Expert Overview

The American Foreign Service Association's National High School Essay Contest asks students in grades 9 through 12 to write a 1,000-to-1,500-word research essay on a yearly prompt about U.S. diplomacy and the Foreign Service. One winner receives $2,500, a trip to Washington, D.C., and a Semester at Sea scholarship.

Format

Individual

Judging Format

Jurors

Opportunity

Monetary

Grade Eligibility

Rising Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors

Geographic Eligibility

U.S.

Discipline

Essay ContestInternational RelationsHistoryDiplomacy

Entries

400

Percent Awarded

<1%

Important Dates

Deadline

March 1, 2026

Passed

Open

Approaching: < 1 mo.

Priority: < 2 weeks

Urgent: < 1 week

Registration Cost

No entry fee

About

Essays are submitted online by a March 1 deadline, with a teacher or sponsor named on the form. They follow MLA style, cite at least three primary sources, and may not cite general encyclopedias such as Wikipedia. Several rounds of blind judging weigh depth of analysis, research quality, and clarity.

The winner receives $2,500, a Washington trip to meet State Department officials, and full tuition for a Semester at Sea voyage worth up to $29,395, usable only once enrolled as an undergraduate. The runner-up receives $1,250 and a scholarship to a summer diplomacy program at the National Student Leadership Conference. Students whose parents are in the Foreign Service cannot enter.

Eligibility reaches homeschoolers and U.S. citizens abroad; only one first prize is awarded each year.