Asian, a must-have for Writing Competitions!!

Today's post is about information on Writing Competitions. We've prepared this time to revisit why Writing Competitions are important, summarize the Writing contests we've mentioned so far, and also provide our thoughts related to Chat GPT.

Why are Writing Competitions important? Students being assessed in the Asian Pool need various elements to showcase their proficiency in English. With GPA inflation prevalent in many high schools, universities find it challenging to assess applicants' English skills solely based on GPA, and relying only on the SAT might be somewhat insufficient. Thus, objective evaluation of English proficiency through Writing Competitions is becoming increasingly crucial.

Our first mention of Writing Competitions at A-One Institute includes:

• The Concord Review

• National History Day

• Ayn Rand Essay Contest

• Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Scholarship Program

Students and parents often inquire about The Concord Review, wondering if it can be completed quickly. The Concord Review requires extensive research. To win awards, students need about nine months of dedicated research and preparation. Similarly, the other three contests listed above also require rigorous research.

Our second mention of Writing Competitions at A-One Institute includes:

• Scholastic Art and Writing

• Young Arts-National Arts Competition

• John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

• Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

The first two contests, Scholastic Art and Writing, and Young Arts-National Arts Competition, are contests where multiple students participate and receive awards. The third, John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest, requires more research compared to the first two. The fourth, Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest, revolves around writing on environmental topics.

When summarizing the previously mentioned contests, they align as follows:

• TASS (Telluride Association Summer Seminars)

• The Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize

• HIEEC (Harvard International Economics Essay Contest)

• John Locke Essay Competition

TASS is a competition where the topics might be slightly challenging, resulting in fewer Asian participants. The second contest involves submitting poetry, while the third, HIEEC, focuses more on Economics. The fourth, John Locke Essay Competition, resembles the contests mentioned in the first group, relying on research.

Apart from introducing diverse Writing Competition contests, we'd like to briefly outline how we prepare for these competitions at A-One Institute. Once students at our academy decide to participate in a specific contest, they undergo classes on fundamental writing skills for a specific duration. They learn crucial aspects of writing through these classes.

After these basic classes, students answer questions on questionnaires, based on which they organize ideas, select topics, and earnestly prepare for the competition. As they begin writing, they undergo editing and refinement processes, as shown in the image below. Many students who followed this process have received awards in competitions. In 2023, 40% of students received Gold Keys in Scholastic Writing, and they've achieved impressive results in various other competitions beyond Scholastic.

Here's an introduction to Writing Competitions/Essay Contests not previously mentioned:

This contest, organized by the U.S. Department of State, requires submitting an essay of around 1500 characters based on the activities conducted by the State Department in foreign countries since 1927. Being an official contest sponsored by an official organization, it's not a light competition due to its research-based nature. Eligibility requires permanent residency/citizenship.

For students interested in STEM fields, we introduce a Writing Competition related to STEM, the New York Times STEM Writing Contest. Unlike other contests, it doesn't primarily focus on research but requires a depth akin to a news article. Selected works get published in the NY Times. Participants need to write under 500 characters on a specific scientific topic, citing at least one NY Times article. The application period is usually from January to February. These contests don't have status-based limitations; international students living abroad or in the U.S. can apply.

Chat GPT developed by OpenAI is currently a hot topic. Given its convenience and smart AI nature, it might lead to thoughts about submitting essays written by Chat GPT for competitions. We experimented by choosing one of Ayn Rand's topics and using Chat GPT to generate content. Upon reading the AI-generated content, it seemed relatively well-written. When asked if it was written by the Open AI language model, the answer was affirmative.

However, relying solely on AI for competition preparation could lead to significant embarrassment. If you, as a teacher or a student, contemplate using AI to prepare, please refrain from doing so. It's crucial not to subject our students to embarrassment and humiliation. Although in the near future, the ability to distinguish between AI-generated and human-written content might diminish, for the next 3-4 years, it's still feasible to identify. Hence, it's essential to write essays based on one's skills.

If you haven't considered the various contests we've introduced, we recommend exploring them and trying to apply at least once. That wraps up today's discussion.