Thank you for your interest in Berkeley Political Review’s International Essay Competition. As the only publication on the UC Berkeley campus dedicated to non-partisan political discourse, we take great responsibility in engaging and emboldening the next batch of college students in political speech that is constructive, unbiased, and dedicated to discovering the truth. For this reason, we at BPR are proud to announce that we will be conducting our first ever international essay competition.In order to be considered, please compose an original, BPR-caliber essay that answers the following prompt:
Over the course of the past year, the entirety of the United States has struggled with a question central to American identity: how much freedom of speech should we allow? Take a position on this question and write a response of up to 2,500 words.
Eligibility Criteria
This essay competition is only open to currently enrolled high school students. You must be enrolled at an established high school in the US or the equivalent in your country of residence. You will be required to submit some proof of enrollment in your submission.
Offered Benefits
The winner of the competition will bear the title, “Berkeley Political Review National Essay Competition Top Scholar”, be awarded a certificate from BPR, and will have their essay featured on our website and in our popular semesterly print issue. In addition, the winner will receive a scholarship worth $100.
Application Process
Please submit your essay as a .pdf by no later than May 8th at 11:59 PM along with your unofficial transcript. All essays must follow a standard format (MLA, APA, Chicago , etc). Outside sources enhance an essay and therefore are highly recommended, but they are not required. If you do use outside sources, make sure you cite them. Essays that exceed 2,500 words will not be considered. Use the following link to submit your essay: https://bpr.berkeley.edu/bpr-international-essay-competition/. We at BPR will review all essay submissions and notify you of our decision via e-mail no later than June 8th, 2018.
