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How to Judge a Contest: Guide, Shortcuts and Examples

What is a Co ntest?

A contest is an activity where skill is needed to win. Unlike a Sweepstakes where a random draw identifies the winner, in a contest the participants has to take an action that requires some degree of skill . That degree of skill depends on what the promotion or event is asking the participant to do. For example; in an essay contest, participants enter and compete by submitting original writing.

The Legal Contest Formula 

Prize + consideration (monetary fee or demonstration of skill) = legal contest (in most jurisdictions)

Are Contest Legal in the US?

Yes. All 50 States allow contest promotions. All contests are allowed as long as the sponsor awards the prize based on skill and not chance.

See Contest Rules and Laws by State.

The Judging Criteria

Contests also have an element of competition that requires the Sponsor or agency to set clear contest judging criteria so participants know how their entries will be judged. This criteria will also tell the judging body what to look for and how to assign value or rank entries.

As a marketer, you can save yourself a lot of potential trouble, and complaints, if your judging criteria is clear to all participants and judges. For example: “ Es s ay Submissions must be in English, comply with Official Rules, meet all requirements called for on the Contest Website and be original work not exceeding 1,000 characters in length.”

The “How-To” Guide for Judging

In a contest, the judging criteria is an attempt to focus the participants, as well as the judges, on the expected outcome of the entry. Properly designed judging criteria aims to minimize the judges unconscious biases and focus their attention on the qualities that are going to be weighed and assigned a value or score. For example, a judging criteria score sheet may rank values as “ 33.3% for creativity, 33.3% for originality; and 33.3% for adherence to topic .”

Judges (ideally more than one) should be experts or have some degree of expertise in what they are judging. This is not a requirement, but it helps the Sponsor or contest administrator select the winner. The contestants also gain a sense of fair play when they see the winner was chosen by experts.

How to Pick Judges for the Contest

If you can’t find expert judges, then individuals or a group with a clear understanding of the judging criteria and no conflicts of interest or bias could serve as judges. Beyond the judging criteria, the judges should have seen enough examples of the work being judged to determine what is considered poor, average and exceptional within the criteria.

Judges Goals

Ultimately, judges aim to assign a total value or points to each entry and select the winner based on total amount of points earned.

Judging Shortcut

A shortcut to judging large numbers of entries is to use social media networks to judge on your behalf up to a certain degree. For example, you can run your contest on Facebook and have the fans vote for the top five entries. From there a more formalized judge or contest administrator can select the winner based on the criteria. This can work well, but there are risks associated with fan voting. One of the risks is that participants can simply ask their friends to vote for them regardless of the quality of the work. It undermines the promotional effort when a poor entry gets lots of votes. This is why we don’t recommend that fan votes make the final decision on who wins.

Protect Your Contest With Judging Criteria

Having your judging criteria set will also protect the integrity of the contest and guide judges if there is a tie. A well-articulated judging criteria will explain what to do in the event of a tie. For example; “ In the event of a tie for any potential Winning Entry, the score for Creativity/Originality will be used as a tiebreaker.” Or “If there still remains a tie, Sponsor will bring in a tie-breaking Judge to apply the same Judging Criteria to determine the winner .”

Rules for Social Media Contests

Contests are allowed in all social media platforms as long as you follow state laws and the social media platform’s own set of rules.

• Facebook Contest Rules you should follow, along with a few Facebook contest ideas to help you get started. See Facebook Contest Rules
• Instagram has some strict rules that you need to be aware of and follow closely if you want your promotion to be successful. See Instagram Contest Rules
• Pinterest can help you connect with your customers, especially if your business is related to the types of content that often trend on Pinterest like fashion, food, and beauty. See Pinterest Promotion Rules 
• For Twitter see Guidelines for Promotions on Twitter (sorry, we haven’t written a rules article on Twitter yet.)
• For Youtube see YouTube’s Contest Policies and Guidelines (sorry, we haven’t written a rules article on Youtube yet.)

Can You Charge Participants an Entry Fee?

Yes, as long as the winners are chosen by skill and not chance (randomly).

Remember: Prize + consideration (monetary fee or skill) = legal contest (in most jurisdictions)

Contest Official Rules Examples

Better Homes & Gardens America’s Best Front Yard Official Contest Rules

Bottom Line: Contests are a Great Marketing Tool

Contests are worth the effort and repay the sponsor handsomely. They’re fun and generate a lot of buzz, awareness and potential sales for the sponsor. Just make sure your judging criteria are set in place.  If you need any help with your contest let us know at [email protected] .

Need help witha Contest? See our Contest Management Services

Want to build a sweepstakes by text?  See our features and pricing .

10 Critical Mistakes Writers Make in Writing Contests

by Alice Sudlow | 11 comments

You work hard to write your best story—and if you're honest, you're pretty sure it's amazing. You share it with other writers to get their feedback, and they agree. You work up your courage and hit the “Submit” button, sending it off to a mysterious panel of writing contest judges.

And then . . . you wait. What will the judges think? Will they agree your story deserves to win it all? Did you write the kind of story that will catch the judges' eye? What kind of story  is that, anyway?

I'm going to take you behind the scenes and reveal  exactly what judges are looking for when they choose the winners of writing contests.

Want to enter a writing contest, get feedback, get  published (guaranteed!), and maybe even win a prize? Enter our next writing contest!

Discover upcoming writing contests »

The Bewildering Challenge of Judging a Writing Contest

In the final round of our writing contests , the judges are tasked with an almost impossible challenge: how will they decide which of a small group of excellent stories will win a prize?

For a story to have made it this far, it’s already undergone careful scrutiny by the entire panel. Every single judge has read and considered it, and enough have advocated for it so strongly that it’s moved forward to join an elite selection of stories.

We all know it has fans among the judges. We all know it has great merit. The problem is . . . so do the other ten, or fifteen, or twenty stories that were selected for the ultimate consideration.

How do the judges choose? What sets the winning story apart? And if a story that made it this far doesn’t win (and mathematically, that’s always the case), what’s the fatal flaw that knocks it out?

10 Storytelling Essentials That Wow Judges and Win Writing Contests

I’ve judged nine writing contests with The Write Practice, and I’m gearing up for my tenth. (Want in on the fun? Join our next writing contest here! ) My favorite part of every contest is the discussion amongst the judges. I love hearing what they see in their top picks, what stands out about the strongest contenders.

Throughout these contests, I’ve picked up on some patterns. A handful of critical mistakes appear again and again—and in the final round, it’s these mistakes the judges consider as they make the toughest decisions.

I’ve distilled long hours of judges’ discussion into ten elements the winning stories must include. I’ve seen every single one of these essentials become the deciding factor about whether a story will take home a prize or not.

Want your story to not just make the final round, but win the whole contest? Take a careful look at these ten elements and make sure your story includes each one.

1. Get inspired by the theme.

If the contest has a theme, make sure you adhere to it. You might write a brilliant story—but if you ignore the theme, skip part of it, or in any way disobey the contest guidelines , that’s a quick way to get your story disqualified.

2. Focus on a bite-sized story.

Here’s the thing: a short story is not a novel. You can’t tell an epic fantasy tale in under 1,500 words.

Choose a story idea whose scope fits within the word count requirements. The life story of a 103-year-old might be too long, but an unexpected detour on the way home from the grocery store might be just the right length.

3. Structure your story with clarity in mind.

This goes along with step #2. Yes, you can write a short story set across two time periods with five scene changes and three point-of-view characters, and fit it all in just 1,500 words. But should you? Maybe, maybe not.

When you’re working within a tiny word count, overcomplicating your story can quickly confuse your readers. Make sure that transitions are clear, and that each new element you introduce—a new scene, a new character, a new plot twist—moves the story forward rather than cluttering it up.

It can be hard to judge what’s confusing in your own writing, so have someone read your story before you submit.

4. Hook your readers (and the judges!) with a brilliant first line.

The first sentence of your story is your chance to make an amazing first impression. A powerful, surprising, and intriguing first line will capture the judges’ interest at the start and make them look forward to reading the rest.

Writing contest judges read hundreds of stories in a short amount of time. Make sure your first line gets them excited to stumble across yours.

5. Get straight to the action.

In a 1,500 word story, you don’t have space to write long passages of world building or pages of backstory. And the truth is, that’s not the interesting part anyway.

Don’t open the story with three paragraphs setting the scene. Instead, start your story at the moment when “normal” ends .

What’s the first sign of trouble? The first indication that something will be different about today? The inciting incident that kicks off the action? Skip the descriptive introduction and start your story there.

6. Give your character a goal.

“Make your characters want something right away even if it's only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time.” —Kurt Vonnegut

Everyone wants something. It might be as small as another hour of sleep or as profound as one more day with their terminally ill grandfather.

Whatever it is, their want—and the things they do to get it—drive the story.

Make sure your character has a goal they're pursuing. Stories about characters without goals ramble on, leaving readers confused about why they're reading at all. Stories about characters who have clear goals and make decisions to pursue them keep us hooked, turning the pages to see what happens next.

Pro tip: everyone  needs something, too. Sometimes what they  want and what they  need aren't the same thing. If your character achieves their goal, will that actually make them happy? Or will they have to deal with some unwanted consequences?

7. Cut excess words so you can focus on the story.

Are you 500 words over the limit and stumped about what to cut? Look for:

Backstory. Yes, you need to know everything about your character—but your readers don’t. It’s tempting to include every detail of their history that led them to this moment, but that will actually slow down your story and burden readers with unnecessary information. Get it all out on the page in the first draft. Then, as you edit, challenge yourself to cut as much backstory as possible. Pro tip: if there’s an important piece of information readers (and characters) need to know, use it as a surprising revelation to fuel the plot.

Florid description. Does a detail move the story forward? Does it show us something about the character or the plot that we need to know? If so, great! If not, cut it. Unless your story is about rogue painters vandalizing the neighborhood waste collection route, we don’t need to know what color your character’s trash cans are.

Adverbs. Cut them ruthlessly. “The road to hell is paved with adverbs,” writes Stephen King, and that’s especially true when you’re limited to just 1,500 words. While you’re at it, cut these seven words, too . Save your space for words that will move the plot forward, not weigh the reader down with clunky prose.

(Did you catch all the adverbs I used in that paragraph? Ouch. We all fall short of editorial perfection.)

8. Make your characters choose.

This is the crux of the story, the crucial moment to focus on. At some point in the story, your character must make a decision .

Throughout the story, the tension is building. The plot is thickening, the stakes are rising, and the risks are becoming greater and greater.

As the story approaches the climax , bring your character to a critical dilemma where they must choose how they’re going to respond.

If your character limps along without making a choice, or if they let the people around them choose for them, the story will feel dissatisfying and incomplete.

But as they choose something and then face the consequences of their decision, we’ll be riveted, wondering, how will they handle what happens next?

9. Make sure something changes.

That moment of crisis, the decision your character makes, has consequences. Maybe they took a risk and it paid off—or maybe they crash and burn. Whatever the case, something must be different as a result of their choice.

Remember, stories are about change. If your character finishes the story in the same place they began, you’ll leave readers wondering why they bothered to read it in the first place.

Make sure the trials your character experiences and the decisions they make leave someone or something irreversibly changed by the end of the story.

On that note, beware of writing a story where the main plot is a dream sequence. Unless the waking world is somehow different as a result of the dream, it feels disingenuous. Any change in the dream world is erased when the character wakes up. Why read a story where nothing changes?

And yes, this applies to daydreams, too. Make sure the story isn’t all in the character’s head.

10. Nail the ending.

The first 1,450 words of your 1,500-word story are riveting. You don’t have a ton of space to wrap it up, but surely if you just tack on some kind of closing, it’ll be fine, right?

It’s very, very hard to write the perfect ending to a short story, the conclusion that will tie up the loose ends neatly but not too neatly, leaving the story feeling resolved and also a bit mysterious. The judges know this.

They’re still looking for the perfect ending .

What does this story need in order to reach closure? What will resolve the conflict? What will allow us to walk away satisfied that we’ve truly reached “The End”?

Remember, a short story is complete in and of itself. It’s not the first chapter of a novel, or a teaser into something larger. Make sure your story stands alone, and that when it ends, this tiny glimpse into your character’s life is truly done.

An otherwise excellent story that fails to nail the ending won’t take the top spot. But a surprising but inevitable climax that leads to a satisfying resolution will amaze the judges and make your story a strong contender to win it all.

Take the time to get your ending right.

Two More Notes About These “Essentials”

I’ve looked at all these elements from the perspective of a writing contest judge—what does our panel look for when we’re challenged to select a handful of winners from an abundance of engaging stories?

But there are two more ways you can read this list.

1. Feedback from the judges. One of the things that makes our writing contests special is the opportunity to get feedback directly from the judges on why your story did or didn’t win. I’ll let you in on a secret: 85 percent of the feedback judges write relates back to these ten elements. If you can master this list, they’ll find it a real challenge to give you any critical feedback.

(Want specific feedback on how your story did or didn’t fulfill these ten essentials? Join one of our writing contests and sign up for feedback from the judges!)

2. The secrets of great storytelling. A list like this can feel contrived: “Oh, you mean if I just sprinkle these ten arbitrary things into my story, it’ll be twisted so the judges like it?” But here’s the thing: the judges want to see these elements because they are fundamental skills of great storytelling . You don’t need a writing contest to apply them—master these skills, and you’ll become a better storyteller for any story.

The best way to master these storytelling fundamentals is by entering a writing contest. Plus, you might win a prize! Ready to enter?

Join our next contest »

Which of these essentials do you find the most challenging? Let us know in the comments !

For the next fifteen minutes , draft a story based on our last contest theme: haunted. Focus on essentials four and five: hook your readers with a great opening line, and get straight to the action.

When you’re done, share your story the Pro Practice Workshop , and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers. Not a member? Join us !

Alice Sudlow

Alice Sudlow is the Editor-in-Chief of The Write Practice and a Story Grid certified developmental editor. Her specialty is in crafting transformative character arcs in young adult novels. She also has a keen eye for comma splices, misplaced hyphens, and well-turned sentences, and is known for her eagle-eyed copywriter skills. Get her free guide to how to edit your novel at alicesudlow.com .

11 Comments

Understand this. Never, ever, mess with my family. If you do, I will hunt you down, rip your head off, and shit down your chest cavity,

I found him, fleeing the township of Joshua, looking for an exit to the Habitat. I followed, whispering in his ear. Using direct audio stimulation of his aural nerves, I whispered inside his eardrums so loud I caused him pain. I did not show mercy, and I did not stop. I echoed his sins against my family, against my home. I detailed every rape and murder his men had committed. I detailed every rape and murder he had committed.

I herded him, closed hatches, opened others, until I had him in the loading base of the aft linear accelerator. I whisper-screamed his sins as I gave him a light show; his Stairway to Heaven. I gently pulsed the accelerator coils of the accelerator to get his ass moving aft. He drifted to the center of the accelerator, begging for mercy, praying for mercy from that sick crap he called God.

I changed the light show. His Stairway to Heaven morphed into his Gates of Hell. A yawning maw of flame and pain opened wide for Saul Oswald. “NO! NO! NO!” he screamed as I pulsed the accelerator and threw him away from my ship and into the blackness and cold of space.

Great opening and ending, and right into actions in between. You followed through all the advice.

This is the post we need, and the post we deserve. Thank you, Alice, for this diamond of writing advice for our community!!!

Excellent advice. Thank you, Ms. Sudlow.

Grabbing her empty sleeve felt odd for Summer. “It feels like I still have my arm.” she said clenching the sleeve in both frustration and anger. Frustration by how long they’re taking in fixing her robotic arm. They said it will take fifteen minutes, but it feels like an hour to Summer. Every second that passes, makers her think to “that day”. Her eyes went to the katana that lay on the table in front of her. Then to her missing arm “I did what I had to do to survive. I’m the master of my own fate.”

I’m not planning to enter the winter writing context, but this is a short story that I wrote over the summer that I’m rather proud of. I still don’t have a title for it, so suggestions would be appreciated!

There had been no rain for months, and the crops were brown and dying in the field. The Donovans’ kitchen window overlooked the carnage, and Mary was forced to survey it every morning while she cooked her husband’s breakfast. “The Parsons are moving,” she said over her shoulder.

Her husband Isaac swallowed his mouthful of coffee. “Where to?”

“California.”

“Why not? There’s good work in California.”

“There’s good work here.”

“Not so’s you’d notice these days.” Mary scraped the eggs from the skillet onto Isaac’s plate. Two eggs, two sausages, and a fried tomato, every day. Isaac was a man who liked his routine. She put the plate in front of him and took the chair adjacent.

Isaac picked up his knife and fork and diced his sausage into even pieces. “The rain will come. Always does.”

Mary toyed with the hem of her apron. It was well past threadbare. “The Parsons are going to Los Angeles. Jim is gonna be a photographer.”

Isaac chuckled. “Photographer? Man’s never touched a camera in his life.”

“He wants to learn. Beth is so excited. She’s gonna take little Georgie swimming in the ocean.”

Isaac clucked his tongue. “Always said that woman had exotic ideas. Hope this photography notion of Jim’s will support her.”

“The ocean don’t cost nothing.” Mary laid her hand on Isaac’s arm as he lanced a bit of egg. “Can you imagine what it would be like, to swim in the ocean? Going all the way out to the deep with nothing but the sun over you and more water ahead?”

Isaac patted her hand. “I know. Gives me the willies too, just thinking about it.” He pushed back from the table and Mary’s hand slipped from his arm. “I’m going into town. Fred Anderson’s made me an offer for the car. Should give us enough to get by till the weather turns.”

He took his jacket and hat down from the peg on the wall and put them on. He opened the front door and for a moment the light seemed to catch him, and hold him there, frozen in amber. Mary started to her feet, her hand shooting out to grab at nothing. “Isaac –”

He turned. “The rain will come, Mary. Always does.”

He may have smiled at her, but the glare of the sun made his face indistinct. “I know,” she said. The door closed. Mary’s arm wilted down to her side. She felt like she ought to wait, stand there a moment longer, pretend to weigh her options. But she was already moving – undeniably decisive movements, though her mind was quiet. She shut the curtains on the kitchen window, blocking out the field. She went to the bedroom, and pulled her suitcase from the closet.

I posted my answer to you in the wrong spot.

You could name your story “The Rain Will Come.” I thought the ending was perfect, as subtle as the unspoken words in the unraveling marriage. You got the feeling that no matter what she said he’d answer as though he never heard her, which he never did, and reassure her that the rain would come. I loved it.

You could name your story “The Rain Will Come.” I thought the ending was perfect, as subtle as the unspoken words in the unraveling marriage. I loved it.

OK. here goes. It’s currently simply titled “Thirty Minutes”.

“No! No! It can’t be happening. It’s too soon!” exclaimed volcanologist Doctor David Narelle.

“Readings all checkout. It’s happening. It’s going to blow!” replied his intern assistant, Andrew.

“How long?”

“Best estimate – thirty minutes.”

The color drained from David’s face.

“We gotta go. Now!” He gathered his coat and keys and left the building.

Andrew didn’t argue. Disconnecting the laptop he was using, he followed the Doctor out the front door.

Ash had been falling all day, but it was coming down particularly heavy now. Andrew looked up at the mountain they had been monitoring. A thick column of smoke was rising form the crater. “It’s going to blow alright”, he thought. “Let’s hope we’re underestimating how much time we’ve got.”

They reached the All Wheel Drive vehicle they were renting. Andrew brushed the ash off the windscreen as David swung behind the wheel.

He turned the key and the started turned over. However, the engine failed to start.

“Come on! Come on!” David muttered.

“Twenty seventeen minutes.” Andrew informed as he settled into the passenger seat.

The engine finally started. David put the car into gear and drove off.

They slid as much as drove down the slope to the valley floor, the ash adding a extra hazard to their escape. “Which way?” David asked upon reaching the main road.

Andrew consulted a map. “There’s a bridge about half a mile to the left. The road on the other side connects straight to the interstate.” he checked his phone clock. “Twenty four minutes.”

David turned right and drove towards the bridge. Upon reaching the bridge they both looked at the half dismantled structure with a large “BRIDGE CLOSED” sign in front of it.

David swore under his breath. “Can we cross the water?”

“It’s too deep.”

“What’s plan B?”

Andrew looked at the map again. “We need to go back and cut through the town. We can join the interstate on the other side.”

David turned the car around and started heading back.

“Twenty one minutes.”

“How big is the P.F. expected to be?” David asked.

Andrew looked at the laptop, open in his lap. “According to the model it should reach at least twenty kilometers. Do you think we can make it?”

“Only one way to find out.”

“Twenty minutes.”

Upon reaching the town outskirts, they were able to pick up the pace a little now they were on asphalt. Fortunately, the townsfolk had been evacuated so the only people in danger were to two scientists. As a bonus, it meant that they had no traffic to contend with.

“Dave, look.” Andrew pointed.

David looked where Andrew was pointing. On the other side of a playing field was two people running towards them. They were waving to them, trying to get their attention.

“Fifteen minutes.” Andrew reported.

David drove the car for a few tens of yards, then abruptly turned and drove across the field to the stranded couple.

He wound down the window as he drove up next to them. “Get in!” he yelled.

The two didn’t hesitate. They climbed into the rear seat and strapped themselves in. David drove off.

“Thanks.” replied the woman. “Thought you were going to leave us for a second.”

“I’m Andrew, this is Dave.”

“Kate. He’s Bill.”

Bill waved. “Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why are you still here?”

“We’re volcanologists monitoring the mountain. We thought we still had more time. You?”

“Same thing. We left it to the last minute. Then the car broke down. No one else around to give us a lift, so we tied to make it on foot.”

“Nine minutes.” Andrew stated.

“Err.. nine minutes to what?”

“Nine minutes till the mountain blows.”

“Hang on, I thought you mistimed it?”

“Our model only predicts when it is very close to the event … It’s still being developed.”

They managed to get to the interstate, and David picked up as much speed as he could.

“Four minutes”

They continued down the highway, crossing the river they tried to cross earlier.

“Aren’t we far enough away yet?” Kate asked

“Not for the pyroclastic flow.”

“Pyro what?”

“Pyroclastic flow. A Giant cloud of super hot air and ash that travels up to seven hundred kilometers per hour and will cook us alive if it catches us.”

“That’s … informative.”

Andrew turned to David. “One min-”

He was interrupted by a loud explosion that shook the car. The passengers looked back at the mountain. The summit was entirely covered in an expanding cloud of ash.

“Here it comes. We’re still too close. You gotta go faster.”

“How deep is that river under the bridge?” David asked.

“Fifteen … twenty feet maybe.” Kate responded.

David looked into the rear view mirror, gaging the scene behind them. He then pulled on the steering wheel, causing the car to turn sharply. It tilted dangerously as it’s momentum tried to keep it going straight. It righted again once the U turn was complete. David pressed the accelerator to the floor and they raced back they way they came.

“What are you doing?” Andrew asked. He looked ahead at the advancing wave of ash. “Are you crazy? You don’t play chicken with a pyroclastic flow!”

David didn’t reply. He pressed even harder down on the gas pedal and willed the car to go faster.

“It will be on us in seconds!”

They reached the bridge. At halfway across, David pulled on the steering again. The car swerved. It smashed the railing, and flew through he air. All three passenger screamed. With a giant splash, they hit the water, their momentum pushing them down to the bottom.

Three seconds later, the flow passed over. The surface boiled with the heat, but the people were deep enough down to escape the worst of it.

Andrew recovered his breath. He couldn’t believe that he was still alive. A cold, wet sensation around his feet reminded him that they were not out of danger yet.

“Ahh … Dave?”

“We need to stay as long as we can. Then we smash the windows and swim for it.”

Half an hour later, the four people broke the surface of the river and swam to shore. The air was still hot, and filled with ash. While they were not completely safe yet, the most serious danger had passed.

————————————–

Thanks for the advice. Jason

Thank you! The pressure! The pressure!

Thank you, Ms. Sudlow for this article. It is very timely for the writing contest.

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The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum.

Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton, under the leadership of the Chairman of Examiners, former Cambridge philosopher, Dr Jamie Whyte.

The judges will choose their favourite essay from each of seven subject categories - Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law - and then select the winner of the Grand Prize for the best entry in any subject. There is also a separate prize awarded for the best essay in the junior category, for under 15s.

Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?

Q2. Do girls have a (moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?

Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe?

Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy?

Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?

Q3. When is compliance complicity?

Q1. What is the optimal global population?  

Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?

Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?

Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?

Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?

Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?

Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?

Q2. In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?

Q3. Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?

Q1. According to a study by researchers at four British universities, for each 15-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by around 35% for a man but decreases by around 58% for a woman. Why?

In the original version of this question we misstated a statistic. This was caused by reproducing an error that appeared in several media summaries of the study. We are grateful to one of our contestants, Xinyi Zhang, who helped us to see (with humility and courtesy) why we should take more care to check our sources. We corrected the text on 4 April. Happily, the correction does not in any way alter the thrust of the question.

Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?

Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?

Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?

Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?

Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

JUNIOR prize

Q1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?

Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?

Q3. Is there life after death?

Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise? 

Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?

Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies? 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILS

Please read the following carefully.

Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 is open to students from any country.

Registration  

Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of Friday, 31 May 2024 may enter this year's competition. To register, click here .  

All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on  the submission deadline: Sunday, 30 June 2024 .  Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on that date. (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date.)

Entry is free.

Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration). 

The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name:

Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

The candidate's name should NOT appear within the document itself. 

Candidates should NOT add footnotes. They may, however, add endnotes and/or a Bibliography that is clearly titled as such.

Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email referees to verify that the essays submitted are indeed the original work of the candidates.

Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of th e deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.

Acceptance of your essay depends on your granting us permission to use your data for the purposes of receiving and processing your entry as well as communicating with you about the Awards Ceremony Dinner, the academic conference, and other events and programmes of the John Locke Institute and its associated entities.  

Late entries

If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions:

a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and

b) Your essay must be submitted  before 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 10 July 2024.

To pay for late entry, a registrant need only log into his or her account, select the relevant option and provide the requested payment information.

Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful .

Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

The writers of the best essays will receive a commendation and be shortlisted for a prize. Writers of shortlisted essays will be notified by 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 31 July. They will also be invited to London for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London.

All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that acknowledge their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to London for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate. 

There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in London, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet some of the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome.

The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or visiting scholars programmes. 

The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

R egistration opens: 1 April, 2024.

Registration deadline: 31 May, 2024. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)

Submission deadline: 30 June, 2024.

Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2024. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.)

Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2024.

Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024.

Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024.

Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected] . Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query. In particular, regrettably, we are unable to respond to questions whose answers can be found on our website.

If you would like to receive helpful tips  from our examiners about what makes for a winning essay or reminders of upcoming key dates for the 2024  essay competition, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list. .

Thanks for subscribing!

The John Locke Institute's Global Essay Prize is acknowledged as the world's most prestigious essay competition. 

We welcome tens of thousands of submissions from ambitious students in more than 150 countries, and our examiners - including distinguished philosophers, political scientists, economists, historians, psychologists, theologians, and legal scholars - read and carefully assess every entry. 

I encourage you to register for this competition, not only for the hope of winning a prize or commendation, and not only for the chance to join the very best contestants at our academic conference and gala ceremony in London, but equally for the opportunity to engage in the serious scholarly enterprise of researching, reflecting on, writing about, and editing an answer to one of the important and provocative questions in this year's Global Essay Prize. 

We believe that the skills you will acquire in the process will make you a better thinker and a more effective advocate for the ideas that matter most to you.

I hope to see you in September!

Best wishes,

Jamie Whyte, Ph.D. (C ANTAB ) 

Chairman of Examiners

Q. I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay?

A. No. Only candidates who registered before 31 May will be able to submit an essay. 

Q. Are footnote s, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit?

A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted. 

Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? ​

A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

Q. Is it necessary to include foo tnotes or endnotes in an essay? ​

A. You  may not  include footnotes, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes. You should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should ackn owledge any other authors on whom you rely.​

Q. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it?

A. You may interpret a question as you deem appropriate, clarifying your interpretation if necessary. Having done so, you must answer the question as directly as possible.

Q. How strict are  the age eligibility criteria?

A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. 

Q. May I submit more than one essay?

A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.

Q. If I am eligible to compete in the Junior category, may I also (or instead) compete in another category?

A. Yes, you may.

Q. May I team up with someone else to write an essay?  

A. No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual.

Q. May I use AI, such as ChatGPT or the like, in writing my essay?

A. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If we find that any content is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified. We will also ask you, upon submission of your essay, whether you used AI for  any  purpose related to the writing of your essay, and if so, you will be required to provide details. In that case, if, in our judgement, you have not provided full and accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified. 

Since any use of AI (that does not result in disqualification) can only negatively affect our assessment of your work relative to that of work that is done without using AI, your safest course of action is simply not to use it at all. If, however, you choose to use it for any purpose, we reserve the right to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis and we will not enter into any correspondence. 

Q. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay?

A. You may of course discuss your essay with others, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses in your writing or content, leaving you to address them.

However, no part of your essay may be written by anyone else. This means that you must edit your own work and that while a proofreader may point out errors, you as the essayist must be the one to correct them. 

Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? ​

A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London. But if we invite you to London it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation.

Q. Is there an entry fee?

A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD .

Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted? 

A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in London will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to London, you will be able to download your eCertificate.

Q. Can I receive feedba ck on my essay? 

A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays.

Q. The deadline for publishing the names of short-listed essayists has passed but I did not receive an email to tell me whether I was short-listed.

A. Log into your account and check "Shortlist Status" for (each of) your essay(s).

Q. Why isn't the awards ceremony in Oxford this year?

A. Last year, many shortlisted finalists who applied to join our invitation-only academic conference missed the opportunity because of capacity constraints at Oxford's largest venues. This year, the conference will be held in central London and the gala awards dinner will take place in an iconic London ballroom. 

TECHNICAL FAQ s

Q. The system will not accept my essay. I have checked the filename and it has the correct format. What should I do?  

A. You have almost certainly added a space before or after one of your names in your profile. Edit it accordingly and try to submit again.

Q. The profile page shows my birth date to be wrong by a day, even after I edit it. What should I do?

A. Ignore it. The date that you typed has been correctly input to our database. ​ ​

Q. How can I be sure that my registration for the essay competition was successful? Will I receive a confirmation email?

A. You will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can at any time log in to the account that you created and see that your registration details are present and correct.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SUBMISSION

If you are unable to submit your essay to the John Locke Institute’s global essay competition, your problem is almost certainly one of the following.

If so, please proceed as indicated.

1) PROBLEM: I receive the ‘registrations are now closed’ message when I enter my email and verification code. SOLUTION. You did not register for the essay competition and create your account. If you think you did, you probably only provided us with your email to receive updates from us about the competition or otherwise. You may not enter the competition this year.

2) PROBLEM I do not receive a login code after I enter my email to enter my account. SOLUTION. Enter your email address again, checking that you do so correctly. If this fails, restart your browser using an incognito window; clear your cache, and try again. Wait for a few minutes for the code. If this still fails, restart your machine and try one more time. If this still fails, send an email to [email protected] with “No verification code – [your name]” in the subject line.

SUBMITTING AN ESSAY

3) PROBLEM: The filename of my essay is in the correct format but it is rejected. SOLUTION: Use “Edit Profile” to check that you did not add a space before or after either of your names. If you did, delete it. Whether you did or did not, try again to submit your essay. If submission fails again, email [email protected] with “Filename format – [your name]” in the subject line.

4) PROBLEM: When trying to view my submitted essay, a .txt file is downloaded – not the .pdf file that I submitted. SOLUTION: Delete the essay. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “File extension problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

5) PROBLEM: When I try to submit, the submission form just reloads without giving me an error message. SOLUTION. Log out of your account. Open a new browser; clear the cache; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Submission form problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

6) PROBLEM: I receive an “Unexpected Error” when trying to submit. SOLUTION. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If this resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Unexpected error – [your name]” in thesubject line. Your email must tell us e xactly where in the submission process you received this error.

7) PROBLEM: I have a problem with submitting and it is not addressed above on this list. SOLUTION: Restart your machine. Clear your browser’s cache. Try to submit again. If this fails, email [email protected] with “Unlisted problem – [your name]” in the subject line. Your email must tell us exactly the nature of your problem with relevant screen caps.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU EMAIL US.

Do not email us before you have tried the specified solutions to your problem.

Do not email us more than once about a single problem. We will respond to your email within 72 hours. Only if you have not heard from us in that time may you contact us again to ask for an update.

If you email us regarding a problem, you must include relevant screen-shots and information on both your operating system and your browser. You must also declare that you have tried the solutions presented above and had a good connection to the internet when you did so.

If you have tried the relevant solution to your problem outlined above, have emailed us, and are still unable to submit before the 30 June deadline on account of any fault of the John Locke Institute or our systems, please do not worry: we will have a way to accept your essay in that case. However, if there is no fault on our side, we will not accept your essay if it is not submitted on time – whatever your reason: we will not make exceptions for IT issues for which we are not responsible.

We reserve the right to disqualify the entries of essayists who do not follow all provided instructions, including those concerning technical matters.

The Scholastic Awards Writing Rubric: What Is It and How Can It Improve Your Writing?

When jurors review writing works during the awards selection process, they must keep in mind the Awards’ three judging criteria:

Originality

Work that breaks from convention, blurs the boundaries between genres, and challenges notions of how a particular concept or emotion can be expressed.

Technical Skill

Work that uses technique to advance an original perspective or a personal vision or voice, and shows skills being utilized to create something unique, powerful, and innovative.

Emergence of a Personal Voice or Vision

Work with an authentic and unique point of view and style.

We’ve used the same judging criteria since the Awards began in 1923 and have found it useful for identifying works that show promise. But how are those criteria used when reviewing teen writing? To assist our judges with making their selections, we’ve put together a rubric that offers guides to help the jurors determine which works meet the criteria and which works exceed them.

Students and educators may want to review the rubric to see where their works fall and what they can improve. For instance, rambling sentences can drown out a strong voice, and works that are grammatically correct can fall short of the originality criteria if they don’t present any new ideas. Like any skill, writing can be improved with practice, and reviewing the rubric may help.

Featured Image

Zoya Makkar, Awake from an Ignorant Slumber , Photography. Grade 10, Plano East Senior High School, Plano, TX. Karen Stanton, Educator ; Region-at-Large, Affiliate . Gold Medal 2021

Contest Guidelines

Please read these Guidelines carefully before clicking below to submit. Failure to read and follow these guidelines could result in your essay being ineligible.

Live Deliberately Essay Contest Guidelines:

• Submission: Essays should be submitted using the online form only. NEW FOR 2019-2020: Each contestant MUST provide contact information for a teacher or other adult sponsor, 21 years of age or older, in order to complete the submission process. Please do not email or mail entries. Each participant can submit one entry for consideration (per year).
• Deadline:   The 2019-2020 Essay Contest Deadline is February 15, 2020 . Entries received after Midnight EST on that day will not be considered.
• Length:  Essays should be no longer than 750 words. This is a maximum word count; if your response to the prompt can be clearly and powerfully communicated in fewer than 750 words, that is great.
• Eligibility: The contest is open to youth around the world. Youth must be between 14-18 years of age when the Contest closes on February 15, with the following exception.  Nineteen-year-olds who are enrolled in high school or an equivalent program are eligible in the 14-18 age group. Past winners are not eligible to participate.
• Adult Sponsor: EVERY contestant (regardless of age) must have a teacher, club advisor, parent, or other adult sponsor 21 years of age or older . The Sponsor must review the contestant’s work prior to submission to ensure that it meets contest guidelines. Essays cannot be submitted without providing the name and email address for a Sponsor. The Sponsor will receive an email when the form is submitted confirming that they have been named as a Contest Sponsor.
• Language: Essays should be written in English and represent the youth’s original work.  Youth are welcome to write their essay in their native language (if not English) but it must be translated into English for submission.
• Original Work: A teacher/Sponsor can provide pre-writing activities and appropriate review, editing, and translation support, but the ideas, content, structure and style of the actual essay MUST come from the youth alone.
• Name the file “LastnameFirstinitial2020”. For example, our Director of Education, Whitney Retallic’s submission would be titled “RetallicW2020”.
• Winners: A panel of reviewers selected by The Walden Woods Project will judge entries and will typically award one Winner and a limited number of Honorable Mentions for each of two age categories: 14-16 yrs and 17-18 yrs. The Essay Contest Advisory Board makes the final decisions and has the authority to offer more or fewer awards in any given year, including the possibility of selecting no winner in a particular age group. Winning essays and those receiving Honorable Mention will be featured on our website, alongside a brief profile and picture of the author.
• Prizes: The winner for each age group will receive a $500 cash prize, a certificate of recognition from The Walden Woods Project and a copy of Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition,  autographed by the book’s editor, Jeffrey S. Cramer, our Curator of Collections at The Walden Woods Project Library . The cash prize will come in the form of a check (in the US) or wire (outside of the US). If the check expires or is lost, a $29 cancellation fee will be deducted from the total when the check is re-issued. Contestants who receive Honorable Mention will receive a certificate of recognition and an autographed copy of Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition .
• Addresses Prompt — The essay effectively takes into account, either literally or metaphorically, the entirety of the prompt. Please do not submit an essay that is being used as your “college essay.” If an essay does not make an earnest attempt to address the Contest’s prompt, it will not be considered for review.
• Focus —The thesis/main message is clear and supported throughout. The essay does not stray from the main message.
• Organization & Structure —The essay is organized and well-structured. Author demonstrates command of grammar, spelling and mechanics.
• Voice/Originality —The essay uses a highly engaging and personal style. The author finds fresh or interesting ways to convey ideas. The author approaches the topic from a unique perspective.
• Evidence of Personal Reflection —The essay demonstrates that the author has genuinely explored the topic/question and how it relates to his or her own life. The essay reflects a depth in reflection.

I’ve read the Guidelines and I’m ready to submit my essay!

R eturn to Essay Contest Home Page

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2021 Writing Contest Judging Criteria

For all categories,  the judges are asked to write comments on winning submissions,. This is optional on any other entries, but the judging form will be returned to the submitter.

HIGH SIERRA WRITERS’ 2021 WRITING CONTEST: FLASH FICTION

Please rate the author on each item on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being “needs a lot of work”, 5 being average, and 10 being outstanding. Add up the points for a total rating. In the case of a tie, you may be asked to determine which story is more compelling.

____    Originality : The piece shows a freshness of imagination, creativity, and individuality.

____    Plot Structure: The piece is a complete story with beginning, middle, and a satisfying conclusion.

____    Characterization: Characters are vivid and compelling.

____      Quality of Writing : Organization is logical and effective. Voice is individual and appropriate. Sentence fluency is smooth and expressive.

____    TOTAL POINTS

HIGH SIERRA WRITERS’ 2021 WRITING CONTEST: SHORT STORY

Please rate the author on each item on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being “needs a lot of work”, 5 being average, and 10 being outstanding. Add up the points for a total rating.  In the case of a tie, you may be asked to determine which story is more compelling.

____    Plot Structure: Enough information is provided to understand the story. Conflict emerges early and builds toward resolution. The sequence of events, dialog, and emotional movements are well crafted. Situations needing resolution are closed. Subtle undercurrents (if any) emerge during resolution.

____    Character Development and Dialog: The reader can relate to the characters; they are able to hold the reader’s attention. Actions and interactions are consistent and well-motivated. Dialog shows the characters to the readers for who they really are.

____     Quality of Writing : Organization is logical and effective. Voice is individual and appropriate. Sentence fluency is smooth and expressive.

HIGH SIERRA WRITERS’ 2021 WRITING CONTEST: CHILDREN’S STORY

____    Age Appropriate: Does this story seem appropriate for a 6 to 10 year-old child?

____   Originality : The piece shows a freshness of imagination, creativity, and individuality.

____    Plot Structure: Enough information is provided for a child to understand the story. Conflict emerges early and builds. The sequence of events, dialog, and emotional movements are well crafted.

____     Quality of Writing : Organization is logical and effective. Voice is individual and appropriate. Word choice is specific and memorable. Sentence fluency is smooth and expressive.

Celebrate President Kennedy's Birthday and Join a Lasting Legacy!

Criteria for judging, content (55%), demonstrated understanding of political courage.

• Demonstrated an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in  Profiles in Courage
• Identified an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917.
• Proved that the elected official risked his or her career to address an issue at the local, state, national, or international level
• Explained why the official's course of action best serves or has served the larger public interest
• Outlined the obstacles, dangers, and pressures the elected official is encountering or has encountered

 Originality

• Thoughtful, original choice of a U.S. elected official
• Story is not widely known, or a well-known story is portrayed in a unique way
• Essay subject is not on the list of most written about essay subjects .

Supporting Evidence

• Well-researched
• Convincing arguments supported with specific examples
• Critical analysis of acts of political courage

Source Material

• Bibliography of five or more varied sources
• Includes primary source material
• Thoughtfully selected, reliable   

Presentation (45%)

Quality of writing.

• Style, clarity, flow, vocabulary

Organization

• Structure, paragraphing, introduction and conclusion

Conventions

• Syntax, grammar, spelling, and punctuation

An essay will be disqualified if:

• It is not on the topic.
• The subject is not an elected official.
• The subject is John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, or Edward M. Kennedy.
• The subject is a previous  Profile in Courage Award recipient  unless the essay describes an act of political courage other than the act for which the award was given.
• The subject is a senator featured in  Profiles in Courage .
• The essay focuses on an act of political courage that occurred prior to 1917.
• It does not include a minimum of five sources.
• It is more than 1,000 words or less than 700 words (not including citations and bibliography.)
• It is postmarked or submitted by email after the deadline.
• It is not the student’s original work.

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Criteria for Judging Essays in the Creative Writing Competition 2013

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Edugenie announces innovative essay writing services for academic improvement.

EduGenie introduces innovative essay writing services designed to enhance student academic success through comprehensive and expert support.

BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 30, 2024 / EduGenie introduces innovative essay writing services aimed at enhancing academic success. The company focuses on providing affordable and high-quality academic writing assistance to students across various educational levels.

Essays can be enjoyable to write. Essays help recall studied material and improve understanding of the subject. However, excessive writing can become overwhelming even for the most creative students, necessitating rest and a break from constant writing routines.

During a challenging academic period, a student may think, "Pay someone to write my essay for cheap." This is a common sentiment for overwhelmed students in need of support and assistance, so it is not a cause for concern.

A professional essay writing service can be a practical solution to productivity challenges, but finding the right one is essential. Locating the best company online can be difficult with many websites claiming to be the best.

To simplify the selection process and save time and effort, a thorough review of existing essay writing help options was conducted. After a detailed evaluation based on over a dozen quality criteria, a top solution emerged - EduGenie . Here is a detailed review of this company, highlighting its strengths and competitive advantages in the US market.

Tips to Find the Best Websites to Write Cheap Essays

The process of identifying the best cheap essay writing service involved a long and meticulous evaluation. This process required a deep understanding of the academic writing business and key trustworthiness criteria often overlooked by clients. The review focused on parameters such as:

Affordable and transparent pricing

Legal transparency of the company

24/7 access to writers and support representatives

Wide coverage of academic subjects and complexity levels

A large, qualified writer team

Availability of revisions and refunds

Clear QA checks for plagiarism and AI content

After evaluating over a dozen essay writing services based on these criteria, it was concluded that EduGenie meets all standards of excellence. This company scored highly in the review.

EduGenie: Best Essay Writing Service at a Competitive Rate

Welcome to EduGenie, a company where students can request, "Please write my essay for me cheap," without concerns or worries. With many years in the academic writing market, this provider understands how to assist students under time constraints.

EduGenie ranks as a cheap essay writing service due to its competitive pricing. A high-school essay due in 30 days costs only $8.92 per page, making it affordable even for students on a tight budget. Finding professional writing solutions for under $9 elsewhere is rare, establishing EduGenie as a go-to provider for "write my essay" services on a large scale.

This price is available for first-time buyers only, as it includes a welcome 15% discount. However, even the regular rate of $10.49 per page is a good starting price for high-quality writing help. College essays start at $10.59 per page (full price $12.46); undergraduate papers are available for $12.54 (full price $14.75); and a Master-level essay costs $16.16 at a minimum (full price $19.01). Ph.D.-level essays, typically commanding the highest rates, cost $17.07 for first-time orders ($21.14 for regular customers).

For those seeking the cheapest essay writing service and considering alternatives to EduGenie, ExtraEssay is also recommended. This agency excels in providing affordable writing solutions without compromising on quality, offering reliable assistance during academic challenges.

Reputation and Testimonials

As a custom essay writing service with a long track record and solid statistics, EduGenie enjoys a positive reputation across online review platforms and websites. It is highly ranked as a provider of "write my essay" services, capable of assisting with any educational task at any level.

The company is rated 4.8 stars on Reviews.io.

Sitejabber users give it 4.9 stars out of 5.

RankMyWriter users rate the company at 4.8 stars.

On-site testimonials suggest a 94% satisfaction rate among customers.

These positive ratings have contributed to the company's popularity among clients, enabling it to complete over 56,000 orders throughout its existence.

These reputational parameters place EduGenie on par with another well-known provider, 99Papers , which also enjoys numerous satisfied testimonials online and consistently meets students' needs.

Comprehensive Service Coverage with Extras

Customers coming to a writing company with a "write my essay" request seek a comprehensive range of freebies with their order. EduGenie offers the following extras for every assignment purchased:

Access to a writer with domain-specific knowledge in the relevant academic area.

Free cover page and bibliography, formatted according to the specified referencing style.

Paper formatting in the chosen referencing style, with the title page, in-text references, and referencing page compliant with the style guide.

Free revisions, content improvements, and minor tweaks available for 14-30 days, depending on the order type.

24/7 availability of support representatives across multiple channels.

Access to free samples of writers' works to audit the writing quality and choose the most suitable author for the project.

These perks make EduGenie the best essay writing service, providing the fullest service coverage for the money. A request to this provider ensures the full spectrum of supportive services at no additional cost.

Service Diversity

Essay writers at EduGenie possess qualifications in various academic writing niches and can prepare any type of written product. This approach enables the company to serve as a universal provider of academic assistance across more than 40 academic areas and diverse task types, including (but not limited to):

PowerPoint presentations

Math problems

Lab reports

Research papers

Case studies

Analytical reports

Dissertations

However, EduGenie has a smaller number of Ph.D. writers capable of producing high-quality dissertation manuscripts compared to MasterPapers . Therefore, it is advisable to double-check the availability of top experts for the required period to ensure the dissertation project does not experience delays.

Impressive Writer Qualifications

EduGenie is a team of qualified essay writers capable of delivering exceptional work on any assignment entrusted to them. Every candidate undergoes a rigorous screening process that evaluates various aspects of professionalism and knowledge in their respective academic niches. This meticulous assessment ensures that only the best candidates join the team of essay writers at EduGenie.

This challenging and time-consuming hiring process guarantees that every "write me an essay" request is handled by top-tier professionals. The hard work of the HR department maintains EduGenie's reputation as a top essay writing service available online.

However, EduGenie places a strong emphasis on ENL (English as a Native Language) students, offering impeccably written papers with the solid command of English that only native speakers possess. International students may consider using the professional essay writing service PayForEssay . This company caters to ESL (English as a Second Language) learners as well, customizing the level of English vocabulary and grammar to suit ESL usage. This approach ensures that essays do not appear overly perfect or polished, thus avoiding exposure as third-party writing solutions.

Boost Grades with Top-Tier Essay Help from EduGenie

Essay writing can become a challenging problem for various reasons, none of which are the student's fault. Keeping pace with the demanding study process is essential for graduating with a reasonable GPA, and professional help can be invaluable in achieving this goal.

EduGenie excels in the realm of affordable essay assistance, making it a reliable option for a "write me an essay" request at any time. The company consistently delivers excellent content that meets the quality standards of experienced and discerning quality reviewers. As a result, EduGenie can be a dependable choice during periods of academic difficulty.

The company's experts excel at simplifying complex tasks, transforming a professor's prompt into a readable, well-researched academic piece. Instead of risking grades, students can use EduGenie's trusted and safe solutions to stay ahead in their classes consistently.

MEDIA CONTACT

Contact Person: Jack Oliver Company: EduGenie Email: [email protected] Website: https://edugenie.net/

SOURCE: EduGenie

View the original press release on accesswire.com

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Marksheet for essays - mark scheme criteria for pieces of writing

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

28 May 2024

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Used this for IELTS essays, but it’s good for pretty much any subject and long pieces of writing / essays.

Easily adaptable; my criteria is describe, explain and evaluate. Each worth 5 marks tops (1 mark for grade E, 2 for D, 3 for C, 4 for B and 5 for A/A*). Total worth is 15 points.

Works really well with students if they are familiar with it. At the end of the doc they get a WWW and EBI, plus an improvement task we can give them to action upon getting the feedback.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

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Filipino Writers’ Circle organizes essay writing and poster making contests

In celebration of the 126th Philippines Independence Day, the Filipino Writers’ Circle (FilWrite) in collaboration with the Philippine Embassy Manama and Migrant Workers Office (MWO), Bahrain is delighted to announce an exciting opportunity for all creative-minded Filipinos to participate in the ‘’On the Spot Essay Writing and Poster Making’’ contests to showcase their talents on the theme that revolves on freedom, love of country and future aspirations. This will be held on 8 June 2024 at the Philippine Embassy.

According to Cecil Ancheta, president of FilWrite, “Both contests will celebrate the artistic talents of the participants to express their hopes and ideas for the future of the country through words and art.”

She further narrated that these competitions “will serve as an educational platform for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to reflect on and honor the journeys and sacrifices of our heroes as one way of celebrating Independence Day with creativity and vision.”

The winning candidates will receive certificates of awards, plaques, and cash prizes.

Interested participants must register online. The deadline for registration is 31 May 2024. For inquiries, interested parties can contact Ruth +9736778214 and Gina +9736395711.

FilWrite is composed of Filipino writers in Bahrain who bonded together to foster camaraderie among its ranks and create a strong united voice to support the community on various issues.

Staff Report

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