$1,500 Annual Essay Writing Contest Scholarship

IvyPanda.com provides $1500 in scholarships annually for talented students who demonstrate mastery of essay writing. Scholarships will be awarded to two winners: the winner will receive $1,000; the runner-up prize is $500.

Eligibility

We will accept submissions from current high school, college, or university students from any country. The winners will be required to send us proof of their academic status or enrollment.

Submission requirements

  • Write an essay on one of the following topics:

    • AI in modern education is boon or bane?
    • Cyberbullying: should schools take responsibility?
    • Mental health challenges on students: how to deal with difficult emotions?

    Your essay must:

    • Have a word count of 500-700 words (excluding title, header, and works cited page)
    • Be written in the US or UK English
    • Be 100% plagiarism-free
    • Be submitted in .doc or .docx format
    • Follow MLA style to format the paper and cite sources (download our MLA checklist to check your formatting)
    • Have three or more sources cited on the Works Cited page
    • The filename should be [IvyPanda Writing Contest_Last Name]
  • Follow our X or Instagram; like and share the post with the contest description pinned on our social media pages.
  • Send us an email at [email protected] with “IvyPanda Writing Contest Submission” as the subject line and the following content inside (in this particular order):
    • Direct link to your essay in Google Docs
    • Your proof of enrollment
    • The screenshot proving that you followed our social media
    • The screenshot of the post with the contest description shared on your social media
    • The answer to the question: “Where did you find out about the IvyPanda Contest?”

Each participant may submit only one essay and win just one award.

Evaluation

All submitted works will be evaluated by a team of highly qualified writers and editors based on the following criteria:

  • Referencing system (10)
  • Grammar, punctuation, and spelling (20)
  • Organization (20)
  • Content and Ideas (20)
  • Use of Language and Style (30)

The winners will be determined based on our editors’ team evaluation.

The best essays will be published on the IvyPanda blog.

Awards

Winners will be announced on this page as well as on the IvyPanda blog.

To receive their awards, the winners must provide proof of enrollment or study. If they cannot or will not provide this confirmation, the award will be given to the next appropriate participant in line.

Frequently asked questions!

I sent my essay but didn't get a response. How can I make sure you received my submission?
If you experience a delay in response to your submission, it is likely due to the large number of submissions we have received. We recommend you wait a few days before emailing us again at [email protected].
I missed the deadline! When can I apply again?!
The Essay Contest is annual. Next year's important dates will be updated on this page within a couple of weeks of the announcement of this year's winners. You can apply to our Annual Video Contest here: https://ivypanda.com/scholarship-video. Make sure to follow us on social media so you don't miss any announcements!
What is considered proof of academic enrolment?
You can find the list of acceptable documents here: https://developers.google.com/open-source/gsoc/help/proof-of-enrollment
Can I request details regarding the evaluation of my submission (mistakes, number of points, etc.)?
Please email us at [email protected]. However, please note that the evaluation team is dealing with a large number of submissions, so it may take us some time to get back to you.
Can I apply again if I participated last year? What about winners of previous contests?
Yes and Yes. You are very welcome to participate again!
Do the essay prompts stay the same each contest?
No, we update the topics every year.

Disclaimer: By submitting your application, you confirm that you understand the Contest rules and criteria and agree to accept the decision of the judges. You agree to allow us to edit, upload for public access, share, and use your essay in other ways at our discretion.