Economics Scholar
Serious preparation for the John Locke Economics category, from the team that put 38 of 41 essays on last year's shortlist. Over fourteen weeks your child builds the working core of AP Micro and Macro, taught as essay ammunition rather than exam prep, because models deployed inside an argument are what the judges score.
The course ends in late January, just as drafting season starts, so they walk into the 2027 Economics question armed while most of the field is starting from zero.
From
USD 840
AED 3,080
How it fits the 2027 cycle
Oct 20, 2026
Economics Scholar begins (Tue Oct 20 or Thu Oct 22 section)
Jan 19 or 21, 2027
Graded capstone essay, course ends
Oct 2026
2027 questions shown by the Institute
Feb or Mar 2027
John Locke Basics cohort, through to submission
From AED 3,080
USD 840 · two packages below
Schedule (Dubai Time)
Ages 11-14 section requires a prior John Locke shortlisting. Ages 14-17 is open enrollment.
Run
Week of October 19, 2026 (Tue Oct 20 / Thu Oct 22)
14 weeks, finishing the week of January 18, 2027, ready for drafting season
Format
14 group sessions
Max 8 students
Package 2 adds John Locke Basics for USD 1,040 instead of 1,300 — 20% off, applied automatically. The same weekly slot works, because this course ends before Basics begins.
What You'll Achieve
By January, your child won't just know the models — they'll know how to argue with them. That's the difference the judges actually score.
Evidence-Based Syllabus
Built From the Questions the Competition Actually Asks
We mapped every John Locke Economics question since 2019. Cost-curve mechanics and AD-AS diagrams have never been the crux of one; what recurs every year is distribution, labor markets, money, and the role of the state. The syllabus is weighted accordingly — every week maps to questions that have really been asked.
"Should we fear a cashless society?"
2026 · covered in Weeks 10-11
"Technology now allows personalised pricing. If this came to be widely used, what effects should we expect?"
2026 · covered in Week 4
"Did Jeff Bezos get rich at the expense of his customers, his employees, neither or both?"
2026 · covered in Weeks 5-6
"What would happen if we banned billionaires?"
2023 · covered in Week 9
"Should Amazon pay people more? What would happen if they immediately increased every worker's salary by twenty percent?"
2022 · covered in Weeks 3, 6
"Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation?"
2024 · covered in Week 7
The 14-Week Curriculum
Micro (weeks 1-8), macro and the state (weeks 9-13), and a graded capstone
- Scarcity & opportunity cost
- Normative vs positive economics
- Counterfactual reasoning: "compared to what?"
- Economic models as arguments
What's Included
A complete economics foundation, aimed at one essay
Live Zoom Classes
14 interactive 2-hour group sessions
Models as Evidence
Two essay labs on past John Locke questions
Graded Capstone
Timed mini-essay, unlimited draft edits
Bundle Option
20% off John Locke Basics, applied automatically
Choose Your Package
Package 1 is the economics course on its own. Package 2 carries your child all the way through: economics this autumn, then John Locke Basics in the spring, through to a submitted essay.
Package 1
Economics Scholar
28 hours · the 14-week economics foundation, Oct 20 to late January
- 14 live 2-hour sessions (28 hours), max 8 students
- Two essay labs on real past questions
- Graded capstone with individual written feedback
- Finishes before the main drafting window
Package 2
Economics Scholar + John Locke Basics
58 hours · from zero economics to a submitted essay, October to May
- Everything in Package 1 (28 hours)
- John Locke Basics from January, February or March: 12 group sessions plus 6 hours of 1-on-1 mentorship (30 hours), through to submission
- 20% off Basics, applied automatically at checkout
- Keep the same weekly slot if you like — economics ends before Basics begins
Both buttons open the enrollment window, where you pick your section and, for Package 2, your Basics cohort and time. The discount needs no code.
93%
of our students' essays shortlisted in 2026
38 / 41
essays shortlisted, our largest entry yet
2
Very High Commendations in 2025, incl. the first ever by an Emirati student
Taught by the same mentor team behind these John Locke results. Read the full 2026 results or meet the tutors.
Common Questions
Does my child need to have studied economics before?
No. The course assumes zero background — most John Locke Economics entrants have never studied economics formally, which is exactly why the category rewards students who arrive with real models. We build from scarcity and supply-and-demand up to monetary economics over 14 weeks.
Is AP or IB Economics on its own enough for the John Locke Economics category?
School courses teach models for exams; John Locke judges reward models deployed inside an argument — the official criteria are knowledge, evidence, argumentation, originality, structure, style and persuasive force. This course teaches the same core content as AP Micro and Macro but practices it the way the essay demands: two essay labs on real past questions and a graded capstone. Students already taking AP Economics use it as the essay-application layer.
How does the timing fit the John Locke 2027 cycle?
The course runs one time per cycle: 14 weeks from the week of October 19, 2026 (first classes Tuesday October 20 and Thursday October 22), finishing the week of January 18, 2027. Students then enter a February or March John Locke cohort with the economics already in hand.
Why does the ages 11-14 section require a prior John Locke shortlisting?
The Tuesday section moves at the same pace as the older group, so we ask that younger students have already been shortlisted in a previous John Locke cycle as evidence they can handle the reading and writing load. The ages 14-17 Thursday section is open enrollment with no prerequisite.
How does Package 2 (the John Locke Basics bundle) work?
Package 2 is Economics Scholar plus John Locke Basics — USD 1,880 instead of 2,140, because the 20% discount on Basics applies automatically at checkout. No code needed. You can pick any Basics cohort and weekly slot. Economics Scholar finishes the week of January 18, before the February and March cohorts begin, so the same weekly time works for those two; the January cohort overlaps the final Economics Scholar week, so choose a different weekly time for it.
What is the graded capstone?
In week 14, students write a timed mini-essay on a real past John Locke Economics question. It is graded against the Institute’s published judging criteria, and every student receives individual written feedback identifying exactly what to strengthen before the real questions drop.
Who teaches the course?
The same Atlantic Ivy mentor team is behind our John Locke results: 38 of 41 essays shortlisted in 2026. Classes are live on Zoom and capped at 8 students so every student is questioned, challenged, and given written feedback.
Not sure economics is the right category for your child? Book a free consultation — it ends with a category recommendation.
Other John Locke Programs
All John Locke Essay Competition prep optionsStart Before the Questions Drop
There's one run per cycle, and it starts the week of October 19 (Tue Oct 20 / Thu Oct 22). Students who begin reading in February compete against students who spent the autumn learning to argue with economics. Be the second kind.