Apply here. This form should be completed by the applicant by 09:00am Thursday February 6th.
Application outcomes will be communicated by 17:00 Thursday February 27th.
What is the Essay Writing Masterclass Programme?
The Essay Writing Masterclass Programme (EWMP) is a free, 12-week programme in Humanities and Social Sciences research and essay writing for women in the UK in Year 12 or equivalent. Between March and June 2025, through a series of expert-delivered virtual workshops, independent research, and a Cambridge-style supervision, participants will work towards producing an essay for submission. Each participant will receive a grade and personalised feedback on their work.
Participants can expect to receive specialised instruction in research, critical thinking, and essay writing. The EWMP aims to improve academic independence and confidence, fostering the knowledge and skills that will prepare participants for university-level work, as well as application to selective universities.
The EWMP is open to all women in the UK in Y12 (or Y13 in N. Ireland/S5 in Scotland), regardless of school type or background. Applications are welcomed especially from those who identify with any of the Widening Participation criteria listed in the privacy notice below. This information, alongside subjects and predicted grades, will be taken into account when prioritising applicants to the programme.
In 2025, the EWMP has been designed for those interested in pursuing Humanities or Social Sciences at university.
The content and essay topics will appeal to a broad range of subject interests; questions have been designed as open-ended and relevant to current public and academic debates. Applications are encouraged from all students interested in Humanities or Social Sciences.
Who is it for?
The EWMP is open to all women in the UK in Y12 (or Y13 in N. Ireland/S5 in Scotland), regardless of school type or background. In the event that the programme is oversubscribed, the following criteria will be used for prioritisation of applicants:
- Experience of Local Authority Care
- Experience of Forced Migration
- Eligibility for Free School Meals
- Experience of estrangement
- Being a Young Carer
- Long-term health conditions causing extended absence from education
- Receiving a late diagnosis of Special Educational Needs
- In receipt of Personal Independence Payment
- School low progression to Oxford or Cambridge
- A home postcode in deciles 1-5 of IMD, with preference given to deciles 1 and 2
- A home postcode in the Classification for Output Areas 2021 Supergroups 7 and 8
- First in family to attend university
- Living in Newnham Outreach link areas (Birmingham, Walsall, Redbridge, Enfield, Barking and Dagenham)
Please contact essayprizes@newn.cam.ac.uk with any questions.
Apply here. This form should be completed by the applicant by 09:00am Thursday February 6th.
There are 130 places for this year's programme. Application outcomes will be communicated by 17:00 Thursday February 27th.
Additional information
Information about how your personal information will be used by us in connection with the administration of this event/activity, and for related purposes, is available here.
To receive information about next year’s Essay Writing Masterclass Programme and other opportunities, teachers can subscribe to our Teachers’ Mailing List. For more outreach events like this, please visit the Cambridge Events Listing webpage.