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Submit Your Work for the Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Writing Awards

February 19, 2021

Each year, the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences awards a number of prizes for undergraduate writing. Consider submitting your work to be recognized and rewarded for your work as a writer.

Submit your writing to these prizes:

  • Hallett Smith Prize - Awarded to an outstanding essay related to the work of Shakespeare. Prize amount: $500.00
  • Mary A. Earl McKinney Prize in Literature - Awarded to the best original poetry and fiction. Submit up to three poems. Fiction should not exceed 12,000 words – one submission. Prize amount: $500.00/each category
  • McClure Memorial Communications Prize - Awarded to the best academic writing in three categories: English, history and philosophy. No length limit. Please include prompts for all essays composed in courses. Essays written for courses may be revised before submission. Prize amount: $500.00/each category

Copies of last year's prizewinning writings are stored in CaltechTHESIS and you may view them by visiting this writing center webpage: https://writing.caltech.edu/community/prizes

Submission Guidelines

Deadline: April 9, 2021

Only currently enrolled full-time undergraduate students may submit. Entries should be double-spaced PDFs. Students can only submit one paper per category. Winners are announced in June and their names will be in the Commencement program. Winners' writings will be archived using CODA through the Caltech Library. Email entries to Cecilia Lu at [email protected], noting the prize to which you are applying in the email subject and filename

Contact Cecilia Lu at [email protected] with any questions.