ARI Essay Contests Reach Milestone!

October 14, 2010

IRVINE, CA--The Ayn Rand Institute received more than 2,500 entries this year to its “Atlas Shrugged” essay contest, bringing the lifetime total number of submissions for all of its contests to over 255,000.

The ARI essay contests are part of a larger educational program that encourages high school and college educators to use Ayn Rand’s books in their classrooms. ARI has given high school teachers more than 185,000 copies of “Atlas Shrugged” to date, and over 1.6 million copies of Rand’s “Anthem” and “The Fountainhead.”

ARI currently runs four essay contests, for students in grades 8 through 12 (and higher). ARI’s essay contests comprise the largest essay contest program in the country.

Open to 12th graders and both graduate- and undergraduate-level college students, the “Atlas Shrugged” essay contest requires contestants to write on one of several topics dealing with characters and themes in the novel. The contest is designed to promote critical thinking and writing skills. Essays are judged on both style and content. The top prize awarded to the contest winner is $10,000 with multiple semifinalist and finalist awards ranging from $50 to $2,000. 

The winners of the 2010 “Atlas Shrugged” essay contest will be announced in late November. 

# # #