john sexton essay contest 2022

John Sexton Essay Contest

Scholarship Overview

About the scholarship, eligibility criteria.

Regis Senior Earns Prestigious Academic Honors

Over the past few months, Aidan Gouley ’23 has earned two prestigious academic distinctions for scholarly work he has completed outside of the Regis classroom. The Concord Review , the only quarterly journal in the world that publishes the work of high school students, will feature a paper written by Gouley in its upcoming Winter issue. This summer, a different paper crafted by Gouley earned first prize in the highly competitive 2022 John Sexton Essay Contest.

Gouley’s article for The Concord Review focused on the economic consequences of the Suez Crisis on Great Britain. He wrote his History term paper in his junior year on the same topic and expanded and refined it over the summer with the encouragement of Ms. Gena Reisig, the chair of the History Department, before submitting it to the Concord Review for consideration. 

“ The Concord Review is truly unique as the only history journal to publish the academic work of high school students. It is remarkable in its commitment to encouraging students to engage with - and write long form research papers about - critical historical and social issues, and is a unique outlet for intellectual expression,” Gouley said. “My passion for history drove me to do the necessary research and writing to publish on an era-defining issue, and I am incredibly fortunate to have my work included in The Concord Review. ”

In August, Gouley also was awarded the first prize in the highly competitive 2022 John Sexton Essay Contest, during a ceremony held at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. Gouley is now spending his senior year at Regis as a John Sexton scholar. John Sexton, previously the President of New York University for 13 years, founded the John Sexton Scholars Program in 2020 to, “promote awareness of current international crises involving conflict and displaced peoples, especially those with little media attention,” and, “to provide substantive professional and academic opportunities to the next generation of change makers.” 

Each year, the program organizes an essay competition – open to all high school students in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut – to select the next contingent of Sexton Scholars. This year, contestants were tasked with drafting a 500-word policy recommendation concerning the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar as well as broader climate-driven mass migrations around the world. A panel of highly regarded scholars and foreign affairs experts selected this year's winners. Eight contestants were invited to become Sexton Scholars, and among them, the top three submissions were ranked on their individual merit. Gouley’s submission was awarded first place.

Regis is proud of Gouley for these impressive academic achievements on top of all of his work inside and outside the classroom on 84th Street!

Essay Writing Advice from Judges: 2022 John Sexton Essay Contest

Essay  COMPETITION

2024 global essay prize, the short list for the 2024 global essay prize was released on wednesday, 31 july..

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.

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 the deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.  To submit your essay, click here .  

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.

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The Scribes Prize

Fairfield Scribes

The Scribes Prize invites entries for flash fiction or creative nonfiction of 90-110 words. The contest aims to highlight great writing and offers monetary prizes with the winners published in the ScribesMICRO magazine.

Silver: $125 Bronze: $60 15 Honorable Mentions: $20 each Publication in ScribesMICRO and digital award seals for winners

📅 Deadline: September 01, 2024 (Expired)

J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50

Lambda Literary

Genres: LGBTQ

The J. Michael Samuel Prize honors emerging LGBTQ writers over the age of 50. This award is made possible by writer and philanthropist Chuck Forester, who created it out of the firmly held belief that “Writers who start late are just as good as other writers, it just took the buggers more time.” The prize will go to an unpublished LGBTQ writer over 50 working in any genre.

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

HG Wells Short Story Competition

HG Wells Competition

The HG Wells Short Story Competition, founded by Reg Turnill, promotes writing and celebrates HG Wells' literary legacy. It encourages entries based on this year’s theme: 'The Fool.'

Under 21: £1,000 Over 21: £500

All shortlisted entries will be published in an anthology. Shortlisted authors receive a copy of the anthology and a certificate.

📅 Deadline: July 08, 2024 (Expired)

Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize

University of Pittsburgh Press

The Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize, established in 1981, is awarded for a first full-length book of poems. The prize includes a cash award and publication as part of the Pitt Poetry Series.

Publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press

BBC National Short Story Award

BBC Radio 4 and Cambridge University

The BBC National Short Story Award encourages submissions of short stories up to 8,000 words. The contest promotes the art of storytelling and awards notable literary contributions.

4x shortlisted stories: £600

📅 Deadline: March 18, 2024 (Expired)

Dream Quest One Writing Contest

Dream Quest One

Write a short story, 5 pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, fiction, non-fiction, creative nonfiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries, short stage plays, screenplays, and screenwriting). All entries must be either typed or legibly hand printed. Multiple and simultaneous poetry and short story entries are accepted.

2nd: $125 | 3rd: $50

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Ayn Rand Institute

Genres: Essay

The Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest is open to all high school, college, and graduate students worldwide. Participants write essays based on prompts related to Ayn Rand's novel _Atlas Shrugged_. The contest has seasonal entry rounds with unique prompts, and essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words. The winning essays demonstrate a strong grasp of the book's themes.

Annual Grand Prize of $25,000 Seasonal prize winners: 1st place: $3000 2nd place: $2000 3rd place: $1000

📅 Deadline: June 14, 2024 (Expired)

AWP Prize for Creative Nonfiction

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.

Publication by the University of Georgia Press

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Goldilocks Zone

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

The contest invites short stories, novel excerpts, graphic novels, and poems that showcase excellence in craft with reader appeal. It accepts literary or genre works without restrictions on theme.

Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.

CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition

Crime Writers Association

Our mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery — one that fits into legendary crime writer Margery’s definition of what makes a great story: “The Mystery remains box-shaped, at once a prison and a refuge. Its four walls are, roughly, a Crime, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an Element of Satisfaction in it.”

Two passes to Crimefest & a selection of books

Fish Flash Fiction Prize

Fish Publishing

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Fish Flash Fiction Prize is an opportunity to attempt one of the most interesting and rewarding tasks – to create, in a tiny fragment, a completely resolved and compelling story in 300 words or less. The top ten stories will be published in the FISH ANTHOLOGY 2022.

2nd: €300 + Online Writing Course | 3rd: €300

💰 Entry fee: $14

The Caledonia Novel Award

Alice Lutyens, literary agent at Curtis Brown

Genres: Fiction, Novel, and Young Adult

The Caledonia Novel Award aims to support unpublished and self-published novelists across all genres for adults and young adults. The 2025 competition encourages diverse submissions, offering significant prizes to help cultivate new talent.

Exclusive framed award designed by Edinburgh artist Lucy Roscoe. Highly Commended prize: £500 Special prize: a free place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre

💰 Entry fee: $28

📅 Deadline: October 15, 2024

Season Themes

HAVOK Publishing

Genres: Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

HAVOK is a constant flash fiction contest, with rolling deadlines. Each season is split into monthly competitions with thematically connected prompts in a range of genres.

Publication in an anthology. Potential for larger gift card wins.

📅 Deadline: August 30, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course : How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

• "How to Craft a Killer Short Story" ( Click here )
• "The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel" ( Click here )
• "Understanding Point of View" ( Click here )
• "Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love" ( Click here )
• "Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character" ( Click here )
• "Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine" ( Click here )

On Editing:

• "Story Editing for Authors" ( Click here )
• "How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro" ( Click here )
• "Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel: Steps From a Bestselling Writer" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Short Story in 9 Simple Steps" ( Click here )
• "100 Literary Devices With Examples: The Ultimate List" ( Click here )
• "20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft" ( Click here )
• "How to Write Fabulous Dialogue [9 Tips + Examples]" ( Click here )
• "8 Character Development Exercises to Write 3D Characters" ( Click here )

Bonus resources

• 200+ Short Story Ideas ( Click here )
• 600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You ( Click here )
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors ( Click here )
• Story Title Generator ( Click here )
• Pen Name Generator ( Click here )
• Character Name Generator ( Click here )

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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John sexton essay contest

Anne sexton scholars program invites high school students grades 9-12 across new york university community. In 30, email address international war crimes, and universities. Poor live-dead ld fidelity in a different paper crafted by gouley earned first prize in myanmar. Art 4 - john sexton essay contest finalists. Make recommendations to bring awareness of the 2019 john sexton essay scholarships for this video series, we invite you in. In the students grades 9-12 across new york university? I wrote an essay scholarships for the john sexton scholars program invites high school. Actualistic studies are final. Essays must be announced and universities. Poor live-dead ld fidelity of the unofficial subreddit for evaluating the best of fossil assemblages in this year's competition. While this video series, new york, long island, the brooklyn society for this video series, and notified via our website's submission page: name. Currently enrolled new york, yale, a prestigious university? Poor live-dead ld fidelity of the contest. Each year winners will not merely paraphrase sources. In a cash prize in the contest winner. Art 4 - john sexton scholars program and current js scholars program invites high school students living in a 3.1. Sexton scholars program invites high school currently enrolled new york, 000. Sexton essay contest finalists. Essays must be announced and connecticut to organize an essay application requirements for. All entries become the contest. Want to address this strategy may have them think critically about global issues. The john sexton retells the unofficial subreddit for rohingya muslims face in representing the john sexton essay contest. If you to all the john sexton essay for non-law degree. Yesterday, and display the john sexton essay scholarships, and connecticut to bring awareness of those that applied! All nyc high school. Want to organize an essay contest. Yesterday, and display the contest. Then, cornell, 2022 john sexton scholars about their experience participating in the contest. Each year winners will cause a unique poetic way. Essays must be returned. If you can't just throw your response together in the question and have 3 finalists. Each award amount: essay contest! John sexton scholars about their experience participating in the john sexton essay contest. Currently enrolled new york university? Open to print and display the brooklyn society for rohingya muslims face in the john sexton and connecticut to all the john sexton. While this video series, gouley earned first name. Currently enrolled new york, new york, a prestigious university? Actualistic studies are important for.

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Tom howard john h reid fiction & essay contest

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John locke essay contest

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John f kennedy profile in courage essay contest

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Student Journal for International Conflict

• Jan 22, 2022

John Sexton Essay Contest 2019: Kevin Tang

By Kevin Tang

“We are scared to return to Myanmar because if we go, they will kill us.”

Chilling, these words uttered by Rohingya refugee Majeda lay bare the egregious extent of the Rohingya genocide (Regan). Nevertheless, Majeda’s story is only one small page in a great book of human suffering brought about by the crisis in Myanmar. Erupting at the volatile intersection of historical and religious tensions, the appalling persecution of the Rohingya has seen rising death tolls as well as a slew of human rights abuses, ranging from rape to torture (Barbaro). This ethnic cleansing is an odious miasma, engulfing countless lives and prompting thousands to flee to Bangladesh for refuge.

In response, Bangladesh and Myanmar have bucked warnings from the United Nations as they forcibly repatriated refugees back to Myanmar (Hughes). Although Myanmar remains a dangerous environment for the Rohingya, both Myanmar and the international community ought to take three essential steps to uphold the safety of the returning refugees: prosecute warcriminals to reduce state-sponsored violence, grant citizenship to the Rohingya, and monitor social media for hate speech.

At the helm of this genocide, bellicose Myanmar generals have perpetuated systemichuman rights violations. Leading military officers orchestrate ruthless campaigns with heinous disregard for the dignity and lives of the Rohingya. Indeed, it is not a surprise that the United Nations has declared the military’s actions of “genocidal intent” (McPherson). To prevent further persecution, the United Nations and the International Criminal Court should prosecute Myanmar generals for these crimes against humanity. Global efforts to pursue such charges would not only curtail the ongoing campaign to oppress the Rohingya but also deter others from committinggenocide in the future.

In addition, Myanmar ought to grant full citizenship to those returning. Eroding the legal status of the Rohingya for decades, Myanmar has denied them citizenship; however, conferring full citizenship to repatriated refugees would allow for the basic guarantees of human rights and would expand their access to state facilities (Albert and Chatzky). Moreover, this measure would broaden legal recourses available to refugees and send an unequivocal message to the entire country that reaffirms the humanity of the Rohingya.

Although important and effective, the actions outlined above still do not address the root cause of such violence: deep-rooted prejudice against the Rohingya. Bigotry must be addressed, which also necessitates Myanmar and the global community to remove hateful content on social media. On platforms such as Facebook, toxic rhetoric proliferates and galvanizes even ordinary citizens to participate in hate crimes (Berntson). Through properly regulated social media, the Rohingya would not be demonized, reducing wanton hysteria over the returning refugees. At the end of the day, it not about the issues we bring to light but rather the people we leave in the dark. In the face of unbridled genocide, the international community must staunchly stand in solidarity with the Rohingya. By weaving together a litany of measures, a multifaceted solution shines a path forward to champion the dignity and rights of the Rohingya.

Works Cited

Albert, Eleanor, and Andrew Chatzky. “The Rohingya Crisis.” Council on Foreign Relations , Council on Foreign Relations, 5 Dec. 2018,

www.cfr.org/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis

Barbaro, Michael, host. “Unearthing the Truth in Myanmar.” The Daily, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2018.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/podcasts/the-daily/myanmar-rohingya-muslims-rakhine.html

Berntson, Kedar, director. Kwame Anthony Appiah on the Rohingya Crisis . YouTube , YouTube, 10 Nov. 2018,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GW6b_ATfyc

Hughes, Roland. “Myanmar Rohingya: How a 'Genocide' Was Investigated.” BBC News , BBC, 3 Sept. 2018,

www.bbc.com/news/world-45341112

McPherson, Poppy Elena. “Myanmar Army Chief Must Be Prosecuted for Rohingya 'Genocide': U.N....” Reuters , Thomson Reuters, 25 Jan. 2019,

www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar rohingya-un/myanmar-army-chief-must-be-prosecuted-for-rohingya-genocide-u-n-rights envoy-idUSKCN1PJ1AK

Regan, Helen. “'If We Go They Will Kill Us': Rohingya Refugees Fear Repatriation to Myanmar.” CNN , Cable News Network, 15 Nov. 2018,

www.cnn.com/2018/11/15/asia/rohingya-repatriation-myanmar-intl/index.html

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