john locke essay competition awards

 Competition Results

Announcing the 2024 essay prize winners special congratulations to those who achieved a high commendation or very high commendation in this year's competition. p hotographs from our prize-winning ceremony in london  will be emailed to those who attended. shortlisted contestants will be contacted by email, providing access to their ecertificates by the end of the month.  , grand prize, kan zhang, basis international school park lane harbour, china.

PHILOSOPHY Prize

Winner:     Kan Zhang, BASIS International School

Park Lane Harbour, China

Second Prize:  Olivia Kang, Davidson Academy Online, USA

Third Prize:   Mihyeon Lee , North Raleigh Christian Academy, USA

POLITICS Prize

Winner:  Xinen Han, The Experimental High School Attached

to Beijing Normal University, USA

Second Prize:  Marcell Pap, V. kerületi Eötvös József Gimnázium, Hungary

Third Prize:   Yijun Zhou , HD Shanghai School, China

ECONOMICS Prize

Winner:  Yuhao Liu

Second Prize:  Audrey Kuk, St Hilda’s School, Australia

Third Prize:   Jiankai Zhao, Raffles Institution, Singapore

HISTORY Prize

Winner:    Maximus Sherwood, BHASVIC, UK

Second Prize:  Zack Lam, Richard Montgomery High School, USA

Third Prize:   Max Collison, Winchester College, UK

Winner:  Olivia Wei, Saint Cuthbert's College, New Zealand

Second Prize:  Maner Wen, Tianjin Yinghua Experimental School, China 

Third Prize:  George Morrison , Eton College, UK

PSYCHOLOGY Prize

Winner:    Jingyi Cheng, The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, China

Second Prize:  Johnny Yi, BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour, China

Third Prize:   Sreyaa Sunjay, King Edwards VI Camp Hill School for Girls, UK

THEOLOGY Prize

Winner:    Alex Wang, Cranbrook Kingswood, USA

Second Prize:  Ruoxiao Wang, Minhang Crosspoint Middle School, China

Third Prize:   Caroline Tong, AP Homeschoolers Online Classes, USA

Junior Prize

Winner:    Philip Taxiarchis, Westminster School, UK

Second Prize:  Doria Chen, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore

Third Prize:   Ihsan Iftikar, The Greenwich Country Day School, USA

RECENT Essay Prize Winners

Grand Prize

Hosei Kishida, Shanghai American School, China ​

Winner: Hosei Kishida, Shanghai American School, China

Second Prize: Amanda Sun, Princeton High School, USA

Third Prize: Qianyu Lin, Raffles Institution, Singapore

Winner: William Zhou, Hunter College High School, USA

Second Prize: Ziyi Wei, Westridge School for Girls, USA

Third Prize: Xiaoya Du, The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, China

Winner:  Kit Young Tham, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore

Second Prize: Kevin Hao, Knox Grammar School, Australia

Third Prize: Zhong Yang M. Yeh, Shanghai High School International Division, China

Winner: Yoo Jin Cho, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Australia

Second Prize: Hannah Fareed, Karachi Grammar School, Pakistan

Third Prize: Quynh Anh La Le, Saigon South International School, Vietnam

Winner: Claire Yura Kim, Berkshire School, USA

Second Prize: Arnav Pandey, The International School Bangalore, India

Third Prize: Hannah Kim, La Canada High School, USA

Winner: Hanyu Li, High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, China

Second Prize: Shivraj Sharma, Neerja Modi School, India

Third Prize: Scarlet Strogov, South Orange Middle School, USA

​Winner: Youran Wu, Nanjing Foreign Language School British Columbia Academy, China

Second Prize: Kayson Hu, Reddam House Sydney, Australia

Equal Third Prize: Lucienne Keyoung, Manhasset High School, USA​

Equal Third Prize: Esme Vallois-Davies, Colchester Royal Grammar School, UK

Winner:  Xibei Kuang, Pinehurst school, New Zealand​

Second Prize: Alissa Song, Kambala, Australia​

Third Prize: Iris Zhu, Bement School, USA

Benjamin Who, The Hotchkiss School, USA

Winner: Selena Teng, Millburn High School, USA

Second Prize: Jinchuan Li, The Experimental High School attached   to Beijing Normal University, China

Third Prize: Vivian Li, Magdalen College School, UK

Winner: Pengzhe Lin, Cranbrook Schools, USA

Second Prize: Brandon Ma, Living Word Shanghai Bilingual School, China

Third Prize: Fengshuo Wang, Allendale Columbia School, USA

Winner:  Benjamin Who, The Hotchkiss School, USA

Second Prize: Ke Ren, Ulink Beijing, China

Third Prize: Yixi Zhang, Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, China

Winner: Yifan Liu, Independent Schools Foundation, Hong Kong

Second Prize: Xiaoyi Shi, Shanghai Foreign Language School Affiliated to SISU, China

Third Prize: Chenrui Dai, Ruian High School International Department, China

Winner: Shahmeer Bukhari, Karachi Grammar School, Pakistan

Second Prize : Sujeong Park, North London Collegiate School Jeju, Republic of South Korea

Third Prize: Samantha Shim, Phillips Academy, USA

Winner: Jonathan Pan, The King's School, Australia

Second Prize: Xinyue Zhu, Bard College at Simon's Rock, USA

Third Prize: Chloe Huang, Westminster School, UK

​Winner: Gabriel Stoney, Rugby School, UK

Second Prize: Yifei Chen, Wuxi Big Bridge Academy, China

Third Prize: Donghong Wei- Shenzhen College of International Education, China ​

Winner:   Cheuk Hei Chung, Chinese International School, Hong Kong

Second Prize: Teresa Yan, PS/MS 219 Paul Klapper, USA

Third Prize: Jia ning Zhang, Veritas Christian Academy, USA

Huaming Li, Xi’an Gaoxin No.1 High School, China

Winner: Austin Swaffer, Knox Grammar School, Australia

Second Prize: Chongwen Gu, YK Pao School, China​

Third Prize: Dana Song, Horace Mann, USA

Winner: Andre Pancholi, Latymer Upper School, UK

Second Prize: Yuhan Wang, Dunman High School, Singapore

Third Prize: Justin Chan, Harrow School, UK

Winner:  Marc Kadir, The Manchester Grammar School, UK

Second Prize: Arshiya Jain, Modern School Vasant Vihar, India

Third Prize: Alexander Chen, Archmere Academy, USA

Winner: Major Shokar, Aylesbury Grammar School, UK

Second Prize: Zoya Fasihuddin, Karachi Grammar School, Pakistan

Third Prize: Stella Zhu, Northfield Mount Hermon, USA​

Winner: Eugene Choi, International School Manila, Philippines

Second Prize: InChan Yang, Winchester College, UK

Third Prize: Sarah Carr, Sidcot School, UK

Winner: Aiden Whitham, St. Paul's School, UK

Second Prize: Laura Koscielska, The Purcell School For Young Musicians, UK

Third Prize: Naciima Mohamed, Columbia Heights High School, USA

​Winner: Hao Tian, Beijing New Talent Academy, China

Second Prize: Huaming Li, Xi’an Gaoxin No.1 High School, China

Third Prize: Corey Koh, Raffles Institution, Singapore ​

Winner:  Joonyoung Heo, Pacific Cascade Middle School, USA

Second Prize: Stephanie Mo, Indian Mountain School, USA

Third Prize: Rena Kim, Menlo School, USA​​​

Ethan Christian Tan, Anglo-Chinese School, Singapore

Winner: Ethan Christian Tan, ACS (Independent), Singapore

Second Prize: Min-Jun Kang, Korea International School, Korea

Third Prize: Ali Haider, Wallington County Grammar School, UK

Winner: Helny Hobbs, Newstead Wood School, UK

Second Prize: Elizabeth Zhu, University of Toronto School, Canada

Third Prize: Calvin Xu, Appleby College, Canada

Winner:  Raphael Conte, Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, UK

Second Prize: Saskia Poulter, The Tiffin Girls' School, UK

Third Prize: Jaimin Shah, King Edward VI Grammar School, UK

Winner: Runan Lin, Georgetown Preparatory School, USA

Second Prize: Christopher Conway, King's College School, UK

Equal Third Prize: Sungjin Park, Wellington College, UK and

                                  Megan Cui, Phillips Andover Academy, USA

Winner: Tianyi Jia, Princeton High School, USA

Second Prize: Henry Barker, Felsted School, UK

Third Prize: Jessica Na, Interlake High School, USA

Winner: Noah Buckle, Watford Grammar School for Boys, UK

Second Prize: Zheng Wei Lim, Raffles Institution, Singapore

Third Prize: Varun Venkatesh, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore

​Winner: Sirui Cai, Raffles Institution, Singapore

Second Prize: Junfang Zhang, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore

Third Prize: Christopher Bong, ARCH Education, Hong Kong ​

Winner:  Jason Hausenloy, UWCSEA East Campus, Singapore

Second Prize: Anna Rantakari, Wellington College, UK

Third Prize: Alexander Fletcher, St Paul's School, UK

Luke Duthie, Germantown Academy, Pennsylvania, US

Winner: Younghoon Seo, Chadwick International School, South Korea

Second Prize: Jiajun Chung, Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Singapore

Third Prize: Maximilian Fawcett, St Paul's School, UK

Winner: Nayah Victoria Thu, Oslo International School, Norway

Second Prize: Daniel Craig-McFeely, St Paul's School, UK

Third Prize: Haritha Kumar, Cupertino High School, US

Winner:  Luke Duthie, Germantown Academy, US

Second Prize: Janusha Uthayakumar, Woodford County High School for Girls, UK

Third Prize: Harry Toube, City of London School, UK

Winner: Rosie Ashmore, Hagley Roman Catholic High School, UK

Second Prize: Mihira Philip, Sutton Grammar School, UK

Equal Third Prize: George Chadney, The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, UK

                                  Clemmie Read, St Paul's Girls' School, UK

Winner: Zikai Zhou, Xiaoshi High School, China

Second Prize: Claire Yoonsuh Kim, Chadwick International School, South Korea

Third Prize: Sophie Kelly, Millfield School, UK

Winner: Elijah Lee, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Singapore

Second Prize: Cindy Xin, Albany High School, US

Third Prize: Andrzej Karpiński, II High School In Poznan, Poland

​Winner: Judy Hyojoo Rhee, University Hill Secondary School, Canada

Second Prize: Jonathan Lee, Abingdon School, UK

Third Prize: Alexander Archer, Eton College, UK ​

Equal First Prize: Ethan Zhu, The King's School, Australia

                                Indigo Lee-Wilson, Ascham School, Australia

Third Prize: Jason Hausenloy, UWC South East Asia East Campus, Singapore​​​

The Winter Cohort application deadline is November 24, 2024! Click here to apply.

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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 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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Ultimate guide to the john locke institute essay competition.

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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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Suyeon Kim Awarded Commendation in John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Competition

St. Johnsbury Academy junior Suyeon Kim, of Jeju, South Korea, was recently awarded a Commendation in the Theology category of the John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Competition. Suyeon attended the commendation ceremony in London, England in late 2023.

The John Locke Institute’s website offers some background on the organization: “The John Locke Institute is an independent educational organization that works to embolden the best and brightest students to become more academically ambitious and more intellectually adventurous. Through our various programs – residential courses, revision seminars, essay competitions, and special events – we inspire students to aim high and we equip them with the skills they need in order to achieve their goals. The Institute is named in honor of the eminent seventeenth century Oxford philosopher, John Locke.” The John Locke Institute also offers competitive summer programs at Princeton University, Oxford University and in Washington, D.C. and Singapore.

In her essay, Suyeon responded to the question, “What distinguishes a small religion from a large cult?” She begins, “’Cult plus time, or people, is religion’. This is one of the worst and the most pervaded misconceptions about cults. Such an idea is often introduced by impactful media as if it were true. Is it?” Her essay goes on to consider many different aspects of cults, and ends, “As a whole, cults exist for one person, and religions exist for everyone. Cults may seem similar to religion on the outermost surface, but on the inside, everything is different. Even if it is as small as one advisory class, or even smaller, religions seek positive impacts from their gods on their believers whereas people being forcefully gathered to devote themselves to the human cult leader is the number one priority in cults.”

Jamie Whyte, Chairman of Examiners for the John Locke Institute, congratulated Suyeon on the Institute’s behalf: “It is my very great pleasure to congratulate you on being awarded a Commendation in the Theology category of the John Locke Institute’s 2023 Global Essay Competition. You can be proud of this achievement. I hope the experience of researching and writing this essay will confer on you lasting benefits.”

Formerly a student at St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju, St. Johnsbury Academy’s sister school in South Korea, Suyeon Kim began studying at St. Johnsbury Academy as part of the school’s exchange program. After spending a semester in St. Johnsbury, Suyeon decided to transfer permanently, and she now attends St. Johnsbury Academy as a boarding student.

Suyeon was honored to be recognized by this international organization. She said, “When I first got the email that I got into the finalist stage, I was just so happy. As soon as I started writing the essay, I knew that this would become my favorite essay of all time. To win an award for this big competition was, of course, important for me, but the genuine meaning of submitting this essay was to prove that my experiences made me braver and more mature. Now that I have been recognized by the John Locke Institute and from this publication, I feel so grateful to have this meaningful time in my high school. I want to especially thank Mr. Glenn Ehrean, who helped to review my works before the submission and who is also my first history teacher at St. Johnsbury Academy.”

Glenn Ehrean, Suyeon’s teacher and Director of the Academy’s Colwell Center for Global Understanding, said, “Suyeon was a student in my World Civilizations course. She is quiet, gracious, and wise beyond her years. She understands the iterative process of developing ideas and articulating them. It’s hard work, but she embraces it. It was an honor to review her essay. I was not surprised that it was recognized by the board of examiners.”

Headmaster Dr. Sharon Howell is also very proud of Suyeon’s accomplishment. She said, “This is a wonderful example of how good teaching and mentorship can help students achieve in powerful, life-changing ways. I’m grateful to all of Suyeon’s teachers and very proud of her.”

More information about the John Locke Institute and its programs is available at https://www.johnlockeinstitute.com/.

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