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Writing Competition Prep — From Prompt to Polished Submission
Course Purpose
Through structured coaching, students develop competition-ready essays for contests such as:
John Locke, The New York Times, The Concord Review, and other humanities-based competitions.
John Locke, The New York Times, The Concord Review, and other humanities-based competitions.
Course Outline
Session 1 — Prompt Analysis & Research Launch
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Dissecting prompts
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Beginning research strategically
Session 2 — Structure & Outlining
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Understanding essay structure
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Formatting an outline
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Sorting and refining research sources
Session 3 — Thesis & Hook
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Crafting a strong thesis
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Writing an engaging hook
Session 4 — Reasoning & Evidence
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Applying reasoning
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Using evidence effectively
Session 5 — Argumentation Methods
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Advanced argumentation strategies
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Incorporating textual evidence
Session 6 — Rhetoric & Final Polish
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Rhetorical analysis
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Crafting powerful conclusions
Student Deliverables
One full competition essay (with multiple revisions)
Line-by-line feedback from instructors
A complete research & citation system
A polished writing sample suitable for applications