To enter, high school seniors must compose an original essay of 500 words or less, in response to an ethical dilemma posted on JA Worldwide’s Web site, located at www.ja.org. Entries must be submitted online and will be accepted until February 3.

The "ethical dilemma" for the essay contest involves a 17-year-old who finds she has been paid $100 more than the agreed-upon amount for her summer lawn-care services.

The winning essay will be selected by the JA Worldwide Blue Ribbon Panel on Ethics, which is comprised of corporate ethics officers and noted academicians. The essays will be judged on how well the student uses an ethical decision-making process in developing a response to the dilemma.

"One of the best ways to learn about ethical decision-making is by applying the concepts to real-life scenarios," said James H. Quigley, CEO of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. "The essay contest not only rewards the winner, it also provides a real learning opportunity for every student who participates." Last year’s contest netted more than 8,000 submissions.

The scholarship is a part of the $1 million "Excellence through Ethics" initiative to promote ethics education among young people. Another component of the program is an annual poll conducted by Harris Interactive which gauges teens' attitudes about the importance of ethical behavior in the workplace.

The most recent Harris poll data showed that while teens exhibit a strong sense of ethical behavior, many lack the courage of their convictions when faced with pressure from above, as more than 40 percent of teens admitted they might act unethically if instructed by their boss, and more than a third of teens would likely lie to their boss to cover up a mistake they made at work.

The direct link to the essay contest is http://studentcenter.ja.org/aspx/LearnEthics/ethics_essay_rules.aspx