

The Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest
Description
Ayn Rand
Essay Contests
455K+
Participating Students
$2,200,000+
Prize Money Awarded to Date
1985
Program Founded
Essay Contests
For nearly four decades, the Ayn Rand Institute has hosted annual student essay contests on Ayn Rand’s novels. These contests encourage students to seriously engage with Rand’s ideas through reflection on her profound and influential novels. Students who participate will need to read the book they have selected carefully, grapple with its complex themes, and push the boundaries of their writing ability. By doing so, we hope students will achieve a deeper appreciation for Rand’s literary works and develop a curiosity for the philosophy that underlies them.

Anthem
Open to all 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students worldwide.
Deadline to enter: April 25, 2024

The Fountainhead
Open to all 11th and 12th grade students worldwide.
Deadline to enter: April 25, 2024

Atlas Shrugged
Open to all 12th grade, college, and graduate students worldwide.
Deadline to enter: TBD
1. Read an Ayn Rand novel
Select the book according to your level of education, and begin reading. Pay attention to the themes and character motivations, and be thinking about how you might answer the essay topic questions.
2. Write an essay on the book
As you start to write, be thinking about how to answer the essay question you have chosen to write on. Be sure to give yourself enough time to construct a coherent outline, find supporting evidence, and revise your draft a couple times.
3. Submit for grading
Submit your essay online using ARI’s application portal. Be sure to check that the information you provide in your application is correct, and that your essay satisfies our requirements.
4. Wait for the results
Grading for all submissions begins once the deadline has passed. Essays go through three separate grading stages, and the final results are announced approximately three to four months after the entry deadline.
Our Grading Standards
Essays are judged on whether the student is able to justify and argue for his or her view, not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses.
Our graders look for writing that is clear, articulate, and logically organized. Essays should stay on topic, address all parts of the selected prompt, and interrelate the ideas and events in the novel.
Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of the novel.
01. Clarity
02. Organization
03. Understanding
04. On Topic
Start Your Essay Today!
The Ayn Rand Institute has hosted annual essay contests on Ayn Rand’s fiction since 1985, awarding over $2.2 million in total prizes to students worldwide.
Enter one of our contests today for a chance to win up to $10,000!
Organizer Info
Address
United States
Date
April 25, 2024
Event type
Online
Related Listings
There are no reviews yet.
Leave a Review
There are no reviews yet.


