AFSA National High School Essay Contest
Offered by American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
- Award
- $1,250 – $2,500
- Deadline
- Level
- National
Who can apply
- Year in school
- hs junior, hs senior
Conditions worth reading twice
Open to students in grades 9-12 who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, attending a public, private, parochial, or home school in the 50 states, D.C., or U.S. territories, or attending high school overseas. EXCLUDED: students whose parent(s) are employed in the U.S. Foreign Service ('only those students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible' -- afsa.org/rules-and-guidelines); previous first-place winners of this contest; and immediate relatives of AFSA, Semester at Sea, or National Student Leadership Conference directors/staff. Previous honorable-mention or runner-up recipients may re-enter. Essay must be an original, sourced, argumentative essay of 1,000-1,500 words (word count excludes the source list) responding to that year's assigned foreign-policy topic, submitted online as a Word document with the student's name/school omitted from the essay pages, a comprehensive source list, and a named teacher/sponsor coordinator. No entry fee.
How to apply
Applications are handled by the provider, not by ScholarDuck. Check the deadline on their page before you start — deadlines move, and ours is only as fresh as our last check.
Common questions
When is the AFSA National High School Essay Contest deadline?
March 1, 2027. That is the date ScholarDuck recorded from American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)'s own page. Providers move deadlines without notice, so confirm it on American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)'s page before you plan around it.
How much is the AFSA National High School Essay Contest worth?
Awards range from $1,250 to $2,500. This is the figure listed on the page ScholarDuck checked, not an estimate of what any one applicant receives.
Who is eligible for the AFSA National High School Essay Contest?
Year in school: hs junior, hs senior. Those are the eligibility facts ScholarDuck recorded from American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)'s page — a summary of what they publish, not their complete rules. Read their own page before you apply.
How do I apply for the AFSA National High School Essay Contest?
Through American Foreign Service Association (AFSA). ScholarDuck does not accept or forward applications. This page links to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) page ScholarDuck checked, which is where their instructions live; open it, confirm the deadline and requirements there, and apply directly with them.
Writing the essay is the slow part
ScholarDuck matches you against the whole catalogue for free, then helps you adapt essays you have already written instead of starting each one from a blank page. See what you qualify for in four questions — no account needed.