Essay Competitions

Sponsored Essay Competitions 

Each year, we sponsor or are involved in at least three essay competitions for student writers at Notre Dame:

Fresh Writing is the annual journal of the best essays written by students in first-year classes. Student essays are nominated by faculty and subsequently considered by a committee for publication.

The McPartlin Award is an essay competition open to any student in a University Seminar or Writing and Rhetoric course.

The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art Essay Contest recognizes the best essay by a first-year student on a topic related to one or more works of art in Notre Dame's Raclin Murphy Museum.

Other Awards

Additionally, although we do not sponsor this award ourselves, we are pleased to direct your attention to the Undergraduate Library Research Award, which recognizes undergraduates who demonstrate excellent research skills and who incorporate library resources, collections and services into their scholarly and creative projects.

The Norton Writer's Prize is another wonderful opportunity for student writers to be recognized for their work.