essay writing competition for college students

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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 54 contests that match your search.

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

The Letter Review

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Crime, Humor, and Science Writing

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction is an award for nonfiction submissions up to 5000 words. It seeks to recognize and publish quality writing and offers a total prize pool of $1000 USD.

Additional prizes:

2-4 winners are announced who share in the prize money. Publication by The Letter Review

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

African Diaspora Awards 2024

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The African Diaspora Awards invite submissions of original, unpublished works in various genres. Winners will receive cash prizes and publication opportunities. The contest emphasizes themes related to African cultures.

2nd place: $300 3rd place: $200 4th place: $50 Top 6 Finalists: $25 Amazon gift card. Winner also receives publication in the 2025 anthology, 'Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora', and Kinsman Quarterly's digital magazine.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

swamp pink Prizes

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

From January 1st to January 31st, submit short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Winners in each genre will receive $2,000 and publication.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

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Hispanic Culture Review Contest 2022-2023

Hispanic Culture Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

As the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano once said, "the best that the world has is in the many worlds that the world contains." Therefore, this year we invite you to reflect on the following questions: How do you or your community celebrate these connections? How do you value those experiences with those people who leave a mark on your life? 1 work will be awarded in each category: 1) photography & visual arts, 2) poetry, and 3) narrative/essay/academic investigation.

$100 for photography, poetry, and essay winners

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired)

Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction

Reed Magazine

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The contest recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, awarding $1,333 for creative nonfiction entries, such as personal essays. Submissions must be stand-alone essays, not previously published, and limited to 5,000 words.

All contest entrants receive a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine.

📅 Deadline: November 01, 2024 (Expired)

International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition

Vine Leaves Press

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

The competition is designed to give marginalized voices the opportunity to establish literary legacies. The next competition opens in February 2025.

Publication of the winning manuscript in 2026. Runners up will also be considered for publication.

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

The WIP Contest supports writers by allowing submissions of work that is in progress. It emphasizes on creative development and offers a platform for emerging voices.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: December 01, 2024

Literary and Photographic Contest 2023-2024

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The contest invites submissions under the theme '¡Hacia adelante!' focusing on resilience and cultural celebration. Categories include photography, poetry, and narrative/essay/academic investigation. Winning works will be published and recognized.

Certificate of recognition and Publication in magazine

📅 Deadline: February 21, 2024 (Expired)

Journalism Competition 2024

Write the World

The Journalism Competition 2024 invites teenagers aged 13-19 to showcase their writing skills. Participants can explore various topics and submit their entries for a chance to win cash prizes and recognition from esteemed judges.

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Recognition from notable judges and publication opportunities.

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

Short Story Award for New Writers

Masters Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

This bi-annual contest recognizes emerging writers with submissions of previously unpublished fiction or nonfiction up to 6,000 words. Judged by Colin Barrett, it awards $3,000 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third, along with agency reviews for finalists.

Second place: $300 Third place: $200 Agency review for all finalists

📅 Deadline: August 25, 2024 (Expired)

Solar Flare

Sunspot Literary Journal

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

A solar flare is short-lived but has a huge amount of energy. Sunspot Lit is looking for a noteworthy flare of creative energy through short stories, poems, or graphic novels.

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

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

Great American Think-Off

New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

The Great American Think-Off is an annual philosophical essay contest that invites participants to submit essays on significant questions of life. The contest culminates in a live debate where finalists present their arguments, and the audience votes on the best perspective.

Four cash prizes of $500 each for finalists.

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

Environmental Writing Competition

Write the World in partnership with Patagonia

This contest invites teenagers to express their thoughts on the climate crisis and how collective action can address environmental challenges. The competition emphasizes the importance of youth voices in the fight against climate change.

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Publication of winning pieces on Patagonia's platforms. Opportunities for mentorship and publication for runners-up.

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

Publishing and marketing package

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

The Fountain Essay Contest

Fountain Magazine

“Home” holds a special place in our lives. Our earliest memories form inside its walls; we utter our first words and take our first steps there. Does everyone feel the same about home? Is it where you were born or where you earn your bread? Is home a physical place? In a world that moves faster than ever and is confined to small screens, how do perceptions about "home" change? Where is home for people who are forced to leave their homes? Where is your home?

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Jane Austen Society of North America

Genres: Children's and Essay

JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers. Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: high school, college, and graduate school.

$1,000 scholarship

Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired)

A Very Short Story Contest

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Participants write a short story using ten words or fewer, inspired by the famous six-word story attributed to Hemingway. The submission must be original and unpublished, with entries judged based on originality and quality.

Winning entry receives a free Gotham class of their choosing (excluding premium classes).

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

Narratively 2024 Memoir Prize

Narratively

Genres: Essay, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Narratively is currently accepting submissions for their 2024 Memoir Prize. They are looking for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. The guest judge is New York Times bestselling memoirist Jami Attenberg.

$1,000 + publication in Narratively.com

📅 Deadline: December 19, 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)

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So to Speak is a feminist literary journal seeking diverse voices, focusing on intersectional feminism. They publish twice a year, accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art, with a particular emphasis on marginalized perspectives.

All accepted contributions will receive a $100 prize.

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: November 15, 2024 (Expired)

Personal Essay Competition 2024

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

The Personal Essay Competition invites young writers aged 13-19 to submit personal essays. Participants can showcase their writing skills while receiving feedback from peers and experts.

Best entry: $100

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Winners receive cash prizes and a feature on Write the World's blog and social media.

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

💰 Entry fee: $11

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

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

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

📅 Deadline: September 24, 2024 (Expired)

Goldilocks Zone

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.

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Publication by Red Hen Press

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest

Writers Alliance of Gainesville

The Bacopa Literary Review is an annual international print journal seeking engaging and original submissions across multiple genres. The contest includes various categories with specific guidelines to encourage diverse forms of writing.

$100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories

📅 Deadline: May 02, 2024 (Expired)

High School Academic Research Competition

Crimson Consulting Limited

The High School Academic Research Competition (SARC) is an online contest for high school students aged 13-18 to conduct research on any topic. Participants develop their research proposals and skills through exclusive bootcamps and compete by submitting proposals and video pitches.

1st place: $1000 and free Indigo Research Intensive Program 2nd place: $750 and 50% discount on the program 3rd place: $500 and 25% discount on the program Winners can earn university credits and have their research published.

International Essay Competition 2023/24

Avernus Education

The International Essay Competition gathered over 1000 entries from 50 countries. Participants engaged with a range of challenging questions, fostering academic passion beyond the classroom.

100% Scholarship Award to our Oxford University Summer Programme (worth £5995). Honorary Scholarship to attend Oxford University Summer Programme. Partial scholarships and credits for exclusive online courses for shortlisted entries.

📅 Deadline: February 19, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Student Essay Contest

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

The contest encourages students to reflect on strength and resilience in overcoming challenges. Since 2001, it has engaged over 15,000 students from more than 20 countries, with 900 participants this year. Winners were selected based on their unique voice and thoughtful analysis.

2nd place: $750 3rd place: $500

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

Stories of Inspiration

The Stories of Inspiration contest invites nonfiction essays (500-1200 words) that highlight resilience in marginalized communities. Selected entries will be published quarterly in Kinsman Quarterly's magazine, with winners receiving a cash prize and publication.

Publication in Kinsman Quarterly's online magazine

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the Selected Shorts series at Symphony Space, NYC. It celebrates short stories by having them read aloud by actors. The contest is judged by Carmen Maria Machado, and the winner's work will be performed live and published on Electric Literature.

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

$500 Editors' Choice award

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

Irene Adler Prize

Lucas Ackroyd

The Irene Adler Prize is a scholarship for women writers, offering $1,000 to support their education in journalism, creative writing, or literature. The prize aims to celebrate and elevate women's voices in writing.

2x honorable mentions: $250 Winner also receives a scholarship for education

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

$1,000 — $5,000

📅 Deadline: March 07, 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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