Columbia Political Review’s high-school essay contest has run since 2017. Its official contest page, checked November 4, 2026, now publishes the 2026 prompt and results: one winner and two honorable mentions from 1,650 entries. The 2026 prompt concerned alternative models of political participation amid dissatisfaction with voting and liberal democracy.
The earlier 2026 call was described as requiring a 700–1,200-word PDF with hyperlink citations, one entry per student, no generative AI, and submission by July 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. It also described free entry, a US$300 winning prize and US$100 honorable mentions. These exact historical instructions and amounts could not be reverified on the current official results page and are not confirmed terms for a future cycle.
No next-cycle prompt, dates, submission form, fees, eligibility or prizes were verified. The published 2026 results do not establish a new application opening or recurring deadline.