Unlock Your Writing Potential: Students in Our Writing Competition Preparation Class Are More Likely to Secure Awards
1. What is the High School International Economics Essay Competition (HIEEC)?
Sponsored by the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association, the Harvard International Economics Essay Contest is organized to publish the top three essays in their online publications. HIEEC allows students to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and understanding of economic theory. Students hone their academic and professional skills through the contest and exhibit their knowledge of economics in relation to real-world issues.
2. How do I Submit to the Competition?
In order to submit an essay for the competition, students must first choose one of the four prompts (prompt details are below) and write a response with a maximum word limit of 1500 words. Essays must be submitted in a formal academic style, such as the Chicago or APA style. Please note that students may submit only one essay per person. The essays will be judged by the HUEA board.
Each essay submission will have a $20 reading fee (US Applicants) or $30 reading fee (International or non-US applicants).
Please keep in mind that this year, the competition will cap essay submissions at 600 submissions for 2025-2026.
3. Who Is Eligible for the Competition?
The contest is open to all high school students from grades 9 to 12 who have an interest in economics.
4. Competition Timeline
Essay Prompts Release: October 28th
Essay Submission Deadline: January 5th, 11:59 PM EST, 2026
Highly Commended and Finalists Notification: Mid March 2026
Results Announcement (on HIEEC website): End of March 2026
5. What Are the Topics for HIEEC?
Each year, HIEEC presents new essay prompts focusing on a current and relevant economic issue. Past topics have ranged from global economic policies to the implications of technological advancements on markets.
Below are 2025-2026 prompts for your reference:
1) Environment: As climate change intensifies, governments and corporations are turning to carbon offset markets and nature-based solutions (like reforestation or carbon capture) to meet emission targets. Yet critics argue these mechanisms allow wealthy nations and firms to “buy their way out” of real reductions, while creating new inequities for developing economies.
- Prompt: Evaluate the economic and environmental effectiveness of carbon offset markets as a tool for reducing global emissions. How might these markets influence international trade, investment, and development? Should countries prioritize direct emission reductions over offset schemes, or can both coexist effectively? Propose economic policies that could enhance the credibility and fairness of global carbon offset systems.
2) Inequality: The rapid rise of generative AI and automation has sparked fears of a “productivity boom without wage growth,” where capital owners capture most of the benefits. Some economists propose implementing a universal basic income (UBI) or data dividend to redistribute the value created by automation.
- Prompt: Analyze the potential of universal basic income or data dividends as policy responses to technological inequality. What economic trade-offs might arise from decoupling income from labor, and how could these affect long-term growth, innovation, and social cohesion? Consider how different income groups and countries at varying levels of development might respond to such policies
3) Workforce & Education: Hybrid and remote work, accelerated by global digitalization, has reshaped labor markets and urban economies. As geographic proximity becomes less critical, cities face shifting housing demand, changing tax bases, and new infrastructure needs.
- Prompt: Examine the long-term economic implications of a global shift toward remote and hybrid work. How might this transformation affect productivity, urban inequality, and educational priorities? What role should governments and institutions play in balancing the benefits of flexibility with the risks of labor market fragmentation?
4) Crypto/Finance: Amid rising debt levels and global inflation uncertainty, some governments have explored issuing tokenized sovereign bonds or blockchain-based currencies to improve transparency and accessibility. Yet such innovations raise questions about security, regulation, and the role of private intermediaries.
- Prompt: Assess the economic and financial stability implications of tokenized government bonds and blockchain-based public finance systems. Could such technologies democratize investment and improve fiscal transparency, or do they introduce new systemic risks? How should central banks and regulators adapt to a financial system increasingly built on distributed ledger technology?
6. What Are the Prizes of the Competition?
The top three winning essays will earn the opportunity to be published on the HIEEC’s website and adjudicated by a real-world economist. Last year, the essays were adjudicated by 2016 Economics Nobel Prize Winner Oliver Hart!
Students who receive Highly Commended distinction will also be published online.
85% of Aralia Students Place in Top Writing Competitions
7. How to Structure Your Essay?
To structure a research-heavy essay, students can follow this guidance to get started on the introduction, analysis, argument, and conclusion. More tips and tricks for writing a research paper can be found on How to Write a Research Paper: 6-Step Guide. This type of essay is a bit different from the traditional research essay with an experiment, since students won’t typically conduct any experiments in economics research.
If you want to view examples for inspiration and a general idea of the structure, go to Research Paper Examples for High School Students.
Here are some tips to help you structure your submission:
- First, define the economic prompt you will discuss in the essay. In the introduction, you can introduce your thesis statement, your main argument, or your response to the prompt you will discuss throughout the essay. Ensure that the argument is strong and comprehensive since it is essentially a summary of other parts of the essay.
- After the introduction, you can delve into analyzing the chosen economic prompt. Before starting to write the research, all the research you have done should be synthesized in this part of the essay. Students normally use a combination of real-world data, case studies, and economic theories to support their thesis. This analysis should demonstrate to the judge a deep understanding of economic principles and the connection to broader economic trends or patterns around the world.
- After analyzing the economics prompt, students should connect the analysis to the arguments. Students have the freedom to make any arguments that they consider relevant, but make sure to present the argument in a logical format and support it with strong evidence from scholarly sources or empirical data.
- Finally, the conclusion should summarize your findings and present a forward-thinking solution or reflection on the topic. Make sure it ties back to your initial thesis.
8. How to Stand Out With Your Writing
Writing for this kind of competition can be nerve-racking and daunting, but with the right approach, you can stand out among the competition with a winning essay. Here are some tips and tricks to help ensure your essay can impress the judges.
Focus on Your Research to Develop Unique Perspective
Since HIEEC focuses mainly on your opinions and perceptions of the economic prompts, extensive research will make your essay more compelling and authoritative. In addition to internet research, don’t forget to explore academic journals, government reports, and textbooks to enhance your arguments with well-researched facts and data to uncover different perspectives. Connecting abstract economics theory to contemporary economic challenges and trends will show that your work is relevant to current global issues.
Students should find a unique angle or approach to their paper from their research. The HIEEC judges read thousands of essays on the same prompt, so having a fresh perspective can help you stand out from the crowd.
Provide Thought-Provoking Argument but Focus on Clarity
A well-structured essay is easier to read and helps make your arguments more compelling. If your writing is challenging to follow, it would be hard to get your point across even though you may have unique ideas. In addition, avoid overly complex sentences or jargon. While you should demonstrate an understanding of economic terms, a simple explanation is key. Judges are experts in this subject; therefore, it would be better to go straight to the point and communicate ideas in an accessible way.
Attention to Detail
Pay close attention to formatting, citations, and grammar. Essays that are professionally presented, free of errors, and properly cited will demonstrate to judges that you are respectful of academic standards and follow the guidelines. Don’t forget to end your essay with a thought-provoking conclusion that will leave the reader keep thinking about your essay.
9. Prepare for HIEEC with Aralia's Award-winning Instructors
The High School International Economics Essay Competition (HIEEC) provides an excellent opportunity for aspiring economists to showcase their analytical and writing skills. With its esteemed association with Harvard, thought-provoking topics, and the opportunity to refine your research abilities, this competition can open doors to future economic success.
Aralia Education offers various economics preparation classes, such as the National Economics Challenge and the John Locke Economics Essay Competition. You can also conduct economics research with an expert instructor at Aralia Education.
Economics Research
Students will use college-level economic theory and models to analyze the financial impact on the global economy. The economic instructor will provide students with the models and tools necessary to write an economic research paper. The economic research project encourages students to integrate their acquired knowledge of economic theory, phenomenon, data, and policy.
