Students > Essay Contests > The Fountainhead
✓ Open to all high school students worldwide.
Top Prize
Entry Deadline
Book Length
Fill out the contact form below, and we’ll email you with more information about the 2024 contest—including instructions on how to enter.
This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite…of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy…and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator.
As fresh today as it was then, Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress.
Improve your ability to write and think effectively. This contest will require you to reflect on philosophic themes, form your own opinion, and argue a thesis with evidence and clarity.
Test yourself against talented students from around the world and the high grading standards of our faculty. On average, only the top 5–10% of essays are awarded prizes each year.
Win cash prizes among five placement categories. This is an excellent way to earn money for college and higher education. We place no restrictions on how the money is spent by recipients.
Select one of the following three prompts about The Fountainhead and write an essay in response to it.
Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced.
Questions? Write to us at essays@aynrand.org.
We are still working to finalize the essay topics for the 2024 contest.
Please check back later this summer for more information, or join our email list to receive updates as soon as the topics are made available.
50 Winners
25 Winners
5 Winners
3 Winners
1 Winner
Semifinalist
Finalist
3rd Place
2nd Place
1st Place
$5,000
1 Winner
$1,250
3 Winners
$250
5 Winners
$100
25 Winners
$25
50 Winners
Essays are judged on whether the student is able to justify and argue for his or her view, not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses.
Our graders look for writing that is clear, articulate, and logically organized. Essays should stay on topic, address all parts of the selected prompt, and interrelate the ideas and events in the novel.
Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of The Fountainhead.
What motivates a creative thinker?
Is it a selfless desire to benefit mankind? A hunger for fame, fortune, and accolades? The need to prove superiority? Or is it a self-sufficient drive to pursue a creative vision, independent of others’ needs or opinions?
Ayn Rand addresses these questions through her portrayal of Howard Roark, an innovative architect who, as she puts it, “struggles for the integrity of his creative work against every form of social opposition.”
Learn more and request a free digital copy of the book today.
Curious to know what makes for a winning essay in The Fountainhead contest? Check out some of the essays written by our most recent grand-prize winners.
To varying degrees, they all display an excellent grasp of the philosophic meaning of The Fountainhead.
2022
Anna Lai
12th grade student
John F. Kennedy High School
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
United States
2021
Soo Yeon Chun
12th grade student
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield, Massachusetts
United States
2020
Cora Usurela
11th grade student
Thornhill Secondary School
Thornhill, Ontario
Canada
2019
Jitae You
12th grade student
Shepherd International Edu.
Gangdong-gu, Seoul
South Korea
2018
Lucas Pringle
12th grade student
Repton School
Repton, England
United Kingdom
Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback for essays submitted to its contests. However, we do recommend the following resources as ways to improve the content of your essays.
Want to stay up-to-date on any new developments to the contest? Sign up to our email list below.
We’ll send you periodic reminders about the contest deadline, as well as helpful resources to ensure you get the most out of your experience reading and writing about Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.
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