Competitions for high school students.
Math, science, computing, writing, business and the arts. Each competition lists who can enter, what it costs, when registration closes and how much a good result means to an admissions reader.
45 opportunities, 17 free · Links and programs checked October 18, 2026 · By Lokesh Pampatti, founder of Clarity Prep
Most competitions run through your school, and many close earlier than students expect: the AMC math contests register in the fall, and science fairs start with a local round months before the state fair. Ask your teacher in September, not in spring.
Entering is rarely the signal. Placing is. A state or national result in a well-known competition carries real weight; a medal from a contest that gives medals to most entrants doesn’t.
45 of 45 shown
CompetitionFreeOnline
Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Breakthrough Prize Foundation
Global video competition for ages 13–18.
Our take: A three-minute video explaining a scientific idea. The winner gets a $250,000 scholarship; finalists are a real distinction. Thousands enter, so make it genuinely good.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Congressional App Challenge
U.S. House of Representatives
Build an app, submit a demo video, compete within your district.
Our take: One winner per congressional district, so your odds are far better than a national contest. Winners are recognized by their representative and shown in the Capitol.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Global High School Investment Competition
Wharton Global Youth Program
Teams manage a simulated $100,000 portfolio and write a strategy for a fictional client.
Our take: Free, run by Wharton, with a written investment strategy judged by professionals. Semifinalist is a real line for a business applicant.
CompetitionFreeRegional symposia → national
Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
JSHS / Department of Defense
Research presentation competition with regional symposia in every state and a national finale.
Our take: Present original research as a talk, not a poster. Fewer entrants than the science fair circuit, real scholarship money.
CompetitionFreeOnline
MathWorks Math Modeling (M3) Challenge
SIAM
Teams of 3–5 juniors and seniors solve an open modeling problem in 14 hours.
Our take: Free, team-based, and the finalists win real scholarship money. Applied math, not olympiad math; good for engineers.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Society for Science
Nationwide competition for original research by high school seniors; 300 scholars, 40 finalists.
Our take: The oldest and most prestigious research competition for seniors. You need completed original research by November of senior year, which means starting as a sophomore or junior.
CompetitionFreeOnline
USA Computing Olympiad
USACO
Algorithmic programming contests in four divisions, open to anyone.
Our take: Free, online, self-paced, and Gold or Platinum division is one of the clearest CS signals there is. Start in Bronze as a freshman.
CompetitionUnder $1kAt your school
AMC 10/12 → AIME → USA(J)MO
Mathematical Association of America
The standard American math competition sequence. High scores on the AMC qualify you for AIME, then the olympiad.
Our take: Taking the AMC is not the signal. Qualifying for AIME is, and USAMO is elite. If you are serious about math this is the ladder everyone climbs.
CompetitionUnder $1kAt your school
American Association of Physics Teachers F=ma → USAPhO
American Association of Physics Teachers
The U.S. physics olympiad sequence.
Our take: Qualifying for USAPhO from F=ma is the meaningful step. Needs a teacher willing to proctor.
CompetitionUnder $1kSchool team → district qualifier → nationals
National Speech & Debate Tournament
National Speech & Debate Association
The national championship of high school speech and debate.
Our take: Qualifying to Nationals from your district is a recognized achievement. Consistent competition through the season is how you get there.
CompetitionUnder $1kRegional → state → international
Regeneron ISEF (via your regional fair)
Society for Science
The world's largest pre-college science competition, fed by affiliated fairs.
Our take: You get there by winning your regional and state fair. Even a state-level award is a real line; ISEF itself is a big one.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
Awards in 28 categories of art and writing for grades 7–12. Fee waivers available.
Our take: The oldest and most recognized award for teen artists and writers. A Gold Key at the regional level is worth listing; a national medal is a headline.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
The Concord Review
The Concord Review
Publishes serious academic history essays by secondary students worldwide.
Our take: The only quarterly journal publishing high school history essays, and admissions offices know it. A 5,000-word research paper is the entry fee.
CompetitionUnder $1kThrough your local ACS section
U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad
American Chemical Society
Two-stage chemistry olympiad run by ACS local sections.
Our take: Local exam, then the national exam for top scorers. Reaching the national exam is the line worth having.
CompetitionUnder $1kAt your school
USA Biology Olympiad
Center for Excellence in Education
Open exam → semifinal → national finals.
Our take: Semifinalist (top ~10%) is the threshold that shows up on applications.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
National YoungArts Foundation YoungArts
National YoungArts Foundation
National competition across ten artistic disciplines.
Our take: The top arts award for ages 15–18, and the only path to the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. If you are a serious artist, this is the one.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Diamond Challenge
University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship
Global business and social venture pitch competition for high school students.
Our take: Free pitch competition with $100,000 in total prizes. A real venture idea beats a clever one.
CompetitionFreeOnline
John Locke Institute Essay Competition
John Locke Institute
Essay competition in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law.
Our take: Popular on admissions forums and run by a for-profit summer school. A shortlist or a prize means something; entering does not, and a "commendation" is given to many.
CompetitionFreeSchool team → state → national
National Economics Challenge
Council for Economic Education
Team economics quiz competition with a national finale.
Our take: The only national econ competition of note. Two divisions so AP students and beginners compete separately.
CompetitionFreeRegional → national finals in Washington, DC
National Science Bowl
U.S. Department of Energy
Team quiz competition for high school students.
Our take: Fast-buzzer science trivia at a high level. Winning your regional is the achievement; nationals is all-expenses-paid.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Ocean Awareness Contest
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs
Annual creative competition for ages 11–18.
Our take: Art, writing, film, music, or poetry about the ocean and climate, with real scholarship awards. Good for a creative student who cares about the environment.
CompetitionFreeSchool team, teacher-led
Solve for Tomorrow
Samsung
STEM competition for public school teams solving a local community problem.
Our take: A teacher has to enter your school. State winners get technology packages; national finalists get real money and press.
CompetitionFreeState → national → Stockholm
Stockholm Junior Water Prize (U.S.)
Water Environment Federation
Research competition for water-related science and engineering projects.
Our take: For a water-related research project, the state round is very winnable. The national winner goes to Sweden.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Student Contests
The New York Times Learning Network
Rotating contests in editorial writing, reviews, podcasts, photo essays, and more.
Our take: Free, frequent, and winners get published by The New York Times. The editorial, review, and STEM writing contests are the most useful.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Technovation Girls
Technovation
Technology entrepreneurship program and competition for girls ages 8–18.
Our take: Build an app and a business plan around a community problem, in a team of girls with a mentor. Free, well-structured, global.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Young Writers Awards
Bennington College
Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction awards for grades 10–12.
Our take: Free to enter, judged by Bennington's writing faculty, real cash prizes. One of the cleaner writing awards.
CompetitionUnder $1kTeam; national finals near Washington, DC
American Rocketry Challenge
Aerospace Industries Association
The world's largest student rocketry competition.
Our take: Design, build, and fly a rocket to a target altitude with a raw egg aboard. Top 100 teams go to finals; a small team can do this without a school program.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
Conrad Challenge
Conrad Foundation
Multi-phase innovation and entrepreneurship competition for ages 13–18.
Our take: Invent a product in aerospace, energy, health, or cyber and defend the business case. Finalists pitch at the Innovation Summit.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
Air & Space Forces Association CyberPatriot
Air & Space Forces Association
National youth cyber defense competition.
Our take: Cybersecurity in teams, online rounds through the fall and winter. Platinum tier and national finals are the lines that count.
CompetitionUnder $1kChapter → state → international career development conference
DECA Competitive Events → ICDC
DECA Inc.
Business and marketing competitive events through school chapters.
Our take: Membership is nothing; placing at state or qualifying for ICDC is something. Written events (business plans) beat role-plays as evidence of work.
CompetitionUnder $1kChapter → state → national
FBLA Competitive Events → National Leadership Conference
Future Business Leaders of America
Business competitive events through school chapters.
Our take: Same as DECA. Top-ten at nationals is a line; attending is not.
CompetitionUnder $1kSchool or community team
FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST
Smaller-scale robotics competition for grades 7–12.
Our take: Smaller and cheaper than FRC, so it is realistic to start a team yourself. Founding one is a stronger story than joining one.
CompetitionUnder $1kAthens, GA
Georgia Science and Engineering Fair
University of Georgia
Georgia's state science fair, an ISEF-affiliated competition.
Our take: Georgia's path to ISEF. You qualify through your regional fair first; ask your science teacher in the fall which one your school uses.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
COMAP HiMCM
COMAP
Teams write a modeling paper on a real-world problem over several days.
Our take: The high school version of the college modeling contest. Outstanding designations are rare and mean something.
CompetitionUnder $1kChapter → state → international
HOSA Competitive Events → International Leadership Conference
HOSA — Future Health Professionals
Health science competitive events through school chapters.
Our take: For pre-med students without a HOSA chapter, starting one is a better story than joining. Placing at state or ILC is the achievement.
CompetitionUnder $1kSchool team; qualify through the season
NAQT High School National Championship
National Academic Quiz Tournaments
The national quiz bowl championship.
Our take: Qualifying for HSNCT is the line. Fun, and reads as intellectual breadth rather than depth.
CompetitionUnder $1kRegional → national at UNC
National High School Ethics Bowl
Parr Center for Ethics, UNC
Teams discuss ethical case studies before judges.
Our take: Collaborative rather than adversarial, so it rewards actual thinking. Small circuit; a national berth stands out.
CompetitionUnder $1kSchool team → state → national
National High School Mock Trial Championship
NHSMTC
Teams argue a case before real judges and attorneys.
Our take: A state title sends your team to nationals. For a pre-law applicant this is the most direct evidence there is.
CompetitionUnder $1kSchool → regional → state → national (College Park, MD)
National History Day
National History Day
Year-long research competition on an annual theme.
Our take: Original historical research as a paper, exhibit, documentary, website, or performance. Reaching the national contest is a genuine humanities credential.
CompetitionUnder $1kState → international
NCF-Envirothon
National Conservation Foundation
Team competition across soils, aquatics, forestry, wildlife, and a current issue.
Our take: Field-based environmental science in teams of five. Underused by students who list "environment" as an interest.
CompetitionUnder $1kSchool team → regional → state → national
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad Inc.
Twenty-three events spanning biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and earth science.
Our take: Team-based and school-run, so the signal is medals at state or national, plus any leadership you take on.
CompetitionUnder $1kSchool team → regional → state → national
United States Academic Decathlon
USAD
Nine-member team academic competition on an annual theme.
Our take: Ten events including speech, interview, and essay. Teams need students at every GPA level, which is unusual and useful.
CompetitionUnder $1kSchool or community team
VEX Robotics Competition
Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Robotics competition with a world championship each spring.
Our take: Same story as FIRST: role and results, not membership. Worlds qualification is the line.
CompetitionCost variesSchool or community team
FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST
Build a 120-pound robot in six weeks and compete regionally and at the championship.
Our take: The team exists at your school or it does not. If it does, what matters is your role: lead a subsystem, run outreach, mentor rookies. Dean's List is the individual honor.
Competition$1k–5kRochester, NY
GENIUS Olympiad
Terra Science and Education
International environmental-themed project fair with high finalist and medal rates.
Our take: You pay to attend after a light screening. Readers who know it weigh it well below ISEF or Regeneron.
“Helps an application” is our read on how much an admissions reader is likely to weigh it: Strong means getting in or placing is a real achievement, Solid means it shows real interest and effort, and Light usually means most students who apply and pay can attend. It’s our opinion, not a ranking from any college, and a light one can still be a great summer.
Questions
Which competitions look best for college?
Well-known competitions where results are hard to earn: the AMC to AIME math sequence, USACO, Science Olympiad, Regeneron ISEF and STS, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and national rounds of DECA or FBLA. Placing matters more than entering.
Are online competitions worth it?
Some are. Contests like USACO and the M3 Challenge run online and are respected. Be wary of contests that charge a fee and give awards to most entrants.
Want a list picked for you?
Clarity Prep members get opportunities matched to their grade, interests and state in the app, plus a mentor who helps them decide what’s worth applying to and checks in every week until the applications are in.
Free tools: GPA calculator · chances calculator · college acceptance rates · essay grader
Every program here is real and links to its own official site. Dates, costs and rules change every year, so check the official page before you apply. Deadlines are shown as the months they usually close. Spot something out of date? Email sessions@joinclarityprep.com.