Community, Engagement, and Belonging Undergraduate Student Essay Contest
Baylor’s new Community, Engagement, and Belonging Undergraduate Essay Award invites undergraduates from all disciplines to slow down, think deeply, and contribute their original ideas to an important conversation. In a world that increasingly rewards speed, some questions deserve our sustained attention.
Approach this question through the lens of your own field or intellectual interests. You might explore AI’s influence on relationships and communities, education or work, faith or civic life, or another context that matters to you. Personal experience is welcome, but strong essays will connect those experiences to larger ideas and include ample evidence and scholarship.
Faculty Mentorship
Every entrant must work with a Baylor faculty writing mentor. You may substantially revise an essay written for a Baylor course or develop a new essay under a faculty mentor's guidance. Mentors may provide feedback as you develop your thinking and revise your writing. If you don't have a faculty writing mentor, please email ceb@baylor.edu, and we'll gladly help connect you with one.
Essay Requirements
- Open to all Baylor undergraduate students, regardless of major
- 8–10 double-spaced pages
- Minimum of five scholarly, peer-reviewed sources and/or books from a university press
- Individual authorship; one submission per student
- Any recognized citation style, used consistently
- No identifying information in the essay; submissions will be reviewed anonymously
- Submission deadline: January 29, 2027
Prizes
- First Place — $500
- Second Place — $300
- Third Place — $200
Award recipients will also receive a certificate of achievement and will be recognized at the Office of Engaged Learning annual banquet in April.