Essay Competiton
2026
Could you argue against yourself?
We're looking for students who can do one of the hardest things in thinking: take something they believe and make the reasoned case against it.
Write 600 words disagreeing with an opinion you hold strongly. The best entry wins a full, six-month scholarship to our Guided Prep programme, worth £2700.
This isn't about how controversial your opinion is. What we want to see is how you select a topic, be that a political conviction, a view on education, a moral principle, anything! And then we want to see how well you can argue against your convictions.
Prizes
First Place: 6 Month Guided Prep Scholarship - includes our full library of practice tests, 2x weekly small group lessons with an expert tutor, and 4 essay reviews or Personal Statement reviews per month.
High Commendations: A limited number of runners-up will receive 6-month access to Self-Study.
Eligibility
Deadline: 31st July, 11:59pm
1. Year 12 or Year 13 (UK or international equivalent)
2. Considering applying to study law at a UK university
This scholarship exists to widen access. We have no other strict eligibility criteria than above, however, we do assess applications contextually. This means that when you enter, we'll ask whether specific criteria apply to you, for example:
- You are care experienced
- You recieve free school meals
- You are the first generation in your family to apply to university
- You are in receipt of a scholarship/bursary of more than 70% to a private school
- You attend a non-selective state school
These are not determinative, but they do allow us to assess each individual application in context. We reserve the right to withdraw the scholarship if it becomes apparent that false representations have been made.
Terms
- Your entry must be entirely your own work. Entries written with the assistance of AI tools, tutors, or any other person will be disqualified.
- The judging panel's decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.
- The scholarship is non-transferable and has no cash value.
- If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must be aware of and consent to your entry. You will be asked to provide their name and email address.
- By entering, you consent to LawPrep Academy storing and processing your personal data for the purposes of administering this competition, in accordance with our privacy policy. If you win, your initials may be used in our marketing materials unless you opt out.
Assessment Criteria
Entries will be assessed against three criteria:
1. Originality of thinking
- How original is your argument? We are looking for new or interesting ways of looking at issues, but not controversy for controversy's sake!
2. Clarity of argument
- Can we follow your reasoning from start to finish? Are your claims supported, your structure logical, your conclusion justified? The best entries will find the strongest reasons to disagree with their own view, not the easiest ones.
3. Written expression
- Clear, precise, purposeful writing. This does not mean filling every sentence with the longest words possible - be concise and precise!