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HIR Academic Writing Contest
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From the guide

News & guidance

Notes on choosing a prompt, meeting the rubric, and preparing for Defense Day.

  • The 2026 HIR contest calendar at a glance

    The contest runs three cycles a year, each with its own registration, submission, and Defense Day dates. Here is how to read the 2026 calendar and pick your cycle.

  • The HIR 60-Point Rubric, Decoded: Turn 30 Content + 30 Style Into a Checklist (2026)

    The HIR Academic Writing Contest scores every essay on a published 60-point rubric: 30 for Content, 30 for Style. This independent guide decodes all six Content dimensions, explains the evidence-versus-analysis split that most essays miss, shows where non-native writers lose Style points, and turns the whole rubric into a pre-submission checklist.

  • How to choose a prompt you can actually defend

    Choosing your prompt is the first real decision of the HIR Academic Writing Contest - and the one that quietly determines your ceiling. Here is how to choose one you can argue, not just describe.