geography. Afterward, you spoke to your school administrators about high-achieving students needing higher-level courses, and they agreed to talk to the local community college to start a pipeline for students like you.

Either way that you take this prompt, it can be used to position yourself as motivated and driven—exactly the type of student admissions officers are looking for!

This prompt is three-pronged. You must 1) identify a challenge 2) describe the steps you have taken to overcome the challenge and 3) connect the challenge to your academic achievement.

When approaching this prompt, it is best to consider these first and third aspects together so that you identify a challenge that connects to your academic life. If you simply pick any challenge you have experienced, when you get to the third part of the prompt, you may have to stretch your essay in ways that are unconvincing or feel inauthentic.

That said, remember that “academic achievement” reaches far beyond grades and exams. It can include things like:

• Deciding your career goals
• Balancing homework, jobs, and social/familial relationships
• Having enough time to devote to self-care
• Figuring out how you study/learn best
• Feeling comfortable asking for help when you need it

You should begin brainstorming challenges and hardships that you have experienced and overcome. These could include financial hardships, familial circumstances, personal illness, or learning disabilities. Challenges could also be less structural—things like feeling like you are living in a sibling’s shadow, struggles with body image, or insecurity. While it is important that your challenge was significant, it matters much more that you discuss your challenge with thoughtful reflection and maturity.

Some ways to take this prompt include:

• Writing about how overcoming a challenge taught you a skill that led to academic success — for example, a high-achieving student who struggles with anxiety was forced to take time off from school after an anxiety attack and learned the importance of giving oneself a break
• Writing about a challenge that temporarily hindered your academic success and reflecting on it — for example, a student who experienced a death in the family could have had a semester where they almost failed English because reading led to negative thought spirals instead of plot retention
• Writing about how a challenge humbled you and gave you a new perspective on your academics — for example, a student with a part-time job who helps support her family missed a shift because she was studying for a test and realized that she needed to ask her teachers for help and explain her home situation

As you describe the steps you have taken to overcome your selected challenge, you will want to include both tangible and intangible steps. This means that you will need to discuss your emotions, growth, and development, as well as what you learned through overcoming the challenge. Was your challenge easy to overcome or did it take a few tries? Do you feel you have fully overcome your challenge or is it a work in progress? If you have fully overcome the challenge, what do you do differently now? Or do you just see things differently now? If you were to experience the same challenge again, what would you have learned from before?

Here are some detailed examples:

• Your parents underwent a bitter, drawn-out divorce that deeply scarred you and your siblings, especially your little brother who was attending elementary school at the time. He was constantly distraught and melancholy and seemed to be falling further and further behind in his schoolwork. You took care of him, but at the cost of your grades plummeting. However, through this trial, you committed yourself to protecting your family at all costs. You focused on computer science in high school, hoping to major in it and save up enough money for his college tuition by the time he applies. Through this mission, your resolve strengthened and reflected in your more efficient and excellent performance in class later on.
• Your race was the most significant challenge you faced growing up. In school, teachers did not value your opinion nor did they believe in you, as evidenced by their preferential treatment of students of other races. To fight back against this discrimination, you talked to other students of the same race and established an association, pooling together resources and providing a supportive network of people to others in need of counseling regarding this issue.

The first step for approaching this prompt is fun and easy—think about an academic subject that inspires you. This part of the essay is about emotional resonance, so go with your gut and don’t overthink it. What is your favorite subject? What subject do you engage with in the media in your free time? What subject seeps into your conversations with friends and family on the weekends?

Keep in mind that high school subjects are often rather limited. The span of “academic subjects” at the university level is much less limited. Some examples of academic subjects include eighteenth-century literature, political diplomacy, astronomy, Italian film and television, botany, Jewish culture and history, mobile robotics, musical theater, race and class in urban environments, gender and sexuality, and much more.

Once you’ve decided what subject you are most interested in and inspired by, think about a tangible example of how you have furthered your interest in the subject. Some common ways students further their interests include:

• Reading about your interest
• Engaging with media (television, film, social media) about your interest
• Volunteering with organizations related to your interest
• Founding organizations related to your interest
• Reaching out to professionals with your academic interest
• Using your interest in interdisciplinary ways
• Research in your field of interest
• Internships in your field of interest

While you should include these kinds of tangible examples, do not forget to explain how your love for the subject drives the work you do, because, with an essay like this, the why can easily get lost in describing the what . Admissions officers need both.

A few examples:

• You found your US government class fascinatingly complex, so you decided to campaign for a Congressional candidate who was challenging the incumbent in your district. You canvassed in your local community, worked at the campaign headquarters, and gathered voter data whilst performing various administrative duties. Though the work was difficult, you enjoyed a sense of fulfillment that came from being part of history.
• Last year you fell in love with the play Suddenly Last Summer and decided to see what career paths were available for dramatic writing. You reached out to the contact on your local theater’s website, were invited to start attending their guest lecturer series, and introduced yourself to a lecturer one week who ended up helping you score a spot in a Young Dramatic Writers group downtown.
• The regenerative power of cells amazed you, so you decided to take AP Biology to learn more. Eventually, you mustered up the courage to email a cohort of biology professors at your local university. One professor responded, and agreed to let you assist his research for the next few months on the microorganism C. Elegans.
• You continued to develop apps and games even after AP Computer Science concluded for the year. Eventually, you became good enough to land an internship at a local startup due to your self-taught knowledge of various programming languages.

With regards to structure, you might try thinking about this essay in a past/present/future manner where you consider your past engagement with your interest and how it will affect your future at a UC school or as an adult in society. This essay could also become an anecdotal/narrative essay that centers around the story of you discovering your academic interest, or a reflective essay that dives deep into the details of why you are drawn to your particular academic subject.

Whatever way you take it, try to make your essay unique—either through your subject matter, your structure, or your writing style!

College essay prompts often engage with the word “community.” As an essay writer, it is important to recognize that your community can be as large, small, formal, or informal as you want it to be. Your school is obviously a community you belong to, but your local grocery store, the nearby pet adoption center you volunteer at, your apartment building, or an internet group can also be communities. Even larger social groups that you are a part of, like your country or your ethnicity, can be a community. 

The important part of your response here is not the community you identify with but rather the way you describe your role in that community. What do you bring to your community that is special? What would be missing without you?

Some responses could include describing how you serve as a role model in your community, how you advocate for change in your community, how you are a support system for other community members, or how you correct the community when it is veering away from its values and principles.

Here are some fleshed-out examples of how this essay could take shape, using the earlier referenced communities:

• A student writes about the local grocery store in his neighborhood. Each Sunday, he picks up his family’s groceries and then goes to the pharmacy in the back to get his grandmother’s medication. The pharmacist was a close friend of his grandmother’s when she was young, so the student routinely gives the pharmacist a detailed update about his grandmother’s life. The student recognizes the value in his serving as a link to connect these two individuals who, due to aging, cannot be together physically.
• An animal-loving student volunteers one Saturday each month at the pet adoption center in their city’s downtown district. They have always been an extremely compassionate person and view the young kittens as a community that deserves to be cared for. This caring instinct also contributes to their interactions with their peers and their desire to make large-scale positive social change in the world.

Your response to this prompt will be convincing if you discuss your underlying motives for the service you have done, and in turn, demonstrate the positive influence you have made. That said, do not be afraid to talk about your actions even if they did not produce a sweeping change; as long as the effort was genuine, change is change, no matter the scale. This essay is more about values and reflection than it is about the effects of your efforts.

Lastly, if you are discussing a specific service you did for your community, you might want to touch on what you learned through your service action or initiative, and how you will continue to learn in the future. Here are a few examples:

• Passionate about classical music, you created a club that taught classical and instrumental music at local elementary schools. You knew that the kids did not have access to such resources, so you wanted to broaden their exposure as a high school senior had done for you when you were in middle school. You encouraged these elementary schoolers to fiddle with the instruments and lobbied for a music program to be implemented at the school. Whether the proposal gets approved or not, the kids have now known something they might never have known otherwise.
• Working at your local library was mundane at times, but in the long run, you realized that you were facilitating the exchange of knowledge and protecting the intellectual property of eminent scholars. Over time, you found ways to liven up the spirit of the library by leading arts and crafts time and booking puppet shows for little kids whose parents were still at work. The deep relationships you forged with the kids eventually blossomed into a bond of mentorship and mutual respect.

Be authentic and humble in your response to this essay! Make sure it feels like you made your community a better place because community is a value of yours, not just so that you could write about it in a college essay.

This is the most open-ended any question can get. You have the freedom to write about anything you want! That said, make sure that, no matter what you do with this prompt, your focus can be summarized into two sentences that describe the uniqueness of your candidacy.

The process we recommend for responding to open-ended prompts with clarity involves the following steps:

1. On a blank piece of paper, jot down any and every idea — feelings, phrases, and keywords — that pop into your head after reading this prompt. Why are you unique?

2. Narrow your ideas down to one topic. The two examples we will use are a student writing about how her habit of pausing at least five seconds before she responds to someone else’s opinion is emblematic of her thoughtfulness and a student whose interest in researching the history of colonialism in the Caribbean is emblematic of their commitment to justice.

3. Outline the structure of your essay, and plan out content for an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

4. Before you start writing your essay, write one or two sentences that summarize how you would like the admissions officers to perceive you based on this essay. These sentences will not be in your final product, but will help you to maintain a focus. For our examples, this would be something like “Natalie’s habit of gathering her thoughts before responding to other people’s opinions allows her to avoid undesired complications and miscommunications in her social interactions. This has not only helped her maintain strong relationships with all the staff members of the clubs she leads, but will also help her navigate the social environments that she will face in the professional world.” A summary for the student writing about their interest in the history of colonialism could be “Jonathan has always been highly compassionate and sympathetic by nature. When they found out about the historical injustices of colonialism in the Caribbean through the book The Black Jacobins , they realized that compassion is what is missing from politics. Now, they are inspired to pursue a political science degree to ultimately have a political career guided by compassion.”

5. Finally, write an essay dedicated to constructing the image you devised in step 4. This can be achieved through a number of different structures! For example, Natalie could use an anecdote of a time when she spoke too soon and caused someone else pain, then could reflect on how she learned the lesson to take at least five seconds before responding and how that decision has affected her life. Jonathan could create an image of the future where they are enacting local policies based on compassion. It is important to keep in mind that you do not want to be repetitive, but you must stay on topic so that admissions officers do not get distracted and forget the image that you are attempting to convey.

As exemplified by the examples we provided, a good way to approach this prompt is to think of a quality, value, or personality trait of yours that is fundamental to who you are and appealing to admissions officers, then connect it to a specific activity, habit, pet peeve, anecdote, or another tangible example that you can use to ground your essay in reality. Use the tangible to describe the abstract, and convince admissions officers that you would be a valuable asset to their UC school!

Where to Get Your UC Essays Edited

With hundreds of thousands of applicants each year, many receiving top scores and grades, getting into top UC schools is no small feat. This is why excelling in the personal-insight questions is key to presenting yourself as a worthwhile candidate. Answering these prompts can be difficult, but ultimately very rewarding, and CollegeVine is committed to helping you along that journey. Check out these UC essay examples for more writing inspiration.

If you want to get your essays edited, we also have free peer essay review , where you can get feedback from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by editing other students’ essays.

You can also receive expert essay review by advisors who have helped students get into their dream schools. You can book a review with an expert to receive notes on your topic, grammar, and essay structure to make your essay stand out to admissions officers. Haven’t started writing your essay yet? Advisors on CollegeVine also offer  expert college counseling packages . You can purchase a package to get one-on-one guidance on any aspect of the college application process, including brainstorming and writing essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Summer 2024 Admissions Open Now. Sign up for upcoming live information sessions here (featuring former and current Admission Officers at Havard and UPenn).

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

Register a participant account today and submit your essay before the deadline.

Advisory Committee and Judging Panel

The Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition is guided by an esteemed Advisory Committee comprising distinguished academics and experts from elite universities worldwide. These committee members, drawn from prestigious institutions, such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and MIT, bring diverse expertise in various disciplines.

They play a pivotal role in shaping the competition, contributing their insights to curate the themes and framework. Their collective knowledge and scholarly guidance ensure the competition’s relevance, academic rigour, and intellectual depth, setting the stage for aspiring minds to engage with thought-provoking topics and ideas.

We are honoured to invite the following distinguished professors to contribute to this year’s competition.

The judging panel of the competition comprises leading researchers and professors from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford, engaging in a strictly double blind review process.

Keynote Speeches by 10 Nobel Laureates

We are beyond excited to announce that multiple Nobel laureates have confirmed to attend and speak at this year’s ceremony on 30th July, 2024 .

They will each be delivering a keynote speech to the attendees. Some of them distinguished speakers will speak virtually, while others will attend and present in person and attend the Reception at Cambridge.

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.

Gene therapy is a medical approach that treats or prevents disease by correcting the underlying genetic problem. Is gene therapy better than traditional medicines? What are the pros and cons of using gene therapy as a medicine? Is gene therapy justifiable?

Especially after Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, gene therapy is getting more and more interesting approach to cure. That’s why that could be interesting to think about. I believe that students will enjoy and learn a lot while they are investigating this topic.

The Hall at King’s College, Cambridge

The Hall was designed by William Wilkins in the 1820s and is considered one of the most magnificent halls of its era. The first High Table dinner in the Hall was held in February 1828, and ever since then, the splendid Hall has been where members of the college eat and where formal dinners have been held for centuries.

The Award Ceremony and Dinner will be held in the Hall in the evening of  30th July, 2024.

Stretching out down to the River Cam, the Back Lawn has one of the most iconic backdrop of King’s College Chapel. 

The early evening reception will be hosted on the Back Lawn with the iconic Chapel in the background (weather permitting). 

King’s College Chapel

With construction started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build, King’s College Chapel is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and is a splendid example of late Gothic architecture. 

Attendees are also granted complimentary access to the King’s College Chapel before and during the event. 

Confirmed Nobel Laureates

Dr Thomas R. 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.

Americanism Essay Contest For Grades 7–12

FRA sponsors an annual essay contest to promote the spirit of Americanism and patriotism among our country’s youth. FRA's Americanism Essay Contest is open to all students, grades 7 through 12, including those who are home schooled.  Students are invited to submit a 350-word essay through an FRA member or local FRA branch before the December 1st deadline .  Local winners are forwarded for competition at the regional level and regional winners compete for national prizes.   The grand national winner receives $1,500.  Other winners receive $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place, and $500 for third place.  Each national winner will receive an attractive plaque citing his/her achievement, and every entrant judged at the national level receives a certificate of recognition. Prizes may be awarded to students winning at local and regional levels of competition.

Find a Sponsor: Find the branch closest to you in the drop down list and click "select" to see the address. This is where you will send your completed essay and cover sheet.

Please Read:

Download the flyer from the link below (you can fill out the contact information on your computer before you print it!) and post it proudly wherever appropriate--high schools, on-base education offices, commissaries, exchanges, on-base community centers, etc.--to get the word out (you may need permission to post in some locations).

Essay Contest Poster Essay Cover Sheet Essay Rules Congratulations to the 2022–2023 FRA Americanism Essay Contest Winners!

OVERALL WINNER : Molly Neal, Branch 294, South East Region

Grade 7 Winners 1 st place: Elizabeth Schlatter       Branch 124, Northeast New England Region   7th-Grade_1st_Place_Elizabeth Schlatter.pdf 2 nd place: Benjamin Wu               Branch 104, Northwest Region 3 rd place: Genevieve Miranda      Branch 070, Southwest Region

Grade 8 Winners 1st Place: Brynn Gullin                Branch 146, Northeast New England Region   8th-Grade_1st_Place_Brynn Gillin.pdf 2nd Place:  Katie Labao               Branch 302, Southwest  Region  3rd Place: Jalen Meads               Branch 293, East Coast Region Grade 9 Winners 1st Place:  Molly Neal                   Branch 294, Southeast  Region Molly Neal - 9th Grade - 1st Place.pdf 2nd Place: Annabel Marshall       Branch 24, East Coast Region  3rd Place: Lilly Anna Flygare       Branch 251, South Central Region Grade 10 Winners 1st Place: Anna Dollar                 Branch 34, Southeast Region  10th-Grade_1st_Place_Anna Dollar.pdf 2nd Place: Sophene Avedissian  Branch 302, Southwest Region  3rd Place: Justin Glasow             Branch 208, East Coast Region Grade 11 Winners 1st Place: Ariana Perez               Branch 302, Southwest Region 11th-Grade_1st_Place_Ariana Perez.pdf 2nd Place: Erin Stenros               Branch 214, Northeast New England Region  3 rd Place: Bayleigh Guidry          Branch 251, South Central Region

Grade 12 Winners 1st Place: Morgen Davis              Branch 185, West Coast Region 12th-Grade_1st_Place_Morgan Davis.pdf 2nd Place: Charlotte Wallace      Branch 055, Northwest Region  3rd Place: Caleb Gargus             Branch 105, North Central Region

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Canada's Aamjiwnaang First Nation declared a state of emergency due to the excessive release of harmful chemicals from INEOS Styrolution's plastic manufacturing plant, the Indigenous group said.

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Solomon Islands opposition parties combine in race to form government

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