Choosing a Competition in High School
Academic competitions are one of the few opportunity types that don't require an application essay or teacher recommendation to get started — you register, prepare, and compete. That makes them one of the more accessible ways to build a real track record, especially earlier in high school.
The competitions below are pulled from Pathfind's verified database and span math, computer science, and other subjects — each with a real registration deadline, not a guess.
Competitiveness varies a lot between these — some are open to any student who registers, others select a small team. Read the actual eligibility on each competition's page before ruling one out.
We found 101 verified matches below. Want the full list instead? See all Competitions.
Congressional App Challenge
Build an original app for any platform and compete against peers in your congressional district. Winning apps are exhibited in the U.S. Capitol.
Conrad Challenge
Multi-stage innovation competition for teams of 2-5, judged on a lean canvas, innovation brief, video, and team site. The activation stage closes in October and the innovation stage in January; advancing teams pay a $499 team fee.
USA Mathematical Talent Search
Free, proof-based math contest you complete from home over several weeks, with detailed written feedback on every solution you submit.
NASA TechRise Student Challenge
School teams design an experiment that NASA flies on a high-altitude test vehicle in summer 2027. A teacher or school employee submits the team's proposal, and 60 winning teams are chosen.
AMC 10/12
The nation's largest high school math competition, and the first step toward AIME, USAMO, and the IMO team. Register through your school's math department.
Regeneron Science Talent Search
The nation's oldest and most prestigious science research competition for seniors, judging original independent research. Top awards exceed $250,000.
Cooke College Scholarship Program
Large college scholarship for high-achieving seniors with financial need. Each award covers much of tuition, living costs, books, and fees.
Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship
College scholarship for U.S. citizen seniors, from $1,000 to $7,500 a year. The top 20 scholars receive $30,000.
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The largest US recognition program for teen writing and visual art, with 28 categories judged regionally first. Entry is $15 per work with a fee waiver built into the portal; Bay Area regional deadlines fall in December.
Dream with Us High School Engineering Challenge
Teams of 3 to 7 students design a new cargo aircraft and write a proposal for it. Registration closes December 8, 2026, and the engineering notebook is due January 25, 2027.
World Series of Innovation
Free online challenge series where students submit solutions tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, solo or in small teams, for cash prizes up to $1,500.
High School Entrepreneurship and AI Video Pitch Competition
Pitch a business idea in a short video. Entries are individual, the registration fee is $25, and prizes are $500, $250, and $100. Register by January 8, 2027 and submit the video by January 15.
Diamond Challenge
Global venture pitch competition with business and social innovation tracks and a $100K prize pool. Teams of 2-4 students need one adult advisor; finalists compete at the Limitless World Summit.
F=ma Exam & USA Physics Olympiad
Take the F=ma exam at your school in February; top scorers advance to USAPhO and possibly the U.S. Physics Team camp. Your school registers, not you, and there's a school plus per-student fee.
StudentCam
C-SPAN's national video documentary contest. You make a short film about an issue that affects your community or the country.
U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad
Tiered competition: a local-section exam in late winter, a national exam in April, and a June study camp for top finishers. Register through your local ACS section, which sets its own cutoff.
USA Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad
Three-round astronomy competition starting with a proctored first round in February and a national round in April. Registration is $30 per student, discounted for groups, with financial aid available.
USA/North America AI Olympiad
Multi-round AI competition with a February first round of non-coding and Colab coding tasks, an invitational second round, and a June camp that selects Team USA. Exams are proctored at your school or a test site.
Davidson Fellows
Scholarship competition awarding $25,000 to $100,000 to students 18 or younger for a significant, original piece of work in science, technology, math, literature, music, or philosophy. No fee to apply.
Global Stock Pitch Competition
Students pick a public company and build their best stock idea, alone or in teams of two, then pitch it. The fee is $30 per person, registration opens December 15, 2026, and finalists attend the Global Youth Investment Summit.
Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition
Complete a free online mini-course and submit a video pitch under five minutes for an original product idea, judged by entrepreneurs for cash prizes. Fully virtual, free, and no school sponsorship needed.
MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge
Teams of three to five get a single 14-hour window to build and write up a mathematical model of a real-world problem, competing for over $100,000 in scholarships. Free, but a teacher must register the team.
PhysicsBowl
A 40-question, 45-minute multiple-choice physics exam given at participating schools each spring, split into first-year and second-year divisions and scored individually and by team. Enter through a teacher.
GENIUS Olympiad
International project competition on environmental topics, with tracks including AI, robotics, and science. Applications open in December 2026, cost $75 per project, and finalists present at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York in June 2027.
Genes in Space
Design a DNA-based biotechnology experiment addressing a real challenge of space exploration — the winning proposal is actually run by astronauts aboard the ISS. Free, solo or in teams of up to five.
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair
The world's largest pre-college science fair. You qualify by winning at an affiliated regional or state fair, not by applying directly.
Technovation Girls
Girls and gender-expansive students build a mobile app or AI project addressing a community problem with a volunteer mentor, then submit code, a demo, and a business pitch. Free, and you can register without a school program.
High School Terminal
Free, virtual, round-robin team coding competition where students build algorithms for finance and data-driven problems, with cash prizes and Citadel recruiting exposure.
Global High School Investment Competition
Free ten-week competition where teams of 4-6 build an investment strategy for a real client case and manage a virtual portfolio. A teacher at your school must register the team.
Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Submit an original two-minute video explaining a concept in physics, life sciences, or math, competing for a $250,000 college scholarship. Finalists also peer-review at least five other entries.
YoungArts National Arts Competition
National competition for artists ages 15-18 across ten disciplines — writing, visual arts, film, theater, dance, voice, jazz, and more — with awards from $250 to $10,000 plus mentorship. The $35 fee is waivable.
AFSA National High School Essay Contest
Essay contest asking students to analyze a question about diplomacy, international affairs, and the work of the U.S. Foreign Service.
American Legion Oratorical Contest
Scholarship speech competition focused on the U.S. Constitution, civic knowledge, and prepared and extemporaneous public speaking.
American Regions Mathematics League
Team mathematics competition where regional teams of fifteen compete across individual, relay, and team rounds. Students join through a regional or school team rather than registering alone.
American Rocketry Challenge
The world's largest student rocket contest: teams of three to twenty-five design, build, and launch a model rocket meeting a specific altitude and flight-time target for a chance to compete nationally.
Aspirations in Computing Award
Recognition program for students who are women, genderqueer, or non-binary with an interest in computing, awarded on the basis of technical projects, leadership, and community. Winners join a national community with internship and scholarship connections.
Ayn Rand Essay Contests
Open essay competitions on literature, ethics, politics, and individual rights, with prompts and awards listed by contest cycle.
Bennington Young Writers Awards
Free writing contest for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, now part of the Bennington Young Creators Awards.
Berkeley Math Tournament
Student-run math tournament at UC Berkeley with individual and team rounds, including a novice division for students newer to competition mathematics.
Berkeley Model United Nations
Three-day conference on the UC Berkeley campus drawing roughly 2,000 high school delegates across 20 committees. Registration is first-come and requires an adult advisor from your school.
Blue Planet Awareness Contest
Annual creative contest (formerly the Ocean Awareness Contest) asking students to explore an ocean and climate theme through visual art, writing, film, music, or interactive media. Free to enter, with cash awards across divisions.
Business Professionals of America Events
Workplace-skills competitive events in finance, management, information technology, and digital communication, run through a school's BPA chapter from regional to national leadership conferences.
California Mock Trial
Statewide competition where school teams argue a hypothetical criminal case in real courtrooms before sitting judges, including Alameda, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Contra Costa counties. Join through your school's team.
Civics Essay Contest
Annual essay competition asking high school students to respond to a current civics topic, with scholarships for selected essays.
Coca-Cola Scholars Program
Achievement-based scholarship for high school seniors recognizing leadership and service, awarding 150 scholarships each year. Applications are free and open in the fall.
Congressional Art Competition
Visual art contest run in each congressional district every spring. You enter through your own member of Congress's office.
Coolidge Scholarship
Full-ride, four-year college scholarship awarded to high school juniors based on academic excellence, interest in public policy, and service. There is no application fee.
CyberPatriot
National youth cyber defense competition where school and community teams work as IT professionals to secure simulated networks across online rounds. Teams register through an adult coach.
DECA Competitive Events
Join your school's DECA chapter to compete in marketing, finance, and management case-study events, advancing from regionals to states to nationals.
Dell Scholars Program
Scholarship and support program for seniors who have overcome significant obstacles, combining funding with a college-readiness curriculum and a personal coach. No application fee.
eCYBERMISSION
Free virtual STEM competition for teams in grades 6–9. Teams identify a problem in their own community, work through the scientific or engineering method, and compete for state, regional and national awards.
Essentially Ellington
Free Jazz at Lincoln Center program for high school jazz bands. Your school band takes part as a group.
ExploraVision
Team competition in which students pick a current technology, research how it works, and project how it could look twenty years from now — submitting a written description and a set of web pages.
FBLA Competitive Events
Compete in banking, accounting, and financial-systems events through your school's FBLA chapter, from local conference up to nationals.
Fed Challenge
School-team competition where students analyze economic conditions and present a monetary-policy recommendation to Federal Reserve judges.
FIRST Robotics Competition
Teams get a common kit of parts and about six weeks to build an industrial-size robot for the season's game. You join through a school or community team rather than applying individually; the team pays the season fee.
FIRST Tech Challenge
Design, build, and program a smaller reusable robot for the annual game — the 2026-27 season game is BIOBUZZ. Join through a registered school or community team.
Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest
Academic writing competition for high school students addressing international affairs, global policy, and contemporary world issues.
Harvard Model Congress
Student-led congressional simulation in which delegates represent legislators, debate bills, negotiate amendments, and practice committee procedure.
Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament
Two competitions a year — one at Harvard in November and one at MIT in February — with individual and team rounds across algebra, geometry, and combinatorics.
International Brain Bee
Neuroscience competition testing knowledge of the brain and nervous system, running from local and national chapters to a world championship. Study resources are published by the organization.
InvestWrite
National essay contest about investing. It is open only to students in The Stock Market Game, so your teacher must run it.
John Locke Institute Essay Competition
Essay competition with prompts in politics, economics, law, philosophy, history, and related humanities subjects.
Model United Nations
Model United Nations resources and conferences where students research countries, negotiate resolutions, and practice multilateral diplomacy.
National Cyber League
Seasonal cybersecurity competition with individual and team games, plus a practice gym, where players solve challenges in open-source intelligence, cryptography, and network traffic analysis.
National Economics Challenge
Team economics competition testing students on economic reasoning, current events, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and international economics.
National History Day Contest
Research a topic tied to the annual theme and present it as a paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, or website, advancing from local and state contests to nationals in Maryland.
National Model Arab League
Academic diplomacy simulation where students represent Arab League member states and develop negotiated solutions to regional policy questions.
National Ocean Sciences Bowl
Buzzer-style regional competition on marine biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and ocean policy, with winners advancing to national finals. A coach registers your school or organization team.
National Personal Finance Challenge
Nationwide contest on earning, spending, saving, investing, and credit. Teams with a coach compete at state and national levels.
National Science Bowl
Fast-paced buzzer competition covering math and all sciences, run by the U.S. Department of Energy from regional events through a national finals in Washington, D.C. Teams register through their school.
National Speech & Debate Association
National speech and debate community offering competitive events, resources, and a pathway from local school competition to national tournaments.
NCF-Envirothon
Teams of five test hands-on field knowledge of soils, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and a rotating current issue, advancing from area to state to the North American finals. California entries go through California Envirothon.
New York Times Student Editorial Contest
Student editorial contest asking writers to make a concise, evidence-based argument about an issue that matters to them.
Optimist International Essay Contest
Essay contest run by local Optimist Clubs. Club winners move up to district contests, which award college scholarships.
Optimist International Oratorical Contest
Speech contest run by local Optimist Clubs, with college scholarships at the district level.
picoCTF
Free cybersecurity capture-the-flag competition and year-round practice platform built by Carnegie Mellon for middle and high school students, covering cryptography, forensics, and web exploitation.
Poetry Out Loud
National poetry recitation contest. You memorize and perform poems, starting at your school and moving up to state and national finals. Your school must be registered with the state coordinator.
President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA)
National EPA award for a student-led environmental project you have already done in your community. Grades 6-12 compete in one category.
Princeton Model Congress
High school congressional simulation featuring committee hearings, legislative debate, and public-policy research.
Princeton University Mathematics Competition (PUMaC)
Student-run math contest at Princeton. Teams come from high schools or well-defined regions.
Purple Comet! Math Meet
Free online team mathematics contest held each spring, with a high school division and problems designed for collaboration. An adult coach registers the team.
QuestBridge National College Match
College admission and scholarship process that matches high-achieving seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships at 55 partner colleges.
Ron Brown Scholar Program
$40,000 college scholarships for African American seniors with strong academics, leadership, and community service. The 2027 application is open.
Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Debate Series
High school debate competition built around constitutional questions, public argument, and civic leadership, with regional events and scholarships.
Science Olympiad (Division C)
Teams of up to 15 prepare for 23 events spanning lab science, study topics, and build-and-test engineering, advancing from regionals to state to nationals. Participate through your school's team.
Solar Car Challenge
Teams of high school students learn to build a roadworthy solar car, then take part in the Challenge.
Stanford Math Tournament
Student-run math competition on the Stanford campus with individual, team, and relay rounds, plus a novice division and practice problems published online.
Stockholm Junior Water Prize (U.S.)
Science fair-style contest for water research projects. State winners go on to the national competition.
The Concord Review
Historical research publication opportunity for strong high school essays, including work on political, constitutional, diplomatic, and social history.
The Gates Scholarship
Last-dollar scholarship covering the full cost of attendance for highly motivated, low-income high school seniors from minority groups underrepresented in higher education. No application fee.
The Stock Market Game
Ten-week online investing simulation where teams manage a virtual portfolio and compete against other schools. Participants learn research, diversification, and risk through a teacher-registered session.
USA Biology Olympiad
Tiered competition starting with an open online exam in February, then a semifinal exam, then a residential selection camp for the national team. Registration is through your school.
USA Computing Olympiad
Four free online programming contests per season, open to any pre-college student and split into four divisions from Bronze to Platinum. Registration is free and rolling.
VEX Robotics Competition
Season-long engineering competition where teams build and program a robot for a new game, advancing from local events to regional, national, and world championships.
VEX V5 Robotics Competition
Two-team alliances compete with V5 robots in the 2026-27 game Override, from local fall tournaments through the spring World Championship. You compete as part of a registered team.
VFW Voice of Democracy
Audio essay contest on a patriotic theme. You record your essay and enter through a local VFW post, with scholarships at each level.
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
Classroom-based constitutional civics program culminating in simulated congressional hearings where student teams present and defend policy positions.
We the Students Essay Contest
National essay contest inviting students to connect constitutional principles with a current issue in American civic life.
Wharton High School Data Science Competition
Free sports analytics contest from Wharton. You use real data to answer a sports question.
Yale Model United Nations
International affairs conference where high school delegates simulate UN committees, research global issues, and negotiate resolutions.