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The Fountainhead
Essay Contest

Students     >     Essay Contests     >    The Fountainhead

✓   Open to all high school students worldwide.

$5,000

Top Prize

TBD

Entry Deadline

694 pages

Book Length

Interested in participating?

Fill out the contact form below, and we’ll email you with more information about the 2024 contest—including instructions on how to enter.

Thank you for signing up!

We’ll email you more information about this year’s contest—including instructions on how to enter. In the meantime, please let us know at essays@aynrand.org if you have any questions. We’re happy to help.

What is The Fountainhead?

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.

Learn

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.

Compete

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.

Earn Cash

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.

Choose Your
Essay Topic

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 month for more information, or join our email list to receive updates as soon as the topics are made available.

Register for Contest Updates
1
Mallory says the following about Roark: “You know how people long to be eternal. But they die with every day that passes. . . . They change, they deny, they contradict—and they call it growth. . . . How do they expect a permanence which they have never held for a single moment? But Howard—one can imagine him existing forever.” Give examples of characters in the novel who change in the way Mallory suggests. In what respects is Roark unchanging through the book? Are there any respects in which his character develops? How do these issues of characterization relate to the theme of the novel?
2
Toohey tells Keating the following: “I’m the most selfless man you’ve ever known. I have less independence than you, whom I just forced to sell your soul.” Drawing on Toohey’s own explanation and on his actions in the story, explain your understanding of what Toohey means by this. Does the author agree with Toohey’s assessment of his own motivation? Do you? Explain your answers.
3
In The Fountainhead, we can see how Roark is guided by his own creative vision, whether in the way he develops his skills as an architect, in the terms on which he’ll work for employers, or in the standards he uses for accepting or rejecting new clients. Judging from examples of these aspects of his decisions and actions, do you think he would be a supporter or opponent of free-market capitalism? Explain your answer, being sure to define relevant terms.

$250

5 Winners

$1,250

3 Winners

$5,000

1 Winner

3rd Place

2nd Place

1st Place

1st Place

$5,000

1 Winner

2nd Place

$1,250

3 Winners

3rd Place

$250

5 Winners

Master Our
Grading Standards

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.

01

Clarity

02

Organization

03

Understanding

04

On Topic

Entry Deadline
To Be Determined
All essays must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time the night of the entry deadline. ARI reserves the right to provide deadline extensions on a case-by-case basis when deemed appropriate. Start your entry today.
Phase 1 Grading
May, 2024
The first round of grading typically takes us 3-4 weeks to complete. Be sure to add essays@aynrand.org to your contacts list to ensure you receive our upgrading-stage-dates regarding the status of your essay—including whether or not it is still in contention for a prize.
Phase 2 Grading
June, 2024
The second round of grading typically takes us 4-6 weeks to complete. This is when the finalist and semifinalist prize winners are determined.
Phase 3 Grading
July, 2024
The third (and final) round of grading typically takes us 2-3 weeks to complete. This is when the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize winners are determined.
Final Results Announced
August, 2024
The final results of the contest will be revealed online via a special livestream event. Our faculty will discuss the common challenges students faced in answering this year's essay contest questions, and highlight some of the exceptional responses we received.
Students will also be notified of the final results via email shortly after the conclusion of the webinar.

Discover the Power
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.

Play Video
“Normally I would say that I really enjoyed this novel. But The Fountainhead isn’t like that. The word “enjoyed“ just doesn’t fit how much it truly impacted me. It managed to shift my perspective on how society works in a way so powerfully that I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since.“
MadisonHigh school student at Oswego East High School
“The Fountainhead was absolutely fantastic. When I first received the book, I looked at it and thought it was really long; however, I was instantly hooked. Ayn Rand’s characters, philosophy, stories, and writing all captivated me. The discussions about this book in class were some of my favorite class moments. I often talk about the book with friends who have read it, and I recommend it to those who have not. I did not expect to become so interested in The Fountainhead, but I am proud to say that it is my new favorite book.“
JamesHigh school student at Bayside High School
“Reading The Fountainhead was such an eye-opening experience for me. I had encountered Ayn Rand’s ideas before in her book Anthem, but reading this book allowed me to better understand her opinions on the subjects of selfishness, idealism, and true heroism within society. I am incredibly grateful to this scholarship for introducing me to The Fountainhead and giving me the chance to see the world through a different lens.“
IsabelHigh school student at Homeschool
“My teacher gave me a copy of The Fountainhead to read this year over winter break, and I ended up reading the whole book in three days! I thoroughly enjoyed Rand’s writing and found myself constantly reading things that were relatable to my daily life. I ended up going to my local bookstore and purchasing Atlas Shrugged, and I’m really enjoying that as well. I think that Rand brings a unique perspective to the table as to how to live a meaningful life, and she certainly inspired me to work harder for the things that I hope to achieve.“
GraceHigh school student at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School
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Learn from
Past Winners

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

Read Winning Essay

2021


Soo Yeon Chun


12th grade student

Deerfield Academy

Deerfield, Massachusetts

United States

Read Winning Essay

2020


Cora Usurela


11th grade student

Thornhill Secondary School

Thornhill, Ontario

Canada

Read Winning Essay

2019


Jitae You


12th grade student

Shepherd International Edu.

Gangdong-gu, Seoul

South Korea

Read Winning Essay

2018


Lucas Pringle


12th grade student

Repton School

Repton, England

United Kingdom

Read Winning Essay
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Improve Your Writing Skills

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.

The Fountainhead

This video lecture course is an introduction to Ayn Rand's classic novel that includes background material on Rand and the era in which she wrote, an overview of the story, an analysis of the principal characters and detailed discussion of the main themes.
Go to Course Homepage

Writing: A Mini-Course

Learning to write requires not only an understanding of the proper principles, but also the ability to apply those principles to one’s actual writing. These lectures feature exercises on six different aspects of good writing.
Go to Course Homepage

Sign Up for Contest Updates!

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.

Register for Contest Updates
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