We invite middle school and high school students to play critic and submit an original review about any kind of creative expression covered in The New York Times. Contest open from Nov. 10 to Dec. 15.
Do you like sharing your opinion with others? Do you have strong critiques and reactions to books, movies, restaurants or fashion? Are you a foodie or a gamer? A music buff or a theater aficionado?
If so, this contest is for you. We invite you to play critic and write an original review for our Seventh Annual Student Review Contest.
What can you choose to review? Anything that fits into a category of creative expression that The New York Times covers — from architecture to music. One reason we created this contest is to give you space to stretch your cultural imagination. So, we ask that you review something that is new to you.
Take a look at the full guidelines and related resources below. Please post any questions you have in the comments and we’ll answer you there, or write to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.
Here’s what you need to know:
How to Submit
This contest begins on Nov. 10, 2021. We will add links to the submission forms here on the day the contest opens.
Students ages 11 to 19 anywhere in the world attending middle or high school can participate. Students ages 13 to 19 years old in the United States and the United Kingdom, and students ages 16 to 19 years old anywhere else in the world, can submit their own entries. Younger students can have an adult submit on their behalf.
The Rules
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Review something that fits into one of the categories of creative expression that The New York Times reviews:
— architecture
— art
— books
— comedy
— dance
— fashion
— hotels
— movies
— music
— podcasts
— restaurants
— technology
— theater
— TV shows
— video games (Please note that The Times no longer reviews video games, but we still allow the category for our contest.)
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The review must be 450 words or fewer, not including the title.
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Whatever you choose to review, it should be new to you and you should experience it yourself.
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You must be a student ages 11 to 19 in middle school or high school anywhere in the world to participate. For students in the United States, we consider middle school to begin in 6th grade. Students in lower grades cannot participate. For students outside the United States, students must be 11 years old to have their work submitted to this contest.
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Your essay should be original for this contest, meaning, it should not already be published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.
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Keep in mind that the work you send in should be appropriate for a Times audience — that is, something that could be published in a family newspaper (so, please, no curse words).
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Submit only one entry per student.
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While many of our contests allow students to work in teams, for this one you must work alone.
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All entries must be submitted by Dec. 15, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific using the appropriate contest form above.
Please read through all the official eligibility and submission rules before submitting your review. If you have questions, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.
Resources for Teachers and Students
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Our full Review-Writing Unit, which includes four special writing prompts and five mentor-text lessons that use both Times and teen-written reviews for guided practice.
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An on-demand webinar with Learning Network staff and expert educators on teaching review writing with The New York Times.
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A lesson plan for reading and writing culture reviews.
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Three essays by New York Times critics with advice on how to write a review.
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The work of our 2020 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 winners.
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Two reviews that won our 2019 contest — one on a Lizzo concert, the other on New York’s Penn Station — annotated by the students who wrote them, plus two short videos in which they comment on their writing moves.
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Two videos featuring review writing advice from Times critics (embedded above) and student winners of the contest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to your questions about writing, judging, the rules and teaching with this contest. Please read these thoroughly and, if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, post your query in the comments or write to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.
Questions About Writing
What is a review?
In a cultural review, a reviewer experiences a work of art or culture, asserts an opinion about it, and backs up his or her claims with compelling evidence.
In this sense, a review is like an argumentative essay. This is what makes a review more than just a book report: a reviewer has to read (or watch, or listen to, or experience) a work closely; analyze it and understand its context; and explain what is or isn’t meaningful, interesting or relevant about it.
In other words, don’t simply summarize or describe the work you are reviewing. State an opinion and support it with details to make your case.
How can I make my review stand out?
We’re primarily looking for reviews that assert an opinion about the work being reviewed — whether positive or negative — and have something fresh, meaningful and interesting to say about it. But we’re also looking for writing that is vivid, engaging and fun to read.
A few pieces of advice:
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Express an opinion. Your review should both tell your audience about the work you are reviewing and communicate your intellectual, emotional and visceral experience of it.
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Back up your opinions with relevant and descriptive details from the work itself. The more specific you can be, the better.
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Bring readers into the experience with you by using sensory images. Metaphors, similes, descriptive adjectives, strong verbs, vivid imagery that draws on all five senses — these are the difference between a good review and a great one.
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Be mindful of your audience. You are writing a review for The New York Times, so your readers will include a broad cross-section of people and you’ll need to give appropriate context for those who might not be familiar with the work you’re reviewing. At the same time, be sure to take into account the creative work’s target audience. For example, if you are reviewing a video game intended for 10-year-old girls, aim to write a review that will be useful for 10-year-old girls (and their parents).
I’m not sure what to write about. Where should I start?
To help you understand the role that criticism plays in your life already and hone in on a topic that feels interesting and meaningful to you, you might start by responding to one or all four of these writing prompts:
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What Work of Art or Culture Would You Recommend That Everyone Experience?
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What Work of Art or Culture Would You Warn Others to Avoid? Why?
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What Could You Read, Listen To or Watch to Stretch Your Cultural Imagination?
Then, read some reviews. You can find many in the Arts section of The Times, in your local or school newspaper, or on your favorite website. You can also check out the winners of this contest from previous years (linked in the Resources section above).
Is there anything I can’t write about?
We invite you to review anything that fits into a category of creative expression covered by The Times. For example, you could review BTS’s latest album because The Times reviews music; but you could not review Santa Cruz decks and wheels because The Times does not review skateboards.
In addition, keep in mind that the work you send in should be appropriate for a Times audience — that is, something that could be published in a family newspaper (so, please, no curse words).
Can I have someone else check my work?
We understand that students will often revise their work based on feedback from teachers and peers. That is allowed for this contest. However, be sure that the final submission reflects the ideas, voice and writing ability of the student, not someone else.
Do I need a Works Cited page?
Our submission form does not allow for a separate Works Cited page for this contest. If you are quoting from another source or referencing someone else’s ideas, you should give appropriate credit in the review itself.
Here is an example of how to do so from one of our past winning reviews about New York City’s Penn Station:
As Vincent Scully, the late art critic, famously noted, “One entered the city like a god … One scuttles in now like a rat.” That blustery Friday afternoon, it wasn’t too hard to see Mr. Scully’s point.
_________
Questions About Judging
How will my review be judged?
Your work will be read by New York Times journalists as well as by Learning Network staff members and educators from around the United States. We will use this rubric to judge entries.
What’s the prize?
Having your work published on The Learning Network and being eligible to be chosen to have your work published in the print New York Times.
When will the winners be announced?
About two months after the contest has closed.
My essay wasn’t selected as a winner. Can you tell me why?
We receive thousands of entries for this contest, so, unfortunately, our team does not have the capacity to provide individual feedback on each student’s essay.
_________
Questions About the Rules
Who is eligible to participate in this contest?
For this contest, we invite students ages 11 to 19 in middle school or high school to write a review. For students in the United States, we consider middle school to begin in 6th grade; students outside of the United States must be at least 11 years old to enter.
The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter this contest. Nor are students who live in the same household as those employees.
If you are not sure if you are eligible for this contest (for example, if you’re taking a gap year), please see our more detailed eligibility rules.
My review was published in my school newspaper. Can I submit it to this contest?
No. We ask that your review be original for this contest. Please don’t submit anything you have already published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.
Who can I contact if I have questions about this contest or am having issues submitting my entry?
Leave a comment on this post or write to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.
_________
Questions About Teaching With This Contest
I’m a teacher. What resources do you have to help me teach with this contest?
Start with our unit plan for critiquing culture and writing reviews. It includes writing prompts, mentor texts and lesson plans that can support this contest. To learn more about how to teach with this unit, register for our live webinar on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. Eastern.
You might also invite your students to read the winners of last year’s contest to get inspiration for their own work.
Do my students need a New York Times subscription to access these resources?
No.
Students can get free access to Times pieces through The Learning Network. All the activities for students on our site, including mentor texts and writing prompts, plus the Times articles they link to, are free. Students can search for articles using the search tool on our home page.
However, if you are interested in learning more about school subscriptions, visit this page.
How do my students prove to me that they entered this contest?
After they submit their essays, students should receive an email from The New York Times with the subject heading “Thank you for your submission to our Review Contest,” which they can forward to you to show their entry has been accepted.
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