Essay

Competition
Full Guide | 2025

www.immerse.education

Scholarships awarded for 2025 programmes

 Contents
What Is the Immerse Education Essay Competition? Page 2

Essay Competition Timeline & Quick Facts Page 3

Why Should I Enter the Competition? Page 4-5

How Do I Choose a Question? Page 7

13-15 Academic Pathway Questions (Global) Page 8

16 - 18 Academic Pathway Questions (Global) Page 10 - 11

13 -15 Career Pathway Questions (UK Programmes) Page 12

16 - 18 Career Pathway Questions (UK Programmes) Pages 13

15 -18 Career Pathway Questions (USA Programmes) Pages 14

Essay Specifications Page 15

Referencing Guide Page 16 - 20

Essay Writing Workbook Page 21

Mark Scheme Page 22 - 23

Frequently Asked Questions & Social Media Pages 24

1 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 What Is The Immerse Education Essay Competition?

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is a writing competition open to students aged
13-18, running twice per year. The competition is open to participants around the world and
receives thousands of entries. The competition is assessed by guest judges who are experts in
their field and influential names in their industry.

For each round, ten students are awarded a 100% scholarship to study on an Immerse
programme online or at a leading institution such as the University of Cambridge, the
University of Oxford, the University of Sydney or University College London. Scholarship
winners will receive personalised feedback from the guest judge who marked their essay.

We also offer partial scholarships from 10%-50% to students who submit strong essays. To
know what we're looking for in a winning essay, take a look at our Mark Scheme on pages
24-25.

Our Programmes

Immerse offers a wide range of programmes, including courses for the creatively minded
(such as Fine Arts, Creative Writing and Game Design), those who are technically inclined
(e.g. Coding and Nanotechnology), and STEM enthusiasts (e.g. Earth Sciences, Mathematics,
Medicine, Chemistry and more). To see a full list of Immerse residential programmes, visit our
website at: https://www.immerse.education/

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is designed to challenge students to think

critically, build knowledge and enhance literacy skills. Entrants can access our free printable
Essay Writing Workbook which includes a range of tasks designed to help students plan and
write an outstanding essay.

2 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 Competition Timeline

Essay Competition Competition Opens

| Quick Facts 23rd February 2024

This competition is open to young

people aged 13-18
Deadline
All nationalities can enter the
competition 12th September 2024
Submit an essay for the chance to win
a full or partial scholarship to attend
an Immerse programme online or in Winners Announced by
locations like Oxford, Cambridge,
London, New York, San Francisco, 17th October 2024
Toronto or Sydney

Read the full guide and subscribe to

our essay competition tips
and reminders email list Scholarships Awarded for

Submit your essay at 2025 Programmes

www.immerse.education/essay-
competition

3 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 Why Should I Enter The
Competition?

01: Grow your academic writing skills

Essay writing is a big part of university and college life. Knowing how to convey your
ideas and opinions clearly and coherently can often be the difference between an
assessment that gets a C or an A. By participating in the Immerse Education Essay
Competition, you'll be challenging your academic writing skills as well as your ability
to research topics independently, reference your reading and enhance your subject
knowledge.

02: Build your knowledge

A necessary part of writing a good essay is knowledge-building which comes from
independent research. Throughout the process of writing your essay, you'll start to
build a stronger understanding of your chosen topic while also identifying any gaps in
your knowledge. Once finished, you can use your completed essay as a sample of
your understanding of the subject and academic writing skills for university
applications.

4 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 03: Be more prepared for university study
The competition aims to challenge you in a similar way that university essays do, engaging
your independent learning skills, academic writing and your skills in working towards a
deadline. The skills you develop as you write your essay will benefit you for school now
and for university study later down the line.

04: Shout about your achievements

We like to celebrate hard work, which is why all participants who receive an award for
their submission will get an official Immerse Education Essay Competition Award
certificate confirming their participation in the competition and their outcome. You can
shout about your achievement by sharing your virtual award on social media - a great
way to demonstrate your academic success!

05: Win a transformative experience

And of course, entering the competition means that you're in with the chance of winning
an unforgettable experience to study amongst like-minded peers from all around the
world in world-renowned locations. During your time with Immerse, you'll continue to
extend your knowledge and skillset as you study under expert tutors and gain the full
experience of university life.

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 How do I choose an essay question?
All essays must answer either one of our pre-set questions or a question you have created yourself for one
of our available subjects.

When choosing your essay question, it's important that you choose a topic and question that strikes your
interest. Writing an academic essay can be challenging, but if you choose a topic you're already interested
in, you'll find the process a lot easier.

We recommend choosing a question from the subject you would most like to study. If you're not sure,
write down the questions you're most interested in before narrowing down your choice to just one.

Pathways
Our essay questions are categorised under two main pathways: Academic and Career.
These categories guide the teaching approach of the programmes associated with the essay questions.

Academic Pathway programmes focus on deepening knowledge in subjects like biology, English literature,
and economics through a blend of lectures and practical sessions, hosted at top universities for a campus-
based educational experience.

Career Pathway programmes immersive industry experience in sectors such as business and engineering,
offering experiential learning through workshops and site visits in major city hubs to build practical skills
and industry knowledge.

Open Question
Can't find a question that strikes your interest? You can create your own question! Build a question
based on an available subject for your age group and write your essay in response to it.

7 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 13-15 Academic Pathway Questions
These questions are suitable for students in the 13-15 age range; they relate to
Academic pathway subjects that can be studied with Immerse by students in this age
range. These programmes are hosted Online, in Cambridge, Oxford, Toronto or Sydney

Architecture
Discuss an architect of choice and their impact on the culture or environment in which they work.
Artificial Intelligence
What potential applications could artificial general intelligence have?
Biology
How do different types of pollution impact plant growth and development?
Business Management
How can data be used to streamline a business’s operations?
Coding
What are the key considerations when choosing a programming language for a new software project?
Computer Science
How Is Virtual Reality (VR) changing the way we interact with computers?

Creative Writing Open Question

Which key factors drive a narrative? Can't find a question that
strikes your interest? You can
Earth Sciences
create your own question!
To what extent do fossils give us accurate insights into the Earth’s past?
Build a question based on an
Economics available subject for your age
How does inflation impact an economy? group and write your essay in
Engineering response to it.
To what extent is engineering both an art and a science?

International Relations
What are the challenges and opportunities presented by international trade agreements?

Law
Select a legal system that you are particularly interested in. To what extent does this legal system Ensure Fair
Trials and Justice for all individuals?

Medicine
How do emerging infectious diseases pose a threat to global health?

Natural Sciences
How might deforestation in the Amazon rainforest affect ecosystems and climate change over time?

Physics
What role does physics play in developing sustainable energy solutions?

Psychology
How do groups of people behave differently than individuals?

Veterinary Studies
Why is it important for vets to understand animal behaviour?

8 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 16-18 Academic Pathway Questions
These questions are suitable for students in the 16-18 age range; they relate to Academic
pathway subjects that can be studied with Immerse by students in this age range. These
programmes are hosted Online & in Cambridge, Oxford, Toronto or Sydney

Architecture
How does sustainable architecture contribute to combating climate change, and what are the
latest innovations in green building practices?

Artificial Intelligence
Discuss the concept of machine learning fairness and the measures needed to prevent AI bias

Biology
Analyse climate change's effects on ecosystems and propose mitigation strategies.

Biotechnology
What are the pros and cons of using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture?

Business Management
Discuss the role of strategic management in the international expansion of a business.

Chemistry
In the field of chemistry, which recent advance is likely to have the most significant environmental impact?

Coding
What are some practical, everyday applications of skills and concepts learned in computer programming?

Computer Science
What are the implications of quantum computing for the future of programming and code security?

Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence

To what extent do the neural networks used in AI mimic the human brain?

Creative Writing
How do postmodern narrative techniques challenge traditional storytelling structures?

Criminology
How do rehabilitation programmes help prevent former prisoners from committing more crimes?

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 16-18 Academic Pathway Questions Continued
Earth Sciences
Evaluate the impact of human activity on the Earth's geology.
Economics
Analyse the effects of digital currencies on traditional financial systems.

Encryption & Cybersecurity

What is the future of encryption, and how are cybersecurity protocols evolving?

Engineering
How is engineering design fostering innovation and sustainability?

English Literature
Can the adaptation of a literary work in film or theatre enhance its original message or theme?

Female Future Leaders

Choose a specific policy or initiative aimed at promoting female leadership. Why do you think it's
effective?

Film Studies
How do contemporary filmmakers use cinematic techniques to address social and political issues?

History
To what extent is history shaped by great individuals vs. societal forces?

International Relations
How do countries use economic and cultural influence (soft power) to achieve political goals?

Law
Analyse the balance between security and privacy in the legislation concerning digital surveillance.

Mathematics
Explore the importance of symmetry in a specific area of mathematical scholarship.

Medicine
Discuss the ethical implications of gene editing technologies like CRISPR in human medicine.

Nanotechnology
Evaluate the environmental impacts of nanotechnology, both in terms of potential pollution and
solutions for environmental cleanup.

Natural Sciences
What role could genetic engineering play in sustaining global food production for a growing population?

Philosophy
Explore the philosophical debates surrounding artificial consciousness and the nature of the mind.

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

Define Universal Basic Income (UBI) and evaluate the challenges and opportunities it presents

Physics
What is the significance of the search for the theory of everything?

Psychology
How has the rise of social media transformed our understanding of social identity and group dynamics?

Veterinary Studies
Discuss the role of genetic engineering in veterinary medicine and its potential impacts on biodiversity
and animal welfare.

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 13-15 Career Pathway Questions For
Students Wishing to Study in the UK
These questions are suitable for students aged 13-15; they relate to subjects that
can be studied through the Career pathway in the UK.

Business Management
Discuss the role of diversity and inclusion in fostering innovation and competitiveness in
organisations.

Creative Writing and Film

How have pieces of creative writing or film been used to address issues that matter to their
creator(s)? Choose one example and explore its effectiveness.

Engineering
How can engineers contribute to the development of sustainable transportation solutions
that reduce carbon emissions?

Medicine
Analyse a medical breakthrough from the past decade and its impact on healthcare.

Open Question
Can't find a question that strikes your interest? You can create your own question! Build a question
based on an available subject for your age group and write your essay in response to it.

12 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 16-18 Career Pathway Questions For
Students Wishing to Study in the UK
These questions are suitable for students in the 16-18 age range; they relate
to subjects that can be studied through the Career pathway in the UK.

Architecture
How is the architect's role evolving in the context of smart building technologies and automation?

Business Management
How is digital transformation reshaping operational strategies within traditional industries?

Creative Writing and Film

In what ways are streaming platforms influencing narrative structures and content distribution in the film
and television industry?

Engineering
How are sustainable engineering practices being integrated into the development of smart
cities to address urbanisation challenges?

Fine Art
How are digital mediums and interactive installations challenging traditional perceptions of fine art in
contemporary galleries?

Software Development & Game Design

What impact is the rise of cloud gaming having on the development, distribution, and monetisation of
video games?

Law
How are international data privacy laws affecting global tech companies?

Medicine
How is the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in diagnostics and treatment planning
revolutionising patient care?

13 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 15-18 Career Pathway Questions for
Students Wishing to Study in the USA
These questions are suitable for students in the 15-18 age range; they relate
to subjects that can be studied through the Career pathway in San Francisco
or New York City.

Banking & Finance

What role does fintech play in shaping the future of personal banking and investment strategies?

Data Science & Analytics

How are advancements in data visualisation tools enhancing our ability to interpret complex datasets?

Entrepreneurship
What role do incubators and accelerators play in the success of tech startups?

Fashion & Design

What impact has social media had on fashion trends and consumer buying behavior?

Health & Biotechnology

How is the development of wearable health technology transforming patient care and health monitoring?

Law
Explore how a specific branch of law is evolving to address challenges and opportunities presented by
advancements in modern technology.

Marketing & Entertainment

What role does viral marketing play in film and music promotion?

Software Development & Artificial Intelligence

How are advancements in natural language processing and machine learning redefining the scope and
capabilities of software development?

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 Essay Specifications

Entrants should ensure they have read these specifications prior to submission as
failure to comply with these specifications may result in disqualification.

Your answers should be no more than 500 words +/- 10% (excluding references,
headings and title text.)

Only one entry is allowed per person.

Essays should be submitted directly via the competition entry form.

Essays received by email will not be considered.

15 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 Referencing
Guide

What Is Referencing?

When constructing your essay, you should show your research through your sources. It is
important to use books and other texts to support your arguments and that these are
recorded through referencing.

References act as a record that you have used another person’s words or ideas. All points
taken from other authors should be referenced accordingly. Bibliographies list the texts and
other sources that you have used for your work.

References and bibliographies allow the reader to identify the exact sources of what you
have written, and ensure that you have not plagiarised in your work.

References are used throughout the work (for example, a book, article, image, etc,). It
shows readers where specific pieces of information came from and how readers can find
them themselves. It acknowledges or gives credit to the author who actually created the
content being used.

16 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 Oxford Referencing Style
We would like you to use the Oxford referencing style. This consists of two elements:
footnote citations and a bibliography at the end of the document. It is important that you
follow the guidelines laid out in this document exactly, to ensure good academic practice
and consistency throughout your work.

How to Use Oxford References

When creating footnotes, you will need to indicate a reference by putting a superscript
number directly following the source material - this number is called the note identifier.
This is followed up through a footnote citation at the bottom of the page.

The note identifier, also referred to as the in-text citation, and the footnote should have the
same number, to ensure that the reader knows which source the identifier is referring to.
Citations should be listed in chronological order.

Bibliography

Your bibliography should include the names of the authors, title and the date of publication,
the name of publisher and the place of publication. All sources referenced in your
footnotes should be included in your bibliography, as well as any other sources that
informed your work which you didn’t necessarily quote or paraphrase. Your bibliography
should be organised alphabetically by author, then by title. Films referred to in the text
should be included in the list, alphabetically by title.

Oxford Referencing Example

Below is an example of the Oxford referencing system. It is a two part system that has a
reference as a footnote at the bottom of the relevant page as well as a list of references,
also known as a bibliography, at the end of the essay. Example:

According to a recent study, food waste recycling could be

contributing to the increase in antibiotic resistance.

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 The information provided here is not something that you, the writer, knew before you read
the study, it is therefore important to show exactly where you found this information and
who is responsible for the research. An example of a footnote reference is:

M. Furukawa., N. Misawa. and J. Moore, “Recycling of domestic food waste”, British

Food Journal 120:11 (2018): 2710

Bibliography example:

Furukawa, M., Misawa, N. and Moore, J., “Recycling of domestic food waste”,
British Food Journal 120:11 (2018): 2710-2715

The first part of the reference provides the names of the authors, the second part is the
title of the article. The next part, in italics, is the name of the journal, then the volume
number and issue number. The section in brackets shows the year that this was published.
Finally, the page number where this information can be found is provided in the footnote,
and the page range of the article is provided in the bibliography.

Referencing Different Formats

Different sources will require different referencing formats. Examples of how to cite this
information within your bibliography are shown below.

Article Solé, Yolanda. “Valores aspectuales en español.” Hispanic

Linguistics 4 (1990): 57–85.

Chapter Murphy, Robert. “A Revenger’s Tragedy—Get Carter.” British

Crime Cinema. Eds. Steve Chibnall, and Robert Murphy.
London: Routledge, 1999: 123-133.

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 Chapter Murphy, Robert. “A Revenger’s Tragedy—Get Carter.” British
Crime Cinema. Eds. Steve Chibnall, and Robert Murphy.
London: Routledge, 1999: 123-133.

Magazine Wilson, Edward O. “Back from Chaos.” Atlantic Monthly Mar.

Article 1998: 41–62

Book Naremore, James. More Than Night: Film Noir in its Contexts.
Berkeley: California UP, 1998.

Film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Dir. Chris Columbus.
UK-US. 2001

Webpage The Walt Whitman Hypertext Archive. Ed. Kenneth M. Price and
Ed Folsom. 1997–1998. 27 Apr. 2003.
[https://whitmanarchive.org/ last accessed: 1st May 2020]

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 Plagiarism
The opposite of a citation is plagiarism, or not giving credit to others for their ideas,
concepts, or images. Plagiarism is considered taking the work of others and presenting it as
one’s own. Source citations give work credibility. In other words, it shows the information is
not simply made up. Plagiarism detection software is increasingly sophisticated, and
academic staff are experienced in identifying it. Any form of content duplication may lead
to the disqualification of your essay.

Artificial Intelligence
Originality is at the heart of a successful essay. Our mark scheme states that a winning
essay...
Is objective yet reflects a personal understanding informed by comprehensive research.
Channels the author's authentic voice
Employs original and creative approaches to explore and present ideas
AI assistants such as ChatGPT are extremely useful tools for making the process of
research and writing more efficient and can be used to improve the quality of your essay.
However, judges can detect responses replicated directly from AI assistants, which will not
meet the mark scheme criteria and reduce your chance of securing a scholarship.

22 Essay Competition Guide | 2023-2024 |

 Essay Writing Workbook
Writing an essay is a
challenging feat, which is
why we want to make the
process as pain-free as
possible. You can download
our free printable Essay
Writing Workbook here.
This workbook is designed
to help you write your essay
in the most effective way by
breaking the process down
into 5 steps:

Understand your essay question: We help you dissect and understand what the
question is asking

Understand your task, how it will be marked by examiners, and what you
therefore need to include
Identify your existing knowledge and opinions so that you can make your essay
unique - and find gaps in your knowledge so that you can plan your research
Conduct research effectively

Answer the question in a structured way, using evidence to support your claims
and a ‘write and re-write’ approach to perfecting your work

Download Your Free Workbook

21 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 Mark Scheme
When you enter the competition, you're likely going to be wondering how your essay will
be marked by the examiners. The following five areas are what you will be marked on.

Communicating ideas effectively - worth 30%

Word choice & structure - worth 20%

Critical analysis - worth 20%

Using evidence and inference - worth 20%

Spelling, punctuation and grammar - worth 10%

A high-quality essay will have met the criteria in the following ways.

COMMUNICATING IDEAS EFFECTIVELY

Employs original and creative approaches to explore and present ideas

Ideas clearly, effectively and imaginatively communicated

Careful selection of tone, adapted where necessary, along with, style and register for
the form and purpose of the essay
Shows a clear understanding of its audience

Has organised information and ideas effectively, using structural and grammatical
features to support coherence and cohesion of texts

WORD CHOICE & STRUCTURE

Uses a relevant range of vocabulary

Uses a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect

Accurate spelling and punctuation

Uses relevant and consistent topical terminology

Channels the author's authentic voice

22 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 Mark Scheme

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Effectively explains, comments on and analyses the essay question

Shares insightful knowledge and a deep understanding of the topic at hand

Demonstrates a thorough understanding and a range of perspectives

Objective yet reflects a personal understanding informed by comprehensive

research.

USING EVIDENCE AND INFERENCES

Effectively identifies and interprets explicit and implicit information

Uses reputable sources of evidence

References sources correctly using the right format

Relevant ideas have been selected and synthesised using evidence from different
sources to support the claims made

Uses in-text citations correctly

Creates an accurate reference list as per the referencing guide

SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR

This submission is free from spelling, punctuation and grammar errors.

Demonstrates a firm grasp of the conventions of standard English throughout

their writing

To see the full Immerse Education Essay Competition Rubric, click here.

23 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

 Frequently Asked
Questions
Got more questions? Visit our FAQ's page
following the link below to find answer to more
common essay competition questions.

Essay Competition FAQs

Share Your Participation

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Q&As, useful subject insight and competition updates!

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#immerseessaycomp

24 Essay Competition Guide | 2024-2025 |

Inspiring Great
Young Minds

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