If you love to travel you’ve probably written about it, whether in a journal, your blog, or elsewhere. Now the student travel experts over at Transitions Abroad are offering $500 for the best travel essay. The 2011 Student Travel Writing Contest is an annual contest that attracts a lot of submissions, so be sure to send your very best work. First prize is $500, and there are smaller cash prizes for second, third, and runners-up. Plus you get your name in the Transitions Abroad webzine.
The focus is, of course, on the student experience overseas. They want practical information and insights for students looking to enjoy a similar experience. Past winners have written on an amazing variety of topics. Last year’s first prize went to Alexi Koseff for an informative piece on studying Spanish in Madrid. Sara Cornish, a runner-up in 2008, wrote a cool article about interning at an Ethiopian NGO.
Deadline is March 15. You can see the complete guidelines here. As with all writing contests, read and follow the guidelines carefully. I’ve judged writing contests in the past (although not this one) and I can tell you that the quickest way to get thrown onto the reject pile is to not follow the guidelines.
Good luck and get writing!
[Photo courtesy Anna Brones via Gadling’s flickr pool]