Journal
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The John Locke Law Essay: How to Argue a Legal Question Without a Law Degree
A breakdown of the John Locke Law category: what the questions really test, the four-move argument that scores, and how to build evidence without case-law databases.
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The John Locke History Essay: How to Argue About the Past Instead of Retelling It
History is one of the ten John Locke categories — and the one most often written as narrative. How causation, counterfactuals and historiography turn a story into an argument.
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How to Research a John Locke Essay From China: Building a Real Source Base Without a University Library
No university library card? You can still build a serious source base. What counts as evidence in each John Locke subject, where to find it openly, and how to read it fast.
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The 17.5% Shortlist Rate, Decoded: What Separates a Shortlisted John Locke Essay From an Awarded One
A 17.5% shortlist rate is not a lottery. It is two separate gates — competence, then originality. Here is what each gate tests and how to cross the second one.
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One Essay or Three? How to Choose Your John Locke Category and Question
Ten categories, three questions each, one essay per category and no limit on how many categories you enter. Here is how to triage thirty questions down to the one you should write.
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Planning the 2027 John Locke Cycle: A Ten-Month Calendar for China-Based Students
The 2026 cycle ran February registration to a 31 May deadline. Here is how to reverse-engineer a ten-month plan around IB, AP and A-level season in a Chinese international school.
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After the John Locke Shortlist: What Happens From July to the October Conference
Shortlist emails went out by 7 July 2026. Here is what referee checks, integrity interviews, the October London conference and the prize structure actually involve.
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Does a John Locke Award Actually Help University Applications? An Honest Look
A John Locke result can be a genuine signal of independent scholarship — but it is one data point, not a guarantee. An honest look at what it signals, its real limits, and how to use it well.
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Why Strong John Locke Essays Still Get Cut: Seven Pitfalls (and Fixes)
Most cut John Locke essays are well written but capped by a fixable flaw: a safe thesis, description instead of argument, or drift off the question. Seven pitfalls and how to fix them.