Strasser Writing Prize

The Strasser Prize is the annual writing prize, awarded for the best paper on any subject submitted by an Honors student during the last calendar year. (Usually defined as Spring semester of the last academic year and the Fall semester of the current academic year.)

The Prize is named in honor of the founding director of the Honors Program, Susan Strasser, a noted social historian and the author of books such as Never Done, Satisfaction Guaranteed and Waste and Want.

As of the 2012-2013 academic year, the rules for the competition have changed, so please read the following closely.

Prize:
A faculty committee of judges may award a grand prize and two runner-ups. The grand prize winner will receive $100. The runner-ups will receive $50 each. In the case of a tie, the judging committee may determine appropriate methods to break the tie or re-apportion the prize amounts to reflect award a tie.

Guidelines and rules governing the competition:
1) The students must be a member of the University Honors Program and currently enrolled at the George Washington University.

2) The paper must have been submitted for a grade to any Honors course (HONR) during the last calendar year, as defined above.

3) Prior to submission, the student may review and edit the paper after having it returned by the course professor.

4) The paper may be no more than 15 (fifteen) double-spaced pages in length. Work cited pages do not count towards page-length.

5) A student may submit no more than 1 (one) paper per year. Submit only your best work!

6) A submitted paper must not have previously won or been runner-up in the Strasser Prize competition.

7) The paper may be submitted electronically as either a Word (.doc) file or PDF as long as the submission includes the author's name and contact information on a cover page, the paper format is 12-point font, double-spaced. Do not include the authors name in any part of the paper besides the cover page.

To enter:
The competition occurs in the Spring semester of each year. The Honors Program will announce to the Honors Student body primarily through our blog and listserv when we begin soliciting entries. Check the UHP events and deadlines calendar for this year's deadline.

Submit your entry online

If you are unable to submit your entry online, you may submit a hard copy to the Strasser Prize Committee at the Foggy Bottom Honors office, at 714 21st St NW, or email to uhp@gwu.edu. If hand-delivered to the office, please ask for a date-stamped receipt.

The University Honors Program retains sole discretion in determining any and all winners and awarding the Strasser Prize. No prizes are guaranteed.