Open Call for the Fountainhead Essay Contest
Donor Name: The Ayn Rand Institute
The Ayn Rand Institute is excited to announce its Fountainhead Essay Contest to offer the chance to earn significant scholarship prizes and formal recognition for exceptional writing.
Each season of the contest runs for three months and features its own unique essay prompts, allowing students to participate in one or multiple seasonal rounds. At the end of every season, nine winners are selected, with cash prizes awarded to the top three essays, and the first-place essay advancing to compete for the annual grand prize.
The total prize pool reaches up to $40,000, with a seasonal first prize of $3,000, followed by second and third prizes of $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. Seasonal first-place winners become eligible to contend for the annual grand prize, which offers an opportunity to secure up to $22,000.
Beyond financial rewards, the contest provides benefits that extend into future academic pursuits, including recognition from a globally respected institution and the ability to strengthen college applications through a prestigious academic achievement.
The contest invites students to write original, unpublished essays in English that respond to assigned prompts focused on the ideas, events, and philosophical meaning of The Fountainhead. Essays must remain within the stated word limits and include page citations for any quoted material, ensuring careful engagement with the text.
The evaluation process emphasizes the student’s ability to justify and argue their viewpoint with clarity and logical structure, rather than alignment with the views of the organizing institute. Essays are expected to stay focused on the prompt, interrelate ideas and events from the novel, and demonstrate a strong understanding of its philosophical themes.
Selected contestants may be contacted for interviews during the interview period, during which they should be prepared to discuss and elaborate on their essays. All grading is completed before the announcement of winners, which are published on the official website, and winners are notified directly.
Students must register for the contest to access the book and essay prompts, read the novel carefully, and submit one original essay per entry round by the stated deadline.
For more information, visit The Ayn Rand Institute.