Cambridge Summer School Essay Competition
Expert Overview
The Cambridge Re:Think Essay Competition, run by the private company Cambridge Centre for International Research, which is not affiliated with the University of Cambridge, is a free international essay contest for students ages 11-18 in Junior and Senior divisions. It reports more than 13,000 submissions from 50+ countries in 2025 and awards 33 prizes, about 0.25%.
Format
Judging Format
Opportunity
Recognition
Grade Eligibility
Geographic Eligibility
Discipline
Entries
Percent Awarded
Important Dates
Competition opens
January 15, 2026
Essay submission deadline
May 10, 2026
Result announcement
May 26, 2026
Award ceremony and dinner
July 31, 2026
Passed
Open
Approaching: < 1 mo.
Priority: < 2 weeks
Urgent: < 1 week
Registration Cost
No entry fee
About
Students choose one prompt from a division-specific list on topics such as populism, AI, and meritocracy, and submit an essay of up to 2,000 words with MLA citations and an academic referee. AI assistance means disqualification. Essays are reviewed double-blind by a panel the organizer describes as scholars from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford, scoring originality, argument, clarity, and research.
Prizes are modest: Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners receive $150 to $50 in cash plus scholarships of $500 to $200 whose terms are not stated in the pages reviewed. Winners attend the King's College awards dinner free, while honourable mentions, about 10% of entrants, pay 195 pounds. The organizer also sells paid research programs, and this is not a University of Cambridge competition.
The competition suits a student who wants a free, well-defined argumentative essay exercise and is not counting on the Cambridge name to carry weight with admissions.
Prizes Offered
Invitation to the Award Ceremony and Dinner at King's College, University of Cambridge for recipients of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Logos, Pathos, and Ethos prizes
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