For Students

Beginning this year, we have two Anthem contests for two sets of grade levels.

Eligibility for Anthem

8th, 9th and 10th GRADE

Entry Deadline—Extended!

NOW MAY 28, 2020

• 1ST PLACE
  $2,000
  1 Winner
• 2ND PLACE
  $250
  3 Winners
• 3RD PLACE
  $100
  5 Winners
• FINALISTS
  $25
  50 Winners

Eligibility for Anthem

11th and 12th GRADE

Entry Deadline—Extended!

NOW MAY 28, 2020

• 1ST PLACE
  $2,000
  1 Winner
• 2ND PLACE
  $250
  3 Winners
• 3RD PLACE
  $100
  5 Winners
• FINALISTS
  $25
  50 Winners

SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THREE TOPICS:

• Aside from very rare exceptions, there is no opposition to the leaders in this society. Why is this? What ideas must the people in this society have accepted to live a life of obedience, drudgery and fear?
• Prometheus writes: “The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who will seek them.” (Chapter 3) Why does he think that the secrets of this earth are not for all men to see? If he thinks this, why does he decide to show his glass box to the World Council of Scholars? How do these issues relate to the theme of the novel?
• What does Equality’s society regard as sinful or transgressive, and what does it regard as holy or sacred? How does Equality’s view of what is sinful and sacred come to change by the end of the story? How do you think his ultimate view of what is sacred differs from our own society’s view of the sacred?

CRITERIA

Essays will be judged on whether the student is able to argue for and justify his or her view—not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Anthem.

REQUIREMENTS

• No application is required. Contest is open to students worldwide, except where void or prohibited by law. Essays must be written in English only.
• Entrant must be in the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade at the time of the current contest deadline. ARI reserves the right to make exceptions to this rule, on a case-by-case basis, for international students or for students with nonstandard school years.
• To avoid disqualification, mailed-in essays must include a stapled cover sheet with the following information:
  1. your name and address;
  2. your email address (if available);
  3. the name and address of your school;
  4. topic selected (#1, 2 or 3 from the “Topics” tab);
  5. your current grade level; and
  6. (optional) the name of the teacher who assigned the essay if you are completing it for classroom credit.
• Essay must be no fewer than 600 and no more than 1,200 words in length, double-spaced. Spelling errors and/or written corrections (by anyone) found on the essay will count against the final grade and should be omitted before submission.
• One entry per student per contest.
• Essay must be submitted online or postmarked by May 28, 2020 for 11th and 12th graders and May 28, 2020 for 8th, 9th and 10th graders, no later than 11:59 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.
• The Ayn Rand Institute has the right to provide contest deadline extensions when deemed appropriate.
• Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Essays must not infringe on any third-party rights or intellectual property of any person, company or organization. By submitting an essay to this Contest, the entrant agrees to indemnify the Ayn Rand Institute for any claim, demand, judgment or other allegation arising from possible violation of someone’s trademark, copyright or other legally protected interest in any way in the entrant’s essay.
• Decisions of the judges are final.
• Employees of the Ayn Rand Institute, its board of directors and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Past first-place winners are not eligible for this contest.
• All entries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned. Essays may be reproduced on our website and/or shared with third parties for purposes of marketing the contest.
• Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via email and/or by mail typically by July 2020.
• Winners are responsible for providing their mailing addresses and other necessary information under the law in order to receive any prizes. Contest winners agree to allow the Ayn Rand Institute to post their names on any of ARI’s affiliated websites. The first-place essay may be posted in its entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author.
• Winners consent to participate in interviews and allow ARI to use quotes and take photographs, movies or videotapes of them.
• Winners also grant to the Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism the right to edit, use and reuse said products for nonprofit purposes, including use in print, on the internet and all other forms of media.
• Winners release the Ayn Rand Institute and its agents and employees from all claims, demands, and liabilities whatsoever, regarding the above.
• Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes.

Protected by Ithenticate Plagiarism Detection Software

ADVICE ON YOUR ESSAY SUBMISSION

Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback on contest essays.

The following links are recommended to improve your essay content:

• Anthem discussion series
• Anthem ARI Campus Course
• The Art of Nonfiction by Ayn Rand
• Objective Communication and Principles of Grammar by Leonard Peikoff
• Writing Objectively by Keith Lockitch
• The Writing Skills section of the Ayn Rand eStore
• FreeObjectivistBooks.org

To submit an essay electronically, please complete the steps below:

1. Click the “Submit your essay online” button below.
2. You’ll be taken to our Education Programs online portal. Once there, either create an account or login using your existing user name and password.
3. Once you’ve accessed the portal, complete the eligibility quiz, identifying yourself as a Non-Educator.
4. Next, click on the “View Programs” button.
5. Create a submission for the Anthem essay contest.
6. Complete the application form.

Eligibility for The Fountainhead

11th and 12th GRADE

Entry Deadline—Extended!

NOW MAY 28, 2020

• 1ST PLACE
  $10,000
  1 Winner
• 2ND PLACE
  $2,500
  3 Winners
• 3RD PLACE
  $500
  5 Winners
• FINALISTS
  $50
  50 Winners

SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THREE TOPICS:

• With which character in The Fountainhead do you most empathize or identify? Explain your answer. What does the author seem to think of the character you’ve chosen? What do you think about the author’s view of the character, especially in relation to the novel’s theme. Explain your answer.
• When Howard Roark refuses the Manhattan Bank Building contract he says that this is “the most selfish thing you’ve ever seen a man do.” And in his courtroom speech, he argues for selfishness and egoism and against the conventional morality of altruism. Do you think he is correct to praise selfishness and denounce altruism? Why or why not? Explain.
• Why does Toohey support Keating’s career early on? What is Toohey’s purpose in promoting the careers of people like Keating, Gordon Prescott, Lois Cook, Ike the Genius, and Gus Webb? In what way does his purpose relate to his campaign against Roark? How does this issue relate to the wider themes in the novel?

CRITERIA

Essays will be judged on whether the student is able to argue for and justify his or her view—not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of The Fountainhead.

REQUIREMENTS

• No application is required. Contest is open to students worldwide, except where void or prohibited by law. Essays must be written in English only.
• Entrant must be in the 11th or 12th grade for any part of the school year in which the contest is held. ARI reserves the right to make exceptions to this rule, on a case-by-case basis, for international students or for students with nonstandard school years.
• To avoid disqualification, mailed-in essays must include a stapled cover sheet with the following information:
  1. your name and address;
  2. your email address (if available);
  3. the name and address of your school;
  4. topic selected (#1, 2 or 3 from the “Topics” tab);
  5. your current grade level; and
  6. (optional) the name of the teacher who assigned the essay if you are completing it for classroom credit.
• Essay must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words in length, double-spaced. Spelling errors and/or written corrections (by anyone) found on the essay will count against the final grade and should be omitted before submission.
• One entry per student per contest.
• Essay must be submitted online or postmarked by May 28, 2020, no later than 11:59 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.
• The Ayn Rand Institute has the right to provide contest deadline extensions when deemed appropriate.
• Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Essays must not infringe on any third-party rights or intellectual property of any person, company or organization. By submitting an essay to this Contest, the entrant agrees to indemnify the Ayn Rand Institute for any claim, demand, judgment or other allegation arising from possible violation of someone’s trademark, copyright or other legally protected interest in any way in the entrant’s essay.
• Decisions of the judges are final.
• Employees of the Ayn Rand Institute, its board of directors and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Past first-place winners are not eligible for this contest.
• All entries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned. Essays may be reproduced on our website and/or shared with third parties for purposes of marketing the contest.
• Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via email and/or by mail typically by July 2020.
• Winners are responsible for providing their mailing addresses and other necessary information under the law in order to receive any prizes. Contest winners agree to allow the Ayn Rand Institute to post their names on any of ARI’s affiliated websites. The first-place essay may be posted in its entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author.
• Winners consent to participate in interviews and allow ARI to use quotes and take photographs, movies or videotapes of them.
• Winners also grant to the Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism the right to edit, use and reuse said products for nonprofit purposes, including use in print, on the internet and all other forms of media.
• Winners release the Ayn Rand Institute and its agents and employees from all claims, demands, and liabilities whatsoever regarding the above.
• Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes.

Protected by Ithenticate Plagiarism Detection Software

ADVICE ON YOUR ESSAY SUBMISSION

Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback on contest essays.

The following links are recommended to improve your essay content:

• The Fountainhead discussion series
• The Fountainhead ARI Campus Course
• The Art of Nonfiction by Ayn Rand
• Objective Communication and Principles of Grammar by Leonard Peikoff
• Writing Objectively by Keith Lockitch
• The Writing Skills section of the Ayn Rand eStore
• FreeObjectivistBooks.org

To submit an essay electronically, please complete the steps below:

1. Click the “Submit your essay online” button below.
2. You’ll be taken to our Education Programs online portal. Once there, either create an account or login using your existing user name and password.
3. Once you’ve accessed the portal, complete the eligibility quiz, identifying yourself as a Non-Educator.
4. Next, click on the “View Programs” button.
5. Create a submission for the The Fountainhead essay contest.
6. Complete the application form.

Eligibility for Atlas Shrugged

12th Graders, College Undergraduates and Graduate Students

Entry Deadline:

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

• 1ST PLACE
  $25,000
  1 Winner
• 2ND PLACE
  $2,500
  3 Winners
• 3RD PLACE
  $500
  5 Winners
• FINALISTS
  $100
  50 Winners

SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THREE TOPICS:

• The covers of many editions of Atlas Shrugged describe it as “a mystery story, not about the murder of man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit.” Choose three of the most significant mysteries you encounter in Part I of the novel and explain what you think are the solutions to each. For each one, how does it relate to “the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit”?
• Atlas Shrugged tells the story of what happens to a society when its most productive members go missing. Where  today can a similar situation be found? Select a well-known situation that has made international headlines. Explain what you understand to be both the cause and the effect of the situation. In what ways are the circumstances similar to the story of Atlas Shrugged? In what ways are they different?
• James says to Cherryl: “I don’t want to be loved for anything. I want to be loved for myself not for anything I do or have or say or think.” What does James mean by this? What do Cherryl’s responses to James suggest her view of love to be? What is your view? How does this issue relate to the wider themes of the novel?

CRITERIA

Essays will be judged on whether the student is able to argue for and justify his or her view—not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged.

REQUIREMENTS

• No application is required. Contest is open to students worldwide, except where void or prohibited by law. Essays must be written in English only.
• Entrant must be a 12th grader, college undergraduate or graduate student for any part of the school year in which the contest is held. ARI reserves the right to make exceptions to this rule, on a case-by-case basis, for international students or for students with nonstandard school years.
• To avoid disqualification, mailed-in essays must include a stapled cover sheet with the following information:
  1. your name and address;
  2. your email address (if available);
  3. the name and address of your school;
  4. topic selected (#1, 2 or 3 from the “Topics” tab);
  5. your current grade level; and
  6. (optional) the name of the teacher who assigned the essay if you are completing it for classroom credit.
• Essay must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words in length, double-spaced. Spelling errors and/or written corrections (by anyone) found on the essay will count against the final grade and should be omitted before submission.
• One entry per student per contest.
• Essay must be submitted online or postmarked by September 21, 2020, no later than 11:59 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.
• The Ayn Rand Institute has the right to provide contest deadline extensions when deemed appropriate.
• Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Essays must not infringe on any third-party rights or intellectual property of any person, company or organization. By submitting an essay to this Contest, the entrant agrees to indemnify the Ayn Rand Institute for any claim, demand, judgment or other allegation arising from possible violation of someone’s trademark, copyright or other legally protected interest in any way in the entrant’s essay.
• Decisions of the judges are final.
• Employees of the Ayn Rand Institute, its board of directors and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Past first-place winners are not eligible for this contest.
• All entries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned. Essays may be reproduced on our website and/or shared with third parties for purposes of marketing the contest.
• Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via email and/or by mail typically by January 2021.
• Winners are responsible for providing their mailing addresses and other necessary information under the law in order to receive any prizes. Contest winners agree to allow the Ayn Rand Institute to post their names on any of ARI’s affiliated websites. The first-place essay may be posted in its entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author.
• Winners consent to participate in interviews and allow ARI to use quotes and take photographs, movies or videotapes of them.
• Winners also grant to the Ayn Rand Institute: The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism the right to edit, use and reuse said products for nonprofit purposes including use in print, on the internet and all other forms of media.
• Winners release the Ayn Rand Institute and its agents and employees from all claims, demands, and liabilities whatsoever regarding the above.
• Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes.

Protected by Ithenticate Plagiarism Detection Software

ADVICE ON YOUR ESSAY SUBMISSION

Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback on contest essays.

The following links are recommended to improve your essay content:

• The Atlas Project Facebook Group
• The Art of Nonfiction by Ayn Rand
• Objective Communication and Principles of Grammar by Leonard Peikoff
• Writing Objectively by Keith Lockitch
• The Writing Skills section of the Ayn Rand eStore
• FreeObjectivistBooks.org

To submit an essay electronically, please complete the steps below:

1. Click the “Submit your essay online” button below.
2. You’ll be taken to our Education Programs online portal. Once there, either create an account or login using your existing user name and password.
3. Once you’ve accessed the portal, complete the eligibility quiz, identifying yourself as a Non-Educator.
4. Next, click on the “View Programs” button.
5. Create a submission for the Atlas Shrugged essay contest.
6. Complete the application form.