If you're a high schooler and aspire to pursue a career in engineering, engineering competitions can be an excellent way to demonstrate your passion in the sciences.

Not only can they expose you to a community of like-minded students, but winning prestigious engineering competitions can add a boost to your college applications.

In this post, we cover the top 9 engineering competitions for high school students in 2024, including overviews, key dates, eligibility, and more.

1. International Science and Engineering Fair—ISEF Description: Sponsored by Society for Science (SFS), Regeneron ISEF is the world's premier pre-college STEM competition.

Students from around the world qualify for ISEF by winning competitive affiliated science fairs in their region, often consisting of numerous rounds of selection.

To enter ISEF, students prepare a unique science-oriented project, enter one of 22 project categories, and practice their pitches to judges.

Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 or equivalent Awards: Scholarship awards of up to $50,000 Dates: Regional and state science fairs have varying deadlines for entering projects.

Make sure to check the SFS website to find your relevant affiliated fair.

Cost: Fees associated with participating in fairs vary; some fairs provide reimbursement for expenses https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=TKHlaiPVXgE Check out Rishab's (1st place winner) video on the secrets to winning ISEF in 2024!

2. Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) About: Similar to ISEF, the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium is a highly regarded and prestigious high school STEM competition.

Sponsored by the Department of Defense, the JSHS consists of regional and national symposia where students compete for scholarships and opportunities.

Participants advance through regional science fairs before competing at the national level.

Eligibility: U.

S. high school students in grades 9-12 Awards: Scholarships of up to $12,000 Dates: Science fairs usually occur in the second half of the US academic year.

Cost: Free

3. Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) Description: Also similar to ISEF, Regeneron STS is sponsored by Society for Science, and is one of the most prestigious STEM awards in the U.

S.

Nearly 2,000 students each year submit research project entries, out of which 40 become finalists.

This award is extremely competitive, and requires a lengthy application process including essays, research materials, and letters of recommendation.

Students who place in ISEF and JSHS typically do well in STS.

Eligibility: High school seniors based in the U.

S.

Awards: Cash prizes of up to $200,00

0. Finalists are invited to Washington D.

C. to present their research.

Dates: Deadline falls on around November each year.

Cost: Free.

4. Davidson Fellows Scholarship About: The Davidson Fellows Scholarshipis 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

5. FIRST Robotics Competition About: Founded in 1989, the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition is the world's premier robotics competition program.

As a team-based competition, participants program industrial-sized robots to play field games against competitors.

Although there are competitions at the regional and state levels, the annual season culminates in the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas.

Eligibility: Students in Grades 9-12 (ages 14 to 18) Awards: Distinctions at different levels (some given to teams, and some to individuals); scholarship awards Dates: Competition season occurs throughout the academic year.

Cost: Fees associated with joining clubs, transportation, costs for materials may apply

6. Science Olympiad About: Science Olympiad is a popular team-based STEM competition program for middle and high schoolers.

Teams compete in both test-based and build-based events (that involve engineering) that span across multiple categories, from cell biology to astronomy.

Science Olympiad teams may compete at the regional, state, and national levels and receive medals.

Eligibility: Middle or high school students who are affiliated with a Science Olympiad chapter at their school Awards: Typically 1st to 3rd place medals for each event at each level of competition Dates: Competitions occur throughout the academic year, starting from usually October to the national competition in May Cost: Club fees vary

7. National Science Bowl (NSB) About: Sponsored by the U.

S.

Department of Energy, the NSB is a prestigious and highly competitive national high school contest for students interested in STEM.

The NSB tests over 6 main areas: chemistry, energy, Earth science, physics, biology, and math.

Qualifying for the NSB is achieved through winning regional rounds.

Eligibility: All high school students in the U.

S.

Awards: Cash prizes and scholarships Dates: Regional competitions occur from January to March each year.

The national event occurs in late April annually.

Cost: Registration fees apply for regional competitions.

8. 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, 202

4. 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

9. USA Computer Olympiad (USACO) About: Lastly, 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 Engineering Competitions for High Schoolers—Concluding Remarks In this post, we provided the top 9 engineering competitions for high schoolers in 202

4. Participating in engineering competitions opens up a Pandora's box of benefits: earn prestigious accolades, gain support communities, and hone your knowledge.

As a high schooler, winning engineering competitions can be a surefire way to demonstrate your passion in engineering and add substance to your college application.

However, don't stop at just these 10 competitions.

Check out 50+ additional opportunities in STEM in this curated, comprehensive guide.

Remember, high school competitions 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!.