If you’re interested in astrophysics, there are plenty of opportunities to take your knowledge beyond the classroom, and competitions are one of them. They show your passion for the field and give your college applications a boost.
Rishab Jain, a Harvard student and ISEF winner, has made his free Student STEM guide public, with a list of 50+ more opportunities and competitions. It’s worth a look next.
Astrophysics Competitions for High School Students
1. International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics
Description: the IOAA aims to promote interest in astronomy and related STEM subjects through the education of young people, and to build international contacts between countries promoting astronomy and astrophysics in schools. The hope is that events like the IOAA inspire more high school students to study astronomy at university and become the next generation of professionals.
Eligibility: high school students.
2. International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition
Description: the IAAC is an online astronomy competition open to students from all countries. It’s a chance to show your astronomy knowledge and skills, win awards and cash prizes, or become an IAAC ambassador in your country.
Prizes: up to $150 in cash, plus special awards for select participants.
Program dates: the competition runs in rounds over the summer (a qualification round in late April, a pre-final round in early June, and a final exam in late June). Confirm the current year’s dates on the IAAC site.
Location: online.
3. International Space Olympiad
Description: the International Space Olympiad encourages students to explore space science and astrophysics. The competition has three levels of online exams, and the syllabus covers space science, space technology, and the history of space exploration.
Eligibility: students in grades 5 to 12 worldwide (three age categories: Junior, Senior, and Super Senior).
Prize: a free trip to NASA.
Location: online.
4. NSS Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest
Description: an annual contest organized by the National Space Society (NSS). It has a more specific focus than others on this list, challenging students to design space settlements and come up with practical ideas for human habitation beyond Earth. You’ll touch on engineering, agriculture, economics, and social factors to complete the assignment.
Eligibility: all students up to 12th grade.
Location: online.
Fee: $15 entry fee, which can be waived in certain cases.
5. The European Astro Pi Challenge – Mission Space Lab
Description: the European Astro Pi Challenge lets young people run scientific investigations in space by writing computer programs that run on Raspberry Pi computers aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Eligibility: students under the age of 19, in teams of 2-6.
Program dates: roughly November to February.
Location: online.
Fee: free.
6. US Invitational Young Physicists Tournament (USIYPT)
Description: hosted by the United States Association for Young Physicists Tournaments, a non-profit, the USIYPT is a physics research and debate tournament. In teams of four, you develop solutions to four problems and then take part in “physics fights,” debate-style events where you present your solution against an opposing team.
Eligibility:
- High school students (including international students).
- Teams of four from the same school.
Location: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
Fee: $1,000 per team.
Want More STEM Competitions?
Rishab Jain, who won at ISEF, has succeeded in numerous research competitions and completed several research projects during high school. His free STEM Student Guide lists 50+ opportunities and competitions.
Leave a Reply