The Leibniz Society of North America has an annual essay contest:


Yes, as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements for the contest and were not previously a first-place winner. In fact, some students have won prizes multiple years in a row!


This essay contest is being launched to engage students during the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and is designed to encourage students to think more about the many different people, known and unknown, who were a part of the American Revolution, and perhaps even see themselves in the figures they write about.

WOW! hosts a (quarterly) writing contest every three months, and has done so since 2006. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. The WOW Flash Fiction Contest has awarded over $100,000 in cash to writers since its inception. The contest is open globally; age is of no matter; and entries must be in English. We are open to all styles and genres of flash fiction, although we do encourage you to take a close look at our guest judge for the season (upper right hand corner) if you are serious about winning. Please make sure to download our Contest Terms & Conditions PDF below for complete guidelines. Get creative, and let’s have some fun! Remember, we have limited entries, so enter early to ensure your spot. We look forward to reading your work!

High School Essay ContestAges 13-29Deadline: January 15, 2024

Driftwood Press is happy to share a plethora of submission opportunities for writers and artists! Our In-House Short Fiction & Poetry Contests, in which every work submitted is considered for publication as winner or runner-up, is ending soon! For our yearly print anthology, we are looking for poems, short stories, comics, and visual art that will wow our readers, accepted as both contest and normal submissions. We are a paying market, and our published writers also get to take part in bespoke interviews about their work! Driftwood is also on the hunt for amazing book-length titles to grow our catalogue, so if you have a novella, poetry collection, comic collection, or graphic novel manuscript, we would love to read it! We also offer a premium poetry option for one-week responses. Visit us for our Submittable page, and we encourage you to follow us on social media (@driftwoodpress) to learn about even more submission opportunities!

The Eon Essay Contest on The Precipice is an annual essay competition open to middle school, high school, and graduate students. High school students can participate in the 13-18 Age Bracket group, which will have a different topic than that for students aged 19 years and above. To participate, you should read The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity, a 2020 non-fiction book by the Australian philosopher Toby Ord.

The Ayn Rand Institute has hosted annual essay contests on Ayn Rand’s fiction since 1985, awarding over $2.2 million in total prizes to students worldwide.

The High School Writing Contest has been running for 43 years and invites high school students to submit either an essay, short story, or a poem. You cannot register directly, and your teacher will have to nominate you for the tournament and verify that the submission is an original piece of work from the participating student.


Writing Contest Grades 3-12PoetryDeadline: March 1, 2024

This contest is open to students in public, private, and parochial schools, and registered home-study programs, in grades 9 through 12. Essays from students from all grades will be judged together, with one winning essay chosen at each level. Participating DAR Chapters will select one essay as the chapter winner, to be sent on to the State level; the State will select one essay winner to represent the state for judging at the Division level, and each Division level will also have one winner which will be sent on to the National contest. Each student participant receives a certificate of participation from the chapter and the chapter winners receive a bronze medal and certificate set. State winners receive a silver medal and certificate set. Division level winners receive certificates and a book. National winners receive special certificates, medals, and a monetary award.

DNA Day Essay ContestGrades 9-12Deadline: March 6, 2024

The competition, run by The Poetry Society since 1978, is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem. Judged by Stephen Sexton, Romalyn Ante, John McAuliffe. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18+.

High School Essay ContestGrades 9-12Deadline: April 1, 2024

Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more.

High School Essay ContestDeadline: April 3, 2023[Sent inquiry 3/17]

In your essay, explore the concept of coercion versus choice in the context of government policies and society. How do government policies reflect coercion and why is it important to limit such practices in society? Select one or more government policies and discuss the impact on individual freedom, public trust, and the proper role of government. Research your selection(s) to support your argument, and reflect on the potential consequences of unchecked government power.

“Listen to a Life” Writing ContestAges 8-18Deadline: April 12, 2024

These Patriots may be one of our famous Founders, or an everyday man, woman, or child who supported the American Revolution in ways both large and small. Students will be asked to discuss how their chosen Patriot contributed to the founding of the nation. Essays will be judged for historical accuracy, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and the quality and scope of references, particularly the use of primary sources.