Think Essay Prize | Borderless

About the Program

The Royal Institute of Philosophy’s Think Student Essay Prize is open worldwide to entrants aged 15–18 on the closing date. The current 2026/2027 competition closes April 19, 2027, described by the organizer as Midnight (BST), with submissions accepted up to and including that closing date.

Entrants must email a Word essay of up to 1,200 words in English and complete the official application form by the same deadline. Essays must be original and written without AI assistance. The current six questions cover free will, evidence and belief, moral facts, thinking in an AI era, genetic engineering and the nature of consciousness. Earlier catalog prompts are not the current question set.

Shortlisted candidates must attend a mini-viva; the final winner is selected from the essay and interview together. The winning essay is published in Think, shortlisted entrants receive a year’s subscription, and longlisted entrants receive other prizes. The interview date and entry-fee terms are not stated in the current rules. The prior 2026 cohort is historical.

Checked November 4, 2026 using the official 2026/2027 rules and linked application form.

Eligibility

For 2026/2027, entrants may be any nationality and live anywhere, but must be 15–18 on April 19, 2027. Submit an original English essay of up to 1,200 words without AI assistance in writing it. The Word document must use the entrant’s surname followed by first name as its title, with 12-point Calibri or similar font and double spacing. Use a non-academic style and avoid notes and references; any author and book or article title may be named in the main text instead. Shortlisted candidates must participate in a viva-style interview. Ages 15–18 on the April 19, 2027 closing date. The published 2026/2027 rules require age 15–18 on April 19, 2027 and allow entrants worldwide. A secondary-school enrollment restriction is not stated in those rules; the linked application form could not be verified.

Eligible Countries

How to Apply

Choose one of the six current 2026/2027 questions. Email the Word essay to ThinkEssay@royalinstitutephilosophy.org and complete the official Typeform application; both components are mandatory by April 19, 2027, stated by the organizer as Midnight (BST), up to and including the closing date. Shortlisted entrants attend a short viva-style interview. Its date is not yet stated.