The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition (HCGEC) brings together ambitious high school students (aged 13 - 18) from around the world with a passion for, or interest in writing. This competition is an annual opportunity for students to showcase their talents on a global stage, compete to win exclusive educational opportunities and prizes, and explore different possibilities of a future in writing.
HCGEC believes that it’s important to cater to students with different interests, and therefore provides prompts from three different tracks: creative, argumentative (or persuasive), and journalistic. Each participant selects a prompt at the beginning of the competition and will submit a 500-word (max) essay.
The top five essays from each track (creative, argumentative, journalistic) Global competitions are the perfect stepping stone to develop real-world experience, in theory, learned in the classroom, and to network with peers.
The top nine global winners will have their work endorsed by The Harvard Crimson, featured on the Official HCGEC Website, and have internships with “The Crimson” Team. These are all highlights that will no doubt, make a university application stand out!
Location(s)
- Remote
Schedule
- Regional Qualifier: February 23, 2026
- Global Round: March 19, 2026
Cost/Compensation
- $15 registration fee
Eligibility Requirements
- Students must be between the ages of 13-18 and currently enrolled in a secondary or high school at the time of the global competition in February 2024 -OR- have not started university studies yet and be under the age of 18
Deadline
- Early Bird Registration Deadline: December 15, 2026
- Regular Registration Deadline: February 10, 2026
- Regional Qualifier Submission Deadline: February 23, 2026
- Global Round Submission Deadline: March 19, 2026
Application or Entry Requirements
- Register for the competition
- Submit a completed essay, with the essay meeting the following requirements:
- Document’s heading must include the participant’s:
- Full Name
- Essay category (creative, argumentative, or journalistic)
- Chosen prompt
- Registered email
- Competition region - must be the region you registered for
- This information does not count towards the submission word limit
- Submission must be:
- Titled the same as the chosen prompt (You should not create your own title)
- No more than 500 words (500 words does not include citations, headlines, titles, or names)
- In Word document form (.doc or .docx), No Google Docs or Google Drive links for submission.
- Font - Times New Roman
- Size - 11.
- Document’s heading must include the participant’s:
Notifications of Decisions
- March 10, 2026: Global finalists announced
- March 31, 2026: Global winners announced
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
- Registration opens October 1, 2026
Have other questions?
The Harvard Crimson, founded in 1873, is the daily student newspaper of Harvard University. As an independent, student-run publication, The Crimson covers a broad spectrum of news, features, and opinions, serving as a vital source of information for the Harvard community. With a rich history--past editors-in-chief in include Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy--the newspaper has consistently played a significant role in campus journalism and has garnered recognition for its journalistic excellence. The Crimson operates as a training ground for aspiring journalists, providing students with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in reporting, editing, and multimedia storytelling.
