Fountainhead Essay Contest

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[edit] The Fountainhead Essay Contest

The Fountainhead Essay Contest is an essay-writing competition put on by the Ayn Rand Institute as a way of introducing the high school students of America to Ayn Rand's book, The Fountainhead. The contest was officially started in 1998.

High school juniors and seniors all over America are invited to participate.

The contest runs from the spring of one year into April of the following year. The Ayn Rand Institute is open to submissions until the contest deadline which is usually set in mid-April. Monetary prizes are awarded to the students with the best essays. First prize has typically been a check of $10,000 (not required to be used toward college fees) with five second prize winners, ten third prize winners, and this year, 45 finalists, and 175 semifinalists--fewer award slots than previous years, reflecting the growing selectivity of the contest. Annually, approximately 4,000 high school juniors and seniors enter the contest.

According to the contest website, "Essays will be judged on both style and content. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic and psychological meaning of The Fountainhead." There are three essay topics from which to choose. Winners are notified in the summer.

[edit] Other Contests

The Ayn Rand Institute also administers two other essay contests. They are based on her other novels, Anthem and Atlas Shrugged. The Anthem essay contestis open to high school freshmen and sophomores. The Atlas Shrugged essay contest is open to college students, including entering college freshmen.