The Immerse Education Essay Competition asks students aged 13–18 to answer one academic question in a 500-word essay. It is run by Immerse Education, a private provider of academic summer and online programmes taught largely by Cambridge and Oxford academics, with in-person sites in Cambridge, Oxford, London, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore and Tokyo. Entry is free and open to any nationality, and no prior booking with Immerse is needed to compete.
Up to ten winners receive a scholarship covering 100 percent of a programme fee, outstanding runners-up receive 50–75 percent awards, and Immerse states that more than 150 scholarships are given each year. The current round opened on 3 August 2026 and closes on 25 October 2026.
Benefits & funding
- Up to 10 full scholarships covering 100 percent of the fee for an Immerse in-person or online programme.
- Partial scholarships of 50–75 percent for outstanding runners-up, plus participation awards for academic potential.
- More than 150 scholarships awarded across the year, according to the organiser.
- The award may be used on any Immerse in-person or online programme, at any location, including Cambridge, Oxford, London, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore and Tokyo.
- Scale of the benefit: the Cambridge two-week programme was priced at £7,495 residential and £5,995 non-residential for 2026. The residential fee covers 13 nights in a central Cambridge college, daily breakfast and dinner, 40 hours of teaching, two hours of one-to-one tuition, a personal project, excursions and a graduation ceremony.
- Travel to and from the host city, personal spending money and optional extras are not covered by the fee or the award.
- Winning essays are showcased on the competition winners page.
Eligibility
- Students aged 13–18 at the time the programmes the scholarship applies to begin.
- Open to students of all nationalities, worldwide. No residency condition.
- No entry fee, and no requirement to have booked a programme first.
- One entry per person. Group entries are submitted once, through one designated lead.
- Essays must be written in English and must be the entrant’s own original work; suspected plagiarism or academic misconduct means immediate disqualification.
- Proof of age or identity may be requested at any stage.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
High School
Age requirement
13–18 yrs
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Application process
- 1Open the competition page and register to receive the question list and essay guidance.
- 2Pick one question from the 20-plus set across subjects such as artificial intelligence, mathematics, engineering, philosophy, law, medicine and design, or propose your own question.
- 3Write a 500-word academic essay, with 10 percent leeway either way, so 450–550 words. References, titles and captions do not count.
- 4Upload the essay through the competition entry form before 23:59 UK time on 25 October 2026.
- 5Judges read submissions anonymously and score them against five weighted criteria.
- 6Results are announced on 9 November 2026, and awards must be redeemed by 25 November 2026.
Program timeline
Competition opens for entries
Aug 3, 2026
Submission deadline, 23:59 UK time
Oct 25, 2026
Results announced
Nov 9, 2026
Deadline to redeem the awarded scholarship
Nov 25, 2026
Immerse in-person programmes run, in two-week blocks
June to August