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.

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, and painting, to film, animation, and many others.

Eligibility:Grades 7-12, age 13 or older, residing in the United States, 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.

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).

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.

Bonus Online Competition: Check out the International Research Olympiad (IRO)!

This is the premier competition for high school researchers.

Testing analytical and problem-solving skills, the IRO provides the opportunity to compete with the brightest minds in the world.

The finals for the IRO will occur at Harvard University this April.

4. New York Times Student Online Competitions About:The New York Times holds annual online competitions for high school students, 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.

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.

Awards:Global Winners receive an invitation to the Winners Celebration, in which winners will visit a NASA center for an award ceremony, engage with NASA leaders, and learn about scientific developments at NASA.

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. https://youtu. be/h7OlgFLByK8?si=-sltc-taxX8HlqEA STEM Programs and Competitions for High Schoolers!

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 teams 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.

8. Hack3 About: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. https://rishabacademy. com/ultimate-guide-to-international-competitions-for-high-schoolers-in-2024/ Ultimate Guide to International Competitions for High Schoolers

9. Doodle for Google About: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. 1

0. Congressional Art Competition About: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 students residing in any congressional district of the U.

S.

Awards:Winning piece displayed at the U.

S.

Capitol for one year.

More STEM Competitions 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!.