The Avery Review Essay Prize 2026 is now open for submissions for its ninth annual international essay competition. Organized by The Avery Review, a journal of critical essays on architecture published by the Office of Publications at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, this competition seeks original, analytical, and thought-provoking essays that engage contemporary debates in architecture.
The prize invites writers to use critical review and analytical writing to interrogate books, buildings, or architectural media, encouraging contributors to challenge and refine their own theoretical, architectural, or political positions.
Scholarship Summary
- Host Organization: Office of Publications, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
- Category: Essay Competitions | Writing Awards
- Mode of Competition: Online
- Eligible Countries: All Countries
- Reward: Up to $4,000 Cash Prize | Publication Opportunity
- Application Fee: None
- Deadline: January 31, 2026
Scholarship Details
The Avery Review Essay Prize is an international writing competition that focuses on critical essays exploring architecture and related disciplines. Submissions are expected to engage closely with existing texts, buildings, or architectural subjects, using review-based and analytical approaches to address current questions shaping the field.
Essays are selected through an editorial review process, not paid publication, and winning submissions will be featured in The Avery Review’s June 2026 issue. Applicants are encouraged to review essays from previous winners to better understand the journal’s tone, structure, and critical approach.
Scholarship Benefits
Successful participants in the Avery Review Essay Prize 2026 will receive:
- $4,000 cash prize for one first-place winner
- $2,000 cash prize each for three second-place winners
- Publication of winning essays in the June 2026 issue of The Avery Review
- Opportunity to participate in a prestigious international essay competition
- Online submission, with no travel required
Eligibility Criteria
To be qualified for the Avery Review Essay Prize 2026, applicants must:
- Be current undergraduate or master’s students, or recent graduates
- Clearly state student status and graduation date in the submission email
- Be enrolled in schools of architecture or any other academic discipline
- Be from any field of study that engages architecture as a subject
Essay Requirements
Applicants must ensure that their submissions meet the following criteria:
- Essay length must be 3,000–4,500 words
- Essay must have a clear object of review (book, building, or architectural subject)
- Writing should be critical, contemporary, concise, and well-argued
- Text must be double-spaced and submitted in a Word document
- No images should be included in the Word file
- 6–8 images may be submitted separately in a single PDF file
How to Apply
To apply for the Avery Review Essay Prize 2026, interested candidates should:
- Prepare the essay in line with the stated word count and formatting guidelines
- Save the essay as a Word document
- Compile 6–8 supporting images into a separate PDF file (optional)
- Email both the Word file and images PDF to [email protected]
- Include student status and graduation date in the submission email
Application Deadline
- January 31, 2026
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