Registration for the 2026 National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest is now available!
The contest is open to all students enrolled in Russian language courses at North American institutions of higher education. Please note that all instructors registering students must be current members of ACTR. The participation fee is $6.00 per student.
Register your students at actressays.byu.edu. (You will first need to register as a contact person. Registration data does not carry over from previous years.) Students must be registered at least one day before they write the essay.
The contest may be administered between February 9 and February 27.
Important Dates and Deadlines
- January 15: First day to register students (students must be registered at least one day before writing the essay)
- February 6: Essay topic announced via email to institutions with registered students. If you register students after this date, you will receive the email within one business day of registration.
- February 9: First day to administer the essay contest
- February 10: First day to upload essays
- February 27: Last day to administer the essay contest
- March 2: Last day to upload essays and pay fees
- April 10–15: Results posted and digital certificates available on the website
If you have any questions, please reach out to the essay contest co-chairs, Maria Khotimsky (khotimsk@mit.edu) and José Vergara (jvergara@mit.edu).
