All essays should be between 800 and 1500 words.


Essay Length – Essays must be 500-1,000 words in length. Submissions that do not meet this requirement, or that exceed it, will be disqualified. If an essay exceeds the word limit due to a “Works cited” page or bibliography, it will not be disqualified. If an essay would not meet the word minimum without its “Works cited” page or bibliography, it will not be disqualified.


Eligibility – The contest is open to writers in grades 5-12, (ages 10-18) at some point during the contest period September 5, 2024-March 21, 2025. No more than one essay submission will be accepted for each essay writer. Students may enter both the essay and video contests. Writers must be located in North America, Hawaii, or a U.S. military address, and all submissions should be in English. Employees of Stossel in the Classroom, Stossel TV, and Center for Independent Thought, or any person or organization involved in the operation and/or setup of the contest, and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Previous winners of a Stossel in the Classroom first place prize are not eligible for prizes in our subsequent contests, unless they’re competing in a different division. For example, first place winners of the Middle School Division are eligible for prizes in the High School Division, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements.

The George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest Committee is proud to announce the winner of the national contest. Each year, the SAR receives an average of thirty state-level winners from around the country to compete in the national-level contest. Visitors can find a list of the previous George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest national winners below.

IvyPanda 2024 Essay Writing Scholarship

The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition provides a platform for young, ambitious high school students to exercise their writing skills and compete with students from all over the world!

My kid is willing to write essays. Applications are done. I've been wading through every website I can find, but I just can't seem to find a list of scholarships with essays. I signed up for Fastweb because it was free, but it seems to mostly push other scholarship sites that you have to pay for.

Students and parents have the opportunity to receive free blogs from International College Counselors and may opt in or opt out at any time on the Scholarship Entry Form. ICC will not share or sell your personal information. Students and/or parents may discontinue receiving the newsletter at any time via the form on this website.

Winners are responsible for providing their mailing addresses and other necessary information in order to receive any prizes. Winners agree to allow International College Counselors to post their names on any of ICC’s affiliated websites and social media. Winning essays may be posted in their entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author. International College Counselors may notify a winner’s school and/or local newspaper of the student’s accomplishment. Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes


IvyPanda 2020 Essay Writing Contest Scholarship

Two winning essays will be selected: one (1) from a student in Miami Dade County, Broward County, or Palm Beach County; and one (1) at-large winner from anywhere in the world, domestic or international, including home-schooled students. Both winners will receive a $250 scholarship provided by International College Counselors and payable to the winner or the college/university or certified trade school in the United States.

Congratulations to the winners of this year's essay contest!

The Contest is open to all United States citizens or legal residents who are students who are no older than 19 and no younger than 14 as of the end of the Contest Period who (1) attend school in the United States, one of its territories or districts, or an American Armed Forces School Abroad, and (2) who are in grades 8 -12 attending public, private, religious, or charter schools, or (3) are enrolled in a GED or correspondence school program, or (4) are attending a home school program.

Submission Guidelines

Each submission must adhere to the topics and should fully answer the question and all sub-parts. Each submission must adhere to the word limits for each question (between 500 and 800 words), and must be submitted by 11:59 pm PT on April 15, 2022. Only online submissions will be accepted for the contest. Only one essay per student will be accepted.

ESSAY PROMPT: How does an understanding of natural rights and respect build a free society?

Essays should be between 500-800 words and should demonstrate an understanding of natural rights, how they relate to the principle of respect, and how the flourishing of a free society is dependent upon them. Excellent essays will go beyond "dictionary definitions," to express their understanding and reasoning about the connections among these principles. Specific examples, and well-researched facts should be combined with students' own observations and experiences. A good essay will demonstrate how these principles are not just abstract ideas but are part of people's everyday actions and choices.

The essay length must be in the range of 250 to 300 words.

Fill out the application and upload your 500-word essay formatted as a Word document (.doc or .docx), a pdf or as a google doc. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Essays must be a minimum of 1,500 words.

Scholarship Name: True Patriot Scholarship
Description: To win this major scholarship prize, you’ll need to write a stellar essay on the question a topic related to patriotism (a new topic is announced each year). The essay competition is open to high school students across America. Your essay may be no more than 1,500 words – for an idea of what the judges will be looking for in terms of content, check out the mission statement on the True Patriot Network.
Award: $25,000
Awards per Year: 1
Award is Open to: High School Students
Major/Field of Study: Open
How to Apply/Contact: Check the True Patriot Network website for current essay topics and application instructions. NOTE: THE TRUE PATRIOT NETWORK WEBSITE IS NO LONGER RUNNING