The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition (HCGEC) is a free annual writing contest hosted by The Harvard Crimson, open to students ages 10-18 worldwide. Participants choose from three tracks — creative, argumentative, or journalistic — and submit a 500-word essay responding to a provided prompt.
The competition runs in two rounds across five global regions. In the Regional Qualifiers, the top 30 essays per region (10 per track) advance to the Global Finals. Finalists then have 9 days to expand their essay to 1,000-1,500 words. Nine global winners (3 per category) are selected.
Prizes for Global Finals winners include cash awards ($1,000 / $750 / $500), matching mentorship credits, and access to a summer journalism course. Special awards are available for English Language Learners and for the Junior Prize category (ages 13-15). All top winners receive essay publication and certificates. The 2026 competition ran February through March; the 2027 cycle opens for registration soon.