John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize - History
$10,000 Scholarship
A prestigious international history essay competition for students aged 18 and below, offering scholarship prizes up to $10,000 and global academic recognition.
Mode
Online
Fee
Free
Participation format
Individual
Duration
Approximately 1 month for submission.
Time needed
Depends on individual research and writing time
Eligibility
Open to students globally. The Senior Prize is for students aged 18 or younger by the submission deadline. The Junior Prize is for students aged 14 or younger by the same date. Only one essay submission is permitted per student across all categories.
- Age range
- 6 to 18 years
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
- Academic requirement
- Open to students from any school or curriculum.
- Prerequisites
- Essays must be written in English.
- Ability to conduct independent research and formulate a coherent argument.
See if your child qualifies.
Rewards and recognition
Award
$10,000
The best essay overall receives a $10,000 scholarship. The winner of the History category receives a $5,000 scholarship, with $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third. Prizes are awarded as scholarships for John Locke Institute programmes.
Certificate
Certificate for Shortlisted Candidates
All shortlisted candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that acknowledge their achievement.
Opens doors to
Winning or being shortlisted for this prestigious international prize is a significant academic achievement that can strengthen applications to top universities worldwide.
Recognition
International recognition
Skills your child builds
Key dates
Last edition
- Registration opened
- 2 Feb 2026
- Registration closed
- 31 Mar 2026
- Competition
- 1 Apr 2026 to 31 May 2026
- Results
- 3 Oct 2026
How to apply
- 1Register on the John Locke Institute website before the registration deadline.
- 2Choose one question from the History category.
- 3Write an essay of no more than 2000 words, following all rules and guidelines.
- 4Submit the essay in PDF format through the online portal by the submission deadline.
Rules and guidelines
- Each essay must address only one of the specified questions in the History category.
- The essay must not exceed 2000 words, excluding bibliography, endnotes, and diagrams.
- The candidate's name should not appear anywhere within the essay document.
- Footnotes are not permitted, but endnotes and a bibliography are allowed.
- Submissions must be in PDF format with a specific filename convention: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf.
- Only one entry is allowed per student.
Technology requirements
- A computer with internet access for registration and submission.
- Word processing software to write the essay.
- PDF creation software to save the final document for submission.
About this opportunity
The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize is a prestigious international competition that invites students to explore challenging and interesting questions in History. It 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.
Participation is open to students globally, with a senior category for ages 18 and younger and a junior category for ages 14 and under. The primary benefits include significant scholarship prizes, with the best overall essay winning a $10,000 scholarship. Winning this competition is a notable achievement that enhances university applications, and shortlisted candidates are invited to an awards ceremony in London.
Rounds and format
Single submission round.
How entries are judged
Essays are 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 best essays are those capable of changing someone's mind.
Selection process
A panel of senior academics from leading universities, including Oxford and Princeton, selects a shortlist and prize-winners based on the judging criteria. The best essay is chosen from each subject category, and an overall Grand Prize winner is selected from the category winners.
Academic details
Difficulty: Advanced
What's covered
The competition is not based on a specific curriculum but requires a deep knowledge of history.
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