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Everything You Need to Know About John Locke Essay Competition in 2024
Indigo Research Team
John Locke Essay Competition is one of the most popular and international essay competitions for high school students. Those who were first and honorable mention in this competition went on to attend Princeton, Oxford, and other Ivy League universities.
Not to mention placing in the top three of the competition, even receiving an honorable mention is a fantastic addition to your admissions resume and is viewed by admissions officers from Harvard to Stanford and beyond as one of the most distinguished accomplishments a high school student can accomplish! Keep reading this blog to know more about this essay competition.
What is the John Locke Essay Competition?
The John Locke Writing Competition is hosted by the non-profit John Locke Institute, a university with offices in Oxford, UK. Professors from top colleges like Oxford, Princeton, Brown, and Buckingham University work at the John Locke Institute.
The John Locke Global Essay Competition Institute helps young people to develop the qualities of great writers, such as critical analysis, persuasiveness, independence of thought, and range of knowledge. Students are allowed to investigate a wide range of topics that fall outside the scope of their coursework.
Why should you participate?
Participating in the John Locke Competition 2024 is a great idea if you want to improve your academic performance and stand out on your college application. Securing a prize or simply making the shortlist might attract the attention of elite university admission panels, demonstrating your commitment to and proficiency in the classroom.
Along with offering participants a great opportunity to interact with current global concerns through engaging themes, the competition also helps participants hone their critical thinking skills by having them write insightful, well-researched essays.
Essay topics
Students must submit an argumentative essay that is at most 2000 words long. The main subjects of the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 include philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, religion, and law.
The following are the topics for the 2024 John Locke Essay Contest.
- Philosophy
Tips for Students
- Essays can only deal with one of the topics in the subject category you have selected, and they should be at most 2000 words (not including copyright declarations, examples, tables of data, or footnotes).
- If you follow an in-text referencing style like APA, the word count includes your in-text citations.
- You can submit an unlimited number of essays in all categories. (Considering how difficult it may be to produce a single high-quality submission, we recommend going for just one.)
Pay close attention to the structure and flow of your essay in the John Locke Essay Competition 2024. If justifications and logic are your primary weapons in this contest, then your writing's fluidity is your weapon. What is meant by a smooth flow? It suggests the reader must understand your line of argument easily. This is especially true for articles that explore otherworldly topics.
Important dates
- Registration starts on April 1, 2024.
- The deadline for registration is May 31, 2024.
- Deadline for submissions: June 30, 2024.
- Deadline for late entries: July 10, 2024.
- Essayists on the shortlist will be notified on July 31, 2024.
- Academic conference, September 20, 22nd, 2024.
- Dinner for awards: September 21, 2024.
For students passionate about Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, or Law, our next IRIS summer program offers a unique opportunity. You will have access to a specialized course taught by esteemed Harvard faculty, designed to teach you how to articulate and reason through sophisticated arguments effectively. This program is ideal for anyone looking to excel in competitions like the John Locke Essay Competition and beyond. Join us to sharpen your analytical skills and bring your critical thinking to the next level.
Read the questions and make a connection to John Locke's ideas.
You can present a sophisticated and perceptive analysis that thoroughly comprehends both the essay prompt and Locke's thoughts by linking the philosopher's ideas and the essay prompt. This method demonstrates your understanding of the subject matter and helps you interact critically with it. Along with do consider John Locke's most famous work to increase the chance of success.
Outline Thoroughly
Before diving into writing, create a clear outline outlining your main arguments and supporting evidence. This helps maintain focus and coherence throughout the essay, ensuring each paragraph contributes meaningfully to your overall argument.
Clear arguments
Once you've determined your position on the matter, it's essential to support it with solid information from reliable sources and logical reasoning. Scholarly articles, books, and academic journals are just a few of the resources available to students to help them gather pertinent data and craft well-reasoned arguments. Furthermore, ensure that your essay has a compelling thesis statement and that the organization and ideas are presented in a way that makes it easy for the reader to follow. Also, reading John Locke's essay competition’s past essays can help you to understand complete assignments.
Revise Strategically
Take breaks between writing and revising to gain a fresh perspective. When revising, pay attention to sentence structure, grammar, and coherence. Ensure each paragraph flows logically into the next, and that your ideas are expressed with clarity and precision.
Seek Feedback
Share your essay with peers, teachers, or writing groups for constructive criticism. Consider their feedback thoughtfully and use it to refine your work. Embrace constructive criticism as an opportunity for growth, allowing you to identify blind spots and strengthen your writing skills over time
Common Questions Related to the John Locke Essay Competition
Which skills of students is the john locke essay competition assessing.
- Fundamental understanding of concepts and theories in economics, politics, history, psychology, theology, or law
- Proficiency at writing argumentative essays and mastery of basic writing frameworks
- Logical analysis methods, independent thought, and written persuasive
What are the awards for the John Locke Essay Competition?
- As part of their award, each topic category winner will receive a scholarship worth $2000 (US dollars) for any program offered by the John Locke Institute.
- A scholarship worth $10,000 (USD) to attend one or more of our summer schools and gap year programs will be awarded to the writer of the overall winning essay.
- The Institute will make the pieces available online.
- Networking opportunities with judges and other academics at the John Locke Institute.
This essay competition is one of the best ways to bring out the essence of youth, freedom of expression, and a student’s critical thinking ability. Thus, we encourage high school students to take part in it and convey their enthusiasm and revolutionary thoughts to shape the world. Participating in the John Locke Essay Competition 2024 demands innovative ideas and clever solutions. To hone these skills, begin with some research. Indigo offers a platform for curious high school students eager to explore more and transform their bright ideas into reality. If you're interested in learning to write about politics, consider joining this summer's IRIS Program . You'll be mentored by Harvard faculty who will help you excel in writing your argumentation.
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The Ultimate Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition [Everything you need to know]
Humanities and social sciences students often lack the opportunities to compete at the global level and demonstrate their expertise. Competitions like ISEF, Science Talent Search, and MIT Think are generally reserved for students in fields like biology, physics, and chemistry.
At Lumiere, many of our talented non-STEM students, who have a flair for writing are looking for ways to flex their skills. In this piece, we’ll go over one such competition - the John Locke Essay Competition. If you’re interested in learning more about how we guide students to win essay contests like this, check out our main page .
What is the John Locke Essay Competition?
The essay competition is one of the various programs conducted by the John Locke Institute (JLI) every year apart from their summer and gap year courses. To understand the philosophy behind this competition, it’ll help if we take a quick detour to know more about the institute that conducts it.
Founded in 2011, JLI is an educational organization that runs summer and gap year courses in the humanities and social sciences for high school students. These courses are primarily taught by academics from Oxford and Princeton along with some other universities. The organization was founded by Martin Cox. Our Lumiere founder, Stephen, has met Martin and had a very positive experience. Martin clearly cares about academic rigor.
The institute's core belief is that the ability to evaluate the merit of information and develop articulate sound judgments is more important than merely consuming information. The essay competition is an extension of the institute - pushing students to reason through complex questions in seven subject areas namely Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law.
The organization also seems to have a strong record of admissions of alumni to the top colleges in the US and UK. For instance, between 2011 and 2022, over half of John Locke alumni have gone on to one of eight colleges: Chicago, Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.
How prestigious is the John Locke Contest?
The John Locke Contest is a rigorous and selective writing competition in the social sciences and humanities. While it is not as selective as the Concord Review and has a much broader range of students who can receive prizes, it is still considered a highly competitive program.
Winning a John Locke essay contest will have clear benefits for you in your application process to universities and would reflect well on your application. On the other hand, a shortlist or a commendation might not have a huge impact given that it is awarded to many students (more on this later).
What is the eligibility for the contest?
Students, of any country, who are 18 years old or younger before the date of submission can submit. They also have a junior category for students who are fourteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline.
Who SHOULD consider this competition?
We recommend this competition for students who are interested in social sciences and humanities, in particular philosophy, politics, and economics. It is also a good fit for students who enjoy writing, want to dive deep into critical reasoning, and have some flair in their writing approach (more on that below).
While STEM students can of course compete, they will have to approach the topics through a social science lens. For example, in 2021, one of the prompts in the division of philosophy was, ‘Are there subjects about which we should not even ask questions?’ Here, students of biology can comfortably write about topics revolving around cloning, gene alteration, etc, however, they will have to make sure that they are able to ground this in the theoretical background of scientific ethics and ethical philosophy in general.
Additional logistics
Each essay should address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration).
If you are using an in-text-based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.
You can submit as many essays as you want in any and all categories. (We recommend aiming for only one given how time-consuming it can be to come up with a single good-quality submission)
Important dates
Prompts for the 2023 competition will be released in January 2023. Your submission will be due around 6 months later in June. Shortlisted candidates will be notified in mid-July which will be followed by the final award ceremony in September.
How much does it cost to take part?
What do you win?
A scholarship that will offset the cost of attending a course at the JLI. The amount will vary between $2000 and $10,000 based on whether you are a grand prize winner (best essay across all categories) or a subject category winner. (JLI programs are steeply-priced and even getting a prize in your category would not cover the entire cost of your program. While the website does not mention the cost of the upcoming summer program, a different website mentions it to be 3,000 GBP or 3600 USD)
If you were shortlisted, most probably, you will also receive a commendation certificate and an invitation to attend an academic ceremony at Oxford. However, even here, you will have to foot the bill for attending the conference, which can be a significant one if you are an international student.
How do you submit your entry?
You submit your entry through the website portal that will show up once the prompts for the next competition are up in January! You have to submit your essay in pdf format where the title of the pdf attachment should read SURNAME, First Name, Category, and Question Number (e.g. POPHAM, Alexander, Psychology, Q2).
What are the essay prompts like?
We have three insights here.
Firstly, true to the spirit of the enlightenment thinker it is named after, most of the prompts have a philosophical bent and cover ethical, social, and political themes. In line with JLI’s general philosophy, they force you to think hard and deeply about the topics they cover. Consider a few examples to understand this better:
“Are you more moral than most people you know? How do you know? Should you strive to be more moral? Why or why not?” - Philosophy, 2021
“What are the most important economic effects - good and bad - of forced redistribution? How should this inform government policy?” - Economics, 2020
“Why did the Jesus of Nazareth reserve his strongest condemnation for the self-righteous?” - Theology, 2021
“Should we judge those from the past by the standards of today? How will historians in the future judge us?” - History, 2021
Secondly, at Lumiere, our analysis is that most of these prompts are ‘deceptively rigorous’ because the complexity of the topic reveals itself gradually. The topics do not give you a lot to work with and it is only when you delve deeper into one that you realize the extent to which you need to research/read more. In some of the topics, you are compelled to define the limits of the prompt yourself and in turn, the scope of your essay. This can be a challenging exercise. Allow me to illustrate this with an example of the 2019 philosophy prompt.
“Aristotelian virtue ethics achieved something of a resurgence in the twentieth century. Was this progress or retrogression?”
Here you are supposed to develop your own method for determining what exactly constitutes progress in ethical thought. This in turn involves familiarizing yourself with existing benchmarks of measurement and developing your own method if required. This is a significant intellectual exercise.
Finally, a lot of the topics are on issues of contemporary relevance and especially on issues that are contentious . For instance, in 2019, one of the prompts for economics was about the benefits and costs of immigration whereas the 2020 essay prompt for theology was about whether Islam is a religion of peace . As we explain later, your ‘opinion’ here can be as ‘outrageous’ as you want it to be as long as you are able to back it up with reasonable arguments. Remember, the JLI website clearly declares itself to be, ‘ not a safe space, but a courteous one ’.
How competitive is the JLI Essay Competition?
In 2021, the competition received 4000 entries from 101 countries. Given that there is only one prize winner from each category, this makes this a very competitive opportunity. However, because categories have a different number of applicants, some categories are more competitive than others. One strategy to win could be to focus on fields with fewer submissions like Theology.
There are also a relatively significant number of students who receive commendations called “high commendation.” In the psychology field, for example, about 80 students received a commendation in 2022. At the same time, keep in mind that the number of students shortlisted and invited to Oxford for an academic conference is fairly high and varies by subject. For instance, Theology had around 50 people shortlisted in 2021 whereas Economics had 238 . We, at Lumiere, estimate that approximately 10% of entries of each category make it to the shortlisting stage.
How will your essay be judged?
The essays will be judged on your understanding of the discipline, quality of argumentation and evidence, and writing style. Let’s look at excerpts from various winning essays to see what this looks like in practice.
Level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant material: Differentiating your essay from casual musing requires you to demonstrate knowledge of your discipline. One way to do that is by establishing familiarity with relevant literature and integrating it well into their essay. The winning essay of the 2020 Psychology Prize is a good example of how to do this: “People not only interpret facts in a self-serving way when it comes to their health and well-being; research also demonstrates that we engage in motivated reasoning if the facts challenge our personal beliefs, and essentially, our moral valuation and present understanding of the world. For example, Ditto and Liu showed a link between people’s assessment of facts and their moral convictions” By talking about motivated reasoning in the broader literature, the author can show they are well-versed in the important developments in the field.
Competent use of evidence: In your essay, there are different ways to use evidence effectively. One such way involves backing your argument with results from previous studies . The 2020 Third Place essay in economics shows us what this looks like in practice: “Moreover, this can even be extended to PTSD, where an investigation carried out by Italian doctor G. P. Fichera, led to the conclusion that 13% of the sampling units were likely to have this condition. Initiating economic analysis here, this illustrates that the cost of embarking on this unlawful activity, given the monumental repercussions if caught, is not equal to the costs to society...” The study by G.P. Fichera is used to strengthen the author’s claim on the social costs of crime and give it more weight.
Structure, writing style, and persuasive force: A good argument that is persuasive rarely involves merely backing your claim with good evidence and reasoning. Delivering it in an impactful way is also very important. Let’s see how the winner of the 2020 Law Prize does this: “Slavery still exists, but now it applies to women and its name in prostitution”, wrote Victor Hugo in Les Misérables. Hugo’s portrayal of Fantine under the archetype of a fallen woman forced into prostitution by the most unfortunate of circumstances cannot be more jarringly different from the empowerment-seeking sex workers seen today, highlighting the wide-ranging nuances associated with commercial sex and its implications on the women in the trade. Yet, would Hugo have supported a law prohibiting the selling of sex for the protection of Fantine’s rights?” The use of Victor Hugo in the first line of the essay gives it a literary flair and enhances the impact of the delivery of the argument. Similarly, the rhetorical question, in the end, adds to the literary dimension of the argument. Weaving literary and argumentative skills in a single essay is commendable and something that the institute also recognizes.
Quality of argumentation: Finally, the quality of your argument depends on capturing the various elements mentioned above seamlessly . The third place in theology (2020) does this elegantly while describing bin-Laden’s faulty and selective use of religious verses to commit violence: “He engages in the decontextualization and truncation of Qur'anic verses to manipulate and convince, which dissociates the fatwas from bonafide Islam. For example, in his 1996 fatwa, he quotes the Sword verse but deliberately omits the aforementioned half of the Ayat that calls for mercy. bin-Laden’s intention is not interpretive veracity, but the indoctrination of his followers.” The author’s claim is that bin-Laden lacks religious integrity and thus should not be taken seriously, especially given the content of his messages. To strengthen his argument, he uses actual incidents to dissect this display of faulty reasoning.
These excerpts are great examples of the kind of work you should keep in mind when writing your own draft.
6 Winning Tips from Lumiere
Focus on your essay structure and flow: If logic and argumentation are your guns in this competition, a smooth flow is your bullet. What does a smooth flow mean? It means that the reader should be able to follow your chain of reasoning with ease. This is especially true for essays that explore abstract themes. Let’s see this in detail with the example of a winning philosophy essay. “However, if society were the moral standard, an individual is subjected to circumstantial moral luck concerning whether the rules of the society are good or evil (e.g., 2019 Geneva vs. 1939 Munich). On the other hand, contracts cannot be the standard because people are ignorant of their being under a moral contractual obligation, when, unlike law, it is impossible to be under a contract without being aware. Thus, given the shortcomings of other alternatives, human virtue is the ideal moral norm.” To establish human virtue as the ideal norm, the author points out limitations in society and contracts, leaving out human virtue as the ideal one. Even if you are not familiar with philosophy, you might still be able to follow the reasoning here. This is a great example of the kind of clarity and logical coherence that you should strive for.
Ground your arguments in a solid theoretical framework : Your essay requires you to have well-developed arguments. However, these arguments need to be grounded in academic theory to give them substance and differentiate them from casual opinions. Let me illustrate this with an example of the essay that won second place in the politics category in 2020. “Normatively, the moral authority of governments can be justified on a purely associative basis: citizens have an inherent obligation to obey the state they were born into. As Dworkin argued, “Political association, like family or friendship and other forms of association more local and intimate, is itself pregnant of obligation” (Dworkin). Similar to a family unit where children owe duties to their parents by virtue of being born into that family regardless of their consent, citizens acquire obligations to obey political authority by virtue of being born into a state.” Here, the author is trying to make a point about the nature of political obligation. However, the core of his argument is not the strength of his own reasoning, but the ability to back his reasoning with prior literature. By quoting Dworkin, he includes important scholars of western political thought to give more weight to his arguments. It also displays thorough research on the part of the author to acquire the necessary intellectual tools to write this paper.
The methodology is more important than the conclusion: The 2020 history winners came to opposite conclusions in their essays on whether a strong state hampers or encourages economic growth. While one of them argued that political strength hinders growth when compared to laissez-faire, the other argues that the state is a prerequisite for economic growth . This reflects JLI’s commitment to your reasoning and substantiation instead of the ultimate opinion. The lesson: Don’t be afraid to be bold! Just make sure you are able to back it up.
Establish your framework well: A paragraph (or two) that is able to succinctly describe your methodology, core arguments, and the reasoning behind them displays academic sophistication. A case in point is the introduction of 2019’s Philosophy winner: “To answer the question, we need to construct a method that measures progress in philosophy. I seek to achieve this by asserting that, in philosophy, a certain degree of falsification is achievable. Utilizing philosophical inquiry and thought experiments, we can rationally assess the logical validity of theories and assign “true” and “false” status to philosophical thoughts. With this in mind, I propose to employ the fourth process of the Popperian model of progress…Utilizing these two conditions, I contend that Aristotelian virtue ethics was progress from Kantian ethics and utilitarianism.” Having a framework like this early on gives you a blueprint for what is in the essay and makes it easier for the reader to follow the reasoning. It also helps you as a writer since distilling down your core argument into a paragraph ensures that the first principles of your essay are well established.
Read essays of previous winners: Do this and you will start seeing some patterns in the winning essays. In economics, this might be the ability to present a multidimensional argument and substantiating it with data-backed research. In theology, this might be your critical analysis of religious texts .
Find a mentor: Philosophical logic and argumentation are rarely taught at the high school level. Guidance from an external mentor can fill this academic void by pointing out logical inconsistencies in your arguments and giving critical feedback on your essay. Another important benefit of having a mentor is that it will help you in understanding the heavy literature that is often a key part of the writing/research process in this competition. As we have already seen above, having a strong theoretical framework is crucial in this competition. A mentor can make this process smoother.
If you’d like to supplement your competitive experience with independent research, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs !
This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.
You can find the application link here
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re looking for a mentor to do an essay contest like John Locke or want to build your own independent research paper, then consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program . Last year over 2100 students applied for about 500 spots in the program. You can find the application form here .
You can see our admission results here for our students.
Manas is a publication strategy associate at Lumiere Education. He studied public policy and interactive media at NYU and has experience in education consulting.
Everything You Should Know about the John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition
By Jin Chow
Co-founder of Polygence, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Education
3 minute read
We first wrote about the world-famous John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition in our list of 20 writing contests for high school students . This contest is a unique opportunity to refine your argumentation skills on fascinating and challenging topics that aren’t explored in the classroom.
The Oxford philosopher, medical doctor, political scientist, and economist John Locke was a big believer in challenging old habits of the mind. In that spirit, the JLI started this contest to challenge students to be more adventurous in their thinking.
While not quite as prestigious as getting published in The Concord Review , winning the grand prize or placing in one of the 7 categories of the John Locke Essay Competition can get your college application noticed by top schools like Princeton, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. Awards include $2,000 scholarships (for category prize winners) and a $10,000 scholarship for the grand prize. (The scholarships can be applied to the JLI’s Summer Schools at Oxford University, Princeton University, or Washington DC, or to its Gap Year programs in Oxford University, Guatemala, or Washington DC)
But winning isn’t necessarily the best thing about it. Simply entering the contest and writing your essay will give you a profound learning experience like no other. Add to that the fact that your entry will be read and possibly commented on by some of the top minds at Oxford and Princeton University and it’s free to enter the competition. The real question is: why wouldn’t you enter? Here’s a guide to get you started on your essay contest entry.
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Eligibility
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition is open to any high school student anywhere in the world, ages 15-18. Students 14 or under are eligible for the Junior prize.
John Locke Essay Competition Topics
The essay questions change from year to year. You can choose from 7 different categories (Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law). Within each category, there are 3 intriguing questions you can pick from. When you’re debating which question to write about, here’s a tip. Choose whichever question excites, upsets, or gives you any kind of strong emotional response. If you’re passionate about a topic, it will come through in your research and your writing. If you have any lived experience on the subject, that also helps.
There are some sample questions the 2023 contest for each of the seven JLI essay subject categories and the Junior Prize (the questions change each year):
Philosophy: Is tax theft?
Politics: Do the results of elections express the will of the people?
Economics: What would happen if we banned billionaires?
History: Which has a bigger effect on history: the plans of the powerful or their mistakes?
Psychology: Can happiness be measured?
Theology: What distinguishes a small religion from a large cult?
Law: Are there too many laws?
Junior Prize: What, if anything, do your parents owe you?
John Locke Writing Contest Requirements
Your essay must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration) and must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category. No footnotes are allowed, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes.
Timeline and Deadlines
January - New essay questions are released
April 1st - Registration opens
May 31st - Registration deadline
June 30th - Essay submission deadline
We highly recommend you check the JLI website as soon as the new questions are released in January and start researching and writing as soon as you can after choosing your topic. You must register for the contest by the end of May. The deadline for the essay submission itself is at the end of June, but we also recommend that you submit it earlier in case any problems arise. If you start right away in January, you can have a few months to work on your essay.
John Locke Institute Essay Competition Judging Criteria
While the JLI says that their grading system is proprietary, they do also give you this helpful paragraph that describes what they are looking for: “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.” (We’ve bolded important words to keep in mind.)
You can also join the JLI mailing list (scroll to the bottom of that page) to get contest updates and to learn more about what makes for a winning essay.
The words will fly off the page!
Interested in Literature and Languages? We'll match you with an expert mentor who will help you explore your next project.
Research and Essay Writing Tactics
Give yourself a baseline. First, just write down all your thoughts on the subject without doing any research. What are your gut-level opinions? What about this particular question intrigued you the most? What are some counter-arguments you can think of right away? What you are trying to do here is identify holes in your knowledge or understanding of the subject. What you don’t know or are unsure about can guide your research. Be sure to find evidence to support all the things you think you already know.
Create a reading/watching list of related books, interviews, articles, podcasts, documentaries, etc. that relate to your topic. Find references that both support and argue against your argument. Choose the most highly reputable sources you can find. You may need to seek out and speak to experts to help you locate the best sources. Read and take notes. Address those questions and holes in the knowledge you identified earlier. Also, continue to read widely and think about your topic as you observe the world from day to day. Sometimes unrelated news stories, literature, film, songs, and visual art can give you an unexpected insight into your essay question. Remember that c is a learning experience and that you are not going to have a rock-solid argument all at once.
Read past essays . These will give you a sense of the criteria judges are using to select winning work. These essays are meant to convince the judges of a very specific stance. The argument must be clear and must include evidence to support it. You will note that winning entries tend to get straight to the point, show an impressive depth of knowledge on the subject with citations to reputable sources, flow with excellent reasoning, and use precise language. They don’t include flowery digressions. Save that for a different type of writing.
Proof your work with a teacher or mentor if possible. Even though your argument needs to be wholly your own, it certainly helps to bounce ideas around with someone who cares about the topic. A teacher or mentor can help you explore different options if you get stuck and point you toward new resources. They can offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses. Working with a teacher or mentor is important for another reason. When you submit your entry, you will be required to provide the email address of an “academic referee” who is familiar with your work. This should be teachers, mentors, or other faculty members who are not related to you.
Polygence Scholars Are Also Passionate About
Research and prepare for your competition or fair.
Polygence pairs you with an expert mentor in your area of passion. Together, you work to create a high quality research project that is uniquely your own. Our highly-specialized mentors can help guide you to feel even more prepared for an upcoming fair or competion. We also offer options to explore multiple topics, or to showcase your final product!
SELECTION oF PAST ESSAYS
A government funds its own expenditure by taxing its population. suppose, instead, it relied solely on money newly created by the central bank what would be the advantages and/or disadvantages , should we judge those from the past by the standards of today how will historians in the future judge us, kit young tham first prize, 2023, are beliefs voluntary, hannah kim third prize, 2023 , if you cannot persuade your intelligent, sympathetic friends to embrace your religious belief system, do you have enough reason to believe what you believe, should ‘innocent until proven guilty’ apply not only to courts of law, but also to public censure, should the law ever prevent people from freely making self-harming decisions if so, what should and shouldn’t be forbidden – and according to which principles, major shokar first prize, 2021 , shivrav sharma second prize, 2023, economics essay, history essay, psychology essay, theology essay, huaming li second prize, 2021 , joonyoung heo first prize, 2021, junior essay, philosophy essay.
Is tax theft?
Hosai kishida, shanghai american school grand prize, 2023, which characteristics distinguish successful movements for social change from unsuccessful ones, eujiny cho first prize, 2023.
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Ultimate guide to the john locke institute essay competition.
Published by
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition is a long-running writing contest for teens who are interested in humanities and social science in the United States. In this post, we provide a comprehensive overview of the John Locke Institute Essay Competition, including key dates , application requirements , and why you should apply.
By the way, Rishab Jain, a Harvard student who has achieved success in numerous international competitions has made his FREE Student STEM guide public with a a list of 50+ more opportunities and competitions. You should definitely check it out next.
What is the John Locke Institute Essay Competition?
John Locke Institute annual dinner gala.
The John Locke Institute (JLI) is an organization that provides high school summer and gap year courses in humanities and social sciences , with affiliations from Oxford and Princeton University.
The JLI Essay Contest is a highly prestigious writing competition that invites high school/secondary students from around the world to submit a piece falling in one of several humanities categories . See these below along with sample questions:
- Philosophy (e.g. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?)
- Politics (e.g. When is compliance complicity?)
- Economics (e.g. What is the optimal global population?)
- History (e.g. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?)
- Law (e.g. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?)
- Psychology (e.g. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?)
- Theology (e.g. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?)
- Junior Prize (e.g. Is there life after death?)
Each year, tens of thousands of entries are submitted from students in more than 150 countries. Pieces may win prizes or commendations, and top contestants are invited to an academic conference and gala ceremony in London each year.
What are the prizes?
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition awards first, second, third prizes, and commendation titles to top students . Students whose essays exemplify extreme merit are first “shortlisted” and invited to the annual dinner gala, where prize winners will be announced.
The prize winner of each subject category will be awarded a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute program, and the essays will be published on the Institute’s website. The best essay overall receives a US$10,000 scholarship of such nature.
Am I Eligible for John Locke Institute ?
The only eligibility criteria for the John Locke Institute Essay Competition is that students must not be 19 years of age before or on June 30, 2024 for the 2024 contest. There is a separate Junior category for students whose fifteenth birthday falls after June 30, 2024.
Each essay entry must be original work written by the student. Only individual works are allowed.
How do I apply to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition?
To apply for the John Locke Institute Essay Competition , students must submit an essay that does not exceed 2,000 words in length. Students may add endnotes and/or a bibliography for citations. Additionally, the application requires a verification from an academic referee of the participant to ensure their essay is their original work.
See below for key dates for the 2024 contest:
- Registration 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.
Why should I apply to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition?
Aside from being a highly competitive and prestigious competition, there are a plethora of reasons why you should apply to the John Locke Institute Competition. See some of these below.
Gain recognition
If you’re an aspiring artist, winning awards from these types of competitions can thrust your work into the spotlight and be received by many people. Especially because young creatives typically don’t have a lot of chances to gain recognition for their pieces, submitting them to contests can be an excellent way to receive good exposure.
Additionally, winning a prestigious award can validate the quality of your work and your artistic merit. Receiving a distinction from the John Locke Institute means that your work went through a rigorous round of selection and deserved its spot among the top recognized entries.
Get a boost on your college application
Entering art competitions shows your passion in the creative field . Adding such an honor in your college application can round out your profile and provide a good contrast with your other extracurriculars, or if your sole focus is on the arts, can help develop your spike.
Participating in contests like the John Locke Institute Competition shows that you actively seek out opportunities in whichever field you’re interested in and avidly develop your passions. Individuals who have such an intrinsic drive and sense of self are received well in college admissions.
Win scholarships
The John Locke Institute Competition offers many distinctions, out of which multiple offer scholarships for high school students. For example, the overall winner receives $10,000 in cash scholarships, and category winners $2,000 towards a JLI program.
Winning awards that are attached to monetary scholarships therefore adds additional value to the honor that translates well into college applications and artistic portfolios.
Gain an artistic community
Participating in the John Locke Institute Competition exposes you to a community of other like-minded artists and creatives. Thousands of students apply to this contest every year, and for winners, attending award ceremonies and interacting with other students can expand your worldview in many positive ways. Having a community in your corner in any kind of endeavor is a great thing, and can act as a support system as you pursue this field.
Concluding Remarks —John Locke Institute Competition
In conclusion, we provided a comprehensive overview of the John Locke Institute Competition as well as reasons for why it’s worth it to apply . Participating in creative competitions and winning them can enhance your college application, bring exposure and recognition to your works, and earn scholarships.
However, the John Locke Institute Competition isn’t the only well-known creative-based competitions for high schoolers. Check out this list of the top 10 writing competitions for high school students to elevate your writing endeavors to the next level.
Rishab Jain, a Harvard student who has achieved success in numerous international competitions has made his FREE Student STEM guide public with a a list of 50+ more opportunities and competitions. You should definitely check it out next.
Image Credits: John Locke Institute
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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 ...
JLI Essay Competition. All essayists must register here by 11:59PM BST on 31 May 2024. Enter your email address below to: Register (if this is your first time here) or Login (if you have already registered). Login / Register.
2024 Essay Prize Winners. Special congratulations to those who achieved a High Commendation or Very High Commendation in this year's competition. Photographs from our prize-winning ceremony in London will be emailed to those who attended.
John Locke Essay Competition is one of the most popular and international essay competitions for high school students. Those who were first and honorable mention in this competition went on to attend Princeton, Oxford, and other Ivy League universities.
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition—also called the John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Prize—is a yearly event hosted by the John Locke Institute, an organization passionate about encouraging young people to excel academically and enjoy learning.
What is the John Locke Essay Competition? The essay competition is one of the various programs conducted by the John Locke Institute (JLI) every year apart from their summer and gap year courses. To understand the philosophy behind this competition, it’ll help if we take a quick detour to know more about the institute that conducts it.
Navigate the John Locke Essay Competition: prompts, tips, judging criteria, and how to craft a game-changing essay. Get mentorship with Polygence.
SELECTION oF. PAST ESSAYS. A government funds its own expenditure by taxing its population. Suppose, instead, it relied solely on money newly created by the central bank? What would be the advantages and/or disadvantages? Should we judge those from the past by the standards of today? How will historians in the future judge us?
In this post, we provide a comprehensive overview of the John Locke Institute Essay Competition, including key dates, requirements, and why you should apply.
An article explaining what the competition is and how to maximise your chances of success, written by one of last year’s markers. The John Locke Essay competition is acknowledged as the most prestigious essay competition in the world.