John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
An annual essay contest from the JFK Library Foundation asking U.S. high schoolers to research and analyze an act of political courage by an elected official who served in or after 1917, with a $10,000 top prize.
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VFW Voice of Democracy
A nationwide audio-essay scholarship competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars since 1947, in which high schoolers record a 3-5 minute essay on an annual patriotic theme for a share of over $1.6 million in scholarships.
9th Circuit Civics Contest
Essay or video contest on "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness," analyzing one core right historically and today.
AFSA National High School Essay Contest
An annual essay competition co-sponsored by the American Foreign Service Association and the U.S. Institute of Peace that asks high schoolers to write about diplomacy's role in resolving conflict, with a top prize including a Semester at Sea scholarship.
The Concord Review
Quarterly academic journal that publishes the best high school history research papers in the world (4,000-6,000 word essays). Rolling submissions across four issue deadlines: August 1 (Winter), November 1 (Spring), February 1 (Summer), May 1 (Fall). Acceptance is highly selective.
Bennington Young Writers Awards
Prestigious competition from Bennington College with categories in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction; winners/finalists often receive big scholarships if they attend Bennington.
David McCullough Essay Prizes
Prestigious essay competition for high school students in Gilder Lehrman Affiliate Schools, honoring narrative or analytical essays on American history.