10 International Essay Contests For Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
For middle school students who intend to develop their writing skills and tailor them according to global standards, participating in international essay contests can go a long way. These contests test your abilities to think critically, undertake thorough research & analysis, formulate structured arguments and nurture original ideas. You are judged not only based on your content, but also on the form of your writing. In the process, students learn to do away with casual writing styles and develop academic writing skills.
Spanning subjects from politics, history & economics to artificial intelligence, fiction and the environment, the contests also offer you a chance to fruitfully explore your interest areas. A number of competitions invite the winning essayists to physical networking meets, thereby offering an opportunity to form valuable relationships with like-minded peers and experts alike!
Our list of the 10 best international essay contests for middle school students is as follows:
Cost / Stipend: Free
Program dates: March 9 – May 17
Application deadline: April 26
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
The annual Junior Scholars Essay Contest organised by Lumiere Education is an essay contest that invites middle school students across the globe to engage with a challenging list of essay prompts. Your essay will be judged based on the originality of your arguments, analytical rigour, credibility of the evidence used, organisation of ideas, and writing presentation. Intellectual independence and a strict adherence to the submission guidelines are key requisites!
The contest is helmed by an Academic Advisory Committee and a judging panel consisting of researchers from top universities like Cambridge, Oxford, Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth. A prize pool of $11,000 worth of cash prizes and scholarships is shared between the top six essayists (One Gold winner, two Silver winners, and three Bronze winners), and other participants who are recognised for their notable performances.
Cost/Stipend: Free (Extra fee for late submissions, as mentioned here.)
Program dates: February 2 – October 3
Application deadline: March 31 (registration) | May 31 (submission)
Eligibility: Students under age 15 (Junior category)
The John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize is an international essay writing contest for middle school students, any student below 19 years of age is eligible to participate. You can submit one or more essays in response to questions displayed on the contest’s official website, which range from subjects like law, philosophy, and politics to science & technology, theology, and psychology! Essays are judged based on your understanding of the chosen subjects, originality, quality of argumentation, persuasive force, structure, and writing style.
The judging panel includes senior academicians from leading universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. Three junior winners from each of the ten categories are awarded scholarships up to $5000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute Program. The Grand Prize winner, the sole winner across all categories, is awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship and a scholarship worth $10,000 towards the cost of attending one or more programmes.
Cost / Stipend: Free
Program dates: March 4 – April 30
Application deadline: April 30 (submission deadline)
Eligibility: Commonwealth nationals or residents aged 18 or under
The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition, organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, invites Commonwealth nationals or residents aged 18 or below to submit writings on a variety of subjects, ranging from sports & culture to the environment, shared identities and human connection. As the questions suggest, being imaginative is key! Your submission can be in the form of a poem, letter, article, story, essay, a short play/script, or any other format.
Each of the five Commonwealth regions (The Americas, The Pacific, Asia, Africa and Europe) select their own winners. The best writer among the five winners is separately recognised. All the regional winners get to travel to London for a week-long programme of cultural activities and an award ceremony.
Cost / Stipend: $45–$85, based on registration period
Program dates: January 15 – March 20
Application deadline: January 15 (priority) | March 1 (regular) | March 15 (late) | March 20 (submission)
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8 (middle school category)
Harvard Political Review’s annual essay competition challenges middle school students to engage with subjects ranging from higher education to personal philosophy. You can participate as an individual or as a member of a team not exceeding five people. Participating individuals and teams are exposed to a host of essay prompts that demand critical thinking and analytical skills. Before the contest, you will also undergo a training process led by members of Harvard Political Review.
Each participant is recognised by way of a certificate. Every participant who scores above the merit award threshold automatically qualifies for the country and regional awards. The best eight globally ranked participants are recognised as global winners, and the best three essays are featured on Harvard Political Review’s website.
Cost / Stipend: Free
Program dates: January 15 – July 31
Application deadline: May 10 (submission deadline)
Eligibility: Students ages 11–13 (junior division)
Cambridge’s Re-Think Essay Competition is an established international competition for early aspiring writers across the globe. Middle school students aged between 11 and 13 participate in the Junior Division, where they respond to subjects ranging from moral dilemmas and personal philosophy to artificial intelligence and animal rights. Submissions are judged on the basis of originality, quality of writing & arguments, and overall engagement with the chosen prompt.
You will be judged by a panel consisting of researchers from leading universities like Cambridge, MIT, Harvard, Stanford and Oxford. Out of the 13,000 students who participated in the 2025 contest, 33 were selected as award winners while 1300 others received Honorable Mentions. The awards and dinner ceremony open to award winners also allows winners to meet a cohort of talented peers and interact with experts from varying academic fields.
Cost / Stipend: $29–$50, based on registration period
Program dates: January 9 – March 30
Application deadline: December 10 (early) | December 30 (regular) | February 7 (submission)
Eligibility: Students in grades 8–12
The Yale International Relations Association Global Essay Competition invites middle school and high school students to present their views on global issues to Yale students. The annual contest theme or prompt is announced in the month of January each year, you must submit your response in 400 words or less. Students are expected to focus on analysis, persuasion, critical thinking, and diverse writing styles. The organisers also conduct webinars on essay writing for all participants.
Every participant is recognised with a certificate of participation. The top fifty finalists, ten from each of the five grades, are expected to submit another essay on topics sent to them at a later date. The best three Grand Prize winners share cash prizes from a prize pool worth $1200. Additionally, students also get a chance to interact with peers with distinguished achievements in the field of international relations.
Cost / Stipend: Free
Program dates: March 3 – September 29
Application deadline: May 29 (registration) | June 3 (submission)
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8 (middle school level)
The John Estey Student Writing Competitions invites students between grades 6 and 8 to engage with the contest’s annual writing prompt. Your response to the prompt can be submitted as an essay, fiction or non-fiction story, poem, song, scene, short monologue or any other suitable format. Students can engage with the prompt as per their liking, with freedom to also utilise it as an inspiration for their essay.
Participation is capped for students from the same domestic or international school. Moreover, international homeschoolers are not eligible to participate in the contest. The four best essayists share prizes from a pool of $4000 and can also get featured on the American Writers Museum Website.
Cost / Stipend: Free
Program dates: Typically early to mid-June
Application deadline: Early June for international contest (exact dates TBA)
Eligibility: Ages 11–25; only national winners advance to the international competition
Young Reporters For The Environment (YRE) conducts national competitions in a host of countries, inviting people aged between 11 and 25 to engage with the competition's environment-centred theme. You are required to contact the national office and register through a school, youth group, Eco-School, or through the specified national contest rules. You can participate as an individual or as a member of a group.
In addition to written articles, students can submit photographs, videos, or podcasts. National winners qualify for the international competition, thereby getting the chance to win exciting prizes and interact with distinguished peers across the globe.
Cost / Stipend: $15–$20, based on registration period
Program dates: October 1 – March 31
Application deadline: February 10 (registration) | March 19 (submission)
Eligibility: Students ages 10–18
The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Contest urges middle school and high school students across the globe to engage with any of the three categories of prompts: creative, argumentative or journalistic. In 500 words or less, you must submit an essay with a focus on originality & imagination, narrative craft, writing structure, thematic depth & insight, and language, among other criteria.
The top 30 participants from each region, 10 from each category, qualify for the global finals, where they are expected to submit an expanded version of their essays (between 1000 and 1500 words). The nine best global essayists gain by winning prizes and opportunities to publish their work.
Cost / Stipend: Free
Program dates: Varies by competition
Application deadline: Varies by competition
Eligibility: Students ages 13–19
Write The World organises international writing contests throughout the year, inviting students from all age categories to creatively engage with the competition’s themes. The Personal Essay competition calls for submissions in the form of reflective essays, while other competitions also challenge students into submitting Op-Eds, poetry, screenplays, short stories, and more!
In each competition, a distinguished writer from the field presides over as the judge. Winners share rewards from a cash prize pool of $200, along with other in-kind prizes!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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