Essay Writing Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

Why is the NSF Essay Writing (Leadership In Writing) BEE being conducted?

Who can participate in the NSF Leadership in Writing Bee?

Do I have to register separately for the NSF Leadership in Writing Bee?

What is the registration fee?

How is the NSF Leadership in Writing Bee conducted?

How is the Leadership in Writing Bee judged?

When will the contestants be informed of the results?

What are the attributes of a good essay?

How are the winners recognized ?

Is there a minimum level of participation to declare prizes?

Why is the NSF Essay Writing (Leadership In Writing) BEE being conducted?

The NSF Leadership in Writing Contest is the latest addition to the Annual NSF contests. It is intended to encourage good writing skills while nurturing creativity, the ability to think quickly, and present well-connected ideas persuasively and succinctly. It is designed to be in line with the “timed writing” component of current standardized tests. Good writing style will be the key differentiating characteristics in identifying the winners.

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Who can participate in the NSF Leadership in Writing Bee?

The contest is open to children of Indian origin in grades 3 through 12 and residing in the US and Canada. The contest will be held at three levels:

• Junior: grades 3 to 5
• Intermediate: grades 6 to 8
• Senior: grades 9 to 12

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Do I have to register separately for the NSF Leadership in Writing Bee?

Yes, separate advance registration is required - Click Here

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What is the registration fee?

$15.00

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How is the NSF Leadership in Writing Bee conducted?

• Contestants will be allowed 60 minutes to write an original essay based on the topic given at the contest .
• The essay topic shall be announced on-site (in the Contest room), 10 minutes before the start of the contest, i.e., the topic will be announced before the 60-minute period of writing begins.
• Essays should not exceed 1,000 words.
• All essays will be collected from the contestants at the end of the 60-minute period.
• Each contestant will be instructed to mark his/her essay with their badge number and the grade-group name. Contestants will not mark their name or address anywhere on the essay.

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How is the Leadership in Writing Bee judged?

The essays will be scored by a qualified panel of NSF Essay Contest judges. Every submitted essay will be read and ranked by every judge on the panel. Depending on the number of contestants, winners will be identified based on NSF Leadership in Writing Contest judging rules. The decisions by the judges shall be final and shall not be subject to any further appeal.

Please click for Judging Criteria for Junior, Intermediate & Senior Levels.

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When will the contestants be informed of the results?

Results will be announced within 2 to 3 weeks after the contest. All Regional and National Contest results shall be posted on the NSF website.

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What are the attributes of a good essay?

The NSF Leadership in Writing Bee is intended to encourage “impromptu writing” of “timed essays” with discipline, logic and creativity.

The “timed” mode encourages discipline and brevity.

It should have good content, good language and good style.

Good content implies well-connected ideas written persuasively and effectively on the “given topic”. The child must be able to express his/her idea of leadership very clearly. Examples may be used as and when required.

Good language implies the use of good vocabulary. The right word used in the right place packs in a better punch. Writing is a fine art and therefore it is expected that the participant will use the best words possible while writing on the topic. For example, one can say a line very plainly - ‘he is liked by all’ or one can word it better as in ‘he is appreciated by all’.

Good style implies many things – writing with flair and color, creativity and adding one’s own personal touch.

Grammar and punctuation errors will be taken into account.

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How are the winners recognized ?

A certificate of participation will be awarded to every participant at every level in all the contests. Special medals, certificates and/or trophies will be awarded to the rank holders similar to other NSF Contests.

At the discretion of the judges, exceptional work may receive honorable mentions at any level. This is intended to account for the potential age differences between the contestants. However, the decision of the judges shall be final and not subject to any further appeal.

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Is there a minimum level of participation to declare prizes?

Yes. A first, second, and third place winner will be selected for each level, depending on the number of contestants. At any level, here should be a minimum of 10 contestants to have all three places declared and a minimum of 5 contestants to have the first place declared.

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