Acellus Academy has been recognized by Lumiere Education as one of the Top 10 Schools in the United States, an honor that reflects the exceptional accomplishments of our students. The recognition follows an impressive showing in the 2026 Lumiere Scholars Essay Award, where two of our online high school students earned the High Honor Award and the Excellence Award, placing in the 97th and 95th percentiles nationwide.
Founded by researchers from Harvard and Oxford, the Lumiere Scholars Essay Award is no small feat to enter, let alone win. Each year, the competition draws more than 2,000 submissions from students in 111 countries, all vying for recognition from a panel of judges that includes professors and scholars from Oxford, Cambridge, Brown, Cornell, and Dartmouth.
This year, both Acellus Academy students who entered the competition earned national recognition. Their outstanding results reflect the depth of their research, the strength of their analytical thinking, and their ability to communicate complex ideas through exceptional writing.
About the Lumiere Scholars Essay Award
The Lumiere Scholars Essay Award invites high school students to examine challenging topics through thoughtful, evidence-based argumentative essays. Participants are encouraged to pursue questions that matter to them, explore ideas across disciplines, and support their conclusions with careful research and critical analysis.
Lumiere Education, established by graduates of Harvard and Oxford, is dedicated to developing the next generation of scholars, researchers, and innovators. Each year, the competition attracts thousands of submissions from students around the world, making recognition among the top entries a significant academic achievement.
Winning essays are published in the Oxford Journal of Student Scholarship, providing students with the opportunity to share their work with an international academic audience.