Top Essay Writing Contests of 2024 for Students
Do you fancy yourself a wordsmith? If you value creative writing as a form of communication, we encourage you to apply for the Pen to Paper Scholarship for Storytellers! This scholarship is open to high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2025 or 2026), undergraduate, and graduate students who enjoy crafting stories and expressing ideas through the arrangement of words on paper. Whether you’re interested in poetry, short stories, novels, or screenplays, we want to hear from you. To apply for this scholarship, students must submit a 250-word piece of original creative writing. See the “Application Information” section below for details regarding essay prompts. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. Happy writing!Show Less
There is a $1,000 prize to the winning entry and $500 prize to a runner-up.Eligible applicants must be enrolled undergraduates from any school or college who are currently enrolled and have a minimum cumulative 2.5 grade point average.This competition will return for the 2023-2024 year.Final selection of winning essays will be determined by University General Education Committee.
The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.
2024 student essay contest winners
This scholarship is open to Hispanic/Latino high school juniors and seniors, college, and graduate students who have moved mountains in their life. To move mountains means to achieve something incredibly difficult. It means overcoming obstacles, persevering in the face of adversity, and achieving success against all the odds. Whether it’s passing a difficult class, completing a rigorous project, or excelling in sports, we all have our own way of moving mountains. We want to know about yours. See the “Application Information” section below for details regarding the essay prompt. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application!Show Less
College/University: students enrolled in at least six credit hours of course work at a junior college, college, or university during the contest year
Critical essay scholarships are more in line with what students might consider “academic” essays. The prompts typically ask applicants to analyze works of literature. However, unlike open-ended English class essays, most critical essay scholarships provide a very specific prompt (e.g. “Examine The Great Gatsby in the context of its World War II-era revival”).
Personal essay scholarships involve writing on a topic related to your own experience. You’ll often see personal essay prompts like, “How have your experiences influenced your choice of major?” and “What are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?” Other prompts may ask you to write about a role model, a life-changing event, an aspect of your identity, etc. Suggested length is usually about 500-1,000 words, but varies depending on the level of detail requested and how many essay questions are provided.
40 Free Writing Contests: Competitions With Cash Prizes
Each year, we sponsor or are involved in at least three essay competitions for student writers at Notre Dame:
is the annual journal of the best essays written by students in first-year classes. Student essays are nominated by faculty and subsequently considered by a committee for publication.
is an essay competition open to any student in a University Seminar or Writing and Rhetoric course.
recognizes exemplary student writing based on or inspired by a work of art in the Museum’s collection.
The Best Student Writing Contests for 2024-2025
Community college, also known as two-year college, is a golden opportunity for the right student. These schools offer an affordable education to a diverse range of students in a wide range of majors. If starting your postsecondary education at a community college is right for you, we have a scholarship just for you! The “Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship aims to financially support community college students who are passionate about their higher education journeys and actively looking for ways to fund it. In order to apply for the “Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship, students must submit an essay explaining how earning their degree at community college will help them achieve their educational and career goals. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less
UNESCO international essay contest for young people
The array of contests available to students in 2024 offers a broad platform for expression, innovation, and scholarship. Students across the United States are invited to apply their creativity and insight, not only in essay form but also through poetry, offering a free and expansive space for artistic exploration.
Essay Contest Information & Application
This writing contest for college students provides a unique platform for those passionate about history and social justice to contribute meaningful discourse on Spain's historical narrative and the broader implications for contemporary society.