WOW! Just 500 Words. Up to $8,000

Only a few days left. Apply by Feb 10 for The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition 2026

made in Canva by Kristina God with photos from HCGEC

“Beep. Beep. 6.30 am. Tuesday.

In an instant the relentless ringing of my alarm jolts me out of sleep and thrusts me into the new day. The song of blackbirds. The indiscernible chatter of street workers. Life is budding outside in its myriad of colours and my desire to feel it, smell it, taste it, tugs me out of bed and to my pink, bulky wardrobe. I open the doors and proudly pass through my assortment of trousers to select the mood of the day: Vivacious yellow, serene purple, inquisitive orange, white. White trousers. Why haven’t I thrown them away yet? White trousers are for the common crowd or is it for those who dread judgement…? Inquisitive orange it is. I finish dressing, brush my teeth, grab the car keys and head off to work.”

This is how Elina Quito’s winning essay When We Turned Into Numbers begins.

With a moment most of us know: Waking up. Getting dressed. Choosing who we want to be that day.

That essay went on to win #2 Global Winner in the Creative category of The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition 2025.

Elina is from Germany. She’s a student. And she wrote clearly, boldly. As herself. That’s why it worked.

HCGEC

UPDATE

So what’s The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition 2026 and why should I care?

I must admit, at first this big scary name sounds intense.

Harvard. Crimson. Global. Essay. Competition.

Luckily, at its core, it’s a simple writing opportunity. And opportunities like this are easy to miss. That would really be a shame.

The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition, or HCGEC, is a fully virtual writing challenge for high school students around the world.

• Students aged 10 to 18 can join

• Any background

• Any level

The entry fee is $20. Online Writing Club members pay $15 with code👉🏻CLUB-OWC

In other words:

If you can think, feel, and type, you qualify.

And yes. I’m a little jealous.

I got my bachelor’s degree in journalism and media communications at 24.
And oh boy I would have loved loved loved to participate in such a program when I was younger.

Not just for the prizes. Although wow, the prizes (I’m gonna talk about in a sec). But for the writing education along the way. The feedback. The chance to be seen.

So if I could travel back in time I would participate.

All ears? So let me show you how it works.

How can I apply to The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition 2026?

First: Register by February 10, 2026.

Yes, this is your nudge. Don’t wait!

HCGEC

Then you:

• Check out the writing prompts

• Choose your track between creative, argumentative, or journalistic

HCGEC

• Write your 500 words max essay

• Compete in the regional round (the top 10 essays per category and region are invited to participate in the global finals)

• From there, the top essays move on to the global finals.

The entry fee is $20. Online Writing Club members pay $15 with code👉🏻CLUB-OWC

What can I win in The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition 2026?

You’ll get visible and recognized:

• Your work gets published

• You get mentorship

• Crimson credits

• A free spot in the Harvard Crimson Summer Journalism Program

  

  HCGEC

• Up to $8,000 in cash prizes

HCGEC

The entry fee is $20.

Online Writing Club members pay $15 with code…

👉🏻CLUB-OWC

Worth it!

Sign me up! LIVE webinars and Bootcamps

But here’s my favorite part. Even if you don’t win, you still win. Because this is a learning experience.

Besides the FREE spot in the Harvard Crimson Summer Journalism Program (!) you’ll get access to live bootcamps and workshops.

Let me give you an example:

Do you know strategy manager Phillippa Lasocki?

As someone who holds a Master’s degree from the Universitiy of Oxford where she earned a rare deferred entry place and was awarded two prizes for her exceptional written work she’ll teach Persuade With Power: Strategies for Effective Arguments.

This power writing session is about writing arguments that actually land.

HCGEC

And that’s just one of many.

As a participant you can attend ALL LIVE webinars and on-demand bootcamps.

HCGEC

If I could time travel, I’d sign up in a heartbeat.

You’ll learn how to write better essays on purpose

Worried your writing is not good enough? That everyone else is smarter. More talented. More confident.

That little voice saying:

“Who do you think you are?”

Yep. That’s imposter syndrome. And it loves (young) writers.

I know because I’ve been there.

When I entered writing competitions, I was sure my work would flop. That it would be boring. That no one would care.

Sometimes I won. Sometimes I didn’t.

But no one ever took me by the hand and said

“Here’s how you write like you. Here’s how you get better.”

That’s what makes this different.

The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition team actually teaches you how to write clearly, boldly. As yourself.

They even show you real essay submission examples so you’re not guessing.

And they shared their core tips with me.

Core tips from the Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition team 2026

Here they are for all Club members and readers:

• Start with a strong hook

• Use a clear structure

  

  HCGEC

• Be bold

• Be original

• Be you

The entry fee is $20. Online Writing Club members pay $15 with code 👉🏻CLUB-OWC

And a few bonus tips that matter more than you think:

• Review the rubric before you submit

• Use what you learn in the bootcamps to polish your essay

This is about learning by design. And realizing your voice isn’t the problem.
It’s the point.

The global Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition team even shows you how HERE!

Regional results drop on 23rd February

Finalists from this round are then informed of new questions on the 10th March, and those winners are announced 31st.

If you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s and thinking

“Well, I’m too old. I missed the age cutoff.”

You didn’t miss the learning.

You can still improve your creative, argumentative, and journalistic writing through the same resources HERE.

♻️♻️Please share it! Send it to a student. A parent. A teacher. Someone you believe in.

Because visibility changes lives. And this is one seriously good way to get it!♻️♻️ Thank you so much!

P.S. Remember: The entry fee is $20. Online Writing Club members pay $15 with code

CLUB-OWC

P.P.S. Elina, congrats again to your win in 2025!