Locke & Key Humanities & Social Sciences Writing Competition

Un-Lockeing your Curiosity

Submissions are closed. We anticipate judging will conclude in mid-October. Thank you!

Deadline to Submit : September 8th

Prompt: Write an essay that explores a topic that excites you drawing from categories like philosophy, economics, art, history, politics, international relations, or related topics.

Purpose

Encourage high school students to explore social sciences and humanities through writing.
Increase engagement with Locke & Key.
Build partnerships with local educational organizations.
Publish outstanding student work.

Eligibility & Policies:

All High School Students
Individual entries only
We encourage you to submit original work
You are permitted to publish after the contest ends
You are permitted to submit as many as you want

AI policy:

You are permitted to use it strictly for citations and brainstorming
Please don’t use it to write the essay - we can tell.

Guidelines:

Word count: Min 750 words / Max 2000.
- Please do not feel as though you need to fill the word count to have a well-written essay.
Formatting: Times New Roman 12
Please submit as a PDF titled LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME with your first and last name.
Citation style: MLA
- Resource: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html

Judging Criteria - Stay tuned for our featured judge panel!

Strength of Argument (30%)
Evidence (15%) : Support your claim with sufficient and reputable sources / evidence
Organization (20%)
Style (15%)
Originality (20%)

PRIZE! Locke & Key Young Scholars Essay Prize

1st Place: $100 / Certificate / Publication / Instagram feature

2nd Place: $50 / Certificate / Publication / Instagram feature

3rd Place: $25 / Certificate / Publication / Instagram feature

Honorable Mentions: Certificate / Publication

Participants: Participants that don’t receive a prize are welcome to ask for feedback and will be considered for publication