How Does hcgec 2026 work?
Participants must select a prompt from the options provided to showcase their critical thoughts, creative ideas, and written communication skills.
Each competitor will be permitted to submit one essay before the submission closing date.
Each essay will be marked in accordance with the marking rubric and against other competitors in each region and round.
The most impressive submissions qualify in the regional round and go head to head in the global final.
Winning strategies require creativity, a clear organization of thoughts, and a ‘good hook’. While competition formats may differ, the key is for students to develop, explore, and demonstrate writing skills in an exciting way! Check out some great resources here.
Registrations
Registrations are open from March 2025 to 31st January 2026.
Fill out the online registration form with your basic details, receive a confirmation email from our team and VIOLA! You are in the running for HCGEC 2026.
Please ensure to use your official full name and personal email id as you shall receive all the communications and invites on this information.
TIMELINE
HCGEC 2026 REGISTRATIONS OPEN
Early Bird Registrations Open on the 1st of October 2025 and Close on the 15th of December 2025.
Early Bird Registration fee : $15 USD
Once the Early Bird registrations close, Regular registrations phase opens!
Regular Registrations Fee : $20 USD
Each year, we craft thought-provoking prompts across different writing styles to challenge and inspire you to write and essay that speaks to you.
Participants select one prompt from four unique prompts announced under these categories:
Creative, Argumentative, Journalistic, 🔥 NEW: Topical
View previous prompts here.
Registrations come to an end!
-
Once registered, participants shall receive access and invites to exclusive expert-led webinars and on-demand bootcamps.
Click here to view the live-webinars conducted in HCGEC 2025.
Access to Bootcamps shall be shared on the participant’s registered email address post the registration period deadline.
Click here to view previous Bootcamps. -
Each year, we craft thought-provoking prompts across different writing styles to challenge and inspire you to write and essay that speaks to you.
Participants select one prompt from four unique prompts announced under these categories:
Creative – Bring stories to life with compelling narratives and original ideas.
Argumentative – Make your case with strong reasoning and persuasive writing.
Journalistic – Report, analyze, and present facts like a true journalist.
🔥 NEW: Topical – Tackle pressing global issues with insightful and timely essays.This year, we’ve added the Topical stream—perfect for those passionate about current affairs and real-world impact!
Prompts shall be announcement on February 10, 2026.
View previous prompts here. -
Post the registrations deadline, competition kicks off with the Regional Qualifiers round.
Participants compete in one of five global regions :
APAC (East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania)
Europe, Russia, and Central Asia
Middle East, North Africa, Central and South Africa
LATAM (South America, Central America, Mexico, and the islands of the Caribbean)
North America
Click here to know which region you fall under.
Participants from each region are to pick one prompt from any of the 4 streams announced and submit a 500 words (max) essay in a Word Document. The submission link that will be shared with all participants on their registered email id.
The submissions deadline is 23rd March 2026.Check out the full essay submission guidelines here.
Each essay is evaluated based on the official marking rubric, competing against others in the same region and category. -
The top 200 essays will move forward to the Global Final! That means the top 40 essays from each of the 5 regions—10 Argumentative, 10 Creative, 10 Journalistic, and 10 Topical—will qualify to compete at the global level.
Global Finalists shall be announced on 10th March 2026.
-
Each participant (Global finalists) will receive 2 weeks to elaborate on their regional submission and submit their cumulative essay under 1500 words in a Word Document.
The global round submisson deadline is 19th March 2026. -
Out of the top 200 essays, only 12 will be crowned global winners! 🏆
Each category—Creative, Argumentative, Journalistic, and Topical—will have 3 winners who will earn exciting prizes and global recognition.
Global Winners of HCGEC 2026 will be announced on 30th March 2026
are there prizes?
The 2026 Global Prizes are exceptional and include cash prizes, exclusive Free spot on the The Harvard Crimson Summer Journalism Course, the opportunity to have work published and endorsed by two global educational organizations, and much more!
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
We are here for all your questions! You will find most of the answers in our Frequently Asked Questions section, but incase you don’t, kindly shoot us an email at info@essaycomp.org and our team will get back to you at the earliest.