Whether you’re a fan of The Fountainhead, Anthem, Atlas Shrugged, or a budding philosopher examining the virtues of selfishness, the Ayn Rand Essay Contest (https://aynrand.org/students/essay-contests/) is a great place to share your ideas. The contest studies Rand’s “philosophy for living on earth,” which celebrates individual thought and achievements. A great Ayn Rand Essay combines an understanding of Rand’s principles with innovation. So, if you’re ready to enter the Ayn Rand Essay Contest and leave your mark on the earth, here’s what you should focus on: Book Choice: Ayn Rand has three different contests: one for Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged. While the contest offers a free e-book version of each text, you should consider the length of each book (Anthem is ~250 pages, The Fountainhead is ~750 pages, and Atlas Shrugged is ~1,160 pages) first. As some of Rand’s texts are considerably longer than others, realistically think about how much time you can devote to reading your book before you commit to writing. Prompt Selection: Each Ayn Rand contest has its own set of prompts, which are updated seasonally. Carefully review each prompt from your chosen competition, and spend some time brainstorming each one. Take notes—you can then go over all of your responses and select the prompt that you have the most interesting take on. Thesis: At the heart of every great essay is a thesis. As Ayn Rand looks for essays with clarity, depth, and reasoning, spend some extra time before you write your essay making sure you have a solid thesis first. Remember, your thesis should: 1) State your main argument, 2) Include two to three reasons why your argument is valid, and 3) Utilize persuasive language. As Rand herself was an argumentative essayist, the contest expects students’ theses to be convincing. Context: A huge part of writing an Ayn Rand essay is familiarizing yourself with her philosophy, texts, and essays. Even if you choose to write an essay for Anthem, this doesn’t mean you should limit yourself to reading just one of her books! To truly get a grasp on Ayn Rand’s unique ideas and contributions, we recommend reviewing the following: The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand—a collection of her essays on selfishness, which you can access here: https://ikesharpless.pbworks.com/f/AynRand-TheVirtueofSelfishness.pdf The Ayn Rand Lexicon by Ayn Rand—an encyclopedia dedicated to her philosophy, which you can access here: http://www.edarcipelago.com/classici/ayn%20rand/objectivism_from_a_to_z_-_ayn_rand.pdf The Voice of Reason by Ayn Rand—a collection of her essays on Objectivision, which you can access here: http://www.edarcipelago.com/classici/ayn%20rand/the_voice_of_reason_-_ayn_rand.pdf Innovation: As Rand once said, “I am, therefore I’ll think.” In the spirit of Rand, your essay should introduce a perspective unique to you, and defend it with reason. You should back up your arguments by drawing from relevant, lesser-known quotes for the text to truly show off your independent take on Rand. Stay true to your ideas and do not contradict yourself. After all, it is by writing with integrity that you can impress the Ayn Rand judges. In The Fountainhead, Rand’s hero, Howard Roark, famously says, “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” As you write your Ayn Rand essay, keep this in mind—the only thing that’s stopping you from writing your best essay is yourself.