Outline Of ESEO 

**All official information regarding the European Sociological Essay Olympiad (ESEO) — including eligibility guidelines, essay instructions, submission procedures, award distinctions, and competition updates — is published exclusively on this official website.

Participants, delegation leaders, and interested parties are strongly advised to refer only to this website for accurate, verified, and current competition details. The ESEO Executive Board does not endorse or take responsibility for information circulated through unofficial channels, personal blogs, third-party platforms, or social media accounts.

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In addition to the official information published on this website, delegation leaders are responsible for providing participants with country-specific instructions, deadlines, and resources relevant to their national selection process.

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For inquiries or clarifications, please contact your national delegation or the ESEO Executive Board directly via the contact details provided on the Contact Page.

 

a) Topic proposals and Selection

Before March 1 of each competition year, each participating national delegation leader is invited to submit one proposed essay topic to the ESEO Secretary General. This proposal may take the form of either a carefully worded sociological question or a short quotation (no longer than five lines) relevant to contemporary social thought and inquiry, accompanied by an appropriate source reference following academic citation standards.

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The submitted proposals are reviewed by the ESEO Executive Board and the Academic Committee, which selects the final topic to be offered to participants. Final topics are published on the official ESEO website and sent via official email to each national delegation leader on the designated prompt release date.

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b) Participant Selection

Participants are nominated through a process organized by each national delegation. Rather than open applications, s, distinct ESEO delegations across European countries are invited to nominate students for consideration. Each institution conducts its own internal selection process, typically based on the evaluation of essay samples or sociological writing submitted by prospective participants.

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Each national delegation compiles a shortlist and selects up to two candidates to represent their country at ESEO.

Each national delegation may nominate a maximum of two participants, aged between 14-19, enrolled in an academic institution. Delegations notify the ESEO Executive Board of their selected participants by February 20th of the competition year.  

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For further information on participation and the selection process , click here 

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c) Essay Submission

On a designated submission date (announced annually by the Executive Board), participants receive the four official essay topics, published on the official ESEO website . Each student selects writes an original sociological essay in response.

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Essays should:

•  Be between 1,500 and 4,000 words, excluding bibliography and footnotes.

• Clearly state and engage with the chosen topic.

• Demonstrate awareness of relevant sociological theories, concepts, and debates.

• Include well-reasoned argumentation, supported by academic evidence and critical analysis.

• Draw on contemporary case studies, where appropriate, especially within a European context

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Citation Requirements:

• All essays must use a recognized academic referencing style (APA, Harvard, or Chicago).

• In-text citations and a complete bibliography are mandatory.

• Essays without appropriate citations will not be considered for awards.

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Essay Language:
Participants must write in one of the ESEO official languages (English, French, German, or Spanish)

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Submission:

All essays must be submitted via the official submission email (essays@eusocolympiad.org) within the assigned submission window, typically a 1-3 month period following the announcement of topics, depending on availability of assessors in each competition year. The precise submission deadline  is communicated annually by the ESEO Executive Board.

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Late entries will not be accepted under any circumstances. Participants are responsible for ensuring their essays are received by the designated submission email before the stated deadline. Essays submitted after the deadline will be automatically disqualified from assessment and award consideration.

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d) Essay Assessment

Essays are assessed in a three-stage process by an international panel of experts:

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I. First Stage
Each essay is independently evaluated by four assessors according to the following criteria:

• Relevance to the topic

• Sociological insight and understanding

• Strength and clarity of argumentation

• Coherence and structure

• Originality of perspective

Assessors assign scores from 1 to 10 points in increments of 0.5 points.

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II. Second Stage
If there is a discrepancy of more than 3 points between any two assessors' scores, a fifth assessor reviews the essay. Essays with an average score of 7 or higher progress to the second stage, where they are evaluated by two additional assessors.

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III. Final Selection
The final average score for each essay is calculated from all received marks. The ESEO Academic Committee then reviews the highest-scoring essays and determines the distribution of awards.

 

For Sample essays awarded distinctions and  mentions, click here​

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e) Awards

Awards are symbolic and merit-based, consisting of:

• Gold Distinctions (First Place)

• Silver Distinctions (Second Place)

• Bronze Distinctions (Third Place)

• Honorable Mentions

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While multiple distinctions may be awarded within the Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention categories depending on the overall quality and distribution of essays, the Gold Distinction is reserved for one top participant only.

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All participants receive a formal participation certificate

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All participating students and their respective delegation leaders will be officially notified of the competition results via email by September 10 of the competition year and announced on the official website . Award distinctions (Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention) will be announced at this time, alongside the distribution of digital participation certificates to all eligible participants.

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Please note that no results will be disclosed before this official announcement date.

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6. Academic Integrity and Code of Ethics

The EUSEO maintains a strict Code of Academic Integrity prohibiting plagiarism, the use of AI-generated or AI-assisted content, and unauthorized collaboration. All essays are screened for originality.

Participants are expected to uphold principles of honesty, fairness, and respect for others’ intellectual work.

The Ethics Committee addresses any reported violations and recommends sanctions, which may include disqualification.

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For further information on the ESEO code of ethics, Privacy policy and Statute, click here