"More than Marks" Writing Contest

Writing is About More Than Marks. Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy. Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre.

We know how hard you work on your writing, and we’re giving you a chance to show it off to the world! If you wrote something this year that you’re really proud of, we’d love to read it — because we understand that writing is about more than just marks (although marks are nice too).

Eligibility

You must be a current UTM undergraduate student in good academic standing.

What Can You Submit?

  • You can submit any writing you’ve done for a credit-bearing UTM course this year, such as:
    • an essay
    • a review
    • a report
    • and more!
  • Your submission must be no longer than 8 pages in total (not including references, tables, graphs, cover page etc.).
  • You can submit a paper exactly as you wrote it for a course, or you can revise it before submitting it to us.
  • You can submit one paper you wrote by yourself, and/or one paper that you wrote as part of a group.
  • Submissions are limited to one (1) per person or two (2) in the case that you are submitting an individual paper as well as a group paper.

Prizes

  1. First-place winner(s): $250 Gift Card
  2. Second-place winner(s): $150 Gift Card
  3. Third-place winner(s): $100 Gift Card

Submission Process

  • Submissions must be no longer than 8 pages (not including references). Submissions should follow APA format: size 12 font, 1 inch margins, double spaced.
  • Submissions should be accompanied by a statement (maximum 2 pages, double spaced) that explains the following:
    • Who is the audience of your submission? 
    • What context was it written for? 
    • How does the submission join and advance the conversation with others in your context? 
    • What original contribution does your submission make to the context in which it was written? 

Please complete your submission no later than January 9th of this academic year.

A graphic of a gold trophy

Past Winners

Graphic of a blue circle with the phrase "nominate now" in the centre.

Submission Form