Fitzwilliam College Essay Competition

Fitzwilliam College, part of the University of Cambridge, annually hosts an esteemed Fitzwilliam College essay competition, inviting students to delve into academic subjects beyond the traditional school curriculum.

Interested in the competition?

Competition Overview

Students in their second-to-last year of school

Eligibility

Free

Entry Fee

February 27, 2026

Submission Deadline

May 2026

Prizegiving Ceremony

📌 Note: Aralia is not the organizer of this competition. For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer directly to the competition organizer. Aralia provides listings and information about competitions for student reference. Aralia is an online education platform offering competition preparation classes to students worldwide.

Competition Details

1. Eligibility

This competition is open for students in their penultimate year of education, including Year 12 in England and Wales, S5 in Scotland, and Year 13 in Northern Ireland (which is Grade 11 in the United States educational system).

2. Competition Categories

In this essay competition, students can participate in any of the competition categories they’re interested in.

Categories: Ancient World and Classics, Archaeology, Economics, English, History, Land Economy, Medieval World, and Slavonic Studies.

A list of questions is available here.

3. Word Limit

Ancient World and Classics: 2000-2500 words
Archeology: 2000-2500 words
Economics: no more than 1,000 words
English: no more than 2,500 words
History: no more than 2,500 words
Land Economy: 2000-2500 words
Medieval World: 2000-2500 words
Slavonic Studies: no more than 2,500 words

4. Submission Guidelines

Submissions should strictly adhere to the word limit set out in the subject brief above and contain a bibliography at the end. The word count excludes the bibliography but includes any footnotes. Each page should be numbered and contain the applicant’s full name.

Students are allowed to enter one competition and may only submit one entry to that competition.

5. Prizes (per category)