American Philosophy Olympiad

The American Philosophy Olympiad is a pre-college philosophy writing contest for American high school students. Entrants write a live, proctored philosophical essay in a target language (French or Spanish) and are evaluated by an APO panel. Each year the two top writers from the USA are chosen to represent the United States at the International Philosophy Olympiad. The competition aims to develop critical, creative, and international philosophical thinking among high school students.

The top two winners represent the United States at the International Philosophy Olympiad and compete with student representatives from other countries; opportunity to participate in an international academic event.

U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are current high school students in the USA; must have a passport valid through at least December 2026, participate in a high-school philosophy-related class/club or similar, and be highly proficient in French, Spanish, or German.

Enter an online proctored essay-writing competition conducted live on a Google Doc during a weekend in February or March; essays written in a target language are reviewed by the APO panel and finalists may be interviewed by video conference.