When is the deadline for this cycle?
There is a single deadline for the 2026 edition: 5 October, 23:59. No late fee is charged this cycle, and no entries are accepted afterwards.
How many essays may I submit, and how are fees calculated?
Up to three per person. Each must be an independent piece answering one official prompt. The first essay is free; the second and third are US$20 each. Fees only buy the right to submit additional entries; they never create an advantage in review.
Do I need advanced economics?
No. You need enough economic understanding to explain your chosen question accurately, but judges never reward complexity for its own sake.
Is there a fee, and how do I register?
The first essay is free; the second and third are US$20 each. Registration and submission run through WYE Academy: the official registration page
What language must I use?
The formally judged draft must be in English. You may state your first or home language and attach that version as an optional appendix; judges review only the English version.
May I use AI translation or AI writing?
AI may serve as a subordinate tool for exploring concepts, checking structure, translation, or language and data tasks, but it may not replace the entrant’s own argument, analysis, and final writing. All use must be fully disclosed — tools, scope, and manual verification.
Who selects the shortlist? Who judges the final awards?
Shortlists are selected anonymously, against published criteria, by university student reviewers who complete uniform evaluation training and pass an examination; after authenticity verification, practicing economics professors from leading universities join the final award selection. The training curriculum, scoring materials, and calibration methods will be public.
Can I get feedback if I miss the shortlist? Can an appeal change the result?
Entrants who miss the shortlist may request standard written feedback and appeal (US$50, within 10 days) or core-committee feedback and appeal (US$200, within 15 days; usually not recommended — its conclusions rarely differ meaningfully from the standard service). An appeal corrects a result only upon verifiable scoring omissions, procedural errors, conflicts of interest, or misapplied criteria; paying never raises the probability of change.
Why would I be asked for a process video?
WYE samples a proportion of provisional shortlistees for process verification, confirming authorship, research decisions, the revision process, and previously disclosed assistance. It is not a speaking or production score. Nothing of the kind is required when you submit your essay, and students who are not sampled never submit one.
Does winning guarantee publication?
No. Competition results and publication decisions are independent; some work may be invited to revise into Economic Commentary review, and non-winning work may reach the standard after revision.
Must I complete Level 1 before Levels 2 or 3?
No. All three levels admit direct entry. Strong Level 1 participants may receive priority access to the next stage’s research, editing, volunteering, or publication review — an optional path, never a required one.
Must I take a paid course to enter or win?
No. Paid courses are neither an entry condition nor a source of advantage in review.
