Everything You Need to Know About John Locke Essay Competition in 2024

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Indigo Research Team

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Published:
April 1, 2024
Last Updated:
May 4, 2024
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John Locke Essay Competition is one of the most popular and international essay competitions for high school students. Those who were first and honorable mention in this competition went on to attend Princeton, Oxford, and other Ivy League universities.

Not to mention placing in the top three of the competition, even receiving an honorable mention is a fantastic addition to your admissions resume and is viewed by admissions officers from Harvard to Stanford and beyond as one of the most distinguished accomplishments a high school student can accomplish! Keep reading this blog to know more about this essay competition.

What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

The John Locke Writing Competition is hosted by the non-profit John Locke Institute, a university with offices in Oxford, UK. Professors from top colleges like Oxford, Princeton, Brown, and Buckingham University work at the John Locke Institute.

The John Locke Global Essay Competition Institute helps young people to develop the qualities of great writers, such as critical analysis, persuasiveness, independence of thought, and range of knowledge. Students are allowed to investigate a wide range of topics that fall outside the scope of their coursework.

Image source: John Locke Institute

Why should you participate?

Participating in the John Locke Competition 2024 is a great idea if you want to improve your academic performance and stand out on your college application. Securing a prize or simply making the shortlist might attract the attention of elite university admission panels, demonstrating your commitment to and proficiency in the classroom.

Along with offering participants a great opportunity to interact with current global concerns through engaging themes, the competition also helps participants hone their critical thinking skills by having them write insightful, well-researched essays.

Essay topics 

Students must submit an argumentative essay that is at most 2000 words long. The main subjects of the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 include philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, religion, and law.

The following are the topics for the 2024 John Locke Essay Contest.

  1. Philosophy 
  2. Politics
  3. Economics
  4. History
  5. Psychology
  6. Theology
  7. Law

Tips for Students 

  1. Essays can only deal with one of the topics in the subject category you have selected, and they should be at most 2000 words (not including copyright declarations, examples, tables of data, or footnotes).
  2. If you follow an in-text referencing style like APA, the word count includes your in-text citations.
  3. You can submit an unlimited number of essays in all categories. (Considering how difficult it may be to produce a single high-quality submission, we recommend going for just one.)

Pay close attention to the structure and flow of your essay in the John Locke Essay Competition 2024. If justifications and logic are your primary weapons in this contest, then your writing's fluidity is your weapon. What is meant by a smooth flow? It suggests the reader must understand your line of argument easily. This is especially true for articles that explore otherworldly topics.

Important dates

  1. Registration starts on April 1, 2024.
  2. The deadline for registration is May 31, 2024.
  3. Deadline for submissions: June 30, 2024.
  4. Deadline for late entries: July 10, 2024.
  5. Essayists on the shortlist will be notified on July 31, 2024.
  6. Academic conference, September 20, 22nd, 2024.
  7. Dinner for awards: September 21, 2024.

For students passionate about Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, or Law, our next IRIS summer program offers a unique opportunity. You will have access to a specialized course taught by esteemed Harvard faculty, designed to teach you how to articulate and reason through sophisticated arguments effectively. This program is ideal for anyone looking to excel in competitions like the John Locke Essay Competition and beyond. Join us to sharpen your analytical skills and bring your critical thinking to the next level.

Apply to the IRIS Program
Apply to the IRIS Program

Read the questions and make a connection to John Locke's ideas.

You can present a sophisticated and perceptive analysis that thoroughly comprehends both the essay prompt and Locke's thoughts by linking the philosopher's ideas and the essay prompt. This method demonstrates your understanding of the subject matter and helps you interact critically with it. Along with do consider John Locke's most famous work to increase the chance of success.

Outline Thoroughly

Before diving into writing, create a clear outline outlining your main arguments and supporting evidence. This helps maintain focus and coherence throughout the essay, ensuring each paragraph contributes meaningfully to your overall argument.

Clear arguments 

Once you've determined your position on the matter, it's essential to support it with solid information from reliable sources and logical reasoning. Scholarly articles, books, and academic journals are just a few of the resources available to students to help them gather pertinent data and craft well-reasoned arguments. Furthermore, ensure that your essay has a compelling thesis statement and that the organization and ideas are presented in a way that makes it easy for the reader to follow. Also, reading John Locke's essay competition’s past essays can help you to understand complete assignments.

Revise Strategically

Take breaks between writing and revising to gain a fresh perspective. When revising, pay attention to sentence structure, grammar, and coherence. Ensure each paragraph flows logically into the next, and that your ideas are expressed with clarity and precision.

Seek Feedback

Share your essay with peers, teachers, or writing groups for constructive criticism. Consider their feedback thoughtfully and use it to refine your work. Embrace constructive criticism as an opportunity for growth, allowing you to identify blind spots and strengthen your writing skills over time

Common Questions Related to the John Locke Essay Competition

Which skills of students is the John Locke Essay Competition assessing?

  • Fundamental understanding of concepts and theories in economics, politics, history, psychology, theology, or law
  • Proficiency at writing argumentative essays and mastery of basic writing frameworks
  • Logical analysis methods, independent thought, and written persuasive

What are the awards for the John Locke Essay Competition?

  • As part of their award, each topic category winner will receive a scholarship worth $2000 (US dollars) for any program offered by the John Locke Institute.
  • A scholarship worth $10,000 (USD) to attend one or more of our summer schools and gap year programs will be awarded to the writer of the overall winning essay.
  • The Institute will make the pieces available online.
  • Networking opportunities with judges and other academics at the John Locke Institute.

Conclusion

This essay competition is one of the best ways to bring out the essence of youth, freedom of expression, and a student’s critical thinking ability. Thus, we encourage high school students to take part in it and convey their enthusiasm and revolutionary thoughts to shape the world.

Participating in the John Locke Essay Competition 2024 demands innovative ideas and clever solutions. To hone these skills, begin with some research. Indigo offers a platform for curious high school students eager to explore more and transform their bright ideas into reality. If you're interested in learning to write about politics, consider joining this summer's IRIS Program. You'll be mentored by Harvard faculty who will help you excel in writing your argumentation.

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