faq
1. Am I eligible?
The Sidgwick Prize essay competition is open to any student aged 13-18 years on the date of submission. Students may live in any country.
2. What is the deadline for registration and submission?
Registration for The Sidgwick Prize opens on 1 August 2024.
The deadline to register for the essay competition is midnight BST on 31 May 2025.
The deadline to submit your essay is midnight BST on 30 June 2025. You can submit your essay at any time from 1 August 2024.
3. What is the word limit for the essay?
The word limit for essays is 2,000 words. This word limit does not include footnotes, bibliography, tables, diagrams, graphs, or illustrations.
4. Should I use footnotes, endnotes, or in-text citation?
You are welcome to use footnotes, endnotes, or in-text citation. You can use Chicago Style referencing for footnotes or endnotes or Harvard Style referencing, MLA referencing, or IEEE referencing for in-text citation. Our preference is for you to choose a consistent style of referencing that is intelligible to the reader; the referencing does not have to conform with Chicago Style, Harvard Style, MLA, or IEEE, but it can use these formats as the basis for a referencing system which you have devised.
5. Should I include a bibliography with my essay?
You are welcome to include a bibliography of works cited with your essay, but it is not required.
6. What file type should I use for submission?
Please submit your essay in .pdf format. If you are unable to submit in .pdf format, we would ask for submissions in .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
7. Should I include my name in the submission?
Yes. Please include your full name at the top of the submission.
Please name the file with your first name and last name (for example, 'Jane Smith Essay.pdf'). Your name will be removed from the file when it is sent out for assessment.
8. Should I identify the question I am answering?
Yes. Please identify the question you are answering at the top of your essay.
9. Which font size and type should I use in my essay?
Please use 12 point font size and Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, or Verdana with your submission. You are encouraged to use 1.5 spacing, but it is not required. You do not need to paginate your essay.
10. Should I write my essay in English or in another language?
Please write your essays in English.
11. Is there an entry fee?
Yes. There is a fee of £12 (~USD $15) to register for The Sidgwick Prize. The fee is charged at the time of registration.
12. Is the fee refundable?
The entry fee is non-refundable. If you do not submit an essay before the deadline, the entry fee will not be refunded. Please ensure you have the bill-payer's permission when paying your registration fee for The Sidgwick Prize.
13. Why is there an entry fee?
The entry fee defrays the administrative expenses of The Sidgwick Prize, including the cost of providing substantive feedback on each essay submitted. In addition, the fee helps to support the activities of The Sidgwick Trust, a campaign to expand access to the humanities and social sciences for school-aged children in Britain.
14. How do I register?
You can register here.
15. How do I submit my essay?
You can submit your essay here.
16. There was a problem with my submission. What do I do?
If there was a problem with your submission please email info@sidgwickprize.com
17. Can I submit more than one essay to compete for The Sidgwick Prize?
Yes. You are welcome to submit as many essays as you like to compete for The Sidgwick Prize. You will have to pay a separate registration fee for each essay that you submit.
18. Can I correct and update my essay before the deadline?
Yes. You can update and amend your submitted essays at any time before the deadline. Please use the re-submission form here.
19. Can I withdraw my essay from The Sidgwick Prize?
Yes. You are welcome to withdraw your essay from The Sidekick Prize. You can do so by e-mailing us at info@sidgwickprize.com.
20. Can I submit my essay after the deadline?
Yes. You are welcome to register and to submit your essay after the deadlines above on the payment of a late entry fee of £20 (~USD $25). You must submit your essay by midnight BST on 15 July 2025.
For late submission please click here.
21. Will I need an academic reference?
The authors of essays shortlisted for The Sidgwick Prize will be asked to provide the details of one academic referee. Your referee can be a teacher or an adult who is not a relative. We will ask your referee to attest to your academic abilities. If your essay is not shortlisted for The Sidgwick Prize you will not be asked for an academic reference.
22. What prizes are available?
The author of the prize-winning essay in each discipline receives £100 and 75% discount to attend our one-week summer residential course in Cambridge.
The author of The Sidgwick Prize winning essay receives a Sidgwick Fellowship for free attendance at our one-week summer residential course in Cambridge.
The prize winning essays in each discipline and The Sidgwick Prize winning essay will be published on our website.
Every shortlisted candidate receives a certificate and an invitation to our annual awards ceremony in Cambridge.
Every author of an essay receives a certificate of participation.
23. Will I receive feedback on my essay?
Yes. Every essay submission receives substantive feedback from an academic specialist.
24. Who grades my essay?
Shortlisting and the assessment of the winning essays are undertaken by academic specialists, including Faculty members from the University of Cambridge.
25. How do I know if my essay was shortlisted?
The authors of shortlisted essays will be contacted directly by The Sidgwick Prize panel.
26. Can I ask why my essay was not shortlisted?
The decisions of the shortlisting panel are final. We are unable to correspond with candidates about the panel's decisions.
27. When will I be notified about shortlisting?
Shortlisted candidates will be notified and referees will contacted on 1 August 2025. If you have not heard from us on this date, your essay has not been shortlisted.
28. When will the winners of The Sidgwick Prize be announced?
The winners of The Sidgwick Prize and the prizes for each discipline are announced at our awards ceremony in Cambridge on 20 September 2025.
29. What are the assessment criteria for shortlisting?
Our essays are assessed according to modified assessment criteria used by the University of Cambridge in assessing essays in the humanities. We consider the following four elements when assessing every essay:
1. Relevance to the question posed: Is the writing directly addressed to the question?
2. Authoritativeness: Is the essay underpinned by a sufficiently broad range of scholarship?
3. Strength of the argument: Is the argument coherent and compelling?
4. Articulateness: Is the writing elegant and intelligible?
30. When will I receive feedback on my essay?
Feedback on your essays is provided after 21 September 2025, the day following the award ceremony for The Sidgwick Prize.
31. What is The Sidgwick Trust?
The Sidgwick Trust is a charity devoted to expanding access to the humanities and social sciences for school-aged children in England and Wales. The Trust organises lectures, seminars, and reading groups by academics in the humanities and social sciences for school-aged children. To learn more about The Sidgwick Trust, you can visit its website here.
32. Is The Sidgwick Prize a charity?
No. The Sidgwick Prize is a commercial entity separate from The Sidgwick Trust. The Sidgwick Prize promotes the activities of The Sidgwick Trust, but it is not a charity and it is not a subsidiary or part of The Sidgwick Trust.
33. Is The Sidgwick Prize associated with the University of Cambridge?
No. The Sidgwick Prize is not associated with the University of Cambridge or any of its constituent Colleges. The Sidgwick Prize is based in Cambridge, England; it operates with the participation of individuals who are associated with the University of Cambridge and its constituent Colleges.