Hoover Institution (Stanford, CA) – The Hoover Institution is offering high-achieving Stanford University undergraduates the opportunity to participate in its first annual essay competition. Students studying any discipline are encouraged to submit essays that address varying topics related to the integrity of democratic values and institutions and the impact of specific public policies on the ideal of individual freedom.
A committee of Hoover scholars chaired by Senior Fellow Russell Berman will judge competing students according to the quality of their writing and the validity and strength of their arguments. Winners of the competition will receive a cash award and the best essays will be featured on the Hoover Institution website. A small reception honoring students will be hosted in early June 2022.
"Many Stanford undergraduates share intellectual interests and policy perspectives consistent with the goals of the Hoover Institution,” Berman said. “This competition provides us an opportunity to recognize their important work and to encourage them to cultivate their abilities as writers, which will be vital in their future careers."
The committee will select winning essays in the following categories:
- Best essay written by a first-year student
- Honorable mentions by first-year students
- Best essay written by a sophomore, junior, or senior
- Honorable mentions by sophomores, juniors, and seniors
The deadline for students to submit their essays is Sunday, May 1, 2022. Eligible essays should have been written for a Stanford course in the previous twelve months, be no fewer than 4,000 words and no more than 7,500 words (including notes and bibliography), be styled in any standard academic format, and be submitted as Word documents. Each submission must include a separate cover letter that concisely summarizes the essay and the specific Stanford course assignment for which it was written.
Click here to submit an essay.
Please send any questions to HooverEssayContest@Stanford.edu
For coverage opportunities, contact Jeffrey Marschner, 202-760-3187, jmarsch@stanford.edu.
