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Essay Competition
The 2027 Academy Royale International essay competition is now open.
What is the Academy Royale International Essay Competition?
Academy Royale International is a leading provider of academic summer schools for students aged 12 to 18. Participants can choose to study from one of 14 subjects across a range of disciplines – from Law and Medicine, to Engineering and Film – on campus at leading universities in the UK.
Each year, we host an academic essay competition for ambitious students across the world, aged from 12 to 18. Students can select from a range of pre-defined essay topics, which are split into two categories: ages 12 to 15 and 16 to 18. You can find the full details of these topics below.
Essay QuestionsLink to this section
Students wanting to enter the Essay Competition should select from one of the topics below, according to their age group.
12 to 15 Category (600 words)Link to this section
Q1. What would be the impact on the environment if humans disappeared for 100 years?
Q2. Is it fair for countries to ban social media apps for national security reasons?
Q3. Will artificial intelligence make human creativity obsolete or amplify it?
16 to 18 Category (1,000 words)Link to this section
Q1. Does artificial intelligence represent the next great human invention, or the next great threat?
Q2. Should access to the internet be considered a basic human right, and how might this reshape education and opportunity worldwide?
Q3. In a rapidly changing world, is it more important to preserve tradition or to embrace innovation?
Benefits of EnteringLink to this section
Regardless of whether a student wins, there are many academic benefits of participating.
- Build knowledge: explore a wide range of challenging and future-facing questions beyond what’s covered on the school curriculum
- Develop academic writing and argumentation skills: from clear reasoning and critical analysis to the art of persuasion
- Enhance research skills: practise your independent research skills, a key requirement for undergraduate study
- Academic recognition: have your work assessed by academic experts and receive feedback
Key Dates
Competition Timeline
Competition Opens: 1st November 2026
Competition Closes: 4th January 2027
Winners Announced: 8th February 2027
Programme Dates
July 4th - July 17th 2026
July 18th - July 30th 2026
August 1st - August
Guidelines
Students will write a response to one of the questions below from their age category. We encourage you to tailor your response to reflect your unique perspective, and show off your academic writing and response skills.
Students can enter only one essay, which must answer one of the questions below.
There is a word limit of 600 words for students aged 13 to 15, and 1000 words for students aged 16-18.
Essays must be submitted using the form below.
Essays must be written in English, and submitted as a clearly readable Word Document or PDF.
Entries Close on
Ready to enter?
Entering the essay competition is simple - click the link below to submit your entry.
2027 Essay Competition
Frequently Asked Questions
The winner of each age group will receive a fully funded place on an Academy Royale International programme. All runners up will receive a 50% discount on the programme fees. There will be one winner and two runners up in each age group category. Winners can choose the course, location and start date for their prize (subject to availability).
Winners and runners up will also receive a certificate, to be awarded at their Oxford Royale Graduation Ceremony, and personal feedback from the judge.
Please be advised, the prize covers the cost of the programme only, this includes all tuition, excursions and meals (only breakfast and dinner for 16-18s). Competition winners must be prepared to cover the cost of transportation, visas and insurance during their stay, which includes the cost of flights if international travel is required. If the competition winner is unable to obtain a visa to join the programme, the prize will be withdrawn and offered to a student on the reserve list.
If you are already enrolled on one of our programmes, you will have the opportunity to study for a further two weeks, on any subject and at a location of your choosing!
Alternatively if you only want to take one programme and have paid for it, we will refund your payment
No you should apply for your chosen programme as early as possible as courses fill up quickly.
If you subsequently win the competition you can either choose to attend for another two weeks, defer your winning place to the following year, or get a full refund of the fees paid.
Essays that exceed the word limit will not be considered. This is an opportunity for students to hone their research and writing skills, presenting an answer to the question in an efficient and concise manner. Please note, footnotes are included in the word count.
Everyone, regardless of their English ability, is welcome to enter, and you will be able to specify whether English is your first language when you submit. This is your chance to show off your critical thinking and analysis, and your English language skills to the very best of your ability.
Please bear in mind that only essays written in English will be eligible to enter.
You will be contacted by our team using the email you provide when you submit your essay. Please ensure that your contact details are accurate. You may also leave your contact phone number, in case we cannot reach you via email. If after 30 days of the announcement we cannot contact the winner, the prize will be forfeited to the judge’s next choice.
Oxford Royale are extremely proud of the teaching staff that make our summer programmes possible. A select team of expert teachers, lecturers and experts in their field will be marking all essays submitted.
Our academic development team will mark essays according to a carefully considered marking scheme. Key aspects include originality, creativity, accuracy, and the level of background research undertaken.
All submissions will be monitored, and submissions that have been plagiarised, made using generative AI tools such as Chat GPT, or exceed the word limit will be disqualified. Our judges will be using a set marking criteria to ensure submissions are marked fairly.