Junior Achievement and Deloitte launched the fifth annual "Excellence through Ethics" essay contest on Tuesday, giving U.S. high school seniors the ability to apply their knowledge of ethical decision-making and share their views on the importance of ethics in business.

To enter, high school seniors must compose an original essay of 500 words or fewer in response to an ethical dilemma posted on Junior Achievement's Web site, www.ja.org.

Entries must be submitted online and will be accepted until Jan. 2, 2009.

The winning essay will be selected by members of the Junior Achievement Blue Ribbon Panel on Ethics, made up of corporate ethics officers and academicians.

The panel will judge essays on criteria including how well the student analyzes the situation, their presentation of a well-supported argument in response to the dilemma and how thoughtfully they articulate the importance of ethics in business.

For more information about the contest, visit www.ja.org/ethics.