Top Essay Writing Contests of 2024 for Students


The most important part of the essay application is simply finishing it. Many high school students and college students won’t even bother to apply for essay scholarships. As a result, just turning in an application that meets all of the requirements and answers the prompt places you ahead of a good chunk of your peers.


This award is for the best undergraduate essays dealing with one or more of the following: film, African American literature, German literature, and American literature. See

College Students may submit: Essay, Song, STEM, Short Film, Social Media Video, or PSA. All entries that utilize copyrighted music, film clips, or photos MUST obtain the proper licensing permissions IN ADVANCE of submitting the entry, in order to be considered.

2024 student essay contest winners

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However, if high school students are eligible, they can likely answer the prompt by writing about their intended major. Both high school students and college students should be able to write most scholarship essays.

This award is for the best undergraduate essays dealing with medieval or 20th century British literature, commonwealth or global literature in English, world literature in English translation, or literary or cultural theory. See

Though some essay scholarship prompts may seem better suited towards one age group than another, students should still apply as long as they are eligible. For example, a scholarship that asks applicants to write about their major and why they chose it might seem easier to answer as a college student.


40 Free Writing Contests: Competitions With Cash Prizes

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is proud to announce the 12 winners and six honorable mentions of the 2024 Kenneth L. Proulx Memorial Essay Contest for Ongoing College Students. FFRF has paid out a total of $19,400 in award money to this year’s college contest winners.

The Best Student Writing Contests for 2024-2025


Deadline is in mid March
The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) sponsors Annual DNA Day Essay Contest. Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to participate. The contest asks students to think about the important concepts of genetics.

UNESCO international essay contest for young people

Annually, the features an essay competition. It is titled the Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest. These essay scholarships are meant for high school seniors who are getting ready to go to an accredited college directly after graduation. All essays must be between 1,200 to 1,500 words and express how Alzheimer’s affects your personal life, family, and community. In addition, you should write about what you have learned about managing the disease. The top essay will receive $5,000. There will also be several runners-ups chosen and awarded for their excellent work.

Essay Contest Information & Application

Essay contest winners, their ages, the colleges or universities they are attending, and the award amounts are listed below. (FFRF seeks to distribute essay scholarship monies to a higher number of students, so ties — such as fourth place in this contest — are not regarded in the typical tie fashion, where, in this instance, the fifth place would be skipped.)

Annual Essay Contests for CUNY Students – CUNYverse

Each year, awards $1500 in essay scholarships to talented students who demonstrate the art and skill of essay writing. Scholarships are given to two winners. The first-place winner will receive $1,000, and the runner-up will get $500. Essays must be between 500 to 700 words. A list of potential topics is provided. This scholarship essay is open to high school or college students from any country.

Maryknoll Essay Contest for Students


Deadline is in mid April
The Holocaust Remembrance Project is a writing contest about the Holocaust. Participants should study the holocaust and then, in an essay of no more than 1,200 words: (a) analyze why it is so vital that the remembrance, history and lessons of the Holocaust be passed to a new generation; and (b) suggest what they, as students, can do to combat and prevent prejudice, discrimination and violence in our world today.