The YRIS High School Essay Contest is an annual essay competition run by the Yale Review of International Studies, a student-led publication at Yale University. It is open to high school students worldwide and focuses on international relations, global affairs, and foreign policy themes.
Each year a new prompt is released. The 2026 prompt asked students to examine how cultural relations between two countries have evolved in the modern age and what this reveals about global citizenship and international cooperation. Essays must be under 1,500 words and are submitted online by a June deadline.
The contest is free to enter. Prizes include $250 (1st place), $150 (2nd place), and $100 (3rd place), and the top three essays are published on the YRIS website. Check yris.yira.org each spring for the current prompt and deadline.