Registrations are open for John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2025 for Students of All Ages. The last date of registration is May 31.
About the Competition
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, Prof Terence Kealey.
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.
Eligibility
- Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2025 is open to students from any country.
- 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.)
How to Register?
Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of Saturday, 31 May 2025 may enter this year’s competition. You can register here.
Fee
Entry is free.
Submission Details
All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on the submission deadline: Monday, 30 June 2025. 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.)
Result
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 Thursday, 31 July. They will also be invited to London for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in October, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that nobody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London.
Important dates
- Registration opens: 1 April, 2025.
- Registration deadline: 31 May, 2025. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)
- Submission deadline: 30 June, 2025.
- Late entry deadline: 7 July, 2025 (for seven day extension) or 21 July, 2025 (for twenty-one day extension).
- Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2025.
- Academic conference: 3 – 5 October, 2025.
- Awards dinner: 4 October, 2025.
Prizes
There are prizes for the best essays in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$5000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme.
The second place winner will receive a scholarship worth US$2000 and the third place winner will receive a scholarship worth US$1000. The prize-giving ceremony will take place in London on Saturday, 4 October, 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.
Contact
Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to global.essay.prize@johnlocke.com.
