15 Best Competitions for High School Students
High school offers more than just coursework, and academic competitions are among the most direct ways to make the most of that opportunity. These are competitive opportunities to apply your knowledge in a structured, high-stakes setting, develop research and writing skills, and build a record of achievement that stands alongside your GPA. Many of the most respected programs are organized by institutions such as the U.S. Department of Energy, the Society for Science, and universities including Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge, which means strong performance carries genuine academic weight. A competition win, a finalist placement, or a formal commendation will strengthen your college application and statement of purpose in ways that few other high school activities can match.
Why should you participate in competitions in high school?
Competitions give you access to intellectual challenges that most school curricula simply do not reach. When you enter an essay contest, science fair, or research competition, you will practice skills that matter well beyond the event itself, learning time management and presentation skills. These are qualities that admissions officers and employers consistently recognize. There is also a significant range of competitions available. From essay contests to research fairs, competitions are among the most accessible ways to gain experience in a subject.
We reviewed competitions across writing, STEM, the arts, and civic engagement and narrowed the list to the 15 best competitions for high school students.
If you’re looking for AI competitions, check out our blog here.
1. Regeneron Science Talent Search
Location: National Building Museum, Washington, D.C.
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. 300 Scholars receive $2,000 each plus $2,000 to their school, top 40 Finalists receive a minimum of $25,000 each, while the top 10 receive $40,000 – $250,000
Dates: Finals from March 5 – 11
Application Deadline: Opens June 1 and closes November 6
Eligibility: High school seniors residing in the U.S. or who are U.S. citizens living abroad
The Regeneron Science Talent Search, administered by the Society for Science and first held in 1942, is the oldest and most selective science and mathematics competition for high school seniors in the United States. It involves submitting an original, independent research report in a scientific discipline of your choosing, along with a full application, which is reviewed holistically by a national jury of professional scientists. Approximately 2,600 students enter each year from over 800 high schools across 46 states and several countries, of which 300 are named Scholars and 40 Finalists are invited to Washington, D.C. for a week-long event that includes public exhibits, interviews with a judging panel, and a formal awards gala at the National Building Museum. Judging criteria include the originality and rigor of your research, your critical thinking, and your broader academic and leadership profile. Alumni of the program include 13 Nobel laureates, 18 MacArthur Fellows, 6 Breakthrough Prize recipients, and 2 Fields Medalists. Along with the prestige of the alumni, the $250,000 top prize is the largest scientific prize available to any high school student in the United States.
2. Singularity: AI Essay Contest by Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. Winners will receive up to $2,490 in scholarships toward any Veritas AI program.
Dates: Submissions open March 23, winners announced on May 16.
Application deadline: April 26. Submit your essay here!
Eligibility: Students from any country enrolled in high school (grades 9–12) are eligible to apply.
Singularity: AI Essay Contest is an international essay competition where high school students write about the future of AI - its risks, its possibilities, and what it means for the world. Prompts are contributed and judged by researchers from MIT, Harvard, and Oxford. Free to enter and open worldwide, winners receive up to $2,490 in scholarships to any Veritas AI programs.
3. Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
Location: Phoenix, AZ, for the finals; qualifications happen through affiliated fairs worldwide
Cost/Prizes: Free to participate. Nearly $9 million available in total awards, with $6,000 to $600 available to first through fourth place winners in each of the 22 categories. Among the first-place winners, other major prizes include the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, two $50,000 Regeneron Young Scientist Awards, and many more.
Dates: Affiliated regional fairs run between January and April, while the finals are held May 9 – 15
Application Deadline: You must first qualify through a locally organized ISEF-affiliated science fair, each with its own timeline
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 who qualify through a local Society-affiliated fair
Regeneron ISEF, administered by the Society for Science, is one of the world's largest and most prestigious pre-college science competitions. Approximately 1,800 finalists from over 75 countries participate in the annual event, selected from an estimated 7 million students who first enter affiliated regional or national fairs. You need to design and complete an original scientific investigation and place in the top tier of a locally organized affiliated fair to advance to the ISEF. Projects may be submitted individually or in teams of two to four students across any of 22 scientific categories. At the ISEF Finals, you will present your research over multiple judging rounds, submit a virtual display via ProjectBoard, and participate in a public expo attended by college representatives, scientists, and industry professionals. Beyond the Grand Awards, over 45 scientific and professional organizations offer Special Awards, including scholarships, internships, and funded trips to international research institutions and conferences. ISEF participation is recognized by universities globally as credible evidence of independent research capability, and many finalists continue their ISEF projects into undergraduate or graduate programs.
4. Lumiere Scholars Essay Award
Location: Virtual
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. 6 winners (1 Gold, 2 Silvers, 3 Bronzes) share more than $11,000 in cash prizes and scholarships.
Dates: Submissions open March 9
Application Deadline: April 26
Eligibility: Students enrolled in high school from any country
The Lumiere Scholars Essay Award is a free international academic writing competition open to all current high school students worldwide. You will choose one prompt from several options contributed by professors at Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia, Brown, and Dartmouth, then write a formal argumentative essay of up to 2,000 words. It specifically targets well-reasoned, research-informed argumentative essays rather than original research papers, so primary data collection is not expected. All essays go through a double-blind review by Lumiere's Academic Advisory Committee, an international panel of professors and researchers from leading institutions. Judging criteria include depth of analysis, strength of evidence, logical organization, and precision of academic writing. The competition provides a formal opportunity to produce university-level academic writing and receive structured expert evaluation, making it a useful credential for college applications as well as a genuine skills-development exercise.
5. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Location: Virtual submission, while the National Awards Week is held in New York City
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. National Medalists are eligible for scholarships up to $12,500.
Dates: Entries open October 1, and the National Awards Week runs from June 9 – 11
Application Deadline: Regional deadlines begin December 1, though some regions close as late as January 6
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–12, aged 13 or older, residing in the U.S., U.S. territories, or Canada
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers and established in 1923, is the longest-running creative recognition program for teenagers in the United States. You can submit original work across 29 categories of visual art and writing, including poetry, short story, personal essay, screenplays and scripts, speculative fiction, drawing and illustration, experimental photography, and digital painting and collage. Submissions are judged first at the regional level, with Gold Key recipients advancing to national adjudication by active professionals in the visual and literary arts. The three evaluation criteria are originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. National Gold Medalists are invited to a ceremony and exhibition in New York City in June and become eligible for scholarships from a network of partner institutions. If you have a consistent creative practice in any of the eligible categories, this competition gives you a nationally recognized, professionally judged platform to submit it.
6. Horizon Academic Essay Prize
Location: Virtual
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. The top 3 essays are awarded $1,000 in cash + a $6,450 scholarship, $500 in cash + a $4,000 scholarship, and $250 in cash + a $3,000 scholarship. Additional winners receive scholarships to the Horizon Academic Research Program.
Dates: The competition takes place virtually, going active once the theme for the year is released
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Any student enrolled in high school as of September 1 of the competition year, from any country
The Horizon Academic Essay Prize is a free annual writing competition for current high school students worldwide. Each year, there is a different submission theme, with the most recent theme being "The Pursuit of Progress," and you must select one of five guiding questions covering topics including mental health policy integration, bio-hacking ethics, and the balance of public safety and individual rights. Essays must not exceed 1,000 words and must include citations in MLA 8th edition format. Essays are evaluated by Horizon's Academic Advisory Board, a panel of postdoctoral researchers and faculty from institutions including Yale, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Johns Hopkins, and Purdue, in a double-blind process. You will be assessed on five criteria – originality, depth of analysis, use of evidence, structure and coherence, and clarity of language. Approximately 2,000 students entered in the most recent cycle, with $474,500 awarded in combined prizes and scholarships, and select winning essays are published on Horizon's website. This competition is a great way to experiment with constructing a clear, well-supported argument on a current issue within a tight word limit.
7. Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Location: The awards ceremony takes place in Washington, D.C.
Cost/Prizes: Free to apply. Scholarships of $100,000, $50,000, or $25,000 available.
Dates: Application opens in the fall, and winners are notified by July 15
Application Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents residing in the U.S., aged 18 or younger at the time of application, who have completed a significant, original project. Two-person teams are eligible.
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is one of the most financially substantial project-based scholarships available to students 18 and under nationwide. You may apply in one of eight categories: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Literature, Music, Philosophy, or Outside the Box. Projects are reviewed by an independent panel of judges with professional domain expertise and are assessed at or near a graduate-school level for depth of knowledge and potential societal benefit. The application requires a detailed written description of your project, a visual model of the work, and nominator evaluations from qualified individuals who can speak directly to its quality and significance. Winners are invited to an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., in September, with travel expenses covered by the Institute. If you have spent a significant portion of your high school years developing an original project to an advanced level in any of the eligible categories, this scholarship will give that work formal recognition and substantial financial support toward undergraduate study.
8. VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarship Program
Location: Valley Forge, PA
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. Total annual prize pool of over $2.1 million. The national first-place scholar wins $35,000, paid directly to the recipient's U.S. university, college, or vocational school. State first-place winners receive a minimum $1,000 scholarship.
Dates: Opens at the start of the school year
Application Deadline: October 31
Eligibility: Students in grades 9–12
The VFW Voice of Democracy program, established in 1947 by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is a patriotic audio-essay scholarship competition that runs annually for high school students. You will write and record an original essay of three to five minutes on the annual theme, which for 2025–2026 is "How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?" Entries are submitted through a participating local VFW Post, which judges at the post level before advancing winners to district, state, and national competition. Nearly 40,000–57,000 students participate nationally each year. You will develop skills in persuasive writing, speech scripting, and audio presentation within strict format requirements, making this one of the few high school competitions that assess both the written and spoken dimensions of communication.
9. Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Location: Virtual
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. The Grand Prize is a $250,000 post-secondary scholarship for the student winner, a $50,000 prize for the winner's teacher, and a $100,000 science lab for the winner's school.
Dates: Competition opens May 1 and runs till mid-September
Application Deadline: September 15
Eligibility: Students aged 13 – 18
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is an international science communication competition in which you create an original video that explains a concept or theory in life sciences, physics, or mathematics in a way that is scientifically accurate and accessible to a general audience. Your video may take any format, including animation, demonstration, documentary, or talking head presentation. Though the competition does not involve original research, it assesses the important skill of translating a genuinely complex scientific idea into clear, engaging, and accurate communication for non-specialists. Judging proceeds through peer review, an evaluation panel of scientists and science communicators, public voting, and a final selection round. The $250,000 scholarship awarded to the winner is among the largest prizes available to any student under 18 globally. The Breakthrough Prize Foundation is also responsible for the annual Breakthrough Prizes, among the highest-value awards in science worldwide.
10. National Science Bowl
Location: 65 regional competitions held nationwide, followed by the National Finals in Washington, D.C.
Cost/Prizes: Free to participate, the event is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Regional winning teams receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the National Finals. Winning teams at nationals receive a $5,000 school award, championship trophies, and take-home prizes for team members.
Dates: Regional competitions run approximately January–March, while the National Finals are conducted from April 30 – May 4
Application Deadline: Registration opens October 6, with individual regional deadlines approximately three weeks before each event
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 attending U.S. schools in teams of four students plus one alternate, coached by a school employee.
The National Science Bowl, established in 1991 and fully funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, is one of the largest academic competitions in the country, with more than 344,000 students participating over its 34-year history. You will compete as part of a four-student team in a fast-paced, verbal quiz-bowl format covering six subject areas: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Energy, Mathematics, and Physics. The winning team from each of the 65 high school regional competitions advances to Washington, D.C., for the National Finals with all travel costs covered. Finals include competitive rounds as well as science activities and access to federal scientific institutions.
11. Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contests
Location: Virtual
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. Grand prizes vary between $2,000 – $25,000
Dates: Quarterly contest cycles throughout the year
Application Deadline: April 30 for the spring quarter
Eligibility: High school students worldwide
The Ayn Rand Institute hosts annual essay contests on all three of Ayn Rand's major fiction works, one based on Anthem, one on The Fountainhead, and one on Atlas Shrugged. For each, you will select from several essay prompts tied to the novel's themes and arguments, and submit your essay. Essays are evaluated on four criteria: clarity, organization, demonstrated understanding of the novel, and whether the essay stays on topic and addresses all parts of the selected prompt. Unlike open-topic competitions, these contests require direct and specific engagement with the assigned text, so you will need to demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of the work. The quarterly cycle means multiple entry opportunities exist within a single academic year, and students worldwide can submit entries.
12. National History Day
Location: At local school, followed by regional locations, concluding with the National Contest at the University of Maryland, MD
Cost/Prizes: Free at the national level. National Contest prizes include category awards and special prizes from partner organizations, with individual awards ranging up to several thousand dollars, depending on the sponsor and category.
Dates: Regional contests run January–April, followed by state contests from April–May, ending with the National Contest from June 14–18
Application Deadline: Varies by state and regional affiliate
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–12 in public, private, parochial, or home-schooled programs
National History Day is a year-long academic program and competition in which over half a million students annually conduct original historical research connected to the annual theme, which for 2026 is "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History". You will select a historical topic that connects to the theme, gather and analyze primary and secondary sources, and develop an original thesis-driven argument, then present your findings in one of five formats: research paper, documentary, exhibit, performance, or website. Submissions are reviewed at the regional and state levels, with top projects advancing to the National Contest at the University of Maryland. The research paper format requires a work of up to 2,500 words with an annotated bibliography, making it one of the most formally rigorous written formats available at the high school level. Participation will teach you skills in primary source analysis, historical argumentation, and evidence-based presentation over a full academic year, building a research process that translates directly to university-level humanities work. NHD is administered through affiliates in all 50 states and has institutional support from federal educational organizations, and the National Contest offers a wide range of special prizes from partner institutions alongside its category awards.
13. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Location: Online submissions, while the awards ceremony is held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Boston
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. First place wins $10,000, second place wins $3,000, and three finalists each win $1,000
Dates: Submissions open September 1 and winners notified by April 30
Application Deadline: January 12
Eligibility: U.S. high school students in grades 9–12 and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas
The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest, organized by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, invites U.S. high school students to write an original essay of 700 to 1,000 words describing and analyzing an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. Essays are evaluated on two dimensions: whether your content addresses political courage, has originality, and uses evidence, and presentation, which covers the quality of your writing and organization. All participants must list a nominating teacher on their registration form, who is expected to review the essay before submission. The first-place winner and their teacher are invited to the Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston for the annual award ceremony, with travel and lodging covered.
14. Ocean Awareness Contest
Location: Virtual
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. Cash prizes up to $1,000 for top entries. Prizes are awarded across multiple categories and age groups.
Dates: Submission period runs through June 8
Application Deadline: June 8
Eligibility: Students aged 11–18 from any country
The Ocean Awareness Contest, organized by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs, is a free international creative competition open to students aged 11 to 18. The most recent theme is "Your Story, Our Ocean," and you can submit work in one of six categories: visual art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, each accompanied by a short written reflection. Submissions are evaluated on artistic or creative quality, depth of engagement with the theme, and the clarity of the accompanying reflection. Cash prizes of up to $1,000 are awarded across categories, and top works are featured on the contest website and in program publications. The competition deliberately spans a broad range of creative styles, making it accessible to students with diverse artistic strengths. You do not need a background in marine science to enter the contest; it values personal, narrative, and creative engagement with ocean-related themes as much as scientific accuracy.
15. AFSA National High School Essay Contest
Location: Virtual
Cost/Prizes: Free to enter. First place winner receives $2,500 cash + an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., and an all-expense-paid educational voyage
Dates: Contest opens in the fall
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: U.S. high schoolers in grades 9–12, or dependents of active Foreign Service members attending school abroad.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) National High School Essay Contest is a free, annual essay competition for U.S. high school students in grades 9–12, organized by the AFSA to promote understanding of the role of diplomacy and international affairs. You will research and write an essay of 1,000–1,500 words on the annual topic, which changes each year and centers on different aspects of U.S. foreign policy or international relations. Essays are judged by a panel of foreign affairs professionals, retired diplomats, and AFSA members, and are evaluated on the quality of your argument, use of evidence, research, and writing. If you are interested in international relations, U.S. foreign policy, or diplomacy as a career, this contest provides a meaningful way to develop and demonstrate those interests to future admissions officers and employers.
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