Deadlines: March 20, April 27 and October 23, 2015
Entries are now invited from all grades of students worldwide for the 2015 Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contests. 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 500 prizes totaling more than $90,000.
ANTHEM Category
Topics
Select one of the following three topics:
- In chapter 8, why does Equality laugh when he remembers that he is “the Damned”?
- Aside from very rare exceptions, there is literally no opposition to the leaders in this society. Why is this? What ideas must the people in this society have accepted to live a life of obedience, drudgery and fear?
- Why does the Council of Vocations assign Equality the job of Street Sweeper? Is it due to error, incompetence or a more sinister motivation? Explain.
Prizes
- 1ST PLACE – $2,000 (1 Winner)
- 2ND PLACE – $500 (5 Winners)
- 3RD PLACE – $200 (10 Winners)
- FINALISTS – $50 (45 Winners)
- SEMIFINALISTS – $30 (175 Winners)
Eligibility
- Open to 8th, 9th and 10th GRADERS only
Criteria
- Essays will be judged on both style and content. 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.
Submit your Anthem 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
THE FOUNTAINHEAD Category
Topics
Select one of the following three topics:
- At the end of part 2, Ellsworth Toohey confronts Howard Roark and says, “Mr. Roark, we’re alone here. Why don’t you tell me what you think of me?” To which Roark replies, “But I don’t think of you.” Explain how this brief exchange relates to the novel’s theme.
- Gail Wynand is a brilliant individual who rose out of the slums by means of his own talent and effort. But despite his reverence for man’s noblest achievements, his newspaper, The Banner, presents the most lurid and loathsome values. Why does Wynand pander in this manner?
- In dynamiting Cortlandt Homes, Howard Roark breaks the law. What is his moral and philosophical argument for the rectitude of his action?
Prizes
- 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)
Eligibility
- Open to 11th and 12th GRADERS
Criteria
Essays will be judged on both style and content. 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.
Submit your FountainHead 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
ATLAS SHRUGGED Category
Topics
Select one of the following three topics:
- At his trial, Hank Rearden declares: “The public good be damned, I will have no part of it!” What does he mean? How does this issue relate to the novel’s theme?
- Who is John Galt?
- What is the meaning of money to Francisco d’Anconia? To James Taggart? How do these characters’ views on money relate to the events of the story?
Prizes
- 1ST PLACE – $20,000 (1 Winner)
- 2ND PLACE – $2,000 (3 Winners)
- 3RD PLACE – $1,000 (5 Winners)
- FINALISTS – $100 (25 Winners)
- SEMIFINALISTS – $50 (50 Winners)
Eligibility
- Open to 12th Graders, College Undergraduates, and Graduate Students
Criteria
Essays will be judged on both style and content. 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.
Deadlines:
- Anthem – March 20, 2015
- The Fountainhead – April 26, 2015
- Atlas Shrugged – October 23, 2015
Submit your Atlas Shrugged 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
NOTE: Please do not submit duplicate essays!
For more information, visit Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contests.
