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Essay Contest Winning Entries

Congratulations to the winners of JASNA's annual  Essay Contest ! Their entries have been published here for all to enjoy .

Use the site-wide keyword Search function or the Filtered Search tool below to find winning essays on a specific topic.  (NOTE: We are in the process of tagging JASNA's publications for the Filtered Search tool. If you are looking for all essays and articles on a particular subject, please use the keyword Search function until the tagging project has been completed.)

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2023 Essay Contest

Winning Entries

2022 Essay Contest

2021 essay contest, 2020 essay contest, 2019 essay contest, 2018 essay contest, 2017 essay contest, 2016 essay contest, 2015 essay contest, 2014 essay contest, publications, about jasna.

The Jane Austen Society of North America is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. JASNA is a nonprofit organization, staffed by volunteers, whose mission is to foster among the widest number of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius.  We have over 5,000 members of all ages and from diverse walks of life. Although most live in the United States or Canada, we also have members in more than a dozen other countries.

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Essay Papers Writing Online

Engaging in competitive essay writing – how to excel in essay writing competitions.

Essay writing competitions can be a great opportunity to showcase your writing skills and win accolades for your creativity and thoughtfulness. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, competition can be fierce, so it’s vital to have a winning strategy in place.

In this article, we will discuss top tips and strategies that can help you stand out from the competition and increase your chances of winning essay writing competitions.

From identifying the right competition to crafting a compelling thesis statement and polishing your final draft, there are several key steps you can take to improve your chances of emerging victorious. Let’s dive into these tips and strategies to help you succeed in essay writing competitions!

Prepare Your Essay

1. Understand the topic: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you completely understand the topic. Research and gather relevant information to build a strong foundation for your argument.

2. Develop a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly convey the main point of your essay. It will serve as the guiding principle for the rest of your writing.

3. Create an outline: Organize your thoughts and arguments by creating an outline. This will help you structure your essay in a logical and coherent manner.

4. Write a compelling introduction: Start your essay with a compelling introduction that captures the reader’s attention and clearly presents your thesis statement.

5. Support your arguments with evidence: Back up your arguments with reliable evidence, examples, and research. This will strengthen your essay and make your points more convincing.

6. Craft a strong conclusion: End your essay with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis statement. Leave a lasting impression on the reader.

7. Edit and revise: Once you have completed your essay, take the time to edit and revise it. Check for spelling and grammatical errors, ensure your arguments flow smoothly, and make any necessary revisions to improve clarity and coherence.

Research Your Topic

One of the most important steps in preparing for an essay writing competition is to thoroughly research your topic. Ensure that you understand the key concepts, arguments, and perspectives related to the subject matter. Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites to gather information and support your arguments.

Understand the Competition Guidelines

One essential aspect of winning essay writing competitions is understanding the competition guidelines. Before you start writing your essay, carefully read and follow the rules and requirements provided by the competition organizers. Pay attention to the word count, topic restrictions, formatting guidelines, submission deadlines, and any other specific instructions.

By familiarizing yourself with the competition guidelines, you can ensure that your essay meets all the necessary criteria for consideration. Failure to adhere to the rules could result in disqualification, so it is crucial to read and understand the guidelines thoroughly before you begin your writing process.

Develop Your Writing Skills

Improving your writing skills is essential if you want to succeed in essay writing competitions. Here are some tips to help you develop your writing skills:

• Read extensively: Reading a variety of books, articles, and essays can help you improve your writing style and vocabulary.
• Practice writing regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to write and experiment with different writing techniques.
• Seek feedback: Ask teachers, peers, or writing professionals to provide feedback on your writing. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement.
• Study grammar and punctuation: Understanding the rules of grammar and punctuation is crucial for producing high-quality writing. Take the time to study these rules and apply them to your writing.
• Learn from successful writers: Study the works of successful writers and analyze their writing techniques. Try to incorporate some of these techniques into your own writing.

Practice Regularly

One of the key ways to improve your essay writing skills and increase your chances of winning competitions is to practice regularly. Writing is a skill that improves with practice, so make time each day to write essays, articles, or even short stories. Set aside dedicated time to work on your writing, and challenge yourself to explore different topics and styles.

By practicing regularly, you’ll not only improve your writing technique but also build confidence in your abilities. This confidence will show in your competition entries and set you apart from other participants. Remember, practice makes perfect, so the more you write, the better you’ll become.

Seek Feedback and Editing

Getting feedback on your essay is crucial to improving it and making it stand out in competitions. Don’t be afraid to ask teachers, peers, or writing tutors to review your work and provide constructive criticism.

Consider joining a writing group or workshop where you can share your essay and receive feedback from other writers. This can help you identify weak points in your argument or areas where you can improve your writing style.

After receiving feedback, be open to making edits and revisions. Polish your essay by fixing grammar and punctuation errors, tightening up your arguments, and ensuring your ideas flow logically and cohesively.

Remember, the more eyes you have on your essay, the better it will become. Don’t hesitate to seek feedback and editing to make your essay the best it can be.

Hook Your Readers

One of the most important aspects of winning an essay writing competition is grabbing the reader’s attention right from the start. Your introduction should be compelling and draw the reader in, making them want to continue reading. Here are some effective ways to hook your readers:

• Start with a powerful quote: Using a thought-provoking quote at the beginning can set the tone for your essay and intrigue your readers.
• Pose a question: Asking a question can engage your readers and make them curious to find out the answer, encouraging them to keep reading.
• Provide a shocking statistic: Sharing a surprising statistic can capture your readers’ interest and make them want to learn more about the topic.
• Share a personal anecdote: Connecting with your readers on a personal level by sharing a relevant anecdote can make your essay more relatable and engaging.
• Use descriptive imagery: Painting a vivid picture with descriptive language can transport your readers into the world you’re describing, making them more invested in your essay.

By hooking your readers from the beginning, you set the stage for a captivating essay that will leave a lasting impression on the judges of the competition.

State Your Thesis Clearly

One of the most important aspects of winning an essay writing competition is to state your thesis clearly in the introductory paragraph. Your thesis is the main argument or point you will be making in your essay, and it serves as the foundation for your entire piece. Make sure your thesis is specific, debatable, and concise. Avoid vague statements and ensure that your thesis directly addresses the prompt provided for the competition.

Tip: Your thesis should be strong and compelling, drawing the reader in and establishing the purpose of your essay from the start. It should be clear enough that your reader can easily understand what you will be arguing throughout the rest of your essay.

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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 54 contests that match your search.

Literary and Photographic Contest 2023-2024

Hispanic Culture Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry

As we move forward we carry our culture wherever we go. It keeps us alive. This is why we propose the theme to be “¡Hacia delante!”. A phrase that means to move forward. This year we ask that you think about the following questions: What keeps you moving forward? What do you carry with you going into the future? How do you celebrate your successes, your dreams, and your culture?

Additional prizes:

Publication in magazine

📅 Deadline: February 07, 2024 (Expired)

Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award

Trio House Press

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

The Letter Review

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Free to enter. Seeking 0-5000 word (poetry: 15 pgs) excerpts of unpublished books (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction), including most self-published and indie-published works. 2-4 Winners (publication of extract is optional). We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind.

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

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A Very Short Story Contest

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Write a great short story in ten words or fewer. Submit it to our contest. Entry is free. Winner of the bet gets a free Gotham class.

Free writing class from Gotham Writers Workshop.

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition

Indignor House Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition

Vine Leaves Press

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

Small presses have potential for significant impact, and at Vine Leaves Press, we take this responsibility quite seriously. It is our responsibility to give marginalized groups the opportunity to establish literary legacies that feel rich and vast. Why? To sustain hope for the world to become a more loving, tolerable, and open space. It always begins with art. That is why we have launched this writing competition.

Book publication

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

💰 Entry fee: $11

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Stories of Inspiration

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

Nonfiction stories of inspiration wanted (between 500 to 2,000 words). Submissions should highlight the struggle and resilience of the human spirit, especially related to cultures of BIPOC or marginalized communities. Stories must be original, unpublished works in English. One successful entry will be awarded each month from April 2024 and will be included within Kinsman Quarterly’s online journal and digital magazine. Successful authors receive $200 USD and publication in our digital magazine. No entry fee required.

Publication in Kinsman Quarterly's online magazine

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

Share Your Story

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Essay and Memoir

Write about an event in your life. Everyone has a memoir. Not an autobiography. Too much concern about fact and convention. A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life with the option to create and fabricate and to make sense of a life, or part of that life.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 13, 2024

Personal Essay Competition 2024

Write the World

We want to hear about an experience in your life, rife with characters and description and conflict and scene… but we also want to hear how you make sense of this experience, how it sits with you, and why it has surfaced as writing. Open a window into your life and invite your readers to enter.

Best entry: $100

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50

📅 Deadline: June 24, 2024 (Expired)

Climate Change Writing Competition

This month, dear writers, ahead of COP27, help us raise the voices of young people in this urgent fight. In a piece of personal narrative, tell the world’s leaders gathering in how climate change impacts you. How has this crisis changed your environment, your community, your sense of the future? Storytelling, after all, plays a critical role in helping us grasp the emergency through which we are all living, igniting empathy in readers and listeners—itself a precursor to action.

Runner-up: $50

📅 Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired)

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

$500 Editors' Choice award

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So To Speak is seeking submissions for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction with an intersectional feminist lens! It is no secret that the literary canon and literary journals are largely comprised of heteronormative, patriarchal, cisgender, able-bodied white men. So to Speak seeks work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer.

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Anthology Travel Writing Competition 2024

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel

The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is open to original and previously unpublished travel articles in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. We are looking for an engaging article that will capture the reader’s attention, conveying a strong sense of the destination and the local culture. Max 1000 words.

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

High School Academic Research Competition

Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal

The High School Academic Research Competition is where talented students from around the world compete to publish high-quality research on any topic. SARC challenges students to sharpen their critical thinking skills, immerse themselves in the research process, and hone their writing skills for success.

Indigo Research Intensive Summer Program

📅 Deadline: April 17, 2024 (Expired)

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing will be administered to the winner of a literary contest designed to champion innovative hybrid and cross-genre work.

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast. This years entries will be judged by Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House, Her Body and Other Parties).

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

2nd: writing coach package

💰 Entry fee: $15

Berggruen Prize Essay Competition

Berggruen Institute

Genres: Essay

The Berggruen Prize Essay Competition, in the amount of $25,000 USD for the English and Chinese language category respectively, is given annually to stimulate new thinking and innovative concepts while embracing cross-cultural perspectives across fields, disciplines, and geographies. Inspired by the pivotal role essays have played in shaping thought and inquiry, we are inviting essays that follow in the tradition of renowned thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Michel de Montaigne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Publication in Noema Magazine

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

Rigel 2024: $500 for Prose, Poetry, Art, or Graphic Novel

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Literary or genre works accepted. Winner receives $500 plus publication, while runners-up and finalists are offered publication. No restrictions on theme or category. Closes: February 29. Entry fee: $12.50. Enter as many times as you like through Submittable or Duotrope

$500 + publication

Runners-up and finalists are offered publication

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Tusculum Review Nonfiction Chapbook Prize

The Tusculum Review

A prize of $1,000, publication of the essay in The Tusculum Review’s 20th Anniversary Issue (2024), and creation of a limited edition stand-alone chapbook with original art is awarded. Editors of The Tusculum Review and contest judge Mary Cappello will determine the winner of the 2024 prize.

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024 (Expired)

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

$1,000 — $5,000

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Publication by Red Hen Press

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Ayn Rand Institute

Atlas Shrugged is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit. We seek exceptional essays of up to 1600 words that analyze its themes and ideas. High school to graduate students worldwide are invited to participate.

📅 Deadline: June 14, 2024 (Expired)

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association

Genres: Children's and Essay

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again.

African Diaspora Awards 2024

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Up to $1000 in cash prizes for the African Diaspora Award 2024. African-themed prose and poetry wanted. Top finalists are published in Kinsman Quarterly’s magazine and the anthology, “Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora.”

Publication in anthology, "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora" and print and digital magazine

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

📅 Deadline: March 24, 2024 (Expired)

NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Open to all writers in four categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and critical writing.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $7

swamp pink Prizes

From January 1st to January 31st, submit short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Winners in each genre will receive $2,000 and publication.

Annual Student Essay Contest

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

For this year’s Essay Contest, we are asking students to think about why the story of the Oklahoma City bombing is important today.

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Books

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Letter Review Prize for Books is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted.

$1000 USD shared by 3 winners

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

National Essay Contest

U.S. Institute of Peace

This year, AFSA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. Over the last century, our diplomats and development professionals have been involved in groundbreaking events in history – decisions on war and peace, supporting human rights and freedom, creating joint prosperity, reacting to natural disasters and pandemics and much more. As AFSA looks back on this century-long history, we invite you to join us in also looking ahead to the future. This year students are asked to explore how diplomats can continue to evolve their craft to meet the needs of an ever-changing world that brings fresh challenges and opportunities to the global community and America’s place in it.

Runner-up: $1,250

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

Creative Nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

Send us one creative nonfiction piece, up to 5000 words, for a chance at $1000 + publication. This year's contest will be judged by Lars Horn.

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course : How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

• "How to Craft a Killer Short Story" ( Click here )
• "The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel" ( Click here )
• "Understanding Point of View" ( Click here )
• "Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love" ( Click here )
• "Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character" ( Click here )
• "Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine" ( Click here )

On Editing:

• "Story Editing for Authors" ( Click here )
• "How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro" ( Click here )
• "Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel: Steps From a Bestselling Writer" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Short Story in 9 Simple Steps" ( Click here )
• "100 Literary Devices With Examples: The Ultimate List" ( Click here )
• "20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft" ( Click here )
• "How to Write Fabulous Dialogue [9 Tips + Examples]" ( Click here )
• "8 Character Development Exercises to Write 3D Characters" ( Click here )

Bonus resources

• 200+ Short Story Ideas ( Click here )
• 600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You ( Click here )
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors ( Click here )
• Story Title Generator ( Click here )
• Pen Name Generator ( Click here )
• Character Name Generator ( Click here )

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION 2020

The 2020 competition attracted nearly 13,000 entries on the theme: Climate Action and the Commonwealth. 130 volunteer judges, drawn from 40 different countries across the Commonwealth, assessed the entries with the final judging decision taken by an expert panel of authors, journalists and poets, which included the writer Anthony Horowitz; written word poet Suli Breaks; journalist Matthew Parris; novelist Wendy Holden; award-winning YA author Zalika Reid-Benta; and the Commonwealth Writer's Prize winner and poet, Sia Figiel. 

The 2020 Winners and Runners-up were drawn from across the Commonwealth (Singapore, India, Canada and Ghana) and wrote inspiring poems, essays and narratives on the topic 'Climate Action and the Commonwealth'. 

In 2020 we were also delighted to host our first virtual Awards Ceremony. The virtual ceremony revealed the winners and featured readings of their award-winning pieces. The ceremony included notable literary figures, actors, and humanitarians from across the Commonwealth.

Ambassadors of the Royal Commonwealth Society, David Walliams and Alexandra Burke, were joined by British actor and writer, Stephen Fry, and Bollywood actress, Kareena Kapoor, to read extracts from the winning pieces during the ceremony.

The ceremony also featured highlights of workshops that the Winners and Runners-up had with the Society’s Ambassadors, Geri Horner (née Halliwell) and Lewis Pugh, to discuss their pieces on the theme of ‘Climate Action the Commonwealth.’

Senior Winner: Aditya Choudhury Singapore

Aditya Choudhury is a 14-year-old from Singapore. A ninth-grade student of GIIS, Singapore, Aditya is a fan of Star Wars, Marvel comics, Harry Potter, manga and graphic novels (not necessarily in that order!). He enjoys soccer, swimming and basketball, and credits the island’s National Parks for fostering his interest in the natural environment and wildlife welfare.

In his essay titled ‘Voices from the Blue World’, he imagined an underwater Commonwealth Conference of sea creatures in which the keynote speaker, a grouper, which is a native fish of Singapore, assures all the marine creatures of the Blue World that they have a bright future of coexistence with the human world – the Green World. Learning about the work done by Commonwealth nations to protect the oceans and browsing the Commonwealth Blue Charter website has been a hugely inspiring experience, which strengthened his belief that the Blue World of marine creatures and the Green World of humans can live like a wonderful brotherhood. The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition on ‘Climate Action’ has made him value the power of words to unleash change and shape our future!  

Senior Runner-Up: Ananya Mukerji India

Ananya is a student of Grade 11 doing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) at Dhirubhai Ambani International School. She has been writing creatively since she was 9 years old. Besides being passionate about writing, particularly poetry, she expresses herself through art and theatre.  She lives in Mumbai with her parents and her 2-year-old cocker spaniel, Tessa.

Junior Winner: Cassandra Nguyen Canada

Cassandra Nguyen is 13 years old and lives in Ontario, Canada. She is in Grade 8 and currently attends Ashton Meadows Public School in Ontario, Canada.

She has enjoyed both reading and writing stories since she was very young and literature has always been important to her because when she reads a poem or a book, it almost feels like you are being taken to the world that the author created.  

Junior Runner-Up: Eleni Bazikamwe Ghana

Eleni was born on 5 January 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya, and is the daughter of a Belgian mother and a Greek-Burundese father. She has spent the first years of her childhood in Kenya and moved to Accra at the age of 5 where her father is currently working for the EU Delegation to Ghana.

Eleni joined the Ghana International School where she has made lots of friends and got a wonderful academic education, especially last year with Mrs Amponsah-Tawiah who taught her a lot about how to write great stories.

Throughout her travels across the Kenyan savannahs and the beautiful Ghanaian coast, Eleni has had the opportunity to see how wonderful the environment is, but also how vulnerable it is, which is why she was so happy to participate in The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition. She’s very much inspired by Greta Thunberg, but also enjoys playing the piano, reading Jaqueline Wilson books, playing tennis and baking all sorts of goodies.

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Pisay student natalia araña wins the new york times’ essay writing contest.

Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Grade 11 student Natalia Araña has won The Learning Network’s Second Annual STEM Writing Contest organized by The New York Times for her essay, “Mycowood Violins: A Different Kind of Time Machine.”

Araña was named one of the eleven international winners of the prestigious writing tilt, which challenged teenagers from around the world to choose a compelling scientific topic and then write an engaging 500-word explanation for it.

The winning essay, which stood out from 3,741 entries received by The New York Times, involves the discovery of scientist Francis W.M.R. Schwarze, who found a way to replicate the sound of the world’s most famous violin – the Stradivarius, through white-rot fungi.

Only a few hundred of the original violins made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari over 250 years ago survived, according to the essay.

To recreate the sound of the iconic Stradivarius violins, Schwarze and his team used fungi to mimic the effects of a cold climate on wood, producing biotech violins with a tone matching those of a Stradivarius.

“For three months, Dr. Schwarze let these decomposers feast on the wood until its cells shrunk, letting the timber reach its optimal density without largely affecting the speed of sound travel through the material. The result? A higher radiation ratio that made the newly created ‘mycowood’ one step closer to the resonance wood used by Stradivari — close enough, in fact, that most listeners in a blind test mistook a fungi-treated violin for the original Stradivarius!” the 16-year-old Araña explains.

The positive results produced by Schwarze’s study meant that the fungi-treated violins could one day become available to talented young musicians who would otherwise be unable to afford their own Stradivarius.

Natalia Araña’s essay entitled, “Mycowood Violins: A Different Kind of Time Machine,” along with the other winning works, have been published by The New York Times on April 29, 2021. Read her story here .

Filipinos who recently bagged top literary prizes include UP Cebu student Christian Andrei Nuez Laplap who won the United Kingdom’s International Hammond House Literary Prize and Filipino-American author Erin Entrada Kelly’s historical fiction “We Dream of Space” which was awarded the John Newbery Honor for distinguished children’s books.

SEND CONGRATULATIONS in the comments below to Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Grade 11 student Natalia Araña who has won The Learning Network’s Second Annual STEM Writing Contest organized by The New York Times for her essay, “Mycowood Violins: A Different Kind of Time Machine.”

Good News Pilipinas is celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2021 by giving away prizes! Subscribe to our  Good News Pilipinas! TV YouTube channel  and enter the raffle by sending us an email to [email protected]

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The Goi Peace Foundation

• Past Contests

Youth Creating a Peaceful Future

What does a peaceful world look like to you? How can young people work together, using creative ideas and approaches to realize a peaceful future? Please share your specific ideas.

Our values determine how we think and act, and they shape the society we live in. What are the values that you hold dear? How can you best live your life in line with those values, and in doing so, what kind of society do you hope to create?

What is Life?

What does life mean to you? Have you had an experience that made you think about the meaning of life? What kinds of things can you do to cherish and invigorate your own life and all life on earth?

A Letter from Myself in 2030

Imagine what an ideal world ten years from now would be like. Write a letter from yourself in 2030 to your present (2020) self, in which you describe the state of the world, the way people are living, and what you, yourself, are doing in society. In addition, include any important message that you might wish to tell your present self.

Creating a Society Full of Kindness

What does “Kindness” mean to you? How do you think we can create a kinder society? Carry out ten acts of kindness, and then use your experience as inspiration in writing your essay (your essay does not need to be about your acts of kindness).

The Change I Want to Make

What is the one thing you would like to change the most to make your school, workplace, community, country or the world a better place? How would you bring about that change? Please share your concrete ideas.

Learning from Nature

Modern civilization has developed through controlling nature and exploiting its resources. At the same time, we human beings are part of the natural world, and nature has many things to teach us. Scientists, philosophers, poets, and artists have all found inspiration in nature. What can we learn from nature, and how can we make use of that learning for the future? Please describe your ideas, including your own observations and experiences.

Education to build a better future for all

We live in a world with many complex problems, both local and global. What kind of education and learning would help us address these challenges and create a sustainable world and a better life for all? Describe your concrete ideas for an ideal education.

Building peace in our hearts and minds

UNESCO was created 70 years ago to build peace in the minds of men and women as a way to attain lasting peace in the world. What does it mean to build peace in our hearts and minds? How does it relate to the world around us? Please illustrate your ideas with your personal experience

My role as a citizen of earth

In the vast universe, we were born on this planet called Earth, where various cultures and ethnicities, all living things, and all of nature exist together. However, in our world today, we face numerous problems–environmental destruction, resource depletion, wars and conflicts, poverty, and many more–that make our future uncertain. Given this situation, what do you think is the best way forward for humanity? How do you wish to fulfill your role as a citizen of Earth?

The power of culture to create a better future

Every part of the world has its own culture. Culture includes the arts, traditions and customs of a country or region, as well as the wisdom, values, lifestyles and trends of the people living there. In order to build a peaceful world, we need to acknowledge and respect each other’s cultures. What aspects of the culture in your country or region do you take pride in? How can youth make the most of them to create a better future?

Creating the future we want

The future begins with the vision we hold now. What kind of future do you wish to create for yourself and the world? Please share your dream and ideas for making it a reality.

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Learning to live together: promoting tolerance and diversity in globalized societies (Children’s Category)

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Each person has their own unique qualities. What are your positive attributes? What do you like about yourself? How can you best make use of your qualities for the benefit of the society?

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What is life?

What does it mean to respect all life? How can human beings live in harmony with one another and with all life on earth? What are the things you can do immediately, and what do you wish to do in the future?

What does peace mean to you?

What kind of a world do you envision for the 21st century? What does peace mean to you? How do you think we can achieve peace? What are the things you can do immediately, and what do you wish to do in the future? You may also tell us about the activities and projects for peace in which you are already involved.

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Home › Essay Competition 2024 › Essay Competition Winners

Essay Competition Winners

Table of Contents

Every year, Immerse Education run two Essay Competitions to inspire a sense of motivation in young people around the world, as well as open up doors to our outstanding summer courses taking place in world-renowned locations. Participants choose from a range of questions from a variety of subject categories and enter by the deadline to be in with a chance of winning a full or partial scholarship to study on one of our programmes. Here you’ll find past winning entries from previous rounds.

For further information about our essay competition, visit our dedicated essay competition page where you’ll get answers to our most frequently asked questions, access to a full essay competition guide and free tips to boost your chances of winning straight to your inbox every week!

2019 Essay Competition Winners

• Indigo Henning’s Winning Essay (Engineering)
• 16-18 Category Winning Essay (Earth Sciences)
• 13-15 Category Winning Essay

Other 2019 Competitions held by Immerse Education

• App Competition Winner (Léo Wújì Yangkai Procházka)
• Tech Competition Winner

2020 Essay Competition Winners

• 2020 Essay Competition Winners – Winning Essay
• 2020 Essay Competition Winners – 16-18 – Winning Essay

2021 Essay Competition Winners

• 2021 Essay Competition Winner – Law
• 2021 Essay Competition Winner – Medicine

2022 Essay Competition Winners

• 2022 Essay Competition Winner – Business Management
• 2022 Essay Competition Winner – Chemistry
• 2022 Essay Competition Winner – 16-18 – Earth Sciences
• 2022 Essay Competition Winner – 16-18 – Physics
• 2022 Essay Competition Winner – 16-18 – Creative Writing

2023 Essay Competition Winners

• 2023 Essay Competition Winner – Earth Sciences
• 2023 Essay Competition Winner – Physics
• 2023 Essay Competition Winner – Creative Writing

2024 Essay Competition Winners

• 2024 Essay Competition Winner – 16-18 – Business Management
• 2024 Essay Competition Winner – 13-15 – Medicine
• 2024 Essay Competition Winner – 16-18 – Coding
• 2024 Essay Competition Winner – 16-18 – Female Future Leaders
• 2024 Essay Competition Winner – 16-18 – Biology

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How to Win Essay Contests: A Step-by-Step Guide

10 Steps to Writing Contest-Winning Essays

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Did you know that you can win prizes with your writing skills? Essay contests are a fun way to turn your creativity and your command of the written word into great prizes. But how do you give your essay the edge that gets it picked from among all of the other entries?

Here's a step-by-step guide to writing essays that impress judges. Follow these steps for your best chances of winning writing contests.

Read the Essay Contest Rules

The first thing that you should do to win essay contests is to read the rules thoroughly. Overlooking one small detail could be the difference between winning the contest and wasting your time.

Pay special attention to:

• The contest's start and end dates.
• How often you're allowed to enter.
• The word or character count .
• The contest's theme.
• The criteria that the judges will use to pick the winners.
• Who the sponsoring company is, and what their branding is like.
• And any other details the sponsor requires.

It might help you to print out the sweepstakes rules and highlight the most important elements, or to take notes and keep them close at hand as you write.

If you summarize the relevant rules in a checklist, you can easily check the requirements off when you've finished your essay to ensure you haven't overlooked anything.

Brainstorm Your Essay Ideas

Many people want to jump right into writing their essay, but it's a better idea to take some time to brainstorm different ideas before you start. Oftentimes, your first impulse isn't your best.

The Calgary Tutoring Centre lists several reasons why brainstorming improves your writing . According to their article, brainstorming lets you:

"Eliminate weaker ideas or make weaker ideas stronger. Select only the best and most relevant topics of discussion for your essay while eliminating off-topic ideas. Or, generate a new topic that you might have left out that fits with others."

For a great brainstorming session, find a distraction-free area and settle in with a pen and paper, or your favorite method to take notes. A warm beverage and a healthy snack might aid your process. Then, think about your topic and jot down quick words and phrases that are relevant to your theme.

This is not the time to polish your ideas or try to write them coherently. Just capture enough of the idea that you know what you meant when you review your notes.

Consider different ways that you can make the contest theme personal, come at it from a different angle, or stand out from the other contest entries. Can you make a serious theme funny? Can you make your ideas surprising and unexpected?

Write down all your ideas, but don't judge them yet. The more ideas you can come up with, the better.

Select the Essay Concept that Best Fits the Contest's Theme and Sponsor

Once you've finished brainstorming, look over all of your ideas to pick the one you want to develop for your essay contest entry.

While you're deciding, think about what might appeal to the essay contest's sponsor. Do you have a way of working the sponsor's products into your essay? Does your concept fit the sponsor's company image?

An essay that might be perfect for a Budweiser contest might fall completely flat when Disney is the sponsor.

This is also a good time to consider whether any of your rejected ideas would make good secondary themes for your essay.

Use a Good Hook to Grab the Reader's Attention

When it's time to start writing your essay, remember that the first sentence is the most important. You want to ensure that your first paragraph is memorable and grabs the reader's attention.

When you start with a powerful, intriguing, moving, or hilarious first sentence, you hook your readers' interest and stick out in their memory when it is time to pick winners.

Writer's Digest has some excellent tips on how to hook readers at the start of an essay in their article, 10 Ways to Hook Your Reader (and Reel Them in for Good) .

For ideas on how to make your essay unforgettable, see Red Mittens, Strong Hooks, and Other Ways to Make Your Essay Spectacular .

Write the First Draft of Your Essay

Now, it's time to get all of your thoughts down on paper (or on your computer). Remember that this is a first draft, so don't worry about perfect grammar or if you are running over your word count. 

Instead, focus on whether your essay is hitting the right emotional notes, how your story comes across, whether you are using the right voice, and if you are communicating everything you intend to.

First drafts are important because they help you overcome your reluctance to write. You are not trying to be good yet, you are trying to simply tell your story. Polishing that story will come later.

They also organize your writing. You can see where your ideas fit and where you need to restructure to give them more emotional impact.

Finally, a first draft helps you keep your ideas flowing without letting details slow you down. You can even skip over parts that you find challenging, leaving notes for your next revision. For example, you could jot down "add statistics" or "get a funny quote from Mom" and come back to those time-consuming points later.

Revise Your Essay for Flow and Organization

Once you've written the first draft of your essay, look over it to ensure that it flows. Is your point well-made and clear? Do your thoughts flow smoothly from one point to another? Do the transitions make sense? Does it sound good when you read it aloud?

This is also the time to cut out extraneous words and ensure you've come in under the word count limit.

Generally, cutting words will improve your writing. In his book, On Writing , Stephen King writes that he once received a rejection that read: "Formula for success: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%." In other words, the first draft can always use some trimming to make the best parts shine.

If you'd like some tips on how to improve your first draft, check out these tips on how to self-edit .

Keep an Eye Out for "Red Mittens"

In her fantastic book, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio , Terry Ryan talked about how her mother Evelyn used "red mittens" to help her be more successful with contest entries.

As she put it:

"The purpose of the Red Mitten was almost self-explanatory -- it made an entry stand out from the rest. In a basket of mittens, a red one will be noticed."

Rhyme, alliteration, inner rhyme, puns, and coined words were some of the red mittens that Evelyn Ryan used to make her entries pop. Your essay's red mitten might be a clever play on words, a dash of humor, or a heart-tuggingly poignant story that sticks in the judges' minds.

If your first draft is feeling a little bland, consider whether you can add a red mitten to spice up your story.

Put Your Contest Entry Aside

Now that you have a fairly polished draft of your essay contest entry, put it aside and don't look at it for a little while. If you have time before the contest ends, put your essay away for at least a week and let your mind mull over the idea subconsciously for a little while.

Many times, people think of exactly what their essay needs to make it perfect... right after they have hit the submit button.

Letting your entry simmer in your mind for a while gives you the time to come up with these great ideas before it's too late.

Revise Your Essay Contest Entry Again

Now, it's time to put the final polish on your essay. Have you said everything you wanted to? Have you made your point? Does the essay sound good when you read it out loud? Can you tighten up the prose by making additional cuts in the word count?

In this phase, it helps to enlist the help of friends or family members. Read your essay to them and check their reactions. Did they smile at the right parts? Were they confused by anything? Did they connect with the idea behind the story?

This is also a good time to ensure you haven't made any grammar or spelling mistakes. A grammar checker like Grammarly is very helpful for catching those little mistakes your eyes gloss over. But since even computer programs make mistakes sometimes, so it's helpful to have another person — a good friend or family member — read it through before you submit it.

Read the Essay Contest Rules One Last Time

If you've been following these directions, you've already read through the contest rules carefully. But now that you've written your draft and had some time to think things over, read them through one more time to make sure you haven't overlooked anything.

Go through your checklist of the essay requirements point-by-point with your finished essay in front of you to make sure you've hit them all.

And now, you're done! Submit the essay to your contest, and keep your fingers crossed for the results !

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United States Institute of Peace

Winning essays, 2013 national winning essays.

First Place: Molly Nemer of Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights, MN

• Grounded in Peace: Why Gender Matters

Second Place: Anna Mitchell of Plymouth, MI (Homeschool)

• Up and Out: Women’s Peacebuilding from the Ground Up in Liberia and Afghanistan

Third Place: Bo Yeon Jang of the International School Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Womanhood in Peacemaking: Taking Advantage of Unity through Cultural Roles for a Successful Gendered Approach in Conflict Resolution

2012 national winning essay, “ Awakening Witness and Empowering Engagement: Leveraging New Media for Human Connections ,” by Emily Fox-Penner of the Maret School in Washington, D.C., addressed the essay topic of new media and peacebuilding by examining its role in Egypt in 2011 and Kenya in 2007  (link is the same as it is now from last year)

2011 national winning essay, "Mimes for Good Governance: The Importance of Culture and Morality in the Fight Against Corruption," by Kathryn Botto from the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas discusses the role of society and culture in dealing with curruption, using Colombia and Kyrgyzstan as case studies.

2010 national winning essay, " Fighting for Local publications in a Globalized World: Unity, Strategy, and Government Support " , by Margaret E. Hardy from Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco, California, discusses necessary conditions for nonviolent movement to successfully control local publications.

2009 national winning essay, "Responding to Crimes against Humanity: Prevention, Deployment, and Localization" , by Sophia Sanchez from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in Saint Louis, Missouri, discusses the role of international actors in protecting civilians from crimes against humanity.

2008 national winning essay , "Resolving Water Conflicts Through the Establishment of Water Authorities, " by Callie Smith from Girls Preparatory School in Chatanooga, Tennessee, discusses how natural publications can be managed to build peace, using case studies from Central Asia and Yemen.

2007 national winning essay , " Reintegrating Children, Building Peace: Interaction, Education, and Youth Participation ," by Wendy Cai from Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe, Arizona, discusses the reintegration of child soldiers into society, using Sierra Leone and Uganda as case studies.

2006 national winning essay , " Defusing Nuclear Tensions Through Internationally Supported Bilateral Collaborations ," by Kona Shen from The Northwest School in Seattle, Washington, compares the decision of Argentina and Brazil to forego nuclear arms development with the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan.

2005 national winning essay , " Finding Peace: Japan and Cambodia ," by Jessica Perrigan from the Duchesne Academy in Omaha, Nebraska, explores how education is the key to democracy.

2004 national winning essay , " Establishing Peaceful and Stable Postwar Societies Through Effective Rebuilding Strategy ," by Vivek Viswanathan from Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, New York explores the lessons of the Marshall Plan and international efforts in Somalia in an examination of the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction.

2003 national winning essay , " Kuwait and Kosovo: The Harm Principle and Humanitarian War ," by Kevin Kiley from Granite Bay High School in Granite Bay, California, examines the 1990 Gulf War and NATO's intervention in Kosovo to see how they measure up against the criteria of just war.

2002 national winning essay , " Safeguarding Human Rights and Preventing Conflict through U.S. Peacekeeping ," by David Epstein from Pikesville High School in Baltimore, Maryland, cites several examples of appropriate use of American power aimed at putting a stop to crimes against humanity and ending conflict.

2001 national winning essay , " Somalia and Sudan: Sovereignty and Humanitarianism ," by Stefanie Nelson from Bountiful High School in Bountiful, Utah, examines the dynamics of the competing philosophies of sovereignty and humanitarianism in third-party intervention found in civil conflicts in the Sudan and Somalia.

2000 national winning essay , " Promoting Global and Regional Security in the Post-Cold War World ," by Elspeth Simpson from Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas, looks at the U.S. policies that led to intervention in Colombia and North Korea and considers the effectiveness of actions based on humanitarian assistance and national and global security.

1999 national winning essay , " Preventive Diplomacy in the Iraq-Kuwait Dispute and in the Venezuela Border Dispute ," by Jean Marie Hicks of St. Thomas More High School in Rapid City, South Dakota, explores the cases of preventive diplomacy seen in disputes between Iraq and Kuwait and in border disputes involving Venezuela.

1998 national winning essay , " How Should Nations be Reconciled ," by Tim Shenk from Eastern Mennonite High School in Harrisonburg, Virginia, uses South Africa and Bosnia as examples to examine the manner in which war crimes should be accounted for to ensure stable and lasting peace.

1997 national winning essay , " A Just and Lasting Peace ," by Joseph Bernabucci from St. Alban's School in Washington, D.C., examines the steps that can be taken to support successful implementation of a peace agreements and addresses causes of the conflicts by exploring what can be done to discourage renewed violence.

1996 national winning essay , " America and the New World Order ," by Richard Lee from Irmo High School in Columbia, South Carolina, defines U.S. national security interests and gives his criteria for U.S. intervention by examining past cases of intervention.

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6 steps to create your winning college list.

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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 29: People walk on the campus of the University of North Carolina ... [+] Chapel Hill on June 29, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admission policies used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate the Constitution, bringing an end to affirmative action in higher education. (Photo by Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)

Navigating the college admissions landscape in 2024 demands a comprehensive understanding of current trends while ensuring that each student's unique values and needs are aligned with their chosen institutions. Here are practical steps to guide you in creating a winning college list that aligns with your values and goals.

Step 1: Define Your College Criteria

Start by identifying what's important to you in a college experience. Consider factors like location, size, academic programs, extracurricular opportunities, and campus culture. Understanding your preferences will help you narrow down your options.

Rank Your Needs

Below is a list of needs your future college could meet for you. Beside each item, rank it on a scale of 1 to 4.

• 1 = Non-negotiable
• 2 = Important
• 3 = Semi-important
• 4 = Unimportant

Your College Needs

• Long distance from current home
• Friends from high school will be there
• Internship opportunities in my future career
• Politically engaged student body
• Near nature, lots of outdoor activities
• Attractive program in my desired major
• School with high name-brand recognition, prestigious
• Good sorority/fraternity scene
• Beautiful environment
• Cool college town, lots of off-campus opportunities
• Strong study abroad program
• Strong religious affiliation/spiritual opportunities
• Strong alumni network
• Chance to play collegiate sports
• Diverse student body
• Can drive home easily

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This list is by no means comprehensive. You may have a completely different set of priorities than the ones featured here. The point is this: The sooner you get real about what your needs are, the sooner you can cross schools from your list that don’t meet them. You’re the one going to college; you’re the boss of your experience.

Step 2: Research College Cultures And Values

Dig into the culture and values of each college you're considering. Start by visiting the university's website and reading their mission and vision statements. This can provide insight into what the institution values and strives to achieve.

For example, Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business emphasizes critical thinking and leadership. The school’s mission statement reads: "To create value for business and society by providing intellectual leadership, advancing the science and practice of management, and developing ethical leaders to be the agents of change in a world driven by technology and innovation.” Its motto, "My heart is in the work," suggests a deep commitment to integrating passion with profession. Does this resonate with your values and how you see your future?

To further understand a college's culture, go straight to the source: the student newspaper. Student newspapers offer candid student perspectives. For instance, a student at Stanford University might describe the entrepreneurial spirit on campus, while a student at Swarthmore College might highlight the collaborative and socially conscious atmosphere.

Step 3: Investigate Strategic Goals

Many people often express frustration with the perceived opacity of the college admissions process, and their concerns are not unfounded. However, if you want insight into the types of students likely to be admitted in the upcoming year, it’s essential to examine the college's strategic goals for the next few years. This information is usually available in their strategic plan, which can be found on their website. Look for documents that detail the institution's goals and the strategies they plan to implement to achieve them.

For instance, Stanford University’s strategic plan emphasizes sustainability and interdisciplinary research. If you are passionate about environmental science, Stanford’s focus on sustainability might align well with your interests. Conversely, the University of Chicago may highlight its commitment to rigorous intellectual inquiry and civic engagement, which appeals to students who value deep academic exploration and community involvement.

By understanding a school's strategic goals, you can determine whether the institution’s direction aligns with your academic and personal aspirations. For example, if Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business prioritizes fostering innovation and using data for social good, and you have experience in launching nonprofits or working with big data, you can highlight this alignment in your application. This approach not only enhances your application but also ensures that you choose a school where you can thrive and contribute meaningfully.

Step 4: Explore Academic Offerings And Structures

When deciding on a major , it's crucial to investigate the academic programs and structures at each college. Understand the scheduling systems, core curriculum requirements, and research opportunities within your intended major.

For example, Brown University offers an open curriculum, allowing students the flexibility to design their own educational paths without mandatory general education requirements. This approach might appeal to applicants eager to explore diverse academic fields. On the other hand, Columbia University’s Core Curriculum ensures all students, regardless of major, receive a broad-based education in the liberal arts, appealing to those who value a structured and comprehensive academic foundation.

Check specific departmental websites for detailed information about faculty, ongoing research projects, and student involvement in research. These resources will give you a clearer picture of the academic environment and opportunities available in your chosen field, helping you make an informed decision about which college will best support your academic and career aspirations.

Step 5: Follow the Money

This might sound counterintuitive but hear me out. If you want to know which students a college will likely admit in the next few years, look at where the college is investing its resources. Recent donations and funding priorities can provide clear indicators of the school's current and future focuses.

For example, if you're interested in studying music business (full disclosure: I was a music business major), Belmont University should be on your radar. In April 2024, the school received a $58 million donation from a music executive to expand its programs. Such significant funding can lead to better facilities, more research opportunities, and potentially more seats and scholarships for students in those programs.

To research your favorite colleges, use resources like The Chronicle of Philanthropy to see where significant donations have been made. If your intended program has recently received a large donation, it could mean enhanced resources and opportunities for you. Conversely, if a college you’re considering is directing funds into programs or initiatives that don’t align with your interests, it might be worth reconsidering your choice.

Understanding where a college allocates its financial resources can help you to ensure alignment between your academic and career goals with the institution's strengths and priorities.

Step 6: Build Connections

It’s not only what you know; it’s who you know. A strategic step in creating a college list is to establish relationships with alumni, current students, professors, and administrators. Networking with individuals who are currently attending or have previously attended the colleges you’re interested in will give you a personalized and in-depth view of each institution.

Alumni networks, campus visits, and informational interviews can provide invaluable insights. Reach out to alumni through LinkedIn or your high school's alumni network. Attend college fairs and visit campuses if possible. During your visit, engage with current students and faculty to get a sense of the campus atmosphere and academic environment. Remember to send thank-you notes and follow-up messages after every interaction.

When building your college list, remember that it's not about finding the best college—it's about finding the best college for you. You are not just choosing a college; you are shaping your future. Make sure it’s a future that aligns with who you are and who you want to become.

When you apply to college, share your talents with the institutions that will appreciate them. You’ll know which ones they are once you follow this guide to success.

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Profile in Courage Essay Contest Press Release 2020 Winning Essay List of Winners, Finalists, Semifinalists, Honorable Mentions

Representative Walter B. Jones Jr.: “One of a Kind”

By Noah Durham Cape Fear Academy in  Wilmington, North Carolina

On an unusually warm Saturday in April 2003 at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Republican U.S. Representative Walter B. Jones Jr., gazed at the funeral taking place under “Carolina blue skies” (Sisk). Marine Staff Sergeant Michael Bitz had died near Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 23rd, days into the Iraqi invasion. Jones concentrated as Janina Bitz read aloud the last letter from her husband. Tearfully eyeing the fallen Marine’s young children, Jones watched two-year-old Joshua drop his rubber duck, which was swiftly retrieved and delicately returned to his small hands by a Marine in dress uniform (Sisk). As Joshua looked up at that Marine, Jones gravely thought, “This little boy would never know his daddy” (qtd. in Seelye). As John F. Kennedy said in Profiles in Courage , “A man does what he must -- in spite of… consequences… obstacles… and pressures -- and that is the basis of all human morality” (Kennedy 225). Because the funeral was a “spiritual happening” that would forever change his view on the Iraq War, Jones would do what he must (Dreyfuss).

       Born the son of veteran Democratic Congressman Walter B. Jones Sr. in Farmville, an eastern North Carolina hamlet that was home for most of his life, Jones served ten years in the state legislature before evolving party platforms propelled him to become Republican in the 1990s (Mataconis; Graham). In 1994, he won a House seat representing the state’s 3rd District, a district adjacent to that of his late father. A “reliable Republican vote" in Congress, Jones accepted the premise by President George W. Bush’s administration that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, and predictably voted for the Iraqi invasion in October 2002 (Sonmez). So fervent was his support, Jones was credited with renaming french fries in House cafeterias “freedom fries,” rebuking France’s opposition to the war (Ross and Sonmez).

     Bitz’s funeral, however, made Jones reevaluate his war vote. His daughter Ashley knew her father was seeking answers, so at Christmas 2003, gave him an audiobook of James Bamford’s A Pretext for War , which he played on weekly drives home (Sisk). Bamford’s book highlighted flawed intelligence the Bush administration used to justify the war, and Jones, alarmed, invited the author to meet with Congressional colleagues in Washington (Yeoman; Dreyfuss). Mortified that the administration misled the American public and himself to justify war, Jones later said, “My heart aches, quite frankly” (Jones, Interview, 00:01:00 - 00:01:23).

     Jones's outrage became public, declaring his opposition to the war at an April 2005 Armed Services Committee meeting. Emotionally recounting Bitz’s funeral, Jones angrily demanded the administration apologize to the country, saying, “It is just amazing to me how we… were told we had to remove this man [Saddam Hussein], but the reason we were given was not accurate” (qtd. in Funk). At a June press conference alongside several prominent Democrats, Jones introduced Homeward Bound, a pioneer resolution that mandated the administration strategize an Iraq exit (Kriner 149; U.S., Cong., House). While it was unsuccessful, Jones’s surprising reversal “sent shock waves throughout the political arena,” and he recruited others to the cause, saying, “All we’re trying to do is to start a debate about… [ending] the war” (Kriner 149; qtd. in Dreyfuss). Once an ardent supporter of the Iraq War, Jones became one of its most vocal critics, forever advocating for truth, accountability, increased discourse, and safety of American troops (Sisk).

     Kennedy wrote that although it is courageous to defy one’s president, party, or nation, “[T]hese do not compare… to the courage required of… defying the angry power of the… constituents who control his future” (Kennedy 222). Jones's district included one of the nation’s largest Marine Corps bases, Camp Lejeune, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, “economic engines” upon which many depended (Kraushaar). Further, President Bush received 68 percent of the vote there in 2004, so Jones's renouncing the war was risky (Kraushaar). District pushback was swift, with furious troops, angry phone calls and letters, and rebukes from local party leaders (Kraushaar; Sisk). In 2008, Jones faced his first primary challenge ever and faced more every election thereafter, including twice against a former Bush aide with heavy Washington financial backing (Sisk; Graham). Jones always prevailed, though, holding true to convictions: “If doing what’s right means I don’t return to Congress, then it’s God’s will” (qtd. in Funk).

     Kennedy described courageous politicians as those who place “their convictions ahead of their careers,” and Jones certainly sacrificed power by criticizing the war (Kennedy 206). Although in line to be the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, he was passed over, concluding that “by doing what you think is right… there’s a price to pay” (qtd. in Fuller). In 2012, after numerous votes against the Republican agenda, Jones was stripped from the Financial Services Panel (Hamby). Jones remained a backbencher, yet committed to principle regardless, saying, “I didn’t come up here to seek power or to get a chairmanship” (qtd. in Dreyfuss).

     Bitz’s funeral not only prompted Jones's political reversal on the Iraq War, but also began a personal atonement for his “pain of not voting my conscience” (Jones, “Representative,” 00:30:24 - 00:30:43). Using the same black fountain pen, he signed over 12,000 sympathy letters to families of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, professing, “That’s my apology every time I sign one” (Sisk; qtd. in Yeoman). Jones also displayed portraits along his office corridor of nearly 580 Camp Lejeune Marines killed in combat (Waggoner).

     Ultimately, Jones called renouncing the Iraq War “the genesis of the most important journey I’ve ever undertaken” (qtd. in Seelye). His renewed conviction to think independently to do what was right fueled later politically courageous acts, including voting against Republican initiatives like the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the 2017 Republican tax cut, the Path to Prosperity, and banking deregulations (Graham; Marcos and Wasson). While such actions risked friendships, Jones genuinely charmed both sides of the aisle with his Southern drawl, integrity, and kindness (Ross and Sonmez). In today’s divisive politics, such civility seems sorely missing. When Jones died on his 76th birthday in February 2019, he was widely praised for the courage of his convictions and ability to admit mistakes, as exemplified by his renouncement of the Iraq War and subsequent demand for truth, accountability, and debate. David Graham of The Atlantic memorialized Jones best: “It’s not so much that he belonged to a dying breed; it’s that he was one of a kind” (Graham).

Works Cited

Dreyfuss, Robert. “The Three Conversions of Walter B. Jones.” Mother Jones , Foundation for National Progress, Jan. 2006, www.motherjones.com/politics/2006/01/three-conversions-walter-b-jones/.

Fuller, Matt. “Jones Willing to Pay the Price for Independence.” Roll Call , CQ Roll Call, 20 Nov. 2013, www.rollcall.com/news/jones_willing_to_pay_the_price_for_independence-229232-1.html.

Funk, Tim. “Conservative Rep. Walter Jones Follows His Conscience.” McClatchy DC , McClatchy Washington Bureau, 23 June 2005, www.mcclatchydc.com/latest-news/article24447817.html.

Graham, David A. “Walter Jones Was the Real Maverick.” The Atlantic , Atlantic Media, 11 Feb. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/02/walter-jones-north-carolina-obituary-freedom-fries/581569/.

Hamby, Peter. “Can Mr. Jones Stay in Washington?” CNN , Cable News Network, 24 Apr. 2014, www.cnn.com/2014/04/24/politics/midterms-jones-griffin-primary/index.html.

Jones, Walter. Interview by George Stephanopoulos. This Week with George Stephanopoulos, ABC News . YouTube, uploaded by WellstoneAction, 16 May 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqmhBxdq1jA.

Jones, Walter. “Representative Walter Jones on Iraq.” Interview by Peter Slen. Washington Journal , C-Span, 20 Jun. 2014, www.c-span.org/video/?320037-5/washington-journal-rep-walter-jones-r-nc-iraq.

Kennedy, John F. Profiles in Courage . New York: Harper Perennial, 2006.

Kraushaar, Josh. “GOP Congressman Pays Price for Opposing War.” Politico , Politico LLC, 22 Aug. 2007, www.politico.com/story/2007/08/gop-congressman-pays-price-for-opposing-war-005478.

Kriner, Douglas L. After the Rubicon: Congress, Presidents, and the Politics of Waging War . The University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Marcos, Cristina, and Erik Wasson. “House Passes Final Ryan Budget.” The Hill , Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., 10 Apr. 2014, thehill.com/policy/finance/203190-house-passes-ryan-budget-in-close-vote.

Mataconis, Doug. “Walter Jones, Iraq War Supporter Who Became Anti-War, Dies At 76.” Outside the Beltway , Outside the Beltway, 15 Feb. 2019, www.outsidethebeltway.com/walter-jones-iraq-war-supporter-who-became-anti-war-dies-at-76/.

Ross, Kirk, and Felicia Sonmez. “'He Was a Man of Absolute Integrity': Rep. Walter Jones Is Remembered at North Carolina Funeral.” The Washington Post , The Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/he-was-a-man-of-absolute-integrity-rep-walter-jones-is-remembered-at-north-carolina-funeral/2019/02/14/f694ba68-3086-11e9-86ab-5d02109aeb01_story.html.

Seelye, Katharine Q. “Walter B. Jones, 76, Dies; Republican Turned Against Iraq War.” The New York Times , The New York Times, 13 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/13/obituaries/walter-b-jones-dead.html.

Sisk, Taylor. Telephone interview. Conducted by Noah Durham. 11 Dec. 2019. *

Sonmez, Felicia. “Walter Jones, 'Freedom Fries' Congressman Who Became Iraq War Critic, Dies at 76.” The Washington Post , The Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/walter-jones-freedom-fries-congressman-who-became-iraq-war-critic-dies-at-76/2019/02/10/39aa38b6-232e-11e9-ad53-824486280311_story.html.

United States, Congress, House. Withdrawal of United States Armed Forces From Iraq Resolution of 2005 -- Homeward Bound. 109th Congress, 1st session, House Joint Resolution 55, introduced 16 Jun. 2005. Congress.gov, www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-joint-resolution/55/text.

Waggoner, Martha. “'Penance': NC Congressman Writes to Families of Dead Troops.” AP News , Associated Press, 30 Oct. 2017, apnews.com/d4553a8e37b0434299713d4be95bb7f7/'Penance':-NC-congressman-writes-to-families-of-dead-troops.

Yeoman, Barry. “Walter Jones Jr. Is a Voice of Dissent in the GOP.” The Nation , The Nation Company, 9 Mar. 2018, www.thenation.com/article/walter-jones-jr-is-a-voice-of-dissent-in-the-gop/.

* Note: Taylor Sisk is a journalist who co-authored and assisted Representative Walter Jones with a yet-to-be-published memoir.

The Gunman and the Would-Be Dictator

Violence stalks the president who has rejoiced in violence to others.

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When a madman hammered nearly to death the husband of then–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Donald Trump jeered and mocked . One of Trump’s sons and other close Trump supporters avidly promoted false claims that Paul Pelosi had somehow brought the onslaught upon himself through a sexual misadventure.

After authorities apprehended a right-wing-extremist plot to abduct Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Trump belittled the threat at a rally. He disparaged Whitmer as a political enemy. His supporters chanted “Lock her up.” Trump laughed and replied , “Lock them all up.”

Fascism feasts on violence. In the years since his own supporters attacked the Capitol to overturn the 2020 election—many of them threatening harm to Speaker Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence—Trump has championed the invaders, would-be kidnappers, and would-be murderers as martyrs and hostages. He has vowed to pardon them if returned to office. His own staffers have testified to the glee with which Trump watched the mayhem on television.

Now the bloodshed that Trump has done so much to incite against others has touched him as well. The attempted murder of Trump—and the killing of a person nearby—is a horror and an outrage. More will be learned about the man who committed this appalling act, and who was killed by the Secret Service. Whatever his mania or motive, the only important thing about him is the law-enforcement mistake that allowed him to bring a deadly weapon so close to a campaign event and gain a sight line of the presidential candidate. His name should otherwise be erased and forgotten.

It is sadly incorrect to say, as so many have, that political violence “has no place” in American society. Assassinations, lynchings, riots, and pogroms have stained every page of American political history. That has remained true to the present day. In 2016 , and even more in 2020, Trump supporters brought weapons to intimidate opponents and vote-counters. Trump and his supporters envision a new place for violence as their defining political message in the 2024 election. Fascist movements are secular religions. Like all religions, they offer martyrs as their proof of truth. The Mussolini movement in Italy built imposing monuments to its fallen comrades. The Trump movement now improves on that: The leader himself will be the martyr in chief, his own blood the basis for his bid for power and vengeance.

Christopher R. Browning: A new kind of fascism

The 2024 election was already shaping up as a symbolic contest between an elderly and weakening liberalism too frail and uncertain to protect itself and an authoritarian, reactionary movement ready to burst every barrier and trash every institution. To date, Trump has led only a minority of U.S. voters, but that minority’s passion and audacity have offset what it lacks in numbers. After the shooting, Trump and his backers hope to use the iconography of a bloody ear and face, raised fist, and call to “Fight!” to summon waverers to their cause of installing Trump as an anti-constitutional ruler, exempted from ordinary law by his allies on the Supreme Court.

Other societies have backslid to authoritarianism because of some extraordinary crisis: economic depression, hyperinflation, military defeat, civil strife. In 2024, U.S. troops are nowhere at war. The American economy is booming, providing spectacular and widely shared prosperity. A brief spasm of mild post-pandemic inflation has been overcome. Indicators of social health have abruptly turned positive since Trump left office after years of deterioration during his term. Crime and fatal drug overdoses are declining in 2024; marriages and births are rising. Even the country’s problems indirectly confirm the country’s success: Migrants are crossing the border in the hundreds of thousands, because they know, even if Americans don’t, that the U.S. job market is among the hottest on Earth.

Yet despite all of this success, Americans are considering a form of self-harm that in other countries has typically followed the darkest national failures: letting the author of a failed coup d’état return to office to try again.

One reason this self-harm is nearing consummation is that American society is poorly prepared to understand and respond to radical challenges, once those challenges gain a certain mass. For nearly a century, “radical” in U.S. politics has usually meant “fringe”: Communists, Ku Kluxers, Black Panthers, Branch Davidians, Islamist jihadists. Radicals could be marginalized by the weight of the great American consensus that stretches from social democrats to business conservatives. Sometimes, a Joe McCarthy or a George Wallace would throw a scare into that mighty consensus, but in the past such challengers rarely formed stable coalitions with accepted stakeholders in society. Never gaining an enduring grip on the institutions of state, they flared up and burned out.

Trump is different. His abuses have been ratified by powerful constituencies. He has conquered and colonized one of the two major parties. He has defeated—or is on the way to defeating—every impeachment and prosecution to hold him to account for his frauds and crimes. He has assembled a mass following that is larger, more permanent, and more national in reach than any previous American demagogue. He has dominated the scene for nine years already, and he and his supporters hope they can use yesterday’s appalling event to extend the Trump era to the end of his life and beyond.

The American political and social system cannot treat such a person as an alien. It inevitably accommodates and naturalizes him. His counselors, even the thugs and felons, join the point-counterpoint dialogue at the summit of the American elite. President Joe Biden nearly wrecked his campaign because he felt obliged to meet Trump in debate. How could Biden have done otherwise? Trump is the three-time nominee of the Republican Party; it’s awkward and strange to treat him as an insurrectionist against the American state—though that’s what Trump was and is.

David Frum: Biden’s heartbreaking press conference

The despicable shooting at Trump, which also caused death and injury to others, now secures his undeserved position as a partner in the protective rituals of the democracy he despises. The appropriate expressions of dismay and condemnation from every prominent voice in American life have the additional effect of habituating Americans to Trump’s legitimacy. In the face of such an outrage, the familiar and proper practice is to stress unity, to proclaim that Americans have more things in common than that divide them. Those soothing words, true in the past, are less true now.

Nobody seems to have language to say: We abhor, reject, repudiate, and punish all political violence, even as we maintain that Trump remains himself a promoter of such violence, a subverter of American institutions, and the very opposite of everything decent and patriotic in American life.

The Republican National Convention, which opens this week, will welcome to its stage apologists for Vladimir Putin’s Russia and its aggression against U.S. allies. Trump’s own infatuation with Russia and other dictatorships has not dimmed even slightly with age or experience. Yet all of these urgent and necessary truths must now be subordinated to the ritual invocation of “thoughts and prayers” for someone who never gave a thought or uttered a prayer for any of the victims of his own many incitements to bloodshed. The president who used his office to champion the rights of dangerous people to own military-type weapons says he was grazed by a bullet from one such assault rifle.

Conventional phrases and polite hypocrisy fill a useful function in social life. We say “Thank you for your service” both to the decorated hero and to the veteran who barely escaped dishonorable discharge. It’s easier than deciphering which was which. We wish “Happy New Year!” even when we dread the months ahead.

Adrienne LaFrance: Thoughts, prayers, and Facebook rants aren’t enough

But conventional phrases don’t go unheard. They carry meanings, meanings no less powerful for being rote and reflexive. In rightly denouncing violence, we are extending an implicit pardon to the most violent person in contemporary U.S. politics. In asserting unity, we are absolving a man who seeks power through the humiliation and subordination of disdained others.

Those conventional phrases are inscribing Trump into a place in American life that he should have forfeited beyond redemption on January 6, 2021. All decent people welcome the sparing of his life. Trump’s reckoning should be with the orderly process of law, not with the bloodshed he rejoiced in when it befell others. He and his allies will exploit a gunman’s vicious criminality as their path to exonerate past crimes and empower new ones. Those who stand against Trump and his allies must find the will and the language to explain why these crimes, past and planned, are all wrong, all intolerable—and how the gunman and Trump, at their opposite ends of a bullet’s trajectory, are nonetheless joined together as common enemies of law and democracy.

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Biden’s Heartbreaking Press Conference

Opinion | Rep. Sean Casten: It’s time for Joe Biden to…

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Opinion | Rep. Sean Casten: It’s time for Joe Biden to pass the torch

On the one hand, we have Joe Biden. A man who passed the biggest climate and infrastructure bills in our nation’s history; expanded NATO; has overseen record-breaking economic growth and job growth; and has protected union members’ pensions, veterans’ benefits and seniors’ access to affordable drugs. And, it should be noted, is a fundamentally kind, empathetic and decent human being.

On the other hand, we have Donald Trump. A twice-impeached convicted felon and adjudicated rapist who has promised to be a “dictator on day one.” A man whose singular talent is the shameless, narcissistic meanness innate to all the world’s most successful con artists.

In the conversations I’ve had with the folks it is my privilege to represent, there is tremendous fear about this moment. People wonder whether our nation — and indeed, our world — can survive another Trump administration. They watched women’s rights get stripped away by the Supreme Court; saw our enemies praised and our allies alienated; and saw children separated from families, Muslims banned from entering our country and neo-Nazis praised as “very fine people.” They have not forgotten the fear we all felt as — for the first time since the War of 1812 — the Capitol was attacked and the peaceful transfer of power was disrupted on Jan. 6. And that was before the Supreme Court ruled that presidents cannot be held to account for their actions in the White House.

They also wonder what happens if Trump acolytes control the House and the Senate in January 2025. They know that Speaker Mike Johnson wrote the legal document that outlined the plan to overturn the election. They watched the majority of the House Republican conference walk over broken glass in the Capitol to carry out those instructions. They saw Mitch McConnell force woefully underqualified judges like Aileen Cannon through the Senate. They wonder how many decades of progress will be undone if there are no checks on a government led by the morals of Trump and the acquiescence of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

In other words, they fear for the future of American democracy.

As Benjamin Franklin said, we have “a Republic if we can keep it.” Will we still have one when we celebrate our 250th birthday in 2026?

Which brings us to the 2024 election.

If the upcoming election is a referendum on past performance, future promises and character, I have every confidence Biden would win.

But politics, like life, isn’t fair. And as long as this election is instead litigated over which candidate is more likely to be held accountable for public gaffes and “senior moments,” I believe that Biden is not only going to lose but is also uniquely incapable of shifting that conversation.

It is with a heavy heart and much personal reflection that I am therefore calling on Biden to pass the torch to a new generation. To manage an exit with all the dignity and decency that has guided his half-century of public service. To cement his legacy as the president who saved our democracy in 2020 and handed it off to trusted hands in 2024 who could carry his legacy forward.

At the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln said that he never doubted the Union would prevail because “there was always just enough virtue in the republic to save it; sometimes none to spare but still enough to meet the emergency.” I have every confidence that informed voters who understand the stakes of this election will prove Lincoln to be right once again. But we need a messenger at the top of the ticket who can make that case.

It breaks my heart to say it, but Biden is no longer up for that job.

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten represents Illinois’ 6th Congressional District.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected] .

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Guest Essay

George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.

By George Clooney

Mr. Clooney is an actor, director and film producer.

I’m a lifelong Democrat; I make no apologies for that. I’m proud of what my party represents and what it stands for. As part of my participation in the democratic process and in support of my chosen candidate, I have led some of the biggest fund-raisers in my party’s history. Barack Obama in 2012 . Hillary Clinton in 2016 . Joe Biden in 2020 . Last month I co-hosted the single largest fund-raiser supporting any Democratic candidate ever, for President Biden’s re-election. I say all of this only to express how much I believe in this process and how profound I think this moment is.

I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.

But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “ big F-ing deal ” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.

Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe. But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw. We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign. The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before. As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, whom we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question.

Is it fair to point these things out? It has to be. This is about age. Nothing more. But also nothing that can be reversed. We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate. This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and Congress member and governor who I’ve spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly.

We love to talk about how the Republican Party has ceded all power, and all of the traits that made it so formidable with Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, to a single person who seeks to hold on to the presidency, and yet most of our members of Congress are opting to wait and see if the dam breaks. But the dam has broken. We can put our heads in the sand and pray for a miracle in November, or we can speak the truth.

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