The National Catholic Register is pleased to open its Second Annual Scholarship Essay Contest. To win one of three tuition-deferring prizes, all you have to do is think hard and write well on a basic but challenging theme: How I Expect My Catholic Faith to Impact My College Career.

We’ll award $1,000 to the winner, $750 to the first runner-up and $500 to the second runner-up. The prize money is generously donated by a magnanimous Catholic family whose members appreciate authentically Catholic education as much as they love the Register.

The contest is open to high-school seniors and college underclassmen. To enter, you’ve got to be a current subscriber to the Register or reside in a household that receives the Register. You can write up to 500 words, but you can’t go over. If you do, you’ll be disqualified. (The 11 words in the title won’t count against your total.)

Essays will be judged on persuasiveness, passion, clarity, conciseness and creativity. Of course, spelling counts. So does syntax.

Entry deadline is Nov. 1. Entries must be e-mailed to [email protected]. Winners will be announced soon after the new year begins. Winning submissions will be published in the Register.

So tell us, Catholic students, how do you expect your Catholic faith to impact your college career?