Why is Sociology Important?
Essay submissions are due by April 1st, 2021

First Place: $100 USD
Second Place: $50 USD
Third Place: $20 USD
Depending on the number of submissions, there may be multiple 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards. Additionally, all essay submissions will be considered for publication on Applied Worldwide's website.
We want to know why sociology is important to you.
At Applied Worldwide, we know that sociology is important, and for the second year we are looking to publish a series of essays that demonstrate the importance of sociology to everyday life. We are calling this series of essays our “Sociology is Important” collection. You can view last year's award winning essays toward the bottom of this page.
As a student, we know that you are regularly considering the importance of sociology, and we are looking for essay submissions that highlight your insights. Our judging committee is looking for original essays that address questions such as:
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How does sociology impact your daily life in important ways?
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Why is sociology important in different industries (e.g., healthcare, food service, tourism, manufacturing, etc.)?
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How might we utilize sociological perspectives to solve real world problems?
You do not need to answer the questions listed above in your essay. They are meant to get you thinking about the importance of sociology. We want essay submissions to answer the broad question of why sociology is important. Be creative in the examples you use to illustrate your argument(s)! Feel free to use examples from your personal experiences as well as from academic research and theory.
Eligibility Requirements and Guidelines
Eligibility Requirements:
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The author must be a student who has yet to receive a four-year college degree (i.e., Bachelor's degree).
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Any students who have taken a sociology class are eligible to submit an essay, if you have questions about eligibility please contact us at AppliedWorldwide@gmail.com.
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The student must be the sole author of the essay.
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No student should author and submit more than one essay for this competition.
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Essayists from previous years must submit a new original essay if they wish to participate again.
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Essays must be submitted by April 1st, 2021 to be considered in competition.
Guidelines:
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Essays should be 800-1200 words in length.
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Essays must be written in English.
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Essays must be written exclusively for this competition and cannot be published elsewhere.
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Essays must address the prompt discussed above.
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Essays must be submitted as either PDFs or Word documents.
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Any plagiarism will automatically disqualify essays from the competition.
How are essays evaluated?
Essays are evaluated based on the following criteria:
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How well the essay addresses the prompt.
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Clarity of writing.
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Accuracy of grammar and spelling.
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How well the essay meets submission guidelines.
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Accuracy of sociological arguments drawn upon in the essay.
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Creativity used to address the prompt.