Essay ContestsLong shot

JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Offered by John F. Kennedy Library Foundation · Free to apply

Award

Up to $10,000

one-time award

Deadline

January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET

deadlines recur around January each year

Estimated odds

1 in 762

Solyo estimate, not a published rate

Application effort

~8 hrs

about $1 of expected value per hour

Contestants research and analyze one act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, then argue it in 700 to 1,000 words with at least five cited sources. Seventeen awards go out each year: $10,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, $1,000 to each of five finalists, and $100 to ten semifinalists. Eligibility covers U.S. high school students in grades 9 through 12, including home-schooled and GED students under 20 and U.S. citizens enrolled overseas, and detected AI writing is disqualifying. The online portal opens September 1 and closes January 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET, with winners contacted in the spring. Citations and the bibliography fall outside the word count, so the research can be thorough without crowding the argument.

How hard is the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.

Estimated odds: roughly 1 in 762 applicants
Modelled applicant field: ~13,000 students
Awards each cycle: 17
Payoff per hour of work: $1 / hr

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
Fewer rivalsA long essay is required, and most browsers never finish one
More rivalsA five-figure award attracts a bigger field

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors

Confirm these before applying

Essay must be 700-1,000 words; citations and bibliography do not count toward the word limit
Requires at least five varied sources, cited throughout the essay in APA, MLA, or Turabian format
Essay must describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917

Good to know

Open to U.S. high school students in grades 9-12 (public, private, parochial, or home school), U.S. students under 20 in high school correspondence or GED programs, and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas
Must be the student's original work; essays where AI assistance is detected are disqualified

What the application takes

Essay required, about 1,000 words. The prompt centers on an open creative prompt.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 11 each year. Applications open September 1.

Submissions open: September 1, 2026
Essays due: January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Winners notified: Spring

Apply on the official site →Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

Does your student actually qualify?

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Common questions about the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest

How much is the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest worth?

The JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest awards up to $10,000. 17 awards are made each cycle.

When is the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest deadline?

The current deadline is January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 11 each year. Applications open September 1.

When do JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest applications open?

Applications open September 1, and close January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Who is eligible for the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest?

Key requirements: Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors.

Does the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay of about 1000 words. Expect to spend about 8 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 762 applicants, against a modelled field of ~13,000 students. The pool stays that size because a long essay is required, and most browsers never finish one. At 8 hrs of work, that is about $1 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest free to apply?

Yes. The JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

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Lists this award appears on

Scholarships With January Deadlines

Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.