Columbia OwnedIt Writing Competition
An Initiative born out of the Ivy League
International Writing Competition for Middle School and High School Students
The Columbia OwnedIt Challenge is an international writing competition for middle and high school students. Participants are invited to write an essay exploring how they imagine artificial intelligence will shape the future of their education. Students must be nominated by a teacher to participate. This means teachers will invite their class (or student) to participate in the competition and a panel of judges will select one winner to progress to the regional round, and a subsequent international round. The international champion will receive a $1,000 prize and a fully funded visit to Columbia University in New York City.
How It Works
The Competition moves through three rounds, beginning in the classroom.
Round 1: Student Nomination
To participate, students must ask their teachers to first register a class on the OwnedIt platform, and invite them. We highly encourage teachers to invite their full class, but this is not required. Schools can enroll as many classes as they'd like in the competition.
Round 2: Regional Review
Students compete with their peers from the same region. From each region a panel of reviewers will select regional finalists that will proceed to the international round. All regional finalists will be recognized on the Columbia OwnedIt Writing Page.
Round 3: International Round
From all regional finalists, one essay is selected as the winner. They will receive $1,000 and will be flown out to Columbia University in New York City to receive their prize.
About the Competition
The Columbia OwnedIt Writing Competition is hosted by an undergraduate organization at Columbia University in the City of New York. This competition is student-led and is not officially affiliated with Columbia University in the City of New York. Scholarship recipients should not advertise as such.
Registration deadline: October 23, 2025 11:59PM EST
Award Details
Grand Prize: $1,000 + Paid Visit to Columbia University in New York City
Eligibility: Middle school and high school students (grades 6–12 or international equivalent). In order to enter this competition, all applicants must be entered through a verified teacher on the OwnedIt platform.
Essay Requirements: All work must be original, written by the applicant, and submitted through OwnedIt.
How to Participate
We will release more information to registered participants in the coming days.
For any questions related to this competition, please feel free to contact: aaron.siddiky@columbia.edu