Essays

A Complete Guide To The John Locke Essay Competition

A Complete Guide To The John Locke Essay Competition
2025/09/15

Summary

Crimson is excited to announce that a large number of our students have been shortlisted for the John Locke Essay Competition! Not only does their nomination to the shortlist demonstrate their talent and intellectual excellence, but such an achievement can impress and catch the eye of admission officers at top schools. Want to find out more about the John Locke Competition and what it takes to enter an award-winning essay? Read on!

Crimson is excited to announce that a large number of our students have been shortlisted for the John Locke Essay Competition! Not only does their nomination to the shortlist demonstrate their talent and intellectual excellence, but such an achievement can impress and catch the eye of admission officers at top schools. Want to find out more about the John Locke Competition and what it takes to enter an award-winning essay? Read on!


What is the John Locke Essay Competition?

The competition is run by the John Locke Institute (JLI), an independent educational organization that aims to encourage and challenge academically minded students. They host various programs, ranging from seminars and residential courses to essay competitions and other events.

Students participating in the competition have the option of writing an essay pertaining to one of seven subject categories;

  • Philosophy
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • History
  • Psychology
  • Theology
  • Law

Within each category, there are four questions. A student must write an essay responding to one of these four questions. Check out the questions for the 2022 Essay Competition here.

Students from all schools across all countries submit their work to the John Locke essay competition in the hopes of receiving a prize. Not to mention, doing well in the competition often raises students’ chances of getting into some of the best US and UK universities, including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UChicago, Oxford, Cambridge, and the University of Toronto.

Entrants can either compete in the general category, for students aged 15 to 18, or compete for the Junior Prize, which accepts applicants who are 14 years old or younger.

What Qualities does the John Locke Essay Competition Look For?

According to their website, the JLI looks for the following qualities when judging entrants’ essays:

  • Independent thought
  • Depth of knowledge
  • Clear reasoning
  • Critical analysis
  • Persuasive style

What Prizes does the John Locke Essay Competition Offer?

Winners of the John Locke Essay Competition can expect to receive a number of rewards. Firstly, JLI offers the winners of each category $2,000 USD towards the cost of attending any of their programs.

The winner of the best overall essay is awarded a scholarship valued at $10,000 USD to attend JLI summer school and gap year programs.

Besides monetary prizes, winners are also offered opportunities to network with faculty members and judges at the JLI, and also have their essay showcased on the JLI website.

Final Thoughts

If you're looking to perfect your application to John Locke with well-written essays and an excellent extracurricular profile, Crimson Education offers a range of services in college admissions consulting that can support you throughout your academic journey.

What Makes Crimson Different

Read Next

Book a free consultation with one of our expert advisors.