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Essay Competition 2025

Entries for Spring 2025 are now open

Test your academic skills with the Oxford Scholastica Academy Essay Competition (formerly the “OxBright Essay Competition”).

Designed for bright 15-18 year olds, the competition will challenge you to go beyond the school curriculum and think about the future of your subject. Think big, stretch yourself – and see your subject in a whole new light.

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The Oxford Scholastica Essay Competition

At the Oxford Scholastica Academy, we’re passionate about giving you the edge to succeed, find your purpose and make a difference in the world.

We’re optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead and about the potential of young people to make the most of them (you can read more about our Worldview below).

The Oxford Scholastica Academy Essay Competition gives you the chance to think about the future, challenge yourself beyond the school curriculum and consider your subject through a wider lens.

All shortlisted entrants will be invited to attend one of our Online Conferences free of charge, and there are a variety of prestigious prizes for the winners.

We look forward to reading your submission!

Entries for Spring 2025 are open now. See below to enter.

Essay Question 2025

What do you think the greatest challenge currently facing [your field] is and how might you play a role in tackling it?

Please answer with regards to the Oxford Scholastica worldview (see below): the philosophy that in order to overcome problems we must face the future with an active, collaborative and long-term approach, and a sense of optimism about what can be achieved.

Enter the Competition

Our Worldview

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What We Do

Over the past decade, we have supported thousands of students from around the world with our award-winning academic programmes.

Oxford Courses

Designed for curious and ambitious 12-14 and 15-18-year-olds, our programme offers a transformative two-week experience. Study on the historic Oxford campus while immersing yourself in the rich culture, history and vibrant energy of this iconic city.

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Online Courses

Our live online courses give students from around the world the opportunity to learn from an expert tutor, explore their chosen subject alongside like-minded peers and get a taste of university-style teaching.

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Online Internships

Created for ambitious 15-18-year-olds, our internships offer students the chance to explore a cutting-edge topic with a specialist mentor, write a research paper and have their work published in an academic journal.

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How the Essay Competition Works

Submit Your Entry

Research and write your essay and then submit it, along with your references, via our short form below.

Entries close at 9pm UK time on 11th May 2025!

Next Steps

We’ll be in touch within two weeks of your entry to let you know whether you’ve been shortlisted. Shortlisted entrants are invited to attend one of our Conferences, free of charge.

Awards Ceremony

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our Awards Ceremony in May 2025, where the winners will be announced.

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Over £100,000 Worth of Academic Prizes

Free Conference Place

Students who are successfully shortlisted will be awarded a free place at one of our Oxford Scholastica Academy Conferences (worth £95) in the autumn. Alternatively, you can put this credit towards joining our Oxford Summer School, an Online Course or Online Internship.

Online Awards Ceremony
All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our online Awards Ceremony in May 2025, where the winners will be announced.
Prizes Awarded

Prizes include:

  • Most Outstanding Essay (prize: a place at our Oxford Summer School, worth £6,995)
  • Best Essay for each subject category (prize: a place on an Oxford Scholastica Academy Online Course or Online Internship, worth £995)
  • Highly Commended (the top 20% of entries will receive a Certificate of Achievement and an optional partial scholarship – please see our FAQs below for details on this)

 

Meet the Previous Winners

Research for my essay gave me a more in depth knowledge of the subject than I would have otherwise gained. I am very pleased to have won the competition. I did not expect to win!

 

Philip (Abingdon School)
Winner, Geography, 2024

I decided to enter as I wanted to further my research into history and see if it was something I truly wanted to pursue in the future. I was so surprised and overjoyed about winning the competition! I learnt a lot about the process of essay writing and my view of history in regard to the question.

 

Amelie (King Edward VI Five Ways Grammar School)
Winner, History, 2024

I feel very honoured and pleased to have been selected as the overall winner of the competition. I really look forward to attending the course in Oxford in July, meeting young people of my age from across the world and pursuing my passion for engineering!

 

Ophelia (Benenden School)
Most Outstanding Essay, 2024

See 2024 Results in Full

Your Questions,
Answered.

Getting Started
Who can enter the Oxford Scholastica Essay Competition?
The only eligibility criteria is that you must be aged between 15-18 years old. You don’t need to have previously joined an Oxford Scholastica programme in order to take part.

Please note, to be eligible for any of the free places we offer as prizes, winners must be between the ages of 15-18 at the beginning of the course or internship.

What are the prizes?
All shortlisted entrants will receive a free place at our Autumn Conference and, along with their parents/guardians and teachers, will be invited to attend our online Awards Ceremony in May 2025 to hear the results.

In addition to this, our prizes are as follows:

– Most Outstanding Essay: a free place on our Oxford Summer School in 2026 (worth £6,995)
– Best Essay for each subject category: a free place on one of our online summer courses or online internships (worth £995)
– Highly Commended: the top 20% of entries will receive a Certificate of Achievement as well as an optional partial scholarship (please see below for more information)

Partial scholarships

For the first time this year, alongside our main competition prizes we will be awarding a limited number of partial scholarships (up to 50% off our summer courses) for Highly Commended entrants.

While the number of free places we can offer as prizes is naturally limited, we’d like to recognise the hard work of more students by offering a wider selection of prizes, including partial scholarships.

If your essay is Highly Commended – an impressive achievement, meaning you are ranked in the top 20% of entries – you can opt in below to being offered a partial scholarship to one of our programmes as a prize (worth up to 50% of the fees). We recognise that some students and parents won’t want a partial scholarship, so it’s completely optional. If you are Highly Commended and you opt out of receiving a partial scholarship, you will still receive a Certificate of Achievement.

Autumn Conferences
All shortlisted students will be invited to attend one of our Autumn Conferences (worth £95) which cover the following subjects: Business, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Politics and Psychology. Alternatively, if would prefer to join one of our programmes this summer, or you don’t study one of the above subjects, you are welcome to use the £95 as credit towards our Oxford Summer School, online courses or online internships.

Is there an entry fee?
No, the essay competition is completely free to enter.
Why do you run an essay competition?
At Oxford Scholastica, our mission is to help students seize the future with resolve and optimism. We give young people the tools to thrive in an everchanging environment and teach young minds to think critically, actively and long-term.

Our annual essay competition combines these elements to encourage you to think about the future of your subject and consider how you can make a positive impact on the world around you.

You can read more about our mission here.

What are the subject categories I can enter for?
The 2025 subject categories are:

  • Architecture
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • Engineering
  • Geography
  • History
  • Law
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Philosophy
  • Politics
  • Psychology
  • Writing & Journalism

 

Do you accept personal or descriptive essays?
We’re looking for clear, concise and compelling answers to our essay question, written and formatted in an academic style. Please do not submit personal essays or creative writing samples.
I previously participated in the Essay Competition. Can I submit an entry?
Absolutely! As long as your entry is a new piece of work which answers this year’s question, we encourage you to participate.
Are you connected to the University of Oxford?
No. Whilst our summer school uses Oxford University facilities, and a number of our tutors teach or study at the university, it’s important to understand that we have no formal connection with the University of Oxford.
Writing Your Essay
How long should my essay be?
There are three parts to the essay:

  1. Title: The title of your essay can be up to 100 characters long, including spaces.
  2. Essay: Your essay can be up to 3,800 characters, including spaces (about 500 words). This includes everything you write, such as the main body and in-text citations. These citations are part of your word count, so make sure to include them. We’ve put together some helpful guidelines here on how to include in-text citations in your essay.
  3. References: There’s no word limit for references and you can include as many as you need. Please include a section at the end of your essay for your references, using the guidelines above. This won’t count towards your essay character limit, so be sure to list all the sources you used to show where your information came from.

 

What are the evaluation criteria?
We’ll be assessing essays on the following criteria:

  • Fluency of written English
  • Coherence
  • Relevance to the question
  • Relevance to the Oxford Scholastica worldview
  • Creativity and originality of ideas
  • Use of evidence and examples

 

What makes a good essay?
Make sure to read our criteria carefully (you can find it in the FAQ above).

We want essays that are thoroughly researched, packed with examples and solid evidence. What really catches our attention are essays with unique analysis. We’re not just interested in essays that simply describe things – we want your thoughts and fresh ideas.

Don’t forget, it’s crucial to include and cite trustworthy sources for the evidence you provide.

Should I use references?

Yes, please use the Harvard Referencing Style to cite your sources. We’ve put together some helpful guidelines here on how to include in-text citations in your essay.

Do I need to include a bibliography?
Yes, please include a section at the end of your essay to give credit to your sources. We’ve put together some helpful guidelines here on how to format your references using the Harvard Referencing Style.
Submitting Your Entry
When is the deadline for submissions?
The deadline for this year’s essay competition is 11th May 2025, 9pm BST. If you submit after this deadline, we’re unable to consider your entry.
Can I write more than one essay?
Unfortunately, we only accept one essay per student each year. This is due to the high volume of entries we receive.
Can I enter as a team or in a group?
No, we only accept entries from individuals. For this reason, it’s important to make sure your work is entirely your own.
Next Steps
How are the essays assessed?
Essays are assessed using our proprietary system which combines a mixture of technology and personal assessment. Essays which are deemed to be plagiarised or written by AI will be rejected and our decision on this is final.

There are two stages to our assessment process:

  1. Shortlisting: Our first stage assessment reviews whether the essay meets our core standards of relevance and coherence. If so, your essay will be shortlisted and you’ll be invited to our Awards Ceremony in May 2025. All shortlisted entrants will be offered a free place at one of our online conferences.
  2. Awards: Shortlised essays are then given further assessment by our panel. This includes a review of your references and citations. In the application form, we ask for the name of a teacher who is familiar with your academic work. If your essay is nominated for an award, we’ll ask this teacher to confirm that the essay is a genuine example of your work.

 

When will I hear the results?
We’ll be in touch within two weeks of your entry to let you know whether or not you’ve been shortlisted. All entrants who meet our core standards of relevance and coherence will be shortlisted.

All shortlisted entrants, along with their parents/guardians and teachers, will be invited to our online Awards Ceremony in May 2025, when the winners for each subject category will be announced.

Will I receive feedback on my essay?
Unfortunately, due to the volume of entries we receive, we are unable to provide feedback on essays.
Do all participants receive a certificate?
You’ll only receive a Certificate of Achievement if your essay is Highly Commended by our panel. Please note, certificates are issued in a digital format.
Does everyone get a free place at a conference?
Students who are successfully shortlisted will be invited to attend one of our online conferences of their choice, free of charge (worth £95). It’s entirely optional to attend a conference. Alternatively, you can choose to apply the £95 credit towards another programme with us.
Why is the overall prize a place at Oxford Scholastica in 2026, not 2025?
Our 2025 Oxford summer courses are likely to be fully booked by May 2025, when the Oxford Scholastica Essay Competition winner will be announced. However, if you win and there’s still availability for your preferred course and dates, you’d be welcome to join in 2025.