RishabAcademy.com

Participating in well-known online competitions as a high schooler can be extremely valuable in terms of broadening your scope in subjects you’re passionate about and giving a boost to your college application. In this post, we cover the top 10 online competitions for high school students in 2024, including overviews, key dates, eligibility, and more.

Rishab Jain, a Harvard student who has achieved success in numerous international competitions (ISEF, RSI, Coca Cola Scholars, Presidential Scholars) has made his STEM Student Guide public with a a list of 50+ more opportunities and competitions. You should definitely check it out next. No more having to search for top-quality programs… this guide has it all.

1. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

• About: One of the oldest and most prestigious award programs for creative teens, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards occurs annually and hosts numerous entry categories to compete in. These range from short stories, poetry, painting, to film and animation and many others.
• Eligibility: In grades 7-12, age 13 or older, residing in the United States or U.S. territories, or Canada
• Awards: Tier-based awards system; all students enter regional selection and top entries are awarded Gold Keys. These submissions advance to the national awards where students receive Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in their categories. Special prizes and/or scholarships are given as well.
• Dates: Submission deadline varies by region but typically falls between December and January. See here to find your local deadline.
• Cost: $10 per submission or $30 per portfolio (for artistic works)

2. Wharton Global High School
Investment Competition

• About: Sponsored by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, this online competition is an investment challenge for high school students. Participants work in groups of 4 to 7. Through access to an online stock market simulator and advisors, students learn about company and industry analysis.
• Eligibility: High school students based anywhere in the world
• Awards: Global champion team members receive a complimentary spot in the Wharton online summer program, Future of the Business World or Essentials of Leadership (worth $4,099). Each student member from all 10 global finalist teams will receive a course fee waiver for the Wharton online course, Understanding Your Money (worth $329).
• Dates: Competition begins around September every year
• Cost: Free

3. USA Computer Olympiad (USACO)

• About: The USACO is one of the most prestigious and popular online competitions for computer programming. It feeds into the International Olympiad in Informatics, one of the major international science olympiads. Competition is extremely high, and the competition itself is split into multiple cutoff examinations of increasing difficulty.
• Eligibility: Pre-college students in the U.S.
• Awards: Award level is based on the division that the student competes in, which includes Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Participants start out in the Bronze division.
• Dates: First contest usually occurs in December of each year, the second in February, and the third in March.
• Cost: Free

4. New York Times Student Online Competitions

• About: The New York Times holds annual online competitions for high school, ranging from editorial and narrative contests to competitions that allow students to create original podcasts that are educational in nature.
• Eligibility: Middle or high school students aged 13-19 based anywhere in the world
• Awards: Varies, but usually includes publication of the students’ submission on the New York Times website
• Dates: Varies, but submission window typically opens from February – April to March – May
• Cost: Free

5. Nasa International Space Apps Challenge

• About: Hosted by NASA, thousands around the world come together for this global hackathon and address challenges in teams of one to six members. Teams develop projects with the use of free and open data from NASA and its Space Agency Partners. Each year, a theme for the event is chosen. In 2023, the theme was “Explore Open Science Together.”
• Eligibility: Anyone, but those under the age of 18 must be registered by a parent or legal guardian. Applications close on June 15, 2024.
• Awards: Global Winners receive an invitation to the Winners Celebration, in which winners will visit a NASA center for an award ceremony and engage with NASA leaders and learn about scientific developments at NASA.
• Dates: Competition starts around early October each year
• Cost: Free

6. Davidson Fellows Scholarship

• About: The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is sponsored by the Davidson Institute. The scholarship considers students who have completed a significant piece of work in one of its offered categories, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Literature, Music, Philosophy, and Outside the Box. Students submit a 10-minute video showcasing their project, essays explaining its significance, and teacher recommendations.
• Eligibility: 18 or younger, U.S. citizen/permanent resident
• Awards: Scholarships in $50,000, $25,000, or $10,000 amounts.
• Dates: Applications open in the fall and close in February.
• Cost: Free

7. NASA App Development Challenge

• About: Middle and high school students are welcome to participate in the App Development Challenge. Students are presented technical problems related to deep space exploration missions. The minimum team size is 5 students with no maximum and must be led by a sponsor or educator. Teams have 10 weeks to submit a video presenting their technical solution to a proposed problem. Lastly, top teams advance to an interview round, from which 7 teams will be selected to travel to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
• Eligibility: High school and middle school students.
• Awards: Opportunity to travel to the Johnson Space Center.
• Dates: Video due around December. Culminating event for top teams in Houston occurs in mid-April.
• Cost: Free. Teams register in September.

8. Hack3

• Description: A 24-hour global high school hackathon, students first engage in workshops hosted by industry professionals, with topics ranging from breaking into blockchain to machine learning on AWS. Then, they work in a team to develop a software project that solves a pressing issue. The competition is beginner-friendly (no coding experience required).
• Eligibility: Any student enrolled in high school
• Awards: Ranged in the past from Amazon Fire Tablets, Raspberry Pis, up to $250 in cash, and Hack3-Exclusive NFTs
• Dates: Late June
• Cost: Free. Need-based financial assistance is available to compensate internet and equipment costs incurred attending Hack3.

9. Doodle for Google

• Description: Run by Google, this is one of the more unique high school online competitions on this list. This contest provides the opportunity for students to design a Google logo based on a theme. Participants submit their doodle made in any art medium along with a typed essay explaining what they’ve created. This year, the prompt was: “My wish for the next 25 years”.
• Eligibility: At least 13 years or older, U.S. citizen, enrolled in elementary or secondary school in the U.S.
• Awards: $55,000 scholarship, $50,000 technology package for the winner’s school or non-profit of choice, Google hardware, and swag
• Dates: Deadline falls on late March each year
• Cost: Free.

10. Congressional Art Competition

• Description: Sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives, this competition aims to recognize highly talented students in the visual arts sphere. Participants may submit any type of 2D artwork done in mediums ranging from mixed media, painting, or digital art.
• Eligibility: High school student residing in any congressional district of the U.S.
• Awards: Winning piece displayed at the U.S. Capitol for one year
• Dates: Late April each year
• Cost: Free.

Online Competitions for High Schoolers—Concluding Remarks

Whether you’re interested in literary arts or computer programming, there are high school competitions for virtually every field of interest out there. In this post, we’ve provided 10 online high school competitions in 2024.

However, don’t stop at these online competitions—check out 50+ more opportunities in STEM in this curated, comprehensive guide. Remember, high school online competitions (or any type of contest) can not only be beneficial to place on college applications, but can also provide students with valuable experiences and opportunities for growth. Best of luck in competing!