FAQS for Instructors
Is this essay prize competition new?
It was launched in the winter of 2015. The objective is to encourage and recognize excellent research-based
essay writing by our English 1 students. Students whose essays are nominated will receive a congratulatory
letter. Prizewinners will be invited to participate in a ceremony that honors their achievement, and will have
their essays archived on the department website for future students to read.
How many essays may I submit?
Bearing in mind that this contest is designed to reward excellence in student writing, it would be best to limit
your entries to the most exceptional essays.
Must I submit an essay?
No. There is no obligation to submit an essay. And given the blind submission process, no one will know
who submitted and who did not. Submitted essays should be competitive, not just your students’ personal
best or even the best in any given class. Look for the ones that you would consider worth special recognition.
Can the essay be a literary analysis?
While a work of literature may be one source that a student may use, and the essay may pursue a topic
inspired by the literature, the argument of the essay should focus on a complex, substantive issue or problem
represented in or inspired by that literary source. That is, an analysis of Tomás Rivera’s metaphors in The
Harvest would not be sufficient, but the use of The Harvest -- including an analysis of select metaphors and
other sources -- in an argumentative essay about consumer responsibility for the working conditions of
migrant workers would be.
Are there guidelines or limitations regarding essay subject matter?
No.
Can I include supplemental material?
No. This is a blind competition, so we will not know the student’s name, academic history, or personal
circumstances as we read the essays. Nor will we know which instructor submitted the essay. If you feel that
a copy of the prompt is necessary, you may submit that.
Are first-person essays eligible if they meet the other criteria?
There is always the exceptional work that proves the exception to the rule, but since the prize is for
argumentative essays that incorporate research, an essay that employs first person exclusively would likely
not fare well. That said, the use of personal experience could be a powerful component of an essay as one
element of support for an argumentative thesis, or a catalyst for introducing and establishing context for the
subject matter.
The Annual English 1 Research Essay Prize | Sponsored by the English Department
S A N T A M O N I C A C O L L E G E
