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A Comprehensive Guide to the Cambridge College Essay Competitions

Cambridge college essay competitions, thinking of applying to oxbridge but need new ways to get ahead of the game with your application what plenty of students aren’t aware of is the fact that many of the cambridge colleges hold essay prizes for students in year 12 focusing on various subjects, allowing prospective applicants to get a taste of what uni-level essay writing might be like, as well as giving you something great to put on your cv. below is a comprehensive list of the essay competitions help by the various cambridge colleges, listed by subject. if any of them take your fancy, be sure to head over to the college website to get more details about how to enter and when the deadlines are we’ve also included past and present questions to give you a bit of an idea about what each competition is likely to entail., multi-disciplinary/humanities robinson college essay prize the robinson college essay prize is open to all students in year 12 (lower sixth, or equivalent) at a uk school during the 2020-21 academic year. it is designed to give students the opportunity to develop and showcase their independent study and writing skills. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the questions given, which should be no longer than 2,000 words (including footnotes and captions). the questions may be discussed with reference to any academic discipline or area of interest. up to three entries may be submitted per school, so please discuss your application with your school prior to entry. 2021 questions: 1. "a person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury." (js mill). do you agree 2. 'creativity should be the highest goal of education.' discuss. 3. "in policy making, there is no such thing as 'the data', and therefore no such thing as 'acting on the data'." do you agree 4. "the translated text must add up to the original... [translation] is like a problem in math—using different numbers, the answer must be the same, different numbers must add up to the same answer." (lydia davis). discuss. 5. watch this video featuring the poet kamau braithwaite and discuss the significance of 'archives of freedom'. girton college humanities writing competition this annual competition is an opportunity for year 12 students to research and write beyond the curriculum, using one or more of the lawrence room museum objects, as their focus. essays or creative responses (such as dramatic monologues or short stories) are equally welcome. the judges are looking for the ability to connect different areas of knowledge, to think about details and to communicate clearly. archaeology fitzwilliam college archaeology essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 questions: 1. what can responses to climate in the past teach us today 2. in what ways does the study of archaeology remain political 3. how is construction and building in the past symptomatic of imminent social collapse architecture fitzwilliam college architecture design competition 2022 brief: you are challenged to design a new building somewhere on the fitzwilliam college site. this building will serve as a hub for interaction between teaching staff and students, where they can share and explore ideas. during the design process, you will need to think about what programmes or activities need to be accommodated in the new building. for instance, you can consider including spaces for social interaction such as a new cafe, as well as spaces to have quieter conversations in groups of different sizes. you must also consider possible locations for the new building within the college site, taking into consideration the other college buildings in your design, as well as the landscaped areas preserving mature trees as much as possible. this should be seen as an opportunity to create an interesting relationship between the interior and exterior spaces. you are required to submit: - project title that best describes your design intention and final design solution - design narrative of 500 words that concisely explains your design inspiration, design objective, and final design strategy developed to meet your design objective - drawings that show the following: 1) floor plan(s) of your building at 1:200 scale 2) one elevation and one section of the building that best describes main features of the design solution 3) one site plan that indicates the location of the building in relation to existing buildings in the college site. a detailed site plan showing the ground floor plans of the individual buildings is available on the essay competition website for reference, but you should produce a new drawing for the competition submission. 4) one perspective drawing of your building that highlights your design intention and shows the placement of a new building in relation to existing college buildings nearby. classics fitzwilliam college ancient world and classics essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 questions: 1. do ancient audiences / readers / listeners matter to our interpretations of ancient texts discuss with reference to any text or texts of your choice. 2. why do we need new translations of ancient texts discuss with reference to any text or texts of your choice. 3. “the ancient world was more concerned with controlling nature than conserving it.” discuss with reference to any area or period of your choice. 4. when does childhood end in the ancient world discuss with reference to any area or period of your choice. 5. why does aristotle say that people are ‘political animals’ was he right 6. how important was trade with the near east and / or egypt in any period of your choice english trinity college gould prize for essays in english literature trinity college launched the gould prize for essays in english literature in 2013. this is an annual competition for year 12 or lower 6th students. the prize has been established from a bequest made by dr dennis gould in 2004 for the furtherance of education in english literature. candidates are invited each year to submit an essay of between 1,500 and 2,500 words on a topic to be chosen from the list of questions. newnham college the woolf essay prize n 1928, virginia woolf addressed the newnham arts society on the subject of ‘women and fiction’, and from this talk emerged her seminal text, a room of one’s own. a room of one’s own raises a number of questions surrounding the place of women in society and culture, and the competition allows students to contemplate these themes and ideas while developing the independent research and writing skills essential to university-level study. 2021-22 questions: 1. ‘only the fellows and scholars are allowed here; the gravel is the place for me.’ how have female writers been inspired by limitations placed on their educational experiences you may discuss historical or modern-day examples. 2. ‘a woman might write letters while she was sitting by her father’s sick-bed. she might write them by the fire whilst the men talked without disturbing them’. how might letters add to our understanding of female writers and their work you may discuss the letters of any female author, poet or playwright. 3. ‘anonymity runs in their blood. […] they are not even now as concerned about the health of their fame as men are, and speaking generally, will pass a tombstone or a signpost without feeling an irresistible desire to cut their names into it’. should the women of the past be commemorated in a different manner to their male counterparts explain. queen’s college the estelle prize for english queens' college invites submissions for the english prize 2021, which will be awarded to the best essay submitted by a year 12 (lower sixth form) student. essays must be less that 2500 words., fitzwilliam college history essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 brief: fitzwilliam college traces its origins to 1869, when the university of cambridge launched an initiative to facilitate access to higher education for the many students who could not afford the costs of college membership. the initiative was part of the broader transformation of education in britain, as the changes wrought by industrialisation and urbanisation created a need to cater for a growing, increasingly diverse and literate population. earlier decades had already witnessed the establishment of king’s college london, durham university, and the university of london, for instance, and colleges for women were beginning to open in cambridge and oxford. these radical social and economic changes were themselves connected to the intensification of globalisation in the second half of the nineteenth century, which placed britain at the heart of an ever-tighter web of economic relations between the world’s continents. but the same year also witnessed the birth of mohandas – later mahatma – gandhi, who would come to challenge britain’s colonial rule and lead india on the path to independence; the death of alphonse de lamartine, the poet and politician who had proudly proclaimed france’s second republic in 1848, but whose final years were lived under the more authoritarian second empire; the marriage of emperor meiji, which consolidated japan’s monarchy as the country began a new process of industrialisation; and the establishment by susan b. anthony and elizabeth cady stanton of the national woman suffrage association in a united states still recovering from the civil war. in 1869, as throughout history, old and new worlds collided. we invite applicants to examine, in their essays, a topic of their choice, connected to the changes taking place in or around the year 1869. essays may focus on a particular event, a person, a political movement, or even a process of social, economic or cultural change, but they should consider the interaction of ‘old’ and ‘new’ forces which the chosen topic illuminates. fitzwilliam college rosemary horrox medieval world essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 questions: 1. how can the study of dead languages help us understand medieval cultures 2. what qualities made heroes heroic and villains villainous in medieval literature 3. how far do medieval texts give us any cause for optimism in their presentation of gender 4. did the european middle ages witness the “invention of race” 5. were war and/or rebellion the defining features of medieval society 6. “medieval europe cannot be studied in isolation from the rest of the world”. do you agree trinity college robson history prize the robson history prize is an annual competition for year 12 or lower 6th students. the prize was established in 2007 in memory of the historian robert robson, who was for many years a fellow and tutor at trinity. the aims of the robson prize are twofold: firstly, to encourage ambitious and talented year 12 or lower sixth students considering applying to university to read history or a related discipline; and secondly, to recognize the achievements both of high-calibre students and of those who teach them. 2022 questions: the robson history prize for 2022 had 94 questions in the categories of british history, european history, world history, and historiography, so head to the website for the full list. newnham college history essay prize the newnham history essay prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at uk state school. essays should be between 1500 and 2500 words. 2021-22 questions: 1. ‘historians shouldn’t be political pundits’. discuss 2. can the history of clothing tell us about anything other than changes in fashion 3. is historical change driven by great individuals, land economy fitzwilliam college land economy essay competition this essay competition is for students in year 21 or equivalent; limit of 2500 words. 2022 questions: 1. do you believe that environmentalist civil society organisations, such as extinction rebellion and greenpeace, can be effective at pushing governments to adopt environmental policies aimed at addressing the climate and ecological crises 2. ‘territorial inequality between different parts of the uk is extremely high. this undermines the principle of equality of opportunities, because individuals’ life chances crucially depend on where one happens to be born and raised.’ discuss, possibly drawing on examples from your own area of residence. 3. some argue that the covid-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the fate of inner cities and, in the future, expensive, commuter-driven urban cores will decline in favour of less compact/dense areas such as towns and the countryside. do you agree, law trinity college robert walker prize for essays in law the prize is named after an honorary fellow of the college, lord walker of gestingthorpe, a retired justice of the supreme court and former law student at trinity. essays can be of any length up to 2,000 words (including footnotes). 2022 question: ‘what responsibilities in connection with the environment and sustainability, if any, should the law assign to owners and to occupiers of land’, linguistics trinity college linguistics essay prize this annual essay competition aims to raise awareness of the systematic study of language as an interesting and multifaceted subject in and of itself. the competition is open to all students with an interest in how language works regardless of the specific subjects they are currently studying at a-level (or similar qualification). for example, it may be of interest to students taking a-levels in modern languages, english language or classics, but also to students taking psychology or mathematics. 2022 topic: ‘people who speak two or more languages or dialects sometimes switch between them within the same conversation, and even within the same sentence. what reasons make people switch languages (or dialects) why is this interesting for linguists should linguists prescribe if switching is good or bad’, philosophy trinity college philosophy essay prize the philosophy essay prize is open to year 12 or lower 6th students. the aim of the prize is to encourage able sixth formers to pursue their interest in philosophy, with the hope that they will be encouraged to read this or related subjects at university. 2022 questions: - which philosophical insight that you have come across in your life so far has been the most important one for you - what is the difference between knowledge and understanding - is truth a human invention newnham college philosophy essay prize the newnham philosophy essay prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a uk state school. it is designed to give students the opportunity to think and write about philosophy and philosophical matters in the broadest sense, while developing their independent study and writing skills. through exposure to the type of work they might be expected to do at cambridge, newnham hope to encourage philosophy applicants to the university – and hopefully to newnham, where women’s history and educational excellence are, of course, central. 2021-22 question: ‘sentences such as “a good oak tree has deep roots” can be true, and true irrespective of anybody’s opinion. in other words, such sentences can be objectively true. now, the word “good” doesn’t change its meaning just because it’s being applied to members of one species rather than another. so, sentences such as “a good human being is kind” can be objectively true as well.’ should we be convinced by this kind of argument for the objectivity of ethical judgements, politics trinity college r.a. butler politics prize the objectives of the r.a. butler prize are twofold. firstly, it aims to encourage students with an interest in modern politics and world affairs to think about undertaking university studies in politics, international studies or a related discipline; it is not limited to those already studying these subjects or indeed other social sciences. secondly, its intention is to recognise the achievements both of high-calibre students and of those who teach them. essays can be up to 3,000 words, including all footnotes and references but excluding the bibliography. 2022 questions: - whom do elected representatives, in practice, represent - are the police institutionally discriminatory -  is it ever legitimate for one country to invade another - should countries be punished for the actions of their leaders - do international regional organisations offer the best prospects for cooperation between states in the contemporary world - are international organisations biased towards the interests of wealthy countries - what should the uk be doing to help refugees - should every family own its own home - what statues should come down, and which (if any) should stay up - what policies should the uk government be implementing to ensure it meets its commitments made at the un climate change conferences, maths newnham college philippa fawcett mathematics essay prize the philippa fawcett mathematics prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a uk state school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying mathematics, statistics or further mathematics but we welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the questions below. submissions should comply with the following: • 4-6 a4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography • 12 point font minimum • 2 cm margins minimum • 2500 words max. 2021-22 questions: 1. how does mathematics protect your privacy online 2. what are the most fascinating aspects behind the mathematics of music discuss how mathematics is related to the theory of musical structures and/or instruments. 3. mathematics and climate change: what role do you think mathematics can play in guiding policy makers and in helping public understanding, medicine newnham college medicine prize the newnham college medicine prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a maintained sector uk school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying biology and chemistry, but we welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the questions below. submissions should comply with the following: • 6 a4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography • 12 point font minimum • 2 cm margins minimum • 1500-2500 words total (including footnotes and figure captions, but excluding bibliography) 2021-22 questions: 1. how realistic is it to develop a small molecule therapy for covid-19 could such a therapy be rolled out in a timeframe that it could have an impact on the current pandemic 2. sleep deprivation in clinical health settings. does it matter 3. looking to the future. will stem cell therapies be outpaced by machine-brain interfaces for the treatment of retinal disease, music newnham college music essay prize the newnham music essay prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a maintained sector uk school. it is designed to give students the opportunity to think and write about music in its broadest context, while developing their independent study and writing skills. 2021-22 questions: 1) how have improvements in transport and communications infrastructure affected the history of music – and in what ways might they do so in future 2) evaluate the challenges and opportunities presented to musical culture in a time of global pandemic. 3) in some ways music can be thought of as the ultimate interdisciplinary subject, but it is also highly specialised in other respects. examine this paradox in the context of the debate about music’s role in primary and secondary education., sciences newnham college engineering essay prize the newnham engineering prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a uk state school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying physics, mathematics, further mathematics, chemistry, biology, design and technology or economics, but they welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. 2021-22 questions: 1. what can engineers do to mitigate climate change - atmospheric levels of co2 are increasing and the world is waking up to the problem of climate change brought about by human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. as engineers, we have the skills and expertise to make a difference, providing technological solutions to reduce global carbon emissions. all engineering disciplines have a role to play and some areas are suggested below. (a) electric power generation and consumption. what are ‘renewable sources’ of electric power generation how do they work and what are their strengths and limitations are there any new sources being researched and developed that might provide solutions for the future could the uk generate all its electricity from renewable sources - how can we reduce our demand for electric power so that we don’t need to generate so much - there may be opportunities in both domestic and commercial/industrial consumption, e.g. energy efficient homes, energy-efficient manufacturing, low power consumer electronics. (b) transport. modern lifestyles involve a lot of transport, of people as well as goods. how energy-efficient are different modes of transport, and what is the potential for reducing their carbon footprint (c) construction. this sector is one of the biggest emitters of carbon globally. the carbon emissions arise from many sources, especially the huge amount of concrete used in construction projects but also including the energy to power machines. do we have any alternatives for materials or technology strategies to reduce these emissions (d) other engineering areas. technological solutions can be found in all engineering disciplines. you are encouraged to choose for the topic of your essay an example that interests you. 2. data and information engineering data and information engineering is being used everywhere around us. our life increasingly relies on data analysis, from the recent developments in the automotive sector to social media, from machine assisted surgery to law forensics. the data deluge provided by recent technological advances has made automation in data analysis necessary to identify hidden patterns of information within the considered datasets. it is also true that a fully automated world could bring new risks and dangers that did not exist even just a few years ago (e.g., the ethical dilemmas of self driving cars). write an essay on the major aspects of social awareness in ai development, and how this could impact: a) the health sector. b) government, democracy and policing. c) sustainable development. d) another major topic of your interest. you are encouraged to think about the engineering considerations related to some of these topics as well as the ethical considerations. what makes an algorithm particularly helpful or harmful newnham college biological sciences essay prize the newnham college biological sciences prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a uk state school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics, but we welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the titles overleaf. submissions should comply with the following: - 5 a4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography - 12 point font minimum - 2 cm margins minimum - 2500 words max. 2021-22 questions: 1. is biology in a reproducibility crisis 2. assess the contribution of artificial intelligence (ai) to recent scientific advances. 3. past and present: how has infection shaped the human genome newnham college computer science essay prize the computer science essay prize is open to all female students currently in year 12 (lower sixth) at a maintained sector uk school. the prize may be of particular interest to those studying computer science, mathematics, physics, or chemistry, but we welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects. entrants are invited to submit a response to any one of the questions overleaf. submissions should comply with the following: - 4-6 a4 sides maximum including all figures, diagrams, tables and bibliography - 12 point font minimum - 2 cm margins minimum - 2500 words maximum 2021-22 questions: 1. is there a fundamental difference between self-driving cars and a "slaughter army" of killer drones 2. mobile phone apps are generally written by commercial entities for private gain. if you had the same resources to design one mobile phone app that would make the world better, what would it be and how would it work, get in touch.

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Home → Study Here → Outreach → Essay Competitions

St Hugh’s essay competitions are open to Sixth Formers from the UK and across the world. These are a fantastic opportunity to explore a topic of interest in a particular subject in more depth, whether something you have studied at school has inspired you, or whether you are keen to broaden your horizons in a new academic discipline.

This year’s essay competitions are now closed. Entrants will be contacted in due course with the outcome of their entry.

To find out more about these competitions please click on the links below:

• Julia Wood – History
• Mary Renault – Classical Reception
• Kavita Singh – Politics, Philosophy, and Economics
• Gwyneth Bebb – Law

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Author: Matthew Amalfitano-Stroud

19th April 2024

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If your students are looking to take part in something that will give them valuable learning experiences and something impressive to put on their Personal Statement, then you should introduce them to the world of academic competitions, particularly those run by Oxford and Cambridge. 

Oxbridge applicants need to find ways to make themselves stand out from their competition, whether it’s through work experience, volunteering or research projects. However, one option that many applicants won’t be aware of is to apply for and take part in an academic competition. 

The benefits of taking part in these competitions are numerous even without winning, so this guide will show you some of the best competitions that you can recommend to your cohort. First, let’s take some time to discuss what these competitions are and why applicants should take part in them. 

What Are Academic Competitions?

Academic competitions are events or contests that assess participants’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in specific academic subjects or disciplines. These competitions often involve challenging tests, projects, presentations, or debates that require participants to demonstrate their understanding, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills within a particular academic field.

Academic competitions are organised at all levels, including local, regional, national, and even international levels. Generally speaking, there are competitions that cover a wide range of subjects, such as mathematics, science, literature, history, social sciences, computer science, and more. These competitions aim to promote academic excellence, foster intellectual curiosity, and provide opportunities for students to showcase their talents and achievements in their respective fields of study.

What Types of Academic Competitions are there?

Across the world, these are some of the most popular types of academic competitions that students can take part in: 

STEM Academic Competition Types

Math Competitions: Math competitions assess participants’ problem-solving skills, mathematical reasoning, and ability to apply concepts in challenging scenarios. Examples include the Mathematical Olympiad, MathCounts, and the International Mathematical Modeling Challenge.

Science Olympiads: Science Olympiads focus on different branches of science, such as physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, or environmental science. Participants may have to solve complex problems, conduct experiments, or demonstrate practical knowledge in these fields.

Robotics and Engineering Competitions: These competitions focus on designing, building, and programming robots using a variety of materials to complete specific tasks or challenges. Examples include FIRST Robotics Competition, VEX Robotics Competition and the International RoboCup.

Humanities Academic Competition Types

Model United Nations: Model United Nations (MUN) simulations involve participants representing countries or delegates in mock United Nations assemblies. They discuss and debate global issues, develop diplomatic skills, and engage in public speaking.

Language Competitions: Language competitions test participants’ proficiency in languages, such as spelling bees, vocabulary challenges, translation contests, or language proficiency exams like the DELE (Spanish) or DELF (French).

General Academic Competition Types

Quiz Bowls: These competitions involve teams or individuals answering questions in a fast-paced quiz format. They cover a wide range of subjects, including general knowledge, science, history, literature, and more. These will often be formatted into multiple rounds. 

Writing and Debating Contests: These competitions evaluate participants’ abilities in written composition, persuasive speaking, and critical thinking. They often involve essay writing, speech competitions, or debates on specific topics.

Academic Decathlons: Academic Decathlons are multi-disciplinary competitions that cover a wide range of subjects, including math, science, literature, social sciences, art, and music. Participants compete individually or as part of a team in written exams, speeches, interviews, and other activities.

Some of these competition types aren’t always that common to find in the UK, so here are some of the most well-known competition types that your students can take part in: 

UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Challenges : The UKMT organizes a range of mathematics challenges for different age groups, including the Junior Mathematical Challenge, Intermediate Mathematical Challenge, Senior Mathematical Challenge, and the British Mathematical Olympiad.

British Physics Olympiad : The British Physics Olympiad offers challenging physics competitions for students at different levels, such as the Physics Challenge, AS Challenge, A2 Challenge, and the British Physics Olympiad papers.

Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad : The Royal Society of Chemistry organizes the Chemistry Olympiad, which challenges students’ chemistry knowledge and problem-solving skills through a series of challenging exams.

Royal Society of Biology Olympiad : The Royal Society of Biology conducts an annual Olympiad to assess students’ biology knowledge and understanding at different levels, including the British Biology Olympiad and Biology Challenge.

National Science and Engineering Competition : Organized by the British Science Association, this competition invites students to present their science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) projects for a chance to showcase their creativity and innovation.

National Schools’ Debating Competitions: These competitions focus on debating skills and critical thinking. Examples include the English-Speaking Union (ESU) Schools Mace, Oxford Schools’ Debating Competition , and the Cambridge Union Schools’ Competition .

UK Linguistics Olympiad : The UK Linguistics Olympiad offers competitions that test participants’ analytical and problem-solving skills in languages and linguistics.

Young Writers’ Competitions: Various organizations and publications in the UK host writing competitions for young writers, such as the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award .

Of course, these are all competitions held on a national level by large organisations. Be sure to keep an eye out for competitions at a local level as these will be easier for your students to take part in while still offering the benefits of taking part. Speaking of which, why should your applicants apply for these competitions? Let’s find out. 

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Why Should Students Take Part In Academic Competitions?

As a teacher, you most likely already understand why students should be taking part in these competitions. However, they require a lot of time and effort and can often involve travel and other expenses. To a student, it may not seem worth it to do all this when they could spend their time studying for exams or taking part in volunteering and work placements for their personal development.  

These competitions aren’t for everyone but they should appeal to Oxbridge applicants. If they wish to attend Oxford or Cambridge, your students need to be motivated, inquisitive and have the desire to seek out opportunities and immerse themselves in their subject. Academic competitions are a great way to not only satisfy those traits but also impress the Oxbridge admissions tutors in the process. These are some of the top reasons for competing that your students should be aware of:

Application Advantages

The first and most obvious reason is the boost that the average application will receive when a student takes part in a competition. As we already mentioned, taking part in an academic competition is hard work, before even considering that most competitors will be doing this alongside their regular studies and potentially their university applications. 

A student who can follow through and complete a competition will have already shown a great deal of commitment to their subject on top of academic and time management skills. All of this will have already shown the admissions tutors at Oxbridge that the student is highly talented and has a genuine drive to study their subject. 

All of this is true no matter whether the student wins or not. Winning is obviously an even greater accolade to add to their resume, but simply entering a competition will provide a much-needed boost to their Personal Statement and interview discussion points. 

Extra Learning Experiences

Going into these competitions, a student isn’t going to know everything that comes up in the questions or everything that is required to complete a task. Therefore, they are going to learn plenty of new things when they take part. 

Whether it’s learning from error, researching issues that they had no prior knowledge of or discovering things from other contestants, they are sure to learn at least one interesting fact or new skill that will help them in their Oxbridge application.

Developing Teamwork Skills

Many competitions will see groups of contestants compete together rather than individually, so this is the perfect chance for your students to improve their camaraderie and teamwork skills. Sometimes contestants will need to apply as a team while other competitions will group contestants at random on the day. 

Either way, your students will be able to learn valuable skills such as verbal reasoning, group ideation, management, compromising and more. As some students may already have a lot of experience in group work through sports and other activities, this will be their chance to practice those skills in a high-pressure academic environment. 

Confidence Building

For students who are unsure of their skills or feel they aren’t good enough to attend Oxbridge, an academic competition may be exactly what they need to show themselves that they have the capabilities to succeed. 

Of course, this does depend on whether the student actually does have the necessary skills to be competitive, but you should be able to determine this as their teacher and advise them towards taking part in a competition should you feel it will help. 

Even if the student doesn’t win, being able to submit a high-quality piece of work or hold their own in a debate should be proof that they are more than capable of attending their desired course. 

High-Level Academic Experience

Most of your students will have not experienced academia at a higher level than their classes, which is a far cry from what they will experience at Oxbridge. While academic competitions aren’t a one-to-one simulation of the Oxbridge learning environment, students will still be able to experience the competitiveness and intellectual inspiration of being among other academics.

Many competitions are a place to experiment with new ideas while learning from others, exactly as students are expected to act when studying at Oxford and Cambridge. While this may come naturally to some, others may have difficulty adjusting so attending a competition will give them the experience they need to be prepared for Oxbridge. 

Winning Prizes

Of course, the overall goal of a competition is to win. Other than the acclaim and title of doing so, winners may also be able to win a variety of prizes that could have a massive impact on their life going forwards. Some examples include: 

• Awards (Trophies, Certificates, etc)
• Cash Prizes
• Scholarships and Bursaries 
• Internships Opportunities 
• Publication Opportunities
• Equipment and Resources

So, if any of these perks seem appealing to your students then they should definitely consider taking part in an academic competition. As we are speaking about Oxbridge applicants, let’s take a look at what competitions are run by Oxford and Cambridge.

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Oxbridge Academic Competitions

Oxford and Cambridge both host a wide variety of academic competitions, although they aren’t typically run by the universities as a whole. Instead, they are run by specific colleges, meaning many of the competitions are smaller scale. While this isn’t a comprehensive list of all Oxbridge competitions, we have selected some of the most well-known competitions that are aimed at Sixth Form students (and equivalents). Let’s start with the University of Oxford:

Oxford Academic Competitions

Oxford has a page available that is regularly updated with upcoming competitions , so be sure to check there to see what options your students have to enter. Here are some of the competitions that Oxford currently hold for students: 

The Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize

College: 

Competition Type

Competition Date: 

The Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize is an essay writing competition described as an opportunity for students to “write about a subject they are interested in” within the subject of philosophy. Students’ works are assessed by the following criteria:

• Originality of thought
• An accurate understanding of the issues
• Clarity of structure and expression
• And a critical approach to what has been read

The word limit for this essay is 2,500 and all submissions need to be sent digitally to [email protected] . Prizes available include £250 for the winner and £150 for the runner up. 

Theology Essay Competition

• 9th June (Deadline)

In the Theology Essay Competition , applicants must answer one of five questions relating to Theology. Answers are written as essays, with a maximum length of 1,500 words. It is stated that applicants must answer these questions individually and schools should submit no more than three essays. 

The essays are marked by a panel of theologians who are looking for “carefully researched, well-structured and well-presented” that also demonstrate verbal reasoning and critical awareness. The prize for the best essay is £300, with smaller prizes sometimes given to runner-ups.

The Oxford Scientist Schools’ Science Writing Competition

In this Science Writing Competition , run by the University of Oxford’s independent science magazine, students must write an essay based on a prompt relating to science. Previous questions have been fairly topical, tackling topics like COVID-19 and climate change, so your students should be sure to keep an eye on current trends in science if they wish to enter this competition. 

The essay must not exceed 700 words and the judges will be looking for quality in “topic, relevance, writing style and grammar, interest to a general audience, and factual accuracy”. Prizes for the winning essay change from year-to-year. 

The University of Oxford is less prolific when it comes to its annual competitions, although it does still run a wide variety of one-off competitions throughout the year. Be sure to check their website regularly to stay up to date on the current competitions that are underway. 

The University of Cambridge holds a lot more annual competitions, many of which are handled by Trinity College, so let’s take a look at some of them: 

Cambridge Academic Competitions

Gould prize for essays in english literature.

• 1st August (Deadline)
• Year 12/Lower Sixth

The Gould Prize was established in 2013 and sees applicants answer one of several questions. These questions can vary from analysis of passages to general statements to discuss. It is said that the award was created to increase students’ interest in reading, recognise achievements in writing and encourage students to apply for English at Cambridge. 

Essays can be between 1,500 and 2,500 words long and must be submitted via the entry form on the Trinity College website. The winner receives £600 while second place gets £400 although these cash prizes are split between the student and their school. 

Languages and Cultures Essay Prize

The Languages and Cultures Essay Prize sees students write an essay based on one of a series of topics relating to cultural and language-based topics. The prompts given to students include: 

“It is difficult to craft a form of protest using words that have been appropriated by power.” Discuss.

“It is easier to control the power and message of images than of words.” Discuss.

“Language is a more powerful indicator and agent of inclusion and/or exclusion than any image.” Discuss.

The essay must be a maximum of 3,000 words and should be submitted via an online application form. The top prize is £600 to be split between the student and their school, while 2nd place wins £400 with the same stipulation. 

Linguistics Essay Prize

Contestants of the Linguistics Essay Prize must write a 3,000-word essay discussing a prompt given by the college. There is only one prompt so applicants cannot choose what they answer. In 2023, the prompt is as follows:

“What are the implications for fairness or bias when an Artificial Intelligence system learns about language from online resources? Discuss with relevance to how language can be influenced by social variables such as age, race, gender, and social hierarchies.”

The college states that the competition is suitable for applicants from a wide variety of subjects, from Linguistics to Classics to Mathematics. Essays must be submitted via an online form on the college website, were students will also find a collection of free resources to help the research the topic of the essay. The prizes for this competition are £600 for 1st place and £400 for 2nd place, each split equally between the contestant and school.  

Philosophy Essay Prize

• 31st May (Deadline)

The Philosophy Essay Prize was created to encourage Sixth Formers to engage their interest in Philosophy in a way that will benefit their applications. Contestants must submit an essay discussing one of two prompts: 

“There is progress in science. Is there progress in philosophy, and is the field only successful if there is?”

“Can we love someone more than ourselves, and what does this imply about the human condition?”

Essays should be 2,000 words or less and should be submitted to the college via the online application form. The winner receives £600 to split equally between themselves and the school, while the runner-up receives £400 to also be split.

R.A. Butler Prize

The R.A. Butler Prize is an essay competition for those with an interest in Politics and International Studies. Contestants will write an essay that answers one of various questions provided by the organisers, where they will be expected to provide references in their work and “use a diverse selection of contemporary, historical or literary examples”. 

The essay should not exceed 3,000 words and needs to be submitted using an online application form. The top prize is £600, which will be shared between the student and their school. The second-place winner receives £400 under the same conditions.

Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law

• 11th April (Deadline)

As the name suggests, the Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law is aimed at students interested in Law. The award is named after Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe and was created to encourage students to explore their interests in Law and apply to study Law and Cambridge. Essays are judged by the “development of argument, the quality of expression and the appropriate use of supporting facts and material” .

The essay must be no longer than 2,000 words and should be submitted on the college website via an application form. There are winners in two divisions, UK and International, who each receive £300 for first place and £200 for runner-ups. As well as this, the top 10 writers from each division will be “invited to a Prize Ceremony at Trinity to see the College and to meet the Law Fellows” .

Robson History Prize

Like other Trinity College competitions, the Robson History Prize was created as a way to encourage students with an interest in History to interact with the subject and apply to study at Cambridge. Contestants must submit a 3,000-word essay answering one of over 60 available questions covering a wide variety of topics. Questions in 2023 include: 

“Why did divorce rise so dramatically over the course of the twentieth century in Britain?”

“Does the American constitution owe more to the ideas of whigs or of royalists?”

“What role did seventeenth-century natural philosophers regard experimentation as playing in natural science? Discuss with reference to one or more of Francis Bacon, Robert Boyle, and Isaac Newton.”

“Why, and how effectively, did the Roman authorities persecute Christians?”

Essays should include all references within the bibliography and must be submitted via the online application form found on the website. The top prize is £600 to split between the student and their school while 2nd place receives £400 to split as well. 

Fitzwilliam College Architecture Design Competition

• Fitzwilliam
• 1st March (Deadline)

The Fitzwilliam College Architecture Design Competition is an annual competition for those interested in architecture. This is a design task that sees applicants aim to design a new building and present a full project including a title, design narrative and various sketches. In 2023, the task was to design a building within Fitzwilliam College that would act as a place for students and teachers to interact. Applicants must register to take part in this competition before submitting work via [email protected] .

Registered contestants are typically invited to campus in February for a guided tour of the college campus to provide visual inspiration for their designs. Submissions are then due at the beginning of March. The top prizes are £300 and £200 as well as £25 book vouchers to commended applicants. 

Girton College Humanities Writing Competition

The Girton College Humanities Writing Competition isn’t strictly an essay competition but is rather a general writing competition. Contestants are required to write a piece focusing on one or more items from the Lawrence Room Museum. It is stated that this can be written in multiple formats, be it an essay, a short story or a monologue. 

The top prize is £200 and up to £200 worth of Cambridge Press books which will be shared out between the winner and their school. 

As we said, this list only scratches the surface of the competition available at Oxbridge. As well as even more annual competitions, you will also find a wide variety of one-off competitions held throughout the year. We would recommend additional research with your students to find competitors for various colleges that relate to their subject of interest. 

If you want to learn more about what you, as a teacher should know about the university admissions process for Oxford and Cambridge, be sure to explore our Teacher’s Hub today for guides covering every step of your student’s application. Alternatively, you can find out how UniAdmissions can provide you with the ultimate preparation programme for your Oxbridge applicants through our unique and comprehensive formula. 

Other Helpful Oxbridge Resources

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Sunway - Oxbridge Essay Competition 202 3

Submit your essay entries from 3 April to 22 May 2023 (Extended Submission Deadline) ! Stand a chance to win up to RM 172,000 in Sunway Bursaries* and RM 28,000 worth of prizes! 👀

This competition is open to all Form 1 to Form 5 Malaysian students from all schools except those using an international syllabus.

Age group for the contesting categories are:

•        Category A: Form 1 – 3

Write an essay in 200 – 350 words on “What do you see as your responsibilities in building our nation?”

•        Category B: Form 4 – 5

Write an essay in 500 – 650 words on “Look at our society. What is the single most distressing problem our people are facing? How could your generation help to address this issue?”

Click here to submit your essay online starting 3 April 2023 onwards: www.sunway.com.my/essay

For more information, you may contact Ms Cindy 0192692257 or Ms Naomi 0193878454

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• anjaliraghbeer
• Aug 12, 2023

Exploring the World of Oxbridge Essay Competitions: List of 10 Competitions and Subject Categories

Oxford and Cambridge, two prestigious universities located in the United Kingdom, are renowned for their rigorous academic standards and intellectual excellence. Among the many opportunities they offer, Oxbridge essay competitions stand out as a unique platform for students to showcase their critical thinking, research abilities, and passion for their chosen subjects. In this blog, we will delve into the world of Oxbridge essay competitions, providing you with 10 examples across various subject categories.

Humanities:

a) English Literature: The Oxford English Essay Prize invites students to explore literary themes, analyze texts, and develop well-structured arguments.

b) History: Cambridge's Historical Essay Competition covers a wide range of historical periods and encourages students to engage with primary and secondary sources.

Social Sciences:

a) Economics: The Marshall Society Essay Competition, organized by Cambridge, focuses on contemporary economic issues, requiring students to apply economic theories to real-world problems.

b) Politics and International Relations: The Oxford Political Review's Essay Competition offers students the chance to discuss political theories, analyze global events, and propose policy solutions.

a) Biological Sciences: The Oxford Biology Essay Competition explores topics such as genetics, ecology, and biotechnology, promoting critical thinking and scientific communication skills.

b) Physics: Cambridge's Woolf Essay Prize challenges students to delve into complex physics concepts, encouraging original thinking and clear explanations.

Mathematics and Computer Science:

a) Mathematics: The Oxford Mathematical Institute runs an essay competition that encourages students to explore mathematical concepts, solve problems, and present their findings concisely.

b) Computer Science: Cambridge's Computer Science Essay Prize asks students to tackle cutting-edge technological issues, discuss the social implications of computer science, and propose innovative solutions.

Philosophy and Theology:

a) Philosophy: The Oxford Philsoc Philosophy Essay Prize invites students to engage with philosophical ideas, argue for or against philosophical positions, and develop logical reasoning skills.

b) Theology: Cambridge's Theology and Religious Studies Essay Prize encourages students to explore religious texts, engage with theological debates, and critically analyze different religious traditions.

Creative Writing:

a) Poetry: The Oxford University Poetry Society's (OUPS) Poetry Competition invites aspiring poets to submit their original works, allowing them to express their creativity and showcase their poetic talent.

b) Short Story: Cambridge's The Thomas Campion English Prize for Creative Writing challenges students to craft compelling short stories, demonstrating their storytelling skills and imaginative prowess.

Conclusion:

Oxbridge essay competitions provide an exceptional opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of various subjects, refine their research and analytical skills, and engage with academia at a higher level. The examples mentioned above represent just a fraction of the wide range of competitions available across numerous disciplines. By participating in these competitions, students not only enhance their academic profiles but also gain valuable experience that prepares them for future studies and careers. So, if you have a passion for a particular subject, don't hesitate to explore the world of Oxbridge essay competitions and embark on an intellectual journey like no other.

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Classics Essay Competition 2024

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This competition is open to all students currently studying at a UK School or College in Year 12 (Lower Sixth) or equivalent, whether or not they are currently studying a Classical or Ancient subject. Each student may submit one essay (only) of up to 2,000 words on any of the following four questions:

1 Classical Literature : 'You wander to and fro...but all you achieve is to make the problem worse' (Seneca Letter 28). Is travel in ancient literature always a bad idea?'

2 Ancient History : ‘How far did ancient Greek and Roman travellers go, and why did they not get any further?’

3 Ancient Philosophy : ‘Early Greek philosophers treat motion as identical to change. Are they right?’

4 Archaeology : ‘How and why did similar images or artistic motifs move in the ancient world? (Please focus in your answer on transmission between media/material/type of object, or across time, or between different places.)’

Prizes Awarded

A £100 book token will be awarded to the best essay in each category and an additional £75 book token to the overall winner. A further £75 book token will be awarded to the best essay submitted by a pupil who has not previously studied a Classical or Ancient subject. All applicants will receive a certificate of entry.

Visit St John's - Subject Exploration Day

Students who submit an entry to the Classics Essay Competition are invited to our Classics and Ancient History Subject Exploration Day on the 1st May . This is a chance to visit St John's College and sample lectures delivered by our resident tutors.

How Do I Apply?

You can submit your essay to [email protected] . Please have the subject line: "Classics Essay Competition: [First Name] [Surname] Question [Number]". Please attach this as a PDF, and ensure that your name is not included in the actual document.

The deadline for submission of the essay is Friday 8th March .

For the Subject Exploration Day, please submit an application to this form:

https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/oxford/2024-subject-exploration-classics

Advice and Guidance

The competition gives students currently studying any subjects at a UK School or College, in Year 12 or equivalent, an opportunity to write an essay on the classical world. The organizers are interested in providing an occasion for independent research, to encourage curiosity and reflection in those who have studied the ancient world before and those who have not.

The essay titles have been chosen to take account of research interests of our tutors and to encourage the widest possible approach to investigation of the ancient world.

All primary texts can be considered in translation or in the original language. Where either primary or secondary sources have been used they should be acknowledged with full references given.

All essays should:

• Be word-processed with double-spaced lines, and saved in a PDF format.
• Include ONLY your initials and date of birth in your header or footer (to allow anonymous marking).
• Be no more than 2000 words in length.

Need help getting started?

If you would like some suggestions on where to get started with your research, these resources may be a good place to start:

• https://classicalassociation.org/resources/
• https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/home.html
• https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collection%3Fcollection%3DPerseus:collection:Greco-Roman
• https://classicsforall.org.uk/reading-room

2023 Essay Competition Report

For information regarding last year's report, which highlights the strengths of the winning essays, please click here.

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Open Oxbridge

Free application advice from a Cambridge student

Tag: Essay Competitions

Essay competitions.

When it comes to applying to university, experience in an essay competition can be helpful in a number of ways:

• Writing an essay demonstrates that you are passionate and committed to your subject
• Researching for the essay shows that you can study independently, an essential skill at any university
• Exploring a topic within your subject, beyond the bounds of the usual school curriculum, gives you things to talk about in a personal statement or interview
• Delving into a topic might reveal new passions or interests which you can follow up on and expand your reading/writing around your subject

Not to mention, many competitions carry cash prizes for the winners!

The following essay competitions are grouped by broad subject areas and are, for the most part, annual. The dates for each competition change each year, so the timescales are tagged with seasons to give you a rough idea as to when they open/close. If any of these links are broken, please notify me via the contact form.

I would strongly recommend you look at essay competitions in related fields. An essay competition from one subject could definitely be worthwhile for someone wanting to study another subject. For example, many history competitions ask questions relevant to politics and other social sciences. The categories below are mostly guidelines, so do check competitions in subjects similar to yours.

Humanities and Social Sciences

• The Pembroke Tyler Essay Prize – Pembroke College Oxford

Archaeology

• Archaeology – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, Spring/Summer
• Humanities Writing Competition – Girton College Cambridge

Architecture

• Architecture – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, Spring/Summer

Art History

• NCH Essay Competition – NCH
• Ancient World/Classics – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, Spring/Summer
• The Mary Renault Prize – St Hugh’s College Oxford
• Classics and Ancient History Essay Competition – St John’s College Oxford
• Economics Essay – John Locke Institute, Summer
• Corpus Dixit Essay Prize for Economics – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• Young Economist of the Year Competition – Royal Economic Society
• The Marshall Society Essay Competition – Marshall Society (Cambridge Economics Society)

English Literature

• Gould Prize For Essays In English Literature – Trinity College Cambridge, Summer
• Thomas Campion English Prize – Peterhouse College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• Corpus Christopher Marlowe Prize for English – Corpus Christi College Cambridge – Winter/Spring
• The Estelle Prize for English – Queens’ College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• Christopher Tower Poetry Competition – Tower Poetry
• The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition – Royal Commonwealth Society
• Connell Guides Essay Prize – Connell Guides
• Corpus Essay Prize for Geography – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring –  https://www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate-study/admissions-events/essay-competitions
• Young Geographer of the Year – Royal Geographical Society –  https://www.rgs.org/schools/competitions/young-geographer-of-the-year/
• History Essay – John Locke Institute, Summer
• Robson History Prize – Trinity College Cambridge, Summer
• Vellacott History Prize – Peterhouse College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• History Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge
• Woolf Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge,  relevant to many subjects other than history
• The Julia Wood Prize – St Hugh’s College Oxford, opens February each year

Land Economy

• Land Economy – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge
• Corpus Essay Competition for Languages and Linguistics – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• Russian Studies – Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, Spring/Summer
• Modern and Medieval Languages Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge
• Robert Walker Prize For Essays In Law – Trinity College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• Politics and Law Essay – John Locke Institute, Summer

Linguistics

• Linguistics Essay Prize – Trinity College Cambridge, Summer
• Corpus Prize for Harmony – Corpus Christi College Cambridge
• Styler Choral Composition Prize – Corpus Christi College Cambridge
• Music Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge
• Philosophy Essay – John Locke Institute, Summer
• Philosophy Essay Prize – Trinity College Cambridge, Spring
• Philosophy Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge
• Edgar Jones Philosophy Essay Competition – St Peter’s College Oxford, Summer
• Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize – Oriel College Oxford, Spring/Summer

Politics and International Relations

• R.A. Butler Politics Prize – Trinity College Cambridge, March to September
• Corpus Bacon Prize for Politics and International Relations – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• Corpus Hosykn Prize for Theology – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• St John’s Theology Essay Competition – St John’s College Oxford, Summer

Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics

• The Oxford Scientist School Science Writing Competition – Oxford University

Engineering

• The Engineering Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge

Life Sciences Essays

• Kelvin Science Prize – Peterhouse College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• Corpus Rackham Essay Prize for Biology – Corpus Christi College Cambridge, Winter/Spring
• Biological Sciences Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge

Physical Sciences Essays

• Weston-Smith Physical Sciences Essay Prize – Newnham College Cambridge

Summer School Scholarship Competitions

• Cambridge Immerse  – you choose the topic
• Reach Cambridge  – there is one question which you interpret and answer

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Watch our Explainer Video

How Our Essay Competition Works

Submit your entry.

Research and write your essay and then submit it, along with your references, via our short form below.

Entries close at 9pm UK time on 15th April 2024 !

Awards Ceremony

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our Awards Ceremony in May 2024, where the winners will be announced.

Over £100,000 Worth of Academic Prizes

Free Conference place

The first thousand students who are successfully shortlisted will be awarded a free place at one of our OxBright Conferences (worth £95) in the autumn. Alternatively, you can put this credit towards an Online Course or Online Internship .

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our online Awards Ceremony in May 2024, where the winners will be announced.

Matilda Winner, History, 2023

I’m both thrilled and flabbergasted at the outcome of the competition.

Winning this competition undoubtedly made me feel much more confident in researching and writing in my field from now on, opening a lot of new doors for me!

Regina Winner, Psychology, 2023

I’m very happy and grateful to win such a meaningful competition. I truly learned a lot.

My advice to anyone considering entering is to try to think deeper and further about your chosen topic.

Alex Winner, Philosophy, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Entering the essay competition, how will entering the oxbright essay competition help me in the future, why do you run an essay competition.

OxBright is about giving students the edge to help them to succeed, find their purpose and make a difference in the world.

We think it’s the greatest time to be alive, but we’re aware that young people face challenges their predecessors didn’t. We’re passionate about encouraging students to be optimistic about the future by being active thinkers interested in collaborating to create a better future for the long-term. You can read more about this in our Worldview .

Our essay competition combines these two elements – encouraging students to think actively about the future, and giving them tools to help them to succeed.

Who can enter?

Anyone can enter – the only eligibility criteria is that you must be aged between 15-18. You don’t need to have previously joined an OxBright programme in order to take part.

Kindly be aware that to be eligible to take up any of the free places offered as prizes, such as our online courses/internships, winning students must be between the ages of 15 and 18 at the commencement of the programme.

Can I write more than one essay?

Sorry, we only accept one essay per student in each Essay Competition. This is due to the volume of essays we receive.

Can I enter jointly with a friend?

No, we can only accept entries from individuals, and it’s important to make sure that your work is entirely your own.

Is there a fee to enter the OxBright Essay Competition?

No, the essay competition is completely free to enter.

When is the entry deadline?

The deadline has been extended, and is now the 15th April 2024, at 9pm.

Are you connected to any university?

No, OxBright is an independent education organisation which is not connected to any university.

Where can I see the results of the Essay Competition 2023?

You can see the results of our previous Essay Competition, including the winning essay in full, here .

Writing Your Essay

What are the subject categories i can enter for, how long should my essay be.

There are three parts to the essay:

• Essay title: the title of your essay can be up to 100 characters long, including spaces
• Essay: your essay can have up to 3,800 characters , including spaces (this is about 500 words). This includes everything you write, like the main text and in-text citations. In-text citations are little notes you put in your essay to show where your information came from. For example, if you quote something from a book by John Smith, you would add (Smith, 2010, p. 50) right after the quote. These citations are part of your word count, so make sure to include them
• References: as for references, there’s no word limit – you can include as many as you need! These are important for showing where your information came from. Please use the Harvard Referencing Style for your references (you can find how to do this in the guidelines provided here ). This won’t count towards your essay character limit, so please list all the sources you used

What are the evaluation criteria?

We’ll be assessing essays on the following criteria:

• Fluency of written English
• Relevance to the question
• Creativity and originality of ideas
• Use of evidence or examples
• Relevance to the OxBright Worldview

Should I use references?

Please make sure to include references to your sources, using the Harvard Referencing Style (guidelines here ).

What makes a good essay?

Make sure to read our criteria carefully (you can find it in the FAQ above).

We want essays that are thoroughly researched, packed with examples and solid evidence. What really catches our attention are essays with unique analysis. So, we’re not just interested in essays that simply describe things – we want your thoughts, analysis, and fresh ideas.

Don’t forget, it’s crucial to use and mention trustworthy sources for the evidence you provide.

Do you accept personal or descriptive essays?

We’re looking for clear, concise and compelling answers to the question above, written and formatted in an academic style. Please don’t submit personal essays or creative writing samples.

What Happens Next?

When will i hear the results.

We’ll be in touch within two weeks of your entry to let you know whether or not you’ve been shortlisted (all entrants who meet our core standards of relevance and coherence will be shortlisted).

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to our Awards Ceremony in May 2024, when the winners in each subject category will be announced.

How are essays assessed?

You can read about the criteria we use to assess your essay in the FAQ above (“What are the evaluation criteria?”).

Essays are assessed using our proprietary system which combines a mixture of technology and personal assessment. Essays which are deemed to be plagiarised or be written by AI will be rejected and our decision on this is final.

There are two stages to our assessment process:

Shorlisting Our first stage assessment reviews whether the essay is relevant and coherent. If so, your essay will be shortlisted, you will be offered a free place at an OxBright Conference and you will be invited to the Awards Ceremony.

Awards Shortlised essays are then given further assessment by our panel. This includes a review of the References. In the application form, we ask for a the name of a teacher who is familiar with your academic work. If your essay is nominated for an Award, we will ask this teacher to confirm that the essay was genuinely written by you.

What are the prizes?

Please click here for more information about the prizes and awards.

Why is the overall prize a place at Oxford Scholastica in 2025, not 2024?

Will i receive feedback.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of entries received, we are unable to provide feedback on essays.

Does everyone who enters get a free place at a Conference?

The first thousand students to who make a valid submission and are shortlisted will be invited to attend an OxBright Conference of their choice, free of charge (worth £95). Conference subjects include Business, Medicine, Law and Psychology. It is optional to attend a Conference.

Alternatively, you’ll be able to choose to apply the £95 credit toward another programme with us.

Does everyone receive a certificate?

Only students who win one of the awards receive a certificate. Certificates are issued in online format.

Do you publish the names of the award winners?

Yes, award winners will be published on our website after the Awards Ceremony.

How can I pass on some feedback about the essay competition?

Oxford Essay Competitions

Essay competitions are brilliant for a number of reasons!

You can use them to:

Here are some of the essay competitions currently open for submissions. Be sure to check any eligibility criteria, requirements and deadlines. This page will be updated when new competitions are announced, so check back regularly! The University also publishes a regularly updated page 🔗 on essay competitions.

Christ Church College, Tower Poetry Competition: English 🔗 🌟 This year, students aged 16-18 were invited to submit their original poetry based on the prompt ‘The Planets’. The competition offers a huge first prize of £3000! This year's competition closed at 12 noon on 24th February 2023. Remember to check back later in 2023 to find out when the 2024 deadline will be.

Oriel College, Lloyd David Philosophy Prize 🔗 Entrants are given a set of philosophical questions from which they will choose one to write an essay on. The judges look for evidence of originality, clarity and critical thinking. Check back to see when Applications open. You can read past winners' essays via the above link.

Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages Flash Fiction: French and Spanish 🔗 These are open to any secondary school students (aged 11 to 18) studying French and/or Spanish. You need to write a complete story in French or Spanish, using no more than 100 words! Deadline: 12 noon on 31 March 2023.

Did you spot a typo or formatting issue? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected] .

Malaysian Students Can Win Bursaries, Cash Prizes & More By Flexing Their Writing Skills

There's also a category that's open to Malaysian secondary school teachers.

By Gowri Chitra — 09 Mar 2021, 11:28 AM

• #saysspotlight
• #competition
• #sunwayoxbridge
• #sponsored:sunwaygroup:090321

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This Spotlight is sponsored by Sunway Group.

Calling all secondary school students, Sunway Group’s Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition is back again!

As with the previous iterations, the Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition 2021 aims to promote and boost English proficiency among schools using the Malaysian syllabus nationwide. Now in its eighth year, it is said to be the longest-running and most popular essay competition locally. Established in 2014, the competition has drawn a combined total of 19,042 participants to date.

Open to secondary school students, the competition is divided into two categories—Category A (Form 1 - Form 3 students) and Category B (Form 4 and Form 5 students)

Additionally, a new category has been introduced this year—Category C, which is open to Malaysian secondary school teachers. All Malaysian secondary school students and teachers can participate in the Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition 2021, except for those using international syllabus.

To join the Sunway-Oxbridge Competition 2021, participants are required to submit original and unpublished English-language essays based on this year’s theme of 'Health and well-being'

Participants are only allowed to submit one essay each. Here are the requirements for each category: Category A Word count: Minimum of 200 and maximum of 350 words Topic: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the challenges of online learning throughout Malaysia. What could make this better? Category B Word count: Minimum of 500 and maximum of 650 words Topic: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the challenges of online learning throughout Malaysia. How could this be alleviated in the future? Category C Word count: Minimum of 1,000 and maximum of 1,500 words Topic: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the challenges of online education throughout Malaysia. How could this be alleviated in the future?

The judging panel is made up of members of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia, as well as English teachers from the Ministry of Education

To stand a chance of winning, your essay must show the following: - Originality and flair - A link to academic standards - Competent use of English as a written language, including proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation 50 finalists from the Klang Valley and 10 to 20 finalists from each venue in other parts of the country will be chosen for the on-site final.

Photo used for illustration purposes only.

Finalists from Categories A and B will be notified via email, and will then have to attend a sit-down essay competition on 29 May at selected locations nationwide. Accommodation and travel costs to the locations must be borne by the finalists. Then, 13 winners will be chosen from each category. If you're one of the lucky winners, you will be notified via email to attend the prize-giving ceremony on 10 July at Sunway University in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur. As for Category C, there is no on-site final.

Check out the awesome prizes up for grabs:

Categories A & B First prize: RM5,000 in cash, a full Sunway bursary, 10,000 Sunway Pals Points, and award certificate, and a trophy Second prize: RM3,000 in cash, a Sunway bursary worth RM15,000, 10,000 Sunway Pals Points, an award certificate, and a trophy Third prize: RM1,000 in cash, a Sunway bursary worth RM10,000, 10,000 Sunway Pals Points, an award certificate, and a trophy Consolation prize x 10: RM500 in cash, a Sunway bursary worth RM5,000, 10,000 Sunway Pals Points, an award certificate, and a medal Category C Champion: A laptop and a certificate of commendation Consolation prize x 4: A token of appreciation and a certificate of commendation

All entries must be submitted through the official portal by 1pm on 31 March, so hurry up and get writing. Good luck, gais!

The Sunway-Oxbridge Essay Competition is organised by Sunway Group, the Oxford and Cambridge Society Malaysia, Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, and Sunway University, with support from Sunway PALS. The competition is fully endorsed by the Ministry of Education.

Click here for more information.

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Oxbridge Essay Competition Suggestions??

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THE OXBRIDGE LAUNCHPAd

Winning essays 2023, joint winner : xanthe foster, biology, joint winner : lily blackhurst, law, runner-up : yemisi oguntimirin, politics, runner-up : hiyab gebremeskel, medicine, shortlist: varya mishra, medicine, shortlist: kitty langdon, classics, shortlist:  kevin vross, engineering, shortlist:  ilan cohen, economics, shortlist:  allegra cucos, law, shortlist:  yahya a, law, shortlist:  shahid grera, medicine.

Congratulations again to all who entered our 2023 essay competition! We hope you enjoyed researching your essays, and that it helps you with your UCAS applications this autumn. If you'd like the chance to be published here next year, and are state-educated 15-17 year old in the UK, watch this space for info in 2024!

News | 2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize opens for entries

2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize opens for entries

Essay competition.

The 2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize has opened for entries from Year 12 students.

Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, in 1933, Ralston “Rex” Nettleford was a scholar and a social critic as well as a choreographer and activist. In 1957 he studied for an MPhil in Political Science at Oriel College, Oxford, with a Rhodes Scholarship. Then after his studies he returned to Jamaica to take on a role at the University of the West Indies, where in due course he would be appointed Vice-Chancellor.

The essay prize aims to recognise Rex’s contributions to scholarship, education and culture while encouraging students to engage with the lasting influence of colonialism and uncomfortable questions posed by it.

Candidates are asked to submit an answer to one of four questions before Friday 15 March 2024. Prizes will be awarded at Oriel College on the occasion of the 2024 Rex Nettleford Lecture on Colonialism and its Legacies during Trinity term.

While British colonialism sets the specific context for the competition, candidates may address any geographical centre of colonialism in their essays.

At the 2023 Rex Nettleford Lecture Ekow Eshun, Chairman of the Fourth Plinth, talked about how recent works of visual art by the African diaspora are imagining new ways of being Black which are free from the restraints that the legacy of colonialism places on Black people.

The winners of the 2023 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize were Isaac Gavaghan and Rufus Shutter. Special commendations also went to Fatima Dambatta, Elicia Brance and Raian Gantra.

To find out more about the 2024 Rex Nettleford Essay Prize, including details on how to enter, click here .

Update: Two golds for Oriel athletes at Paris 2024 Olympic Games

John donne’s personal copy of law book rediscovered in senior library, british composer elected visiting fellow in music at oriel college.