The Eon Essay Contest - Overview & How To Win
by
Indigo Research Team
&
Published:
May 14, 2024
Last Updated:
August 19, 2024
A college application that states your participation and potential achievements signals the admissions officers about your analytical abilities, commitment to handling real-world issues and intellectual curiosity.
The Eon Essay Contest empowers students by refining their writing skills, enriching their academic portfolio and learning the fundamentals of politics and society.
This contest helps the participants analyze economic theory, existential risks, and the future of humanity. The Eon Essay Contest on ‘The Precipice’ revolves around the thought-provoking book by Toby Ord.
Keep reading to learn what is Eon all about!
The Eon Essay Contests is a non-profit effective altruism that focuses on doing good better. Effective altruism is a research field and a practical community that enables people to find the best ways to help others and put them into practice.
At the Eon, they use reason and evidence to do good. The essay context is about raising awareness of why it is important to avoid existential risks.
Existential risks are the ones that threaten the future of humanity, such as pandemics, artificial intelligence and nuclear warfare. These risks should be avoided so that the future of the next generations is secured and they flourish.
Admission officers are on the lookout for students who walk the extra mile. Your involvement in such a prestigious contest reflects positively on your college application, underscoring your commitment to academic excellence.
The essays are assessed on a scale from 0-40 using a stringent grading system. The Eon Essays receive a maximum of 10 points for each of the below-mentioned categories:
High school, undergraduate and graduate students aged 13-24 are eligible to participate. The contest becomes competitive with an age range so wide. Since you are pitted against college students, the contest is more competitive.
For the Eon essay contest on the Precipice, you must read it and submit a 1500-word essay on one of the prompts below by midnight Pacific Time on June 15, 2024.
Following the different age categories, there are three distinctive prompts (these change year to year; do confirm from the official website before applying):
Pick a transformative technology that has a chance of being created someday. Imagine you are responsible for handling it. For instance, you could be the scientist behind the development of the technology, a government official regulating it, or a corporate executive selling it to the general public.
How would you approach your job to have the greatest chance of preserving humanity’s potential? What are the risks you face?
If the ideas in this book are correct, what does that imply about what a group you are familiar with should be doing differently? What could incentivize them to do that? You may talk about a group like a research lab, a government body, a non-profit, a media company, a corporation, or an international organization.
According to you, what is missing from this book? This missing piece can strengthen or weaken the conclusion. This missing piece can be data, analysis, or an argument.
Now let’s go through the 8 tips that will help you ace the contest and win the essay prize.
Ensure you have read “The Precipice '' by Toby Ord thoroughly and completely understand the theme. The source material is the foundation of your essay, so ensure a firm grasp of the core ideas and arguments presented.
You must build the essay's contents on the book’s contents, dig deep, and explore the author's blended approach and perspective on existential risks. Make a note of the key takeaways that you find relatable.
Understanding the source material will help you craft an insightful essay that the contest evaluators find relatable.
A winning essay for such scholarship essay competitions is always backed by comprehensive research that substantiates your arguments. Set your essay apart as an authentic, researched, credible piece supported by arguments and evidence.
Once you have selected your prompt, focus on the topic and start collecting relevant data from credible sources such as authoritative websites, books, academic journals, and expert opinion to support your evidence.
Demonstrate the reliability of your sources with proper citations and referencing.
Encapsulating the essence of the essay, your thesis statement is at the core of your essay. So make sure your thesis statement is clear, compelling, well structured, well thought out and in sync with your prompt choice.
A good thesis statement is like a “hook” that captures the reader's attention and steers them through the thesis with a convincing narrative.
The competitiveness of winning The Precipice Scholarship makes this competition so prestigious. In 2022, the Eon contest received over 1500 entries, but only 1000 entries responded directly to the prompt. So do not take it lightly; stay focused.
Participants must respond to the essay prompt relevant to their age category. The key to addressing the prompts is to do so in a way you find relatable to your interests and expertise. This approach helps you write a genuine piece straight from the heart and reflects passion and insight.
Make sure your essay is well-structured and has a logical flow. Ideally, it would help to begin with an engaging introduction, highlighting the thesis and interests your readers to continue reading. A good essay flow would ensure seamless reading and leave a lasting impression.
Follow this with well-organized body paragraphs presenting your arguments one after the other coherently. Finally, conclude with an impactful summary stating the main highlights.
Review the past winning entries from the Eon Essay Contest to understand what the judges are looking for, and refine your approach accordingly.
Past essays of distinction can provide insight into the details, style and quality of writing that resonates with the contest evaluators. See how previous winners have structured their themes, pay attention and create a unique perspective.
The judging process of the contest requires writing and revising several drafts, so take your time to review and refine.
Pay attention to your thesis statement, arguments and evidence; all should be in sync and have a smooth, logical flow of points. Keep your writing concise and to the point. Remove redundant thoughts.
Multiple revisions can help fine-tune your essay, increasing its chances of being appreciated by the judges.
Seek feedback from peers, mentors and teachers, be open to criticism and make improvements based on their suggestions. Your essay will benefit from external input from another set of eyes.
Multiple perspectives and constructive criticism can enhance clarity, strengthen your arguments and refine the presentation of your essay.
A well-edited essay shows you pay attention to detail and ensures your message is conveyed clearly. Check spelling, eliminate grammatical errors and improve overall coherence to provide a polished professional piece that leaves the evaluators in awe.
Significantly, you adhere to the 1500-word limit according to the contest guidelines to keep up with the essay challenge. Concisely convey your ideas. Going beyond the world limit can result in disqualification.
Participating in essay contests, such as the Eon Essay Contest, can boost your chances for college admission. Adhering to the following eight tips can increase your likelihood of triumph and deliver a compelling essay that leaves a lasting impression.
A good essay is backed by excellent research. Targeted at 14-19-year-old high school students, Indigo's IRIS Program is an online format that offers courses in Politics & History, Comp Science, Psychology, AI, Genetics, Entrepreneurship and Engineering.
Coming from some of the most prominent educational institutes, including Cornell, Columbia, Harvard and Stanford, the IRIS program is backed by excellent mentors, professors and researchers. These outstanding professionals can polish your skills to appear in The Eon Scholarship Essay Contest.
