"In a single yard of silk, there is infinite space; language is a deluge from one small corner of the heart." -Lu Chi (from Wen Fu)

Writing Prizes:
The Three Generations Prize for Writing about Science

A prize of $300 awarded to a Wellesley student for a paper on a topic in the sciences, written as part of her course work (excluding theses) or independently.

The Three Generations Prize for Writing about Science recognizes Wellesley College's commitment to fine writing in all areas of study, including the sciences. The prize is judged by a panel of three faculty members from two different science departments and the Writing Program. In reading submissions for this prize, the judges looked for a full and complex argument, clearly stated and well supported by evidence; argumentation that is accurate and appropriate to the discipline; and a level of diction that is clear and comprehensible to any intelligent reader.

The Prize is supported by the Three Generations Fund, named in honor of the three generations of Wellesley alumnae whose gift has contributed so much to the growth of the Writing Program: Judith Stern Randal; her daughter, Judith Randal Hines; and her mother, Sybil Cohen Stern.

Entry Requirements:

• Submit three copies of the paper to the Writing Program Office (124 Founders) by Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 12:00 noon.

• Attach a cover sheet including the following information: your name, local address, phone, and email address; the professor and course for which you wrote the paper, a brief description of the assignment, and the date the paper was submitted.

• Each contestant may submit only one entry.

• Any Wellesley College student may submit a paper for this prize.

• Honors theses may not be submitted; papers written for independent studies are eligible. Entries need not have been written for a course. For example, an article that appeared in a publication (e.g. the Wellesley News) would be eligible.

• Papers written during the Spring semester, 2007, as well as the Fall and Spring semesters, 2007-08, are eligible.

Papers will be judged by the end of the first week of May and the prize winner will be announced at Commencement. If you have any questions, please call the Writing Program at extension 2576, or contact contact Esther Iwanaga, coordinator of the prize.


Tips for submitting a prize-winning paper:
The judges look for a paper that reads well on its own and makes a strong and strongly visible argument, well supported by evidence. Most prize-winning papers have been revised before submission. A paper that earned an 'A' for a course is not necessarily a prize-winning paper, in large part because many papers have been written in response to an assignment and may not read well to someone unfamiliar with the course material. It helps to revise the introduction so it introduces your topic to an outside audience. It is also a good idea to polish up the tables and other visual material. And it goes without saying that a paper with spelling errors, typos, and grammatical errors will not win a prize!

In the past, prizes have been awarded both to highly technical papers and to papers written for a general audience. The judges are interested in the wide range of writing that is done in the sciences.

We urge students to consult with their instructors before submitting a paper for a prize. Your instructors can help you decide whether a paper is worth submitting, and are also very happy to help you revise for submission.

Back to Writing Prizes

• Lynne Viti and Wini Wood
• Wellesley College Writing Program
• Created by: Karyn Lu '01
• Date Created: June 29, 2000
• Date Modified: August 4, 2008
• Expires: July 31, 2009

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