The Sidgwick Prize is an annual international essay competition for students aged 13–18, run by an organisation based in Cambridge, UK. It offers prompts across eight academic disciplines: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Law, Theology, Psychology, and Art History. Students choose one prompt and write an essay of up to 2,000 words.
A distinguishing feature is that every submission receives substantive written feedback from academic specialists, including Faculty at the University of Cambridge — making participation valuable regardless of outcome. Discipline winners each receive £100 and a 75% discount toward a summer course; the overall winner receives £100 and a full fellowship to a residential course in Cambridge. An awards ceremony is held in September.
The standard submission fee is £12, with late submissions accepted at £20. Registration for the 2027 competition opened September 19, 2026. The 2027 standard deadline is June 30, 2027 (23:59 BST); late submissions are accepted through July 15, 2027.
The official 2027 competition page and FAQ, checked November 4, 2026, confirm the September 19, 2026 opening and both registration/submission deadlines at 23:59 BST: June 30, 2027 standard and July 15, 2027 late. Fees are GBP 12 and GBP 20 respectively, charged per essay. The summer-course awards are separate prizes. Shortlisted entrants are scheduled to be contacted for referees on August 15, with the awards ceremony September 18 and feedback returned after September 21, 2027. No later-cycle dates were verified.