U.S. Online Essay Contest

U.S. Online Essay Contest

Eligibility:

1. Contestants must reside in the U.S.A.

2. Essays will be submitted online. So, any student (year eligibility) living anywhere in the U.S. may participate.

3. Age limit:

• Group 1: 6 to 8 years

• Group 2: 9 to 13 years

• Group 3: 14 to 18 years

1. All essays must be the original work of the participant. Any plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.

2. Unregistered essay submissions will not be considered. Visit the web page www.inspirationmasters.com/events and pay the $20 registration/reading fee online via PayPal.

Essay Contest Form:

The Essay Contest Form will be emailed to you after registration. You should complete the form electronically and submit it with your essay. Essay submissions without the completed form will not be considered.

Judging:

Essays will be judged on their ability to answer the topic question/prompt in an articulate, clear, and organized manner. Acclaimed national and international scholars in their respective fields will judge the essay contest. The judges will evaluate the essay submissions in a fair and unbiased evaluation system. All the judges will use the same criteria in a similar rubric. Judges will be selected by Inspiration Masters LLC based on their backgrounds and expertise in education, writing, and the subject matter. Decision of the judges will be final.

Essays are evaluated on the basis of:

• Topical Content: whether the essay correctly addresses the given prompt

• Originality: whether the essay includes original arguments building a case that is logical and persuasive

• Conceptual Understanding

• Factual Accuracy

• Content relevancy

• Structure (including vocabulary and writing style)

• Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation

Award:

Winners in each category will receive the following prizes:

First Place: $100

Second Place: $50

Winners will also receive a certificate, a trophy, and a mention on the Inspiration Masters and DesiPlaza TV websites. First place winners will get an exclusive interview with DesiPlaza TV/MastiTime Radio. Contestants will receive a participation certificate.

Guidelines:

1. Word Limit (Submissions that do not meet this requirement, or that exceed it, will be disqualified):

• Group 1: 250 – 350 words

• Group 2: 700 – 800 words

• Group 3: 900 – 1000 words

1. Essay prompts will be emailed to you after registration. Submissions that do not answer the required essay prompt for their age group will be disqualified.

2. Submission options (for all groups):

• Handwritten: scan the document and email a pdf copy OR

• Typed: email a word (.doc) or pdf (.pdf) copy

1. Style guidelines for the typed essay document:

• 1 inch margins all around

• 12-point font size

• Font style: Calibri, Cambria, or Times New Roman

• Line Spacing: 2.0

• Font Color: Black

1. Style guidelines for the handwritten essay document:

• Use #2 pencil to write your essay.

• Use a good quality white-color plain or lined paper.

• Handwriting should be clear and legible.

1. On all essay submissions, please include:

• Your Name

• Parent’s Name

• Age and Age Group for this essay contest

• Your address

• School’s name and grade

• Essay Prompt

1. DO NOT type your essay in the body of the email. Include the essay document as an attachment ONLY.

Deadline:

Essays must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm CDT, August 20, 2017.

Winner Announcement:

Winners will be announced during the month of October 2017.

Ownership and Use:

The ownership of any submission remains the property of the writer, but entry into the essay contest constitutes the entrant's permission and consent, without compensation, with or without attribution, for Inspiration Masters LLC to use, reproduce, transmit, post, distribute, adapt, edit, and/or display the submission.

Helpful Tips:

• Proofread your essay before submitting.

• Ensure that all names are spelled correctly.

• Check grammar, punctuation, spellings, and structure.

• Check your facts.

• Double-check quotes.

• Do good research on the topic before writing.

• If you have any doubts about the contest rules, please contact us before submitting your essay.