FORSTUDENTS

We offer an array of educational programs to enable students at all levels of knowledge to learn about Ayn Rand’s philosophy and novels.

Program Overview

Have you read one of Ayn Rand’s thought-provoking novels? Now’s the time! Enter an Ayn Rand Institute essay contest for your chance to win thousands of dollars in cash prizes.



ARI has held worldwide essay contests for students on Ayn Rand’s fiction for thirty years. This year we will award over 730 prizes totaling more than $100,000.



Questions? Write to us at essays@aynrand.org.



Sign up for updates on contest deadlines and tips on how to write a stronger essay.

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COMPARING ANTHEM AND THE FOUNTAINHEAD

Subjects of our two most popular essay contests

Ayn Rand wrote Anthem in just three months in the summer of 1937 — as a break from the work of planning The Fountainhead.

Ayn Rand once said that Anthem “has the same relation to The Fountainhead as the preliminary sketches which artists draw for their future big canvases. . . . [I]t has the same theme, spirit and intention, although in quite a different form.”

Anthem was initially published only in England, having been rejected by American publishers. The Fountainhead was initially rejected by twelve American publishers, but was nevertheless published first in the United States and only later in other countries.

While The Fountainhead became a best seller within a few years after its 1943 publication, Anthem never made the best-seller lists. For many years, however, Anthem has been “catching up,” having now sold 6.2 million copies to The Fountainhead’s 7.9 million.

 

Contest Details

    • Eligibility for Anthem

      8th, 9th and 10th GRADE

      Entry Deadline:

      May 1, 2018

      • 1st place
        $2,000
        1 Winner
      • 2nd place
        $500
        5 Winners
      • 3rd place
        $200
        10 Winners
      • Finalists
        $50
        45 Winners
      • Semifinalists
        $30
        175 Winners

      Special Regional Contests

      Students in the following states are eligible
      for additional prize money:

      • CHICAGOLAND

        All schools located in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin


        Winner: $2,000 (1 Winner)

        Finalists: $500 (3 Winners)


      Entry into all regional contests is based on school residence and is automatically submitted through entry into the international contest. The essays with the top scores from each region will determine the winners and finalists. Winners will be notified by August 29, 2018. Email essays@AynRand.org for further information.

    • Select ONE of the following three topics:

      • Anthem depicts a world of the future, a collectivist dictatorship in which even the word “I” has vanished. Discuss the hero’s struggle to free himself from collectivism. What makes his victory possible? In your essay, consider what Ayn Rand has to say in “The Soul Of An Individualist” excerpt from her novel The Fountainhead.
      • In Anthem, the City has numerous rules and controls. Why do these exist? What is their purpose? Do you think the society that Equality envisions creating at the end of the story would include any of these rules and controls? Explain why or why not.
      • Contrast Equality’s view of morality at the end of the novel to the morality exemplified by his society’s institutions, practices and officials. In your essay, consider what Ayn Rand has to say in these excerpts from her writings.

    • Criteria

      Essays will be judged on whether the student is able to argue for and justify his or her view—not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Anthem.

    • Requirements

      • No application is required. Contest is open to students worldwide, except where void or prohibited by law. Essays must be written in English only.
      • Entrant must be in the 8th, 9th or 10th grade at the time of the current contest deadline. Verification of school enrollment will be required for all winning entrants.
      • To avoid disqualification, mailed-in essays must include a stapled cover sheet with the following information:
        1. 1. your name and address;
        2. 2. your email address (if available);
        3. 3. the name and address of your school;
        4. 4. topic selected (#1, 2 or 3 from the “Topics” tab);
        5. 5. your current grade level; and
        6. 6. (optional) the name of the teacher who assigned the essay if you are completing it for classroom credit.
      • Essay must be no fewer than 600 and no more than 1,200 words in length, double-spaced. Spelling errors and/or written corrections (by anyone) found on the essay will count against the final grade and should be omitted before submission.
      • One entry per student per contest.
      • Essay must be submitted online or postmarked by May 1, 2018, no later than 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time.
      • The Ayn Rand Institute has the right to provide contest deadline extensions when deemed appropriate.
      • Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Essays must not infringe on any third-party rights or intellectual property of any person, company or organization. By submitting an essay to this Contest, the entrant agrees to indemnify the Ayn Rand Institute for any claim, demand, judgment or other allegation arising from possible violation of someone’s trademark, copyright or other legally protected interest in any way in the entrant’s essay.
      • Decisions of the judges are final.
      • Employees of the Ayn Rand Institute, its board of directors and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Past first-place winners are not eligible for this contest.
      • All entries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned.
      • Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via email and/or by mail by August 29, 2018.
      • Winners are responsible for providing their mailing addresses and other necessary information under the law in order to receive any prizes. Contest winners agree to allow the Ayn Rand Institute to post their names on any of ARI’s affiliated websites. The first-place essay may be posted in its entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author.
      • Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes.

      Protected by Ithenticate Plagiarism Detection Software

    • Submit Your Essay Online

      Or mail your essay with stapled cover sheet to:

      Anthem Essay Contest
      The Ayn Rand Institute
      P.O Box 57044
      Irvine, CA 92619-7044

      Please do not submit duplicate essays!

      Entrants are responsible for keeping copies of their essays, as duplicate copies will not be provided. If submitting your essay electronically, you will be sent an email confirming our receipt. If you have not received an email notification within 24 hours, please email essays@aynrand.org. If you are submitting by mail, please paperclip a stamped, self-addressed postcard to your essay, and we will return it to you with essay receipt confirmation.

    • Eligibility for The Fountainhead

      11th and 12th GRADE

      Entry Deadline:

      May 15, 2018

      • 1st place
        $10,000
        1 Winner
      • 2nd place
        $2,000
        5 Winners
      • 3rd place
        $1,000
        10 Winners
      • Finalists
        $100
        45 Winners
      • Semifinalists
        $50
        175 Winners

      Special Regional Contests

      Students in the following states are eligible
      for additional prize money:

      • CHICAGOLAND

        All schools located in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin


        Winner: $2,000 (1 Winner)

        Runner-Up: $1,000 (1 Winner)

        Finalists: $500 (3 Winners)

      • COLORADO

        All schools located in the state of Colorado


        Winner: $500 (1 Winner)


      Entry into all regional contests is based on school residence and is automatically submitted through entry into the international contest. The essays with the top scores from each region will determine the winners and finalists. Winners will be notified by August 29, 2018. Email essays@AynRand.org for further information.

    • Select ONE of the following three topics:

      • How do Keating’s and Roark’s paths to success differ? Which one in the end is the real success? In your essay, consider what Ayn Rand has to say in these excerpts from her writings.
      • Choose the scene in The Fountainhead that is most meaningful to you. Analyze that scene in terms of the wider themes in the book.
      • The theme of The Fountainhead, said Ayn Rand, is “individualism versus collectivism, not in politics, but in man’s soul.” How do the motives and actions of Roark, Keating and Toohey dramatize this theme? In your essay, consider what Ayn Rand has to say in these excerpts from her writings.

    • Criteria

      Essays will be judged on whether the student is able to argue for and justify his or her view—not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of The Fountainhead.

    • Requirements

      • No application is required. Contest is open to students worldwide, except where void or prohibited by law. Essays must be written in English only.
      • Entrant must be in the 11th or 12th grade at the time of the current contest deadline. Verification of school enrollment will be required for all winning entrants.
      • To avoid disqualification, mailed-in essays must include a stapled cover sheet with the following information:
        1. 1. your name and address;
        2. 2. your email address (if available);
        3. 3. the name and address of your school;
        4. 4. topic selected (#1, 2 or 3 from the “Topics” tab);
        5. 5. your current grade level; and
        6. 6. (optional) the name of the teacher who assigned the essay if you are completing it for classroom credit.
      • Essay must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words in length, double-spaced. Spelling errors and/or written corrections (by anyone) found on the essay will count against the final grade and should be omitted before submission.
      • One entry per student per contest.
      • Essay must be submitted online or postmarked by May 15, 2018, no later than 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time.
      • The Ayn Rand Institute has the right to provide contest deadline extensions when deemed appropriate.
      • Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Essays must not infringe on any third-party rights or intellectual property of any person, company or organization. By submitting an essay to this Contest, the entrant agrees to indemnify the Ayn Rand Institute for any claim, demand, judgment or other allegation arising from possible violation of someone’s trademark, copyright or other legally protected interest in any way in the entrant’s essay.
      • Decisions of the judges are final.
      • Employees of the Ayn Rand Institute, its board of directors and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Past first-place winners are not eligible for this contest.
      • All entries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned.
      • Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via email and/or by mail by August 29, 2018.
      • Winners are responsible for providing their mailing addresses and other necessary information under the law in order to receive any prizes. Contest winners agree to allow the Ayn Rand Institute to post their names on any of ARI’s affiliated websites. The first-place essay may be posted in its entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author.
      • Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes.

      Protected by Ithenticate Plagiarism Detection Software

    • Submit Your Essay Online

      Or mail your essay with stapled cover sheet to:

      The Fountainhead Essay Contest
      The Ayn Rand Institute
      P.O Box 57044
      Irvine, CA 92619-7044

      Please do not submit duplicate essays!

      Entrants are responsible for keeping copies of their essays, as duplicate copies will not be provided. If submitting your essay electronically, you will be sent an email confirming our receipt. If you have not received an email notification within 24 hours, please email essays@aynrand.org. If you are submitting by mail, please paperclip a stamped, self-addressed postcard to your essay, and we will return it to you with essay receipt confirmation.

    • Eligibility for Atlas Shrugged

      12th Graders, College Undergraduates, and Graduate Students

      Entry Deadline:

      May 15, 2018

      • 1st place
        $10,000
        1 Winner
      • 2nd place
        $2,000
        5 Winners
      • 3rd place
        $1,000
        10 Winners
      • Finalists
        $100
        45 Winners
      • Semifinalists
        $50
        175 Winners

      Special Regional Contests

      Students in the following states are eligible
      for additional prize money:

      • CALIFORNIA

        All schools located in the state of California


        Winner: $3,000 (1 Winner)

        Runners-Up: $1000 (2 Winners)

        Finalists: $500 (10 Winners)

      • CHICAGOLAND

        All schools located in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin


        Winner: $2,000 (1 Winner)

        Finalists: $500 (3 Winners)

      • COLORADO

        All schools located in the state of Colorado


        Winner: $500 (1 Winner)


      Entry into all regional contests is based on school residence and is automatically submitted through entry into the international contest. The essays with the top scores from each region will determine the winners and finalists. Winners will be notified by August 29, 2018. Email essays@AynRand.org for further information.

    • Select ONE of the following three topics:

      • An important early event in the novel is the destruction of the Phoenix-Durango. What factors make its destruction possible? How does this issue relate to the meaning and theme of Atlas Shrugged? In your answer, consider what Rand has to say in her 1962 essay “The Pull Peddlers.”
      • Capitalism’s defenders usually appeal to the “public good” as the moral justification of capitalism. Contrast this approach to defending capitalism with Ayn Rand’s approach in Atlas Shrugged. In your answer, consider what Rand has to say in her 1965 essay “What Is Capitalism?”
      • Francisco d’Anconia and his teacher, Hugh Akston, advise more than once: “Check your premises,” because contradictions do not exist. Identify at least two major apparent contradictions that the heroes of Atlas Shrugged encounter, and explain, with reference to the novel, what premises they need to check and correct in order for them to understand that these “contradictions” do not exist.

    • Criteria

      Essays will be judged on whether the student is able to argue for and justify his or her view—not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged.

    • Requirements

      • No application is required. Contest is open to students worldwide, except where void or prohibited by law. Essays must be written in English only.
      • Entrant must be a 12th-grader, college undergraduate or graduate student at the time of the current contest deadline. Verification of school enrollment will be required for all winning entrants.
      • To avoid disqualification, mailed-in essays must include a stapled cover sheet with the following information:
        1. 1. your name and address;
        2. 2. your email address (if available);
        3. 3. the name and address of your school;
        4. 4. topic selected (#1, 2 or 3 from the “Topics” tab);
        5. 5. your current grade level; and
        6. 6. (optional) the name of the teacher who assigned the essay if you are completing it for classroom credit.
      • Essay must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words in length, double-spaced. Spelling errors and/or written corrections (by anyone) found on the essay will count against the final grade and should be omitted before submission.
      • One entry per student per contest.
      • Essay must be submitted online or postmarked by May 15, 2018, no later than 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time.
      • The Ayn Rand Institute has the right to provide contest deadline extensions when deemed appropriate.
      • Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Essays must not infringe on any third-party rights or intellectual property of any person, company or organization. By submitting an essay to this Contest, the entrant agrees to indemnify the Ayn Rand Institute for any claim, demand, judgment or other allegation arising from possible violation of someone’s trademark, copyright or other legally protected interest in any way in the entrant’s essay.
      • Decisions of the judges are final.
      • Employees of the Ayn Rand Institute, its board of directors and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Past first-place winners are not eligible for this contest.
      • All entries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned.
      • Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via email and/or by mail by August 29, 2018.
      • Winners are responsible for providing their mailing addresses and other necessary information under the law in order to receive any prizes. Contest winners agree to allow the Ayn Rand Institute to post their names on any of ARI’s affiliated websites. The first-place essay may be posted in its entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author.
      • Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes.

      Protected by Ithenticate Plagiarism Detection Software

    • Submit Your Essay Online

      Or mail your essay with stapled cover sheet to:

      Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest
      The Ayn Rand Institute
      P.O Box 57044
      Irvine, CA 92619-7044

      Please do not submit duplicate essays!

      Entrants are responsible for keeping copies of their essays, as duplicate copies will not be provided. If submitting your essay electronically, you will be sent an email confirming our receipt. If you have not received an email notification within 24 hours, please email essays@aynrand.org. If you are submitting by mail, please paperclip a stamped, self-addressed postcard to your essay, and we will return it to you with essay receipt confirmation.

Past Winners

FAQ

  • I'm a home-schooled student, can I still enter the contest?

    Yes! Homeschooled students may enter our essay contests. Please enter the contest for your current grade level. Instead of writing your school name and address on your coversheet, just write “Homeschooled.” If you’re not sure which contest you’re eligible for, please write to the Education Department at essays@aynrand.org.

  • I'm a foreign student, can I still enter the contest?

    Yes! Foreign students may enter our essay contests, except where void or prohibited by law. We have no citizenship requirements. Please enter the contest for your current grade level. If you’re not sure which contest you’re eligible for, please write to the Education Department at essays@aynrand.org.

  • How can I verify that my essay was received?

    If you send your essay by mail, you should paperclip a self-addressed, stamped postcard to your essay. When we receive your essay, we will drop your postcard in the mail. Alternatively, you can send your essay to us via registered mail or by using Priority Mail Delivery Confirmation. If you send your essay via email or our web form, we will reply to your message by email and notify you that we received your essay.

  • I included a self-addressed, stamped postcard with my essay, but I haven’t received it back in the mail yet. What should I do?

    Please note that it could take up to three weeks to receive your postcard from the date you sent your essay. If you are concerned that your essay was lost by the post office, please write to essays@aynrand.org.

  • Can I send my essay in before the deadline ?

    Yes!

  • Can I send my essay in after the deadline ?

    We cannot accept essays postmarked after the deadline. If you have a valid reason why your essay could not be postmarked by the appropriate deadline, please write to essays@aynrand.org.

  • I entered one of your contests in a previous year; can I enter again this year?

    Yes, as long as you were not previously a first-place winner. In fact, some students have won prizes two years in a row!

  • I AM IN A DIFFERENT GRADE THAN WHAT IS LISTED FOR THE CONTEST; MAY I STILL ENTER?

    You can enter if in a lower grade, but not if you are in a higher grade.

  • If I win, do I have to apply the prize money toward college?

    No. All awards are cash prizes. We place no restrictions on how the prize money is spent. Prize winners simply receive a check from us in the amount of their award.

  • Do I need to include a bibliography or do I need to reference page numbers?

    You do not need to reference page numbers for quotes from the essay topics. However, if you use any quotes from the novel you are writing about, you should cite the page numbers and place quotation marks around the quoted material. You do not need to include a bibliography unless you quote from a source besides the novel you are writing on. (Please note that you do not need to reference any additional material other than the assigned novel to write your essay. See the next question.)

  • Should I cite other sources besides the novel I’m writing on?

    You do not need any source material other than the novel you are writing on. However, you may quote and reference other sources if you like. If you do, please cite your sources and include a bibliography with your essay.

  • Can I have a friend/teacher/parent proofread my essay? Is that plagiarism?

    Yes, you may have your essay proofread. It is not plagiarism to have someone check your essay for spelling and grammatical or structural errors. However, it is plagiarism to have someone else write your essay for you, or if you use someone else’s words as if they were your own (see above regarding citing outside sources).

  • What exactly is plagiarism?

    Plagiarism is using someone else’s words as if they were your own. It is not plagiarism as long as you cite your sources.

  • How do I know if I’ve won a prize in one of the contests?

    We will contact all the Anthem and The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged contest entrants by August 29, 2018.

  • Can I write more than one entry for a contest?

    No. You may submit only one entry for each contest, each year.

  • I am eligible to enter more than one contest. Can I submit essays to more than one of your contests?

    Yes! You are welcome to enter multiple contests.

  • Can I write on more than one topic?

    No. The contest guidelines ask that you select ONE of three topics. Please select only one topic.

  • Can I write on a topic other than the three listed in the contest rules?

    No. Essays not written on one of the three topics will be disqualified.

  • Where can I find a copy of the novel I want to write on?

    All of Ayn Rand’s novels can be purchased via links from our website. They should also be available in your local bookstore or library.

  • Is it necessary for me to know about Objectivism to write my essay?

    No. Judges look for essays that show a clear understanding of the novel, so no additional knowledge about Ayn Rand’s philosophy is required.

  • I disagree with Ayn Rand’s philosophy; how will this affect my chances of winning?

    This will have no effect on your chances of winning. Judges look for writing that demonstrates an understanding of the novel, not whether the student agrees with it.

  • Are graduate students eligible for the Atlas Shrugged contest?

    Yes, graduate students are welcome to participate in the contest.

  • Are community college students eligible for the Atlas Shrugged contest?

    Yes, community college students are welcome to participate in the contest.

  • Do I have to have a declared major to enter the Atlas Shrugged contest?

    No.

  • Is there an age limit for the Atlas Shrugged contest?

    No.

  • Are trade/certificate schools accepted?

    Yes.

  • Can someone who is in the military, but who is enrolled in school, enter the essay contests?

    Yes.

  • I have additional questions not answered in this FAQ; what should I do?

    Please send your comments or questions about the essay contests to essays@aynrand.org. In most cases, we should be able to respond within two to five business days.

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