How Essay Competitions Can Strengthen your University Application
Why Enter an Essay Competition?
If you're aiming to apply to leading universities in the US, UK, or other competitive academic destinations, showcasing your interests and achievements beyond the classroom is essential. A great way you can really enhance your university application is by taking part in an essay competition. This will help you showcase your enthusiasm and initiative as well as hone key skills that help you and your application stand out from the crowd.
Read on for a full list of advantages to taking part in an essay competition as well as some ideas for well-respected international essay competitions you could enter!
1. Demonstrate a passion for your subject
Entering an essay competition allows you to dive deep into a topic you're genuinely interested in and would like to go on to study at university. Whether it's Engineering, Medicine, Law, Politics, or English Literature, devoting the time to craft a response to an essay competition shows admissions tutors that you’re not just ticking boxes in your curriculum but are genuinely curious and motivated to explore your chosen subject in greater depth. Universities appreciate candidates who showcase authentic enthusiasm and commitment to their field of interest, and essay competitions provide an excellent avenue for this.
This is especially important if you’re looking to study a degree in a subject you haven’t studied before, such as Medicine, Veterinary Science or Law. In order to secure a competitive place on a course for these subjects, you really need to be able to demonstrate an interest and excitement for the subject. Entering an essay competition shows that you have gone out of the way to teach yourself about the subject and start exploring ideas.
2. Essay Competitions Highlight Academic Initiative
Entering an essay competition requires independent research and thought, showing that you’re proactive and self-motivated—qualities highly valued by universities. Tackling advanced topics that extend beyond your syllabus demonstrates intellectual curiosity and the ability to handle complex ideas. It shows admissions tutors that you have the initiative to seek out challenges and excel in them—a trait that is critical for thriving in demanding academic environments, especially for universities like Oxbridge. When studying a subject at university, you’ll need to be driven and take initiative with your work, researching new angles and getting stuck in with everything thrown your way.
3. Develops High-Level Research Skills
Writing and researching an essay competition entry is no easy feat! By entering, you'll hone important skills that are essential for university study. Research is an important element of any academic practice. To write a strong essay competition entry, you’ll need to gather and analyse information to support and evidence your argument. Demonstrating strong research skills to universities shows that you already have a headstart. Equally, crafting an argument to the challenging questions asked as part of essay competitions indicates your ability to think critically, evaluating ideas, questioning assumptions and presenting your own well-reasoned conclusion. This is an essential part of what you’ll be asked to do at university so it’s great to show admissions tutors that you’ve already started!
Looking for essay competition support?
At U2 Tuition, our team of experienced tutors are happy to support you through the essay competition journey. Whether you want help finding the right competition to enter, support researching or advice on essay structure, our tutors cover all aspects needed to craft a great final entry.
4. Adds an Impressive Achievement to your Application
Entering an essay competition—especially if your response is recognised with an award or commendation—is an excellent addition to your university application. It sets you apart as a candidate who goes above and beyond the standard curriculum and has evidence of outstanding effort and ability in your subject area. But remember, even if you don’t win, the process of entering demonstrates drive, dedication, and a willingness to challenge yourself!
5. Essay Competitions make interesting discussion points for personal statements and interviews
You can write about the experience of entering an essay competition in your personal statement. It’s great to talk about what you enjoyed about the competition but also to show self-reflection skills by thinking about what could’ve gone better, either with the essay writing process or your argument. Including an essay competition in your personal statement allows you to provide a concrete example of your interest in the subject. If you’re applying for a university like Oxbridge where you may be invited to interview, again being able to talk through the process of entering an essay competition is a great way to stand out and makes an impressive talking point!
6. Builds Confidence
Entering a competition and completing a challenging piece of work builds confidence in your abilities. This self-assurance can help you in other areas, such as interviews, presentations, and other academic challenges. Researching and writing on a completely new topic will also deepen your understanding of the subject, making you more confident to discuss it in your personal statement and interviews!
7. Essay Competitions Demonstrate Time Management
Balancing schoolwork with the research and writing required to enter an essay competition shows that you can manage your time effectively—another crucial skill for university life. Successfully navigating the demands of both your studies and co-curricular activities reflects a strong work ethic and a capacity to prioritise tasks.
Recommended Essay Competitions:
Our co-curricular division, Minds Underground, regularly hosts essay competitions for Year 12 students or ambitious younger learners. Unlike many other subject-specific essay competitions, Minds Underground is a broad competition with subcategories for (almost) every subject. View the full list of competitions available here.
We’ve also compiled a helpful list of Oxbridge and other essay competitions below!
Humanities:
General Humanities:
Girton Cambridge Humanities Competition: Students research and write an essay beyond the curriculum in response to one or more of five selected objects from the Lawrence Room Museum.
Woolf Essay Prize: Open to all women in year 12. Particularly relevant for those studying English Literature, History, Politics, Philosophy or Sociology.
The Fitzwilliam College Essay Competition: Questions on archaeology, Economics, the Medieval world and more
English Essay Competitions:
The Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize: for any sixth form student of English Literature, students write an essay in response to a Shakespeare-related prompt.
History Essay Competitions:
St Hughs Julia Wood History Essay Competition: a 2000 – 4000 word historical essay
Sciences:
Peterhouse Kelvin Biological Sciences Competition: open to all students in year 12
See our full list of Oxbridge Essay Competitions on our co-curricular platform, Minds Underground.
If you’d like support with your entry to any of these essay competitions, get in touch to arrange a session with one of our experienced tutors.
Other ways to boost your university/ Oxbridge application
Co-curriculars are a great way to enhance your Oxbridge application. If you’re not looking to write a whole independent essay, you could try taking part in co-curricular clubs or summer schools which are designed to boost critical thinking, introduce university level content and can help show your enthusiasm for the subject to your future university.
Our co-curricular division, Minds Underground, hosts a great variety of co-curricular clubs to help you explore your subject, with everything from World Literature to coding. Clubs run weekly online throughout term-time. We also host enriching summer schools each year, designed to give you more in-depth insight into your subject. Find out more about these here.
Looking for support enhancing your university application?
At U2, we specialise in helping students unlock their full potential and present the strongest possible university applications to Oxbridge and other top, competitive universities. We can help with:
Personal Statement Writing: Craft a standout personal statement that highlights your achievements, passions, and suitability for your chosen course.
Interview Preparation: Gain confidence and practice through tailored mock interviews and expert feedback, helping you shine in even the toughest admissions interviews.
Co-Curricular Clubs: Join our Minds Underground co-curricular clubs to explore subjects beyond the curriculum, engage with like-minded peers, and gain inspiration for essay competitions and projects.
Summer Schools: Minds Underground also offers immersive summer schools, providing students with a unique opportunity to deepen their subject knowledge and experience academic life firsthand.
Whether you're preparing for a specific essay competition, refining your personal statement, or gearing up for an Oxbridge interview, our experienced tutors and mentors are here to support you every step of the way. Contact us today to find out how we can help you achieve your academic goals!