The Summer Cohort Priority Application Deadline is March 17, 2024.  

Click here to apply.

One__3_-removebg-preview.png

Featured Posts

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

8 Tips to Help With Pricing Your College Admissions Counseling Services

8 Ivy League Summer Programs for Middle School Students

8 Ivy League Summer Programs for Middle School Students

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

IOAA (International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics) - 10 Tips to Help You Win

10 Research Opportunities for Middle School Students

10 Research Opportunities for Middle School Students

10 Prestigious Research Programs for Middle School Students

10 Prestigious Research Programs for Middle School Students

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

8 Skills You Need for a Successful Business in College Counseling

10 College Search Websites that You Should Check Out

10 College Search Websites that You Should Check Out

7 Best Humanities Programs for High School Students

7 Best Humanities Programs for High School Students

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

How To Start an College Admissions Counseling Business - 10 Awesome Tips to Keep in Mind

10 Online Courses for College Credit that Every High Schooler Should Check Out

10 Online Courses for College Credit that Every High Schooler Should Check Out

  • 12 min read

The Ultimate Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition

Humanities and social sciences students often lack the opportunities to compete at the global level and demonstrate their expertise. Competitions like ISEF, Science Talent Search, and MIT Think are generally reserved for students in fields like biology, physics, and chemistry.

At Lumiere, many of our talented non-STEM students, who have a flair for writing are looking for ways to flex their skills. In this piece, we’ll go over one such competition - the John Locke Essay Competition. If you’re interested in learning more about how we guide students to win essay contests like this, check out our main page .

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

The essay competition is one of the various programs conducted by the John Locke Institute (JLI) every year apart from their summer and gap year courses. To understand the philosophy behind this competition, it’ll help if we take a quick detour to know more about the institute that conducts it.

Founded in 2011, JLI is an educational organization that runs summer and gap year courses in the humanities and social sciences for high school students. These courses are primarily taught by academics from Oxford and Princeton along with some other universities. The organization was founded by Martin Cox. Our Lumiere founder, Stephen, has met Martin and had a very positive experience. Martin clearly cares about academic rigor.

The institute's core belief is that the ability to evaluate the merit of information and develop articulate sound judgments is more important than merely consuming information. The essay competition is an extension of the institute - pushing students to reason through complex questions in seven subject areas namely Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law​.

The organization also seems to have a strong record of admissions of alumni to the top colleges in the US and UK. For instance, between 2011 and 2022, over half of John Locke alumni have gone on to one of eight colleges: Chicago, Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.

How prestigious is the John Locke Contest?

The John Locke Contest is a rigorous and selective writing competition in the social sciences and humanities. While it is not as selective as the Concord Review and has a much broader range of students who can receive prizes, it is still considered a highly competitive program.

Winning a John Locke essay contest will have clear benefits for you in your application process to universities and would reflect well on your application. On the other hand, a shortlist or a commendation might not have a huge impact given that it is awarded to many students (more on this later).

What is the eligibility for the contest?

Students, of any country, who are 18 years old or younger before the date of submission can submit. They also have a junior category for students who are fourteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline.

Who SHOULD consider this competition?

We recommend this competition for students who are interested in social sciences and humanities, in particular philosophy, politics, and economics. It is also a good fit for students who enjoy writing, want to dive deep into critical reasoning, and have some flair in their writing approach (more on that below).

While STEM students can of course compete, they will have to approach the topics through a social science lens. For example, in 2021, one of the prompts in the division of philosophy was, ‘Are there subjects about which we should not even ask questions?’ Here, students of biology can comfortably write about topics revolving around cloning, gene alteration, etc, however, they will have to make sure that they are able to ground this in the theoretical background of scientific ethics and ethical philosophy in general.

Additional logistics

Each essay should address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration).

If you are using an in-text-based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

You can submit as many essays as you want in any and all categories. (We recommend aiming for only one given how time-consuming it can be to come up with a single good-quality submission)

Important dates

Prompts for the 2023 competition will be released in January 2023. Your submission will be due around 6 months later in June. Shortlisted candidates will be notified in mid-July which will be followed by the final award ceremony in September.

How much does it cost to take part?

What do you win?

A scholarship that will offset the cost of attending a course at the JLI. The amount will vary between $2000 and $10,000 based on whether you are a grand prize winner (best essay across all categories) or a subject category winner. (JLI programs are steeply-priced and even getting a prize in your category would not cover the entire cost of your program. While the website does not mention the cost of the upcoming summer program, a different website mentions it to be 3,000 GBP or 3600 USD)

If you were shortlisted, most probably, you will also receive a commendation certificate and an invitation to attend an academic ceremony at Oxford. However, even here, you will have to foot the bill for attending the conference, which can be a significant one if you are an international student.

How do you submit your entry?

You submit your entry through the website portal that will show up once the prompts for the next competition are up in January! You have to submit your essay in pdf format where the title of the pdf attachment should read SURNAME, First Name, Category, and Question Number (e.g. POPHAM, Alexander, Psychology, Q2).

What are the essay prompts like?

We have three insights here.

Firstly, true to the spirit of the enlightenment thinker it is named after, most of the prompts have a philosophical bent and cover ethical, social, and political themes. In line with JLI’s general philosophy, they force you to think hard and deeply about the topics they cover. Consider a few examples to understand this better:

“Are you more moral than most people you know? How do you know? Should you strive to be more moral? Why or why not?” - Philosophy, 2021

“What are the most important economic effects - good and bad - of forced redistribution? How should this inform government policy?” - Economics, 2020

“Why did the Jesus of Nazareth reserve his strongest condemnation for the self-righteous?” - Theology, 2021

“Should we judge those from the past by the standards of today? How will historians in the future judge us?” - History, 2021

Secondly, at Lumiere, our analysis is that most of these prompts are ‘deceptively rigorous’ because the complexity of the topic reveals itself gradually. The topics do not give you a lot to work with and it is only when you delve deeper into one that you realize the extent to which you need to research/read more. In some of the topics, you are compelled to define the limits of the prompt yourself and in turn, the scope of your essay. This can be a challenging exercise. Allow me to illustrate this with an example of the 2019 philosophy prompt.

“Aristotelian virtue ethics achieved something of a resurgence in the twentieth century. Was this progress or retrogression?”

Here you are supposed to develop your own method for determining what exactly constitutes progress in ethical thought. This in turn involves familiarizing yourself with existing benchmarks of measurement and developing your own method if required. This is a significant intellectual exercise.

Finally, a lot of the topics are on issues of contemporary relevance and especially on issues that are contentious . For instance, in 2019, one of the prompts for economics was about the benefits and costs of immigration whereas the 2020 essay prompt for theology was about whether Islam is a religion of peace . As we explain later, your ‘opinion’ here can be as ‘outrageous’ as you want it to be as long as you are able to back it up with reasonable arguments. Remember, the JLI website clearly declares itself to be, ‘ not a safe space, but a courteous one ’.

How competitive is the JLI Essay Competition?

In 2021, the competition received 4000 entries from 101 countries. Given that there is only one prize winner from each category, this makes this a very competitive opportunity. However, because categories have a different number of applicants, some categories are more competitive than others. One strategy to win could be to focus on fields with fewer submissions like Theology.

There are also a relatively significant number of students who receive commendations called “high commendation.” In the psychology field, for example, about 80 students received a commendation in 2022. At the same time, keep in mind that the number of students shortlisted and invited to Oxford for an academic conference is fairly high and varies by subject. For instance, Theology had around 50 people shortlisted in 2021 whereas Economics had 238 . We, at Lumiere, estimate that approximately 10% of entries of each category make it to the shortlisting stage.

How will your essay be judged?

The essays will be judged on your understanding of the discipline, quality of argumentation and evidence, and writing style. Let’s look at excerpts from various winning essays to see what this looks like in practice.

Level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant material: Differentiating your essay from casual musing requires you to demonstrate knowledge of your discipline. One way to do that is by establishing familiarity with relevant literature and integrating it well into their essay. The winning essay of the 2020 Psychology Prize is a good example of how to do this: “People not only interpret facts in a self-serving way when it comes to their health and well-being; research also demonstrates that we engage in motivated reasoning if the facts challenge our personal beliefs, and essentially, our moral valuation and present understanding of the world. For example, Ditto and Liu showed a link between people’s assessment of facts and their moral convictions” By talking about motivated reasoning in the broader literature, the author can show they are well-versed in the important developments in the field.

Competent use of evidence: In your essay, there are different ways to use evidence effectively. One such way involves backing your argument with results from previous studies . The 2020 Third Place essay in economics shows us what this looks like in practice: “Moreover, this can even be extended to PTSD, where an investigation carried out by Italian doctor G. P. Fichera, led to the conclusion that 13% of the sampling units were likely to have this condition. Initiating economic analysis here, this illustrates that the cost of embarking on this unlawful activity, given the monumental repercussions if caught, is not equal to the costs to society...” The study by G.P. Fichera is used to strengthen the author’s claim on the social costs of crime and give it more weight.

Structure, writing style, and persuasive force: A good argument that is persuasive rarely involves merely backing your claim with good evidence and reasoning. Delivering it in an impactful way is also very important. Let’s see how the winner of the 2020 Law Prize does this: “Slavery still exists, but now it applies to women and its name in prostitution”, wrote Victor Hugo in Les Misérables. Hugo’s portrayal of Fantine under the archetype of a fallen woman forced into prostitution by the most unfortunate of circumstances cannot be more jarringly different from the empowerment-seeking sex workers seen today, highlighting the wide-ranging nuances associated with commercial sex and its implications on the women in the trade. Yet, would Hugo have supported a law prohibiting the selling of sex for the protection of Fantine’s rights?” The use of Victor Hugo in the first line of the essay gives it a literary flair and enhances the impact of the delivery of the argument. Similarly, the rhetorical question, in the end, adds to the literary dimension of the argument. Weaving literary and argumentative skills in a single essay is commendable and something that the institute also recognizes.

Quality of argumentation: Finally, the quality of your argument depends on capturing the various elements mentioned above seamlessly . The third place in theology (2020) does this elegantly while describing bin-Laden’s faulty and selective use of religious verses to commit violence: “He engages in the decontextualization and truncation of Qur'anic verses to manipulate and convince, which dissociates the fatwas from bonafide Islam. For example, in his 1996 fatwa, he quotes the Sword verse but deliberately omits the aforementioned half of the Ayat that calls for mercy. bin-Laden’s intention is not interpretive veracity, but the indoctrination of his followers.” The author’s claim is that bin-Laden lacks religious integrity and thus should not be taken seriously, especially given the content of his messages. To strengthen his argument, he uses actual incidents to dissect this display of faulty reasoning.

These excerpts are great examples of the kind of work you should keep in mind when writing your own draft.

6 Winning Tips from Lumiere

Focus on your essay structure and flow: If logic and argumentation are your guns in this competition, a smooth flow is your bullet. What does a smooth flow mean? It means that the reader should be able to follow your chain of reasoning with ease. This is especially true for essays that explore abstract themes. Let’s see this in detail with the example of a winning philosophy essay. “However, if society were the moral standard, an individual is subjected to circumstantial moral luck concerning whether the rules of the society are good or evil (e.g., 2019 Geneva vs. 1939 Munich). On the other hand, contracts cannot be the standard because people are ignorant of their being under a moral contractual obligation, when, unlike law, it is impossible to be under a contract without being aware. Thus, given the shortcomings of other alternatives, human virtue is the ideal moral norm.” To establish human virtue as the ideal norm, the author points out limitations in society and contracts, leaving out human virtue as the ideal one. Even if you are not familiar with philosophy, you might still be able to follow the reasoning here. This is a great example of the kind of clarity and logical coherence that you should strive for.

Ground your arguments in a solid theoretical framework : Your essay requires you to have well-developed arguments. However, these arguments need to be grounded in academic theory to give them substance and differentiate them from casual opinions. Let me illustrate this with an example of the essay that won second place in the politics category in 2020. “Normatively, the moral authority of governments can be justified on a purely associative basis: citizens have an inherent obligation to obey the state they were born into. As Dworkin argued, “Political association, like family or friendship and other forms of association more local and intimate, is itself pregnant of obligation” (Dworkin). Similar to a family unit where children owe duties to their parents by virtue of being born into that family regardless of their consent, citizens acquire obligations to obey political authority by virtue of being born into a state.” Here, the author is trying to make a point about the nature of political obligation. However, the core of his argument is not the strength of his own reasoning, but the ability to back his reasoning with prior literature. By quoting Dworkin, he includes important scholars of western political thought to give more weight to his arguments. It also displays thorough research on the part of the author to acquire the necessary intellectual tools to write this paper.

The methodology is more important than the conclusion: The 2020 history winners came to opposite conclusions in their essays on whether a strong state hampers or encourages economic growth. While one of them argued that political strength hinders growth when compared to laissez-faire, the other argues that the state is a prerequisite for economic growth . This reflects JLI’s commitment to your reasoning and substantiation instead of the ultimate opinion. The lesson: Don’t be afraid to be bold! Just make sure you are able to back it up.

Establish your framework well: A paragraph (or two) that is able to succinctly describe your methodology, core arguments, and the reasoning behind them displays academic sophistication. A case in point is the introduction of 2019’s Philosophy winner: “To answer the question, we need to construct a method that measures progress in philosophy. I seek to achieve this by asserting that, in philosophy, a certain degree of falsification is achievable. Utilizing philosophical inquiry and thought experiments, we can rationally assess the logical validity of theories and assign “true” and “false” status to philosophical thoughts. With this in mind, I propose to employ the fourth process of the Popperian model of progress…Utilizing these two conditions, I contend that Aristotelian virtue ethics was progress from Kantian ethics and utilitarianism.” Having a framework like this early on gives you a blueprint for what is in the essay and makes it easier for the reader to follow the reasoning. It also helps you as a writer since distilling down your core argument into a paragraph ensures that the first principles of your essay are well established.

Read essays of previous winners: Do this and you will start seeing some patterns in the winning essays. In economics, this might be the ability to present a multidimensional argument and substantiating it with data-backed research. In theology, this might be your critical analysis of religious texts .

Find a mentor: Philosophical logic and argumentation are rarely taught at the high school level. Guidance from an external mentor can fill this academic void by pointing out logical inconsistencies in your arguments and giving critical feedback on your essay. Another important benefit of having a mentor is that it will help you in understanding the heavy literature that is often a key part of the writing/research process in this competition. As we have already seen above, having a strong theoretical framework is crucial in this competition. A mentor can make this process smoother.

Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re looking for a mentor to do an essay contest like John Locke or want to build your own independent research paper, then consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program . Last year over 2100 students applied for about 500 spots in the program. You can find the application form here.

You can see our admission results here for our students.

Manas is a publication strategy associate at Lumiere Education. He studied public policy and interactive media at NYU and has experience in education consulting.

Everything You Should Know about the John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition

Jin Chow with Tree Background

By Jin Chow

Co-founder of Polygence, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Education

2 minute read

woman in brown sweater typing on laptop

We first wrote about the world-famous John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition in our list of 20 writing contests for high school students . This contest is a unique opportunity to refine your argumentation skills on fascinating and challenging topics that aren’t explored in the classroom.

The Oxford philosopher, medical doctor, political scientist, and economist John Locke was a big believer in challenging old habits of the mind. In that spirit, the JLI started this contest to challenge students to be more adventurous in their thinking. 

While not quite as prestigious as getting published in The Concord Review , winning the grand prize or placing in one of the 7 categories of the JLI Essay Competition can get your college application noticed by top schools like Princeton, Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge. Awards include $2,000 scholarships (for category winners) and a $10,000 scholarship for the grand prize. (The scholarships can be applied to the JLI’s Summer Schools at Oxford, Princeton, or Washington D.C., or to its Gap Year programs in Oxford, Guatemala, or Washington, D.C.) 

But winning isn’t necessarily the best thing about it. Simply entering the contest and writing your essay will give you a profound learning experience like no other. Add to that the fact that your entry will be read and possibly commented on by some of the top minds at Oxford and Princeton and it’s free to enter the competition . The real question is: why wouldn’t you enter? Here’s a guide to get you started on your essay contest entry.

Eligibility

The John Locke Institute Essay Competition is open to any student anywhere in the world , ages 15-18. Students 14 or under are eligible for the Junior prize. 

JLI Essay Competition Topics

The essay questions change from year to year. You can choose from 7 different categories (Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law). Within each category, there are 3 intriguing questions you can pick from. When you’re debating which question to write about, here’s a tip. Choose whichever question excites, upsets, or gives you any kind of strong emotional response. If you’re passionate about a topic, it will come through in your research and your writing. If you have any lived experience on the subject, that also helps. 

re are some sample questions the 2023 contest for each of the seven JLI essay subject  categories and the Junior Prize (the questions change each year):

Philosophy : Is tax theft? 

Politics : Do the results of elections express the will of the people?

Economics : What would happen if we banned billionaires?  

History : Which has a bigger effect on history: the plans of the powerful or their mistakes?

Psychology : Can happiness be measured?

Theology : What distinguishes a small religion from a large cult?

Law : Are there too many laws?

Junior Prize : What, if anything, do your parents owe you?

John Locke Writing Contest Requirements

Your essay must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration) and must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category. No footnotes are allowed, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes. 

Timeline and Deadlines

January - New essay questions are released

April 1st - Registration opens

May 31st   - Registration deadline

June 30th - Essay submission deadline

We highly recommend you check the JLI website as soon as the new questions are released in January and start researching and writing as soon as you can after choosing your topic. You must register for the contest by the end of May. The deadline for the essay submission itself is at the end of June, but we also recommend that you submit it earlier in case any problems arise. If you start right away in January, you can have a few months to work on your essay. 

John Locke Institute Essay Competition Judging Criteria

While the JLI says that their grading system is proprietary, they do also give you this helpful paragraph that describes what they are looking for: “Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material , the competent use of evidence , quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind . Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful. Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible. ” (We’ve bolded important words to keep in mind.) 

You can also join the JLI mailing list (scroll to the bottom of that page) to get contest updates and to learn more about what makes for a winning essay.

Research and Essay Writing Tactics

Give yourself a baseline. First, just write down all your thoughts on the subject without doing any research. What are your gut-level opinions? What about this particular question intrigued you the most? What are some counter-arguments you can think of right away? What you are trying to do here is identify holes in your knowledge or understanding of the subject. What you don’t know or are unsure about can guide your research. Be sure to find evidence to support all the things you think you already know. 

Create a reading/watching list of related books, interviews, articles, podcasts, documentaries, etc. that relate to your topic. Find references that both support and argue against your argument. Choose the most highly reputable sources you can find. You may need to seek out and speak to experts to help you locate the best sources. Read and take notes. Address those questions and holes in the knowledge you identified earlier. Also, continue to read widely and think about your topic as you observe the world from day to day. Sometimes unrelated news stories, literature, film, songs, and visual art can give you an unexpected insight into your essay question. Remember that c is a learning experience and that you are not going to have a rock-solid argument all at once.

Read past winning essays . These will give you a sense of the criteria judges are using to select winning work. These essays are meant to convince the judges of a very specific stance. The argument must be clear and must include evidence to support it. You will note that winning entries tend to get straight to the point, show an impressive depth of knowledge on the subject with citations to reputable sources, flow with excellent reasoning, and use precise language. They don’t include flowery digressions. Save that for a different type of writing.

Proof your work with a teacher or mentor if possible . Even though your argument needs to be wholly your own, it certainly helps to bounce ideas around with someone who cares about the topic. A teacher or mentor can help you explore different options if you get stuck and point you toward new resources. They can offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses. Working with a teacher or mentor is important for another reason. When you submit your entry, you will be required to provide the email address of an “academic referee” who is familiar with your work. This should be a teacher or mentor who is not related to you. 

Research and Prepare for your Competition or Fair

Polygence pairs you with an expert mentor in your area of passion. Together, you work to create a high quality research project that is uniquely your own. Our highly-specialized mentors can help guide you to feel even more prepared for an upcoming fair or competion. We also offer options to explore multiple topics, or to showcase your final product!

Student exploring their passions

  • News and Events

Somerset Times

Students short-listed in global essay competition.

Soumia Lamont and Giulia Provenzano (Year 12 students) have been short-listed in the John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition, held by the University of Oxford. 

The competition is highly competitive, with some 4,000 submissions from 101 countries. The categories have set questions and include History, Politics, Philosophy, Economics, Psychology, and Theology. There is also a Junior category for younger students. The John Locke Institute website has the details.

The John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition is highly prestigious. Students who receive a ‘Commendation’ are encouraged to include that award when they submit their university applications, and when applying for a scholarship, a job or an internship. This is only the second year that a Somerset student has entered the competition. Last year, Clare Hong (Class of 2020) wrote a Philosophy essay and was awarded a ‘High Commendation’, placing her in the top five per cent. 

In the 2021 competition, Soumia addressed the Law question on the problem of the presumption of innocence and public censure. Soumia interpreted the problem as one of jurisprudence and an ethical dilemma, which matched her studies in the subject of Philosophy & Reason. Giulia’s essay was an introspection on moral philosophy and delved into whether one ought to ascribe to hedonistic act utilitarianism, as proposed by Jeremy Bentham, or Immanuel Kant’s deontological ethics. Oxford University announced that Soumia’s and Giulia’s essays were among the 400 short-listed submissions. This means their essays are in the top 10% and will be awarded some form of commendation. The short-listing also means the following. The essays will be further assessed and is eligible for either a prize or a high commendation.

The student is eligible for a £500 scholarship for Oxford University’s prestigious Humanities Conference at Radley College, in Oxford, this August.

The short-listed student is invited to Annual Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner, at which the prize winners will be announced. This will be held in Oxford University in September.

The grand-prize winner receives a $10,000 USD scholarship to attend one or more of the John Locke Institute’s summer schools or gap-year programmes, held at Oxford University.

Soumia’s and Giulia’s essays can be read on Schoolbox at the Dead Philosophers Club’s library of amazing essays.

Edition 2 | Term One, Week 4, 2024

Edition 1 | term one, week 2, 2024, edition 18 | term four, week 8, 2023, edition 17 | term four, week 6, 2023, subscribe to our newsletter.

Type on the line above then press the Enter/Return key to submit a new search query

  • Our approach to staff pay
  • Right to Work Evidence
  • Projects & Publications
  • Homerton College: A Timeline
  • Archive Chronicles
  • Homerton Gardens
  • Sustainability at Homerton
  • Art at Homerton
  • What's on at Homerton
  • Policies and Documents
  • Subjects and Courses
  • Submitted Written Work
  • International students
  • Mature students
  • Prospective Applicants
  • Current Offer Holders
  • Why apply to Homerton
  • Why choose Homerton?
  • Facilities, Events & Support
  • Fees & Funding
  • Applying for full-time study
  • Applying for part-time study
  • Applying for PGCE courses
  • Visits to schools
  • Visits to Homerton
  • Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer
  • Open days, events and visits
  • The location
  • Accommodation
  • Food and drink
  • Fees and Funding
  • Social Life
  • Performance
  • The Charter Choir - Who’s who
  • Homerton College Music Society
  • The Homerton Singers
  • Homerton Jazz
  • The Jacqueline Bardsley Poet-in-Residence
  • Homerton College Boat Club (HCBC)
  • Homerton Netball
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • The Kate Pretty Lectures
  • New Developments at Homerton
  • Undergraduate Tutors
  • Postgraduate Tutors
  • Directors of Studies
  • Retired Senior Members Association
  • College Calendar
  • Getting started
  • Getting help
  • Finding things
  • Borrowing, returning and using your Library account
  • Special collections
  • Study skills
  • Using study space
  • IT & printing
  • Homerton Freshers
  • Postgraduates
  • Undergraduate and Foundation Year Freshers 2023
  • Important dates
  • Student Status Letter/College transcripts
  • New University Card Request
  • Academic Skills and Personal Development
  • Tutorial Information and FAQs
  • Extra nights
  • Student Accommodation Information and FAQs
  • Guide to Living Out
  • Register to vote
  • Time management & organisation
  • Academic Writing
  • Maths & Statistics
  • Exam preparation and revision
  • Referencing
  • Dissertations & research projects
  • Critical reading
  • Literature searching
  • Presentations
  • Digital wellbeing
  • Reflective practice
  • Disciplinary matters
  • Student volunteer opportunities
  • COVID-19 guidance for students
  • Complaints, grievances and harassment
  • Student feedback form
  • Coping with Covid: Daily Prompts
  • Prizes and Scholarships
  • Finances FAQ
  • Application forms & Grants for financial support
  • Disability Support and Access
  • Counselling
  • College Tutors
  • Finance Tutor
  • Pastoral Team - Porters, Tutorial & Tutors
  • Support from the University
  • College Discrimination and Harassment Contacts
  • Top 10 tips for wellbeing
  • Reporting Complaints/Giving Feedback
  • Student Ambassadors
  • Mentoring Scheme
  • Virtual Residential
  • What does Changemakers offer me?
  • Homerton Changemakers Stories
  • Homerton Changemakers Autumn Residential 24-29 Sep 2023 - Programme
  • Tuesday Conversations
  • Homerton Changemakers Resources
  • Make a Donation
  • Enabling Agility
  • Supporting Students
  • Enhancing the Student Experience
  • Supporting Homerton Changemakers
  • Leaving a legacy to Homerton
  • Alumni benefits
  • Keep in Touch
  • Request a transcript
  • Data Protection
  • Alumni Events
  • Volunteering and mentoring
  • Publications
  • Alumni Profiles
  • Alison Shrubsole Room
  • Bamford Room
  • Boulind Suite
  • Fellows' Auditorium
  • Paston Brown Room
  • Skillcorn Room
  • Skillcorn and Bamford Room
  • College Gardens
  • Combination Room
  • Drawing Room
  • Fellows' Dining Room
  • Formal Dining and Reception
  • Griffin Bar
  • Lunch and Buffet
  • New Dining Hall
  • Guest Information
  • Outdoor events
  • Parking and Transport
  • Meet the team
  • Contact the events team
  • Alumni Stories
  • Homerton Changemakers
  • Postgraduate Student Stories
  • Research at Homerton
  • Student Stories
  • Global Leadership and Cultural Understanding in English
  • Professional Development Programme
  • How to Find Us
  • Porters' Lodge
  • Reporting an Accident
  • Fire safety

John Locke Institute Essay Competition

Resource details.

2022 Essay Competition | johnlockeinstitute  enables you to answer essay questions on Economics topics such as 'What's wrong with the housing market? How can we fix it?' and 'Is Henry George's land value tax fair, efficient, both or neither?'. There are also Law questions which may be relevant if you are considering Land Economy. You can enter as many categories as you would like. 

  • Headteacher's Welcome
  • Our Vision & Values
  • School Management Team
  • Teaching & Support Teams
  • Term Dates & School Day
  • Working at Colyton Grammar School
  • Joining our School
  • Our Surroundings
  • Our Historic School
  • Old Colytonian Society
  • CGS Parents' Association (PA)
  • Support our School
  • Covid-19 Information
  • Careers Information, Advice and Guidance
  • Our Sustainable School
  • Discover Your Future Story
  • Our Achievements
  • Ofsted Report
  • Wellbeing, Finance & Support
  • Getting here
  • Beyond the Classroom
  • House System
  • Accreditations & Partnerships
  • Testimonials
  • Trustee Recruitment
  • Key Curriculum Dates
  • Parents Booking
  • Arbor Parent Portal
  • Home School Agreement
  • Handbook for Parents
  • Online Safety
  • Year 7 - Learning to Learn
  • Extra-Curricular Activities & Clubs
  • CGS Parents' Association
  • Digital and Blended Learning
  • Parents' Meetings
  • Curriculum Overview
  • Lower Years
  • Middle Years
  • Upper Years
  • Subject Information
  • Careers Information, Advice & Guidance
  • Exam Information
  • Sixth Form Overview
  • Admission Process
  • Student Destinations
  • Sixth Form Timeline
  • Colyton Baccalaureate
  • Higher Education
  • University Open Days
  • Sixth Form News
  • The Colytonian
  • School Gallery
  • Teaching School Hub
  • Covid-19 Info

Colyton Grammar School

  • News & Events
  • Students shortlisted in John Locke Institute Global Essay Co...
  • facebook Share this page on Facebook
  • twitter Tweet this page
  • pinterest Pin this page

Students shortlisted in John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition

Blog Header Image

News - Sep 21

The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers; independent thought, depth in knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Its Global 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 the competition can build knowledge and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. Essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton. The judges choose their favourite essay from each of the seven subject categories, and then select an overall ‘best essay’ across Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law.

We are proud to announce that Ethan P and Ben M, both Economics students in Year 13, have been shortlisted for their economics essays in this global competition which had over 19,000 entries. Prize winners will be announced at a ceremony at University of Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre.

Ben M said: “There were over 19,000 entries into all questions within the essay competition, so it was lovely to find out that I had been shortlisted over the summer. There was an estimated 10% of essays that had been shortlisted. I really enjoyed writing the essay on such an interesting hypothetical which allowed me to learn about some previously unknown aspects of economics. The essay competition was a great chance for me to develop my essay writing skills and explore economics in greater detail to enhance my scholarship within the subject. It was a great honour to find out that I had been shortlisted and nice to see my hard work be recognised.”

Ethan P added: “I was extremely grateful to be shortlisted for the John Locke Essay Competition. Being able to compete in such a large international competition has been an incredible experience and enabled me to further my scholarship and dive deeper into the areas of economics that particularly interest me.”

Colyton Grammar School

Headteacher Mr T Harris NPQH FCCT

Quick Links

Twitter

Alex Chen '23 Wins Third Prize in Global Essay Competition

  • Alex Chen '23

Twitter

HTS-logo_web

Grade 10 Student Receives a High Commendation for John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Competition

john locke

With a rise of COVID-19 cases, Ontario school campuses closed to students and staff on April 19, 2021, and remote learning commenced for the remainder of the school year. Under a strict Stay-At-Home Order from the Government of Ontario, Esha D., Grade 10 student, used her time effectively to research opportunities she could participate in from the comfort of her home. Esha’s passion for writing led her to find the John Locke Institute’s Global Essay Competition.

The John Locke Institute is an independent educational organization that works to embolden the best and brightest students to become more academically ambitious and more intellectually adventurous.

Through our various programmes – residential courses, revision seminars, essay competitions, and special events – we inspire students to aim high and we equip them with the skills they need in order to achieve their goals.

Each year, the John Locke Institue hosts a Global Essay Competition inviting students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum. Students ages 18-years-old and younger from any country and any school are invited to submit an essay no longer than 2000 words on the subject of their choice; Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law.

Having taken additional courses in law at HTS, it was a natural choice for Esha to turn her focus to the law category. With three prompts to choose from, she focussed her work on the question of, “Should ‘innocent until proven guilty’ apply not only to courts of law, but also to public censure?” When not in class remotely, Esha spent her time researching and writing to complete her essay over two months.

The John Locke Institute received over 4000 entries from 101 countries, taking their panel of 36 examiners two weeks to review. Entries were judged by senior academics from the University of Oxford on the level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, the quality of argumentation, the structure, writing style and persuasive force. Esha’s law essay was recognized by the examiners as she made the shortlist and later was recognized as a finalist receiving a high commendation.

What Esha takes from her experience is her newfound appreciation and understanding of research. Interested in sharing her passion for writing further, Esha founded the Creative Writing Club in the Senior School since the submission of her essay. The club provides students with the opportunity to explore various forms of writing in a welcoming environment where peers exchange ideas with one another. Club members analyze the elements which diversify creative writing from academic writing. Esha hopes to inspire her peers through the club to take advantage of opportunities to participate in creative writing competitions just as she has.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Related posts.

A Sporting Life – Balancing Passion and Academics in the HTS High Performance Athletes Program

Experience the HTS Campus in Richmond Hill by booking a tour or visiting an Open House. Discover HTS Global Online Campus by registering for a virtual Open House.

Holy Trinity School is located on the traditional lands and territory of Williams Treaty First Nations including the Chippewas of Beausoleil, Georgina Island and Rama as well as the Mississaugas of Alderville, Curve Lake, Hiawatha, and Scugog Island. We recognize the Chippewas of Georgina Island as our closest neighbouring First Nation.

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Holy Trinity School Educational Network  

© HTS Inc. 2022.

HTS is open for in-person learning today, Wednesday, January 25. 

We encourage families to pick up students immediately after school. There will be no co-curriculars after school. Aftercare is available.

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

NAME / TITLE / GRADE

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis quis sodales diam, vel tincidunt dui. Nullam dignissim quis ante nec gravida. Maecenas porttitor lacus mi. Vestibulum sit amet lacus vitae nisi bibendum luctus. In cursus tincidunt mauris, eu consequat erat mollis at. Nullam porta felis nunc, vel dignissim urna aliquet ut. Maecenas mollis lectus libero, at vulputate dolor congue interdum. Cras ac fermentum risus. Ut nec vehicula sapien. Donec vel ornare ex, nec mollis ex. Vivamus dapibus viverra justo, eget laoreet quam interdum ut. Aliquam commodo egestas volutpat. Proin nec urna sit amet risus posuere facilisis. Sed sem massa, laoreet ultricies mi ut, porta maximus lectus.

[email protected]

The Competitions Blog

Moscow Metro International Competition

Moscow Metro International Competition

Go to the competition

  • THE UNBELIEVABLE CHALLENGE, OPEN ARCHITECTURAL IDEAS COMPETITION! September 4, 2014
  • Awards AR+D Architecture 2013 August 13, 2013
  • Competition Bourges House of Culture October 23, 2013

Submission:  July 31, 2014 Registration: July 31, 2014 Language:  English or Russian Location:  Moscow, Russia Prizes:  2 Prizes of (RUB 3.500.000) ($102.000) each.  and a total of RUB 3.890.000 ($114.000) spread in ten prizes for the finalists. Type:  Open competition for architects.

We are happy to announce the launch of online registration for those wishing to take part in the Architectural and Design Competition for Moscow Metro Stations Solntsevo and Novoperedelkino. The aim of the Competition is to create an inimitable, one of a kind profile for the two Moscow Metropolitan underground railway stations of Solntsevo and Novoperedelkino. The prize fund for the Competition stands at 3,890,000 rubles (including VAT) and is to be divided between the 10 Participants who pass through to the second stage of the Competition. Each of the two winners will be invited to settle a contract for the implementation of their architectural and design concept to a sum no larger than 3 500 000 rubles. Should you be able to make any news article or feature on this, thereby giving foreign architects the opportunity to participate in the Competition, we would be very grateful and willing to provide any assistance necessary.

Urban Transformations Competition: Designing the Symbiotic City

Competition [milan] world expo pavilion, this might interest you...., feeel design world prize ‘ 3rd season, the top door stopper – viefe design competiton, bci interior design awards 2024: tone x texture, architecture competition + course: adaptive reuse x placemaking, ai x biomimicry: architecture competition + course, int interior design awards, architecture masterprize (amp), hybrid coworking competition, houzee awards 2023, the studio school – a challenge to design....

Participants

These were the 24 candidates from 15 countries who participated in the YPF European Piano Competition 2022 – Grand Prix Youri Egorov! The 24 candidates have been selected by the pre-selection jury, consisting of Thomas Beijer, Ton Demmers, Christiaan Kuyvenhoven and Hanna Shybayeva, from the 48 applications (19 countries) that YPF received for the YPF European Piano Competition 2022.

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Aarón Ormaza Vera

Aarón Ormaza Vera (1995, Ecuador) began playing the piano at an early age. He took lessons at the Conservatorio Sergei Rachmaninov for most of his

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Alexander Jansen

Alexander Jansen (2005, The Netherlands) has been enchanted by music since he was 3 years old. He was barely 3 years old when he first

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Alexandra Kaptein

Alexandra Kaptein (1999, The Netherlands) started piano lessons at the age of 5. At the age of six she already won her first prize at

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Antoniu Nagy

Antoniu Nagy (2000, Romania) is currently studying piano at the National Music Academy ‘Gheorghe Dima’ under the guidance of Daniel Goiti. At the same time he’s

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Augustinas Eidukonis

Augustinas Eidukonis (1995, Lithuania) has been learning at the National M.K. Čiurlionis School of Arts since 2002, in professor Vida – Emilija Prekerytė’s class. In 2011, he

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Brecht Valckenaers

Brecht Valckenaers (2000, Belgium) likes to make people part of his passion for music. Playing existing music and creating new music are important elements in

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Carlos Marín Rayo

Carlos Marín Rayo (1994, Spain) is currently studying with Frank van de Laar at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Previously, his main mentors were Mariana Gurkova,

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Dora Petkovic

Dora Petkovic (1996, Croatia) is currently is studying a Master program specialized in solo piano performance at Musik-Akademie FHNW Basel with professor Filippo Gamba. In 2019, she

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Florian Verweij

Florian Verweij (1997, The Netherlands) studies as a master student with Naum Grubert at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where he graduated with the highest remarks

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Francesco Maccarrone

Francesco Maccarrone (1997, Italy) studied piano from an early age, having inherited a passion for music from his uncle Domenico Clapasson, a pianist and composer. 

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Germán García Pérez

Germán García Pérez (1996, Spain) began his musical career in Granada with the teachers Andrei Reznik and Javier Herreros. His studies continued in Badajoz at

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Jacopo Giovannini

Jacopo Giovannini (1997, Italy) starts playing the piano at the age of 4, at 5 wins his first competition with international jury and at 6 he

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Juan Pedro García Oliva

Juan Pedro García Oliva (2001, Spain) began studying piano at the age of eight in the music school in his hometown. In 2013, he started

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Leah Nicholson

Leah Nicholson (2001, United Kingdom) began studying with Galina Sandovskaya in St Petersburg, Russia, before continuing her musical education at Chetham’s School of Music in

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Marta Mata (1997, Portugal) started playing piano at the age of eight and one year later she entered the Conservatory of Palmela, in Portugal. She

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Noah Zhou (2001, United Kingdom) began learning piano at age 5 with Tra Nguyen before moving on to study with Hilary Coates. Since initially being awarded

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Noora Ylönen

Noora Ylönen (1995, Finland) is currently doing her second Master’s degree in Folkwang Universität Der Künste under the guidance of Prof. Henri Sigfridsson. Earlier she has

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Pavel Tesík

Pavel Těšík (1996, Czech Republic) studied piano at the Pavel Josef Vejvanovský Conservatory in Kroměříž with Ondřej Hubáček. Then he continued his studies at the Janáček

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Pavle Krstic

Pavle Krstic (1998, Bulgary) is an Austrian-based pianist. He is currently a post-graduate student of Prof. Pavel Gililov, as well as a PhD candidate at

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Radu Ratering

Radu Ratering (2004, The Netherlands) started taking piano lessons at the age of 7 after he heard Radu Lupu playing in the Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam. He

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Rakhadin Yarmetov

Rakhadin Yarmetov (1996, Russia) was educated at Music College named after A.Scriabin, Elektrostal, Moscow Region (2011-2015), Gnesins Academy of Music, Moscow (2015-2017, Bachelor’s degree with teacher Vladimir

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Shane van Neerden

Shane van Neerden (1999, United States) has appeared as soloist on stages in Europe as well as in the United States. In the Netherlands, he

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Tom De Beuckelaer

Tom De Beuckelaer (1999, Belgium) is regarded as the leading young pianist of his generation in Belgium. He began performing in public since age six

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Victor Naranjo Pérez

Victor Naranjo Pérez (1996, Spain) began studying piano at the age of 7 with his mother. He continued his studies at the Conservatory of Music of

john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

Essay  COMPETITION

2024 global essay prize.

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, former Cambridge philosopher, Dr Jamie Whyte.

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.

Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition?

Q2. Do girls have a right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys?

Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe?

sub-buzz-9576-1471394813-1.jpg

Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy?

Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible?

Q3. When is compliance complicity?

Q1. What is the optimal global population?  

Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?

Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither?

AdobeStock_80176451.webp

Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change?

Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history?

Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger?

Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements?

Q2. In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state?

Q3. Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?

ca5c0552ef2fb207c2867a82bf184f38.jpg

Q1. According to a study by four British universities, for each 16-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by 35% for a man but decreases by 40% for a woman. Why? 

Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?

Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw?

Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”?

Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm?

Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why?

woman praising.png

JUNIOR prize

Q1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing?

Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism?

Q3. Is there life after death?

Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise? 

Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this?

Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies? 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILS

Please read the following carefully.

Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 is open to students from any country.

Registration  

Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of Friday, 31 May 2024 may enter this year's competition.

All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on  the submission deadline: Sunday, 30 June 2024 .  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.)

Entry is free.

Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration). 

The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name:

Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf

Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected.

Candidates should NOT add footnotes. They may, however, add endnotes and/or a Bibliography that is clearly titled as such.

Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email referees to verify that the essays submitted are indeed the original work of the candidates.

Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of th e deadline to avoid any last-minute complications.

Acceptance of your essay depends on your granting us permission to use your data for the purposes of receiving and processing your entry as well as communicating with you about the Awards Ceremony Dinner, the academic conference for essay competition finalists, and other events and programmes of the John Locke Institute and its associated entities.  

Late entries

If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions:

a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and

b) Your essay must be submitted  before 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 10 July 2024.

To pay for late entry, a registrant need only log into his or her account, select the relevant option and provide the requested payment information.

Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final.

Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful .

Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible.

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 Wednesday, 31 July. They will also be invited to London for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London.

All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that acknowledge their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to London for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate. 

There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in London, 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. 

The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

R egistration opens: 1 April, 2024.

Registration deadline: 31 May, 2024. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.)

Submission deadline: 30 June, 2024.

Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2024. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.)

Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2024.

Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024.

Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024.

Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected] . Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query. In particular, regrettably, we are unable to respond to questions whose answers can be found on our website.

If you would like to receive helpful tips  from our examiners about what makes for a winning essay or reminders of upcoming key dates for the 2024  essay competition, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list. .

Thanks for subscribing!

oxf-essay-competition-16SEP23-723-CR2_edited_edited.jpg

The John Locke Institute's Global Essay Prize is acknowledged as the world's most prestigious essay competition. 

We welcome tens of thousands of submissions from ambitious students in more than 150 countries, and our examiners - including distinguished philosophers, political scientists, economists, historians, psychologists, theologians, and legal scholars - read and carefully assess every entry. 

I encourage you to register for this competition, not only for the hope of winning a prize or commendation, and not only for the chance to join the very best contestants at our academic conference and gala ceremony in London, but equally for the opportunity to engage in the serious scholarly enterprise of researching, reflecting on, writing about, and editing an answer to one of the important and provocative questions in this year's Global Essay Prize. 

We believe that the skills you will acquire in the process will make you a better thinker and a more effective advocate for the ideas that matter most to you.

I hope to see you in September!

Best wishes,

Jamie Whyte, Ph.D. (C ANTAB ) 

Chairman of Examiners

Q. I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay?

A. No. Only candidates who registered before 31 May will be able to submit an essay. 

Q. Are footnote s, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit?

A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted. However, you may not use footnotes: please use endnotes instead. 

Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? ​

A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit.

Q. Should citations be footnotes or in-text citations? ​

A. We do not allow footnotes. Please use in-text citations or endnotes.

Q. Is it necessary to include foo tnotes or endnotes in an essay? ​

A. You  may not  include footnotes, but you may include endnotes. You should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should ackn owledge any other authors on whom you rely.​

Q. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it?

A. You may interpret a question as you deem appropriate, clarifying your interpretation if necessary. Having done so, you must answer the question as directly as possible.

Q. How strict are  the age eligibility criteria?

A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. 

Q. May I submit more than one essay?

A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories.

Q. If I am eligible to compete in the Junior category, may I also (or instead) compete in another category?

A. Yes, you may.

Q. May I team up with someone else to write an essay?  

A. No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual.

Q. May I use AI, such as ChatGPT or the like, in writing my essay?

A. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If we find that any content is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified. We will also ask you, upon submission of your essay, whether you used AI for  any  purpose related to the writing of your essay, and if so, you will be required to provide details. In that case, if, in our judgement, you have not provided full and accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified. 

Since any use of AI (that does not result in disqualification) can only negatively affect our assessment of your work relative to that of work that is done without using AI, your safest course of action is simply not to use it at all. If, however, you choose to use it for any purpose, we reserve the right to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis and we will not enter into any correspondence. 

Q. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay?

A. You may of course discuss your essay with others, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses in your writing or content, leaving you to address them.

However, no part of your essay may be written by anyone else. This means that you must edit your own work and that while a proofreader may point out errors, you as the essayist must be the one to correct them. 

Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? ​

A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London. But if we invite you to London it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation.

Q. Is there an entry fee?

A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD .

Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted? 

A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in London will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to London, you will be able to download your eCertificate.

Q. Can I receive feedba ck on my essay? 

A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays.

Q. The deadline for publishing the names of short-listed essayists has passed but I did not receive an email to tell me whether I was short-listed.

A. Log into your account and check "Shortlist Status" for (each of) your essay(s).

Q. Why isn't the awards ceremony in Oxford this year?

A. Last year, many shortlisted finalists who applied to join our invitation-only academic conference missed the opportunity because of capacity constraints at Oxford's largest venues. This year, the conference will be held in central London and the gala awards dinner will take place in an iconic London ballroom. 

TECHNICAL FAQ s

Q. The system will not accept my essay. I have checked the filename and it has the correct format. What should I do?  

A. You have almost certainly added a space before or after one of your names in your profile. Edit it accordingly and try to submit again.

Q. The profile page shows my birth date to be wrong by a day, even after I edit it. What should I do?

A. Ignore it. The date that you typed has been correctly input to our database. ​ ​

Q. How can I be sure that my registration for the essay competition was successful? Will I receive a confirmation email?

A. You will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can at any time log in to the account that you created and see that your registration details are present and correct.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SUBMISSION

If you are unable to submit your essay to the John Locke Institute’s global essay competition, your problem is almost certainly one of the following.

If so, please proceed as indicated.

1) PROBLEM: I receive the ‘registrations are now closed’ message when I enter my email and verification code. SOLUTION. You did not register for the essay competition and create your account. If you think you did, you probably only provided us with your email to receive updates from us about the competition or otherwise. You may not enter the competition this year.

2) PROBLEM I do not receive a login code after I enter my email to enter my account. SOLUTION. Enter your email address again, checking that you do so correctly. If this fails, restart your browser using an incognito window; clear your cache, and try again. Wait for a few minutes for the code. If this still fails, restart your machine and try one more time. If this still fails, send an email to [email protected] with “No verification code – [your name]” in the subject line.

SUBMITTING AN ESSAY

3) PROBLEM: The filename of my essay is in the correct format but it is rejected. SOLUTION: Use “Edit Profile” to check that you did not add a space before or after either of your names. If you did, delete it. Whether you did or did not, try again to submit your essay. If submission fails again, email [email protected] with “Filename format – [your name]” in the subject line.

4) PROBLEM: When trying to view my submitted essay, a .txt file is downloaded – not the .pdf file that I submitted. SOLUTION: Delete the essay. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “File extension problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

5) PROBLEM: When I try to submit, the submission form just reloads without giving me an error message. SOLUTION. Log out of your account. Open a new browser; clear the cache; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Submission form problem – [your name]” in the subject line.

6) PROBLEM: I receive an “Unexpected Error” when trying to submit. SOLUTION. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If this resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Unexpected error – [your name]” in thesubject line. Your email must tell us e xactly where in the submission process you received this error.

7) PROBLEM: I have a problem with submitting and it is not addressed above on this list. SOLUTION: Restart your machine. Clear your browser’s cache. Try to submit again. If this fails, email [email protected] with “Unlisted problem – [your name]” in the subject line. Your email must tell us exactly the nature of your problem with relevant screen caps.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU EMAIL US.

Do not email us before you have tried the specified solutions to your problem.

Do not email us more than once about a single problem. We will respond to your email within 72 hours. Only if you have not heard from us in that time may you contact us again to ask for an update.

If you email us regarding a problem, you must include relevant screen-shots and information on both your operating system and your browser. You must also declare that you have tried the solutions presented above and had a good connection to the internet when you did so.

If you have tried the relevant solution to your problem outlined above, have emailed us, and are still unable to submit before the 30 June deadline on account of any fault of the John Locke Institute or our systems, please do not worry: we will have a way to accept your essay in that case. However, if there is no fault on our side, we will not accept your essay if it is not submitted on time – whatever your reason: we will not make exceptions for IT issues for which we are not responsible.

We reserve the right to disqualify the entries of essayists who do not follow all provided instructions, including those concerning technical matters.

IMAGES

  1. 2023 John Locke Global Essay Competition with $14,000 cash prizes

    john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

  2. John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition 2022

    john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

  3. John Locke Essay Competition

    john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

  4. (PDF) Submission for the John Locke Institute 2020 Essay Competition

    john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

  5. 2022 John Locke Essay Competition

    john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

  6. John Locke Essay Competition Guide

    john locke institute essay competition 2022 shortlist

VIDEO

  1. Essential John Locke: The Purpose of Government

  2. Harrow Student: The John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2021

  3. JOHN LOCKE'S CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATION

  4. John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding

  5. 51. Introduction to John Locke

  6. The British Philosophers: John Locke

COMMENTS

  1. 2024 Essay Competition

    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. Philosophy Q1.

  2. Prize Winners

    GRAND PRIZE Hosei Kishida, Shanghai American School, China Junior Prize Winner: Xibei Kuang, Pinehurst school, New Zealand Second Prize: Alissa Song, Kambala, Australia Third Prize: Iris Zhu, Bement School, USA ECONOMICS Prize Winner: Kit Young Tham, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore Second Prize: Kevin Hao, Knox Grammar School, Australia

  3. The Ultimate Guide to the John Locke Essay Competition

    What is the eligibility for the contest? Students, of any country, who are 18 years old or younger before the date of submission can submit. They also have a junior category for students who are fourteen years old, or younger, on the date of the submission deadline. Who SHOULD consider this competition?

  4. A Complete Guide To The John Locke Essay Competition

    Session 1: 5 PM (GMT-0) Feb 24th Session 2: 3 AM (GMT-0) Feb 25th Are you ready to make a mark in the prestigious John Locke Essay Competition? Join us for an exclusive information session that unveils the secrets to success in this renowned competition. During this enlightening info session, you will:

  5. John Locke Essay Competition 2022

    John Locke Essay Competition 2022 Watch 1 year ago John Locke Essay Competition 2022 A Guys I wonder if anyone received the shorlost info for the history prize. I am kind of curious if they send out all the emails at the same time or depending on contestants and their category. Thanks Scroll to see replies 1 2 3 Reply 1 1 year ago A

  6. Register for 2022

    2023 Essay Competition We will send updates about the 2023 essay competition, and news about shortlisted candidates and the awards ceremony. We will also share with you reading recommendations, from time to time, and interviews with our examiners about what makes for a winning essay.

  7. John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition Guide

    By Jin Chow Co-founder of Polygence, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Education Last updated Jan 26, 2024 Published Aug 29, 2023 2 minute read Table of Contents We first wrote about the world-famous John Locke Institute (JLI) Essay Competition in our list of 20 writing contests for high school students.

  8. Students Short-Listed in Global Essay Competition

    Print article. | 20 July 2021. Soumia Lamont and Giulia Provenzano (Year 12 students) have been short-listed in the John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition, held by the University of Oxford. The competition is highly competitive, with some 4,000 submissions from 101 countries. The categories have set questions and include History ...

  9. John Locke Institute Essay Competition

    Homerton Changemakers Autumn Residential 24-29 Sep 2023 - Programme. Tuesday Conversations. Homerton Changemakers Resources. Alumni and Supporters. Supporting Homerton. Make a Donation. Enabling Agility. Supporting Students. Enhancing the Student Experience.

  10. Students shortlisted in John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition

    The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers; independent thought, depth in knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. ... "I was extremely grateful to be shortlisted for the John Locke Essay Competition. Being able to compete in such a ...

  11. PDF John Locke Institute Essay Prize Awards Economics Category September 2022

    John Locke Institute Essay Prize Awards - Economics Category September 2022 Economics Prize Winner: WHO, Benjamin - The Hotchkiss School, United States Second Prize: REN, Ke - Ulink Beijing, China Third Prize: ZHANG, Yixi - Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, China High Commendations

  12. Does anyone know how many people get shortlisted for the John Locke

    It sounds like your post is related to essays — please check the A2C Wiki Page on Essays for a list of resources related to essay topics, tips & tricks, and editing advice. You can also go to the r/CollegeEssays subreddit for a sub focused exclusively on essays. tl;dr: A2C Essay Wiki. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically.

  13. A Complete Guide To The John Locke Essay Competition

    Want to find out more about the John Locke Essay Competition and what it takes to enter an award-winning essay? Read on! Our Services. Admissions Support. US / Ivy League Admissions. UK / Oxbridge Admissions. EU Universities Admissions. Graduate Admissions. Crimson MBA. College Sport Recruitment ...

  14. john locke essay competition SHORTLIST

    John Locke Essay Competition 2022; John Locke Essay Competition 2023 - Formal Invitation; John Locke Essay Competition 2023; john locke essay competition; ... JLI Essay Contest 2023 Shortlist; John locke institute Essay competition 2023; Show 10 more. Latest. Official: University of East Anglia (UEA) A100 2024 Entry;

  15. John Locke Institute

    John Locke Institute, Oxford, United Kingdom. 4,933 likes · 11 talking about this. Welcome! For information about our summer schools in Oxford, our...

  16. Alex Chen '23 Wins Third Prize in Global Essay Competition

    Congratulations to Archmere junior Alex Chen for winning the Third Prize in Economics from the John Locke Institute's 2021 Global Essay Competition. Alex competed against students from all over the world in this prestigious event, writing an economic essay titled, "Oxford's Role in the Fight Against Inequality: From Serving the Elite to Uplifting the People". First place ...

  17. Grade 10 Student Receives a High Commendation for John Locke Institute

    With a rise of COVID-19 cases, Ontario school campuses closed to students and staff on April 19, 2021, and remote learning commenced for the remainder of the school year. Under a strict Stay-At-Home Order from the Government of Ontario, Esha D., Grade 10 student, used her time effectively to research opportunities she could participate in

  18. The War, Russia's Infrastructure, And The Lesson Of History

    Experts from the Social Policy Institute at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, say that "even in the most favourable development of events, one can expect the deterioration of the middle class and of the population's social and psychological well-being." Worse scenarios see real incomes declining up to 2030 and poverty approaching 20% ...

  19. Moscow Metro International Architecture Competition

    The 3rd International Idea Competition for Bcome 2022. International Design-A-Sock Contest. 2A Continental Architectural Awards 2022. REVIT MEP Online Course. Results. Results . Results of: Tiny House 2022 Architecture Competition. April 21, 2023. Results .

  20. Participants

    Participants. These were the 24 candidates from 15 countries who participated in the YPF European Piano Competition 2022 - Grand Prix Youri Egorov! The 24 candidates have been selected by the pre-selection jury, consisting of Thomas Beijer, Ton Demmers, Christiaan Kuyvenhoven and Hanna Shybayeva, from the 48 applications (19 countries) that ...

  21. Copy of 2023 Essay Competition

    Copy of 2023 Essay Competition | John Locke Institute

  22. Competition results announced for the design of Moscow metro stations

    The work of the competition winners is distinguished by an optimal combination of aesthetics and functionalism. "We are specially monitoring the implementation of these architectural concepts," commented Marat Khusnullin. ... 20.06.2022. MCA Approved Project of Business Complex Near Savelovskaya Metro Station. 21.03.2022. Krymskaya Station ...