Comprehensive Guide to Student Competitions for 2025 - 2026

Below is a comprehensive guide to student competitions for middle and high school students, as well as parents, counselors, and coaches, looking for vetted academic and enrichment opportunities. Competitions are organized by subject category. Each entry includes the competition name, a brief description, eligibility (grade level or age), key dates or deadlines, and notes on whether the competition is recurring (annual or seasonal). Most contests open in the fall with deadlines in winter–spring; research fairs often culminate in May, and many international Olympiad finals run in July. Always confirm the current cycle on the official site, as timelines can shift.

Writing Competitions

• “It’s All  Write!” Teen Writing Contest – An annual writing  contest hosted by the Ann Arbor District Library that invites young authors to submit original works in three grade-based categories (Grades 6–8, 9–10, and 11–12)
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (Grades 6–12) in Washtenaw County, Michigan
  • Dates: Submissions openJanuary 5, 2026 and close March 1, 2026, with results announced in May
  • Recurrence: Runs annually in the winter/spring timeframe.
• Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest – A global essay  competition sponsored by the Ayn Rand Institute, encouraging students to  engage with Ayn Rand’s novels and ideas. Participants choose prompts based  on The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged and write analytical  essay
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide (generally Grades 8–12 for The  Fountainhead; 9–12 for Atlas Shrugged
  • Deadline: Submission deadlines are usually October 31 (but vary for the  respective novel contests), with winners announced in January
  • Recurrence: Annual contest (with multiple entry categories by novel).
• Bennington College Young Writers Awards – A national  competition that recognizes outstanding works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by high school students. Sponsored by Bennington College, it  provides an opportunity for teens to earn awards and college scholarships  for their writing.
  • Eligibility: High school students (Grades 9–12).
  • Deadline: Typically fall deadline (November) each year.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Center for  Fiction National Teen Storyteller Contest – An  international contest that invites middle and high school students to submit short stories, with winners recognized by the Center for Fiction
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: Usually a summer deadline (June)
  • Recurrence: Annual
• Columbia Young  Authors Writing Competition – A writing contest  organized by Columbia College Chicago for high school students to submit  original prose or poetry
  • Eligibility: High school students (typically Grades 9–12) internationally.
  • Deadline: Usually in January
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• David  McCullough Essay Prizes – An international high school essay competition named after historian David McCullough, rewarding excellence in historical essay writing
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide.
  • ‍Deadline: Typically June.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• EngineerGirl  Writing Contest – A contest that encourages  middle and high school students, especially girls, to write on topics linking engineering and real-world problems. Hosted by EngineerGirl  (National Academy of Engineering) to spark interest in engineering.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high  school students (Grades 6–12).
  • Deadline: Usually February.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Fitzwilliam  College Essay Competition – An international  essay contest run by Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, inviting high school students to write on specified topics (often in arts, humanities or social  sciences)
  • Eligibility: High school students (pre-university, typically Ages 15–18).
  • Deadline: Typically March.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• HIR Harvard  International Review Academic Writing Contest – A national academic essay contest run by the Harvard International Review,  challenging students to write scholarly essays on current global issues.
  • Eligibility: High school students (Grades 9–12) internationally.
  • Deadline: Varies by issue/round (rolling contests).
  • Recurrence: Recurring (multiple cycles per year; check specific issue  deadlines).
• Hong Kong Young  Writers Awards – An international writing  competition based in Hong Kong that accepts entries from middle and high  school students globally. Students submit works in various genres (fiction, poetry, etc.).
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: Usually January.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Jane Austen  Society Essay Contest – An international essay contest sponsored by the Jane Austen Society, inviting high school  students to write analytical essays about Jane Austen’s novels and  characters.
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: Typically June.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• John F. Kennedy  Profile in Courage Essay Contest – A national essay competition where high school students write about acts of political  courage by U.S. elected officials, inspired by JFK’s Profiles in  Courage.
  • Eligibility: High school students (Grades 9–12) in the U.S.
  • Deadline: January (usually around the first week).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• John Locke  Essay Competition – A prestigious international essay contest hosted by the John Locke Institute, Oxford, offering categories in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, and  more. Students write on prompts in their chosen category.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide (often separate divisions for ages 14–18).
  • Deadline: Typically June.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards – A nationwide competition in the U.S. that recognizes creative excellence in writing and art by middle and high school students.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (Grades 7–12) in the U.S.
  • Deadline: Varies by region, generally December/January for writing submissions,
  • Recurrence: Annual (with regional competitions leading to national awards).
• New Voices  One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights – A  contest that encourages high school playwrights to submit one-act plays.  Hosted by YouthPlays, it seeks original, challenging plays suitable for  young actors.
  • Eligibility: High school students (typically ages 19 or under by the  competition year).
  • Deadline: May 1 (participants must be 19 or younger by May 1 of the  competition year; submission deadline is usually mid-year).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• New York Times  Informational Writing Contest – A contest inspired by NY Times Magazine’s “Tip” column, where students write  a concise how-to article explaining a task, including an expert quote.
  • Eligibility: Students ages 13–19, worldwide (middle or high school).
  • Dates: Contest usually runs from mid-February to mid-March (e.g. Feb 12 – Mar 12, 2025).
  • Recurrence: Annual (sponsored by the NY Times Learning Network).
• New York Times  My List Review Contest – A NY Times Learning  Network contest where students create a curated list of 3–5 items (books,  artworks, etc.) with reviews under a unifying theme.
  • Eligibility: High school students (typically ages 13–19).
  • Deadline: Usually in February.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• New York Times Open Letters (Opinion Writing) Contest – A  contest inviting students to write an open-letter style opinion piece on  an issue, for publication in the NY Times.
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: Typically April.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• New York Times  Student Editorial Contest – An annual contest  where students write short opinion editorials on topics of their choice,  judged by NY Times editors.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (13–19 years old)
  • Deadline: Opens in spring (around  April).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• New York Times  Summer Reading Contest – A popular summer contest  in which students write about something they read in The New York Times  over the summer and why it interested them.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (ages 13–19).
  • Timeline: Runs weekly each summer (typically June through August, with  winners chosen each week).
  • Recurrence: Annual every summer.
• New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest – A contest challenging  students to write a very short memoir (personal narrative) in 100 words or  fewer.
  • Eligibility: High school students (ages 13–19).
  • Deadline: Typically December.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Ocean Awareness  Contest – An international environmental writing and art contest (by Bow Seat) where students create pieces (essay, poetry,  or other media) about ocean conservation and climate issues.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: June (for writing category submissions).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• One Teen Story – A monthly writing contest and literary magazine that selects  outstanding short stories by teen authors for publication.
  • Eligibility: Teens worldwide (ages 13–19).
  • Deadline: Rolling – one story is chosen each month; generally a story  submission by September might be considered for an issue the following  year.
  • Recurrence: Continuous (monthly winners).
• Paideia   Institute High School Essay Contest – An essay  contest focusing on classical subjects (history, Latin, Greek or classical  civilization topics) run by the Paideia Institute
  • Eligibility: High school students.
  • Deadline: February.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Patricia Grodd  Poetry Prize for Young Writers – A prestigious poetry contest run by The Kenyon Review for young writers.
  • Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors (typically ages ~16–17).
  • Deadline: November.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Polar  Expressions Publishing Student Contests – Canadian writing contests (separate divisions for poetry and short  fiction) for students across Canada.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (Canadian residents).
  • Deadline: Typically November for fall contest.
  • Recurrence: Annual (often two contests per year: poetry and short story).
• Princeton University Ten-Minute Play Contest – A  competition hosted by Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts, inviting high  schoolers to submit original 10-minute play scripts.
  • Eligibility: High school students (Grades 9–12) globally.
  • Deadline: Typically March.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Rubincam Youth  Writing Competition – A historical writing  contest run by the National Genealogical Society, encouraging students to  explore family history or genealogy in their writing.
  • Eligibility: Two age groups – junior (middle school) and senior (high school) youth.
  • Deadline: December.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• SPJ/JEA High  School Essay Contest – A national essay contest  co-sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and Journalism Education Association, focusing on topics in journalism or freedom of speech.
  • Eligibility: High school students  in the U.S.
  • Deadline: February
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Tadpole Press  100-Word Writing Contest – A flash fiction and  memoir contest that challenges writers of all ages to tell a story in 100  words
  • Eligibility: Open to middle school and up (students and adults; there is a  youth category).
  • Deadline: Usually April.
  • Recurrence: Multiple cycles per year (often quarterly or biannual contests).
• The Betty Award – A writing competition designed for young writers ages 8–12, aimed at fostering children’s passion for writing and creativity.
  • Eligibility: Elementary and middle school students (approximately Grades 3–7,  age 8–12) worldwide.
  • Dates: Held three times a year (Fall, Winter, Spring); for example,   Fall 2025 deadline was Nov 22, 2025, Winter 2026 deadline Mar 1, 2026,  Spring 2026 deadline May 30, 2026.
  • Recurrence: Recurring seasonal contests (three per year).
• The Foyle Young  Poets of the Year Award – An international poetry  competition run by the Poetry Society (UK) for young poets, one of the largest youth poetry contests in the world.
  • Eligibility: Writers ages 11–17 globally.
  • Deadline: July 31 each year.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• The Marshall Society Essay Competition – An economics essay competition hosted by the Marshall Society of Cambridge University. It  invites pre-university students to write a well-structured essay on an   economics topic.
  • Eligibility: High school or other pre-university students worldwide.
  • Deadline: Late August (e.g., August 29, 2025 for the 2025 competition).
  • Recurrence: Annual
• The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition – A prestigious     international writing contest run by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the  world’s oldest schools’ international writing competition. It accepts     essays and creative writing on a given theme from students in Commonwealth  countries.
  • Eligibility: Open to youth ages 13–18 (Senior 14–18 and Junior under 14  categories) across the Commonwealth.
  • Deadline: Usually June or July annually.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest – A  long-running international contest for original short fiction and essays, sponsored by Winning Writers.
  • Eligibility: All ages (includes high school students, though it’s an open-age contest).
  • Deadline: Typically submits by April 30 each year.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest – A companion  international contest for original poetry, sponsored by Winning Writers.
  • Eligibility: All ages (open to high school and adult poets alike).
  • Deadline: Typically September 30 each yea
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• William  Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition – An international literary competition (associated with the  Faulkner Society in New Orleans) that has categories including novel,  short story, essay, poetry, etc. for emerging writers.
  • Eligibility: Open to all emerging writers (students may enter; no specific  age restrictions.
  • Deadline: Generally early summer (e.g., July)
  • Recurrence: Annual
• Write the World Series Writing Contest – A series of themed writing contests hosted on the Write the World online community for young     writers, covering various genres throughout the year. Upcoming contests are announced year-round (e.g., Sci-Fi in July, Flash Fiction in August).
  • Eligibility: Teens around the world (typically ages 13–18).
  • Dates: Rolling monthly contests  with specific prompts (each contest has its own deadline).
  • Recurrence: Continual (Write the World offers new contests monthly

Classical Studies Competitions

• Latin  League – A national Latin-language competition that tests middle and high school students on Latin grammar, vocabulary, and translation skills.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school Latin students (Grades 6–12).
  • ‍Deadline/Format:  Varies – typically involves chapter tests or rounds throughout the  academic year.
  • Recurrence: Annual academic-year competition (often organized as a league with multiple rounds).
• National Classical Etymology Exam (NCEE) – An international exam-based contest on Greek and Latin derivations of English  words. Students take a standardized test focusing on classical roots.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide studying Latin/Greek.
  • Timing: Offered in October.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National  Greek Exam (NGE) – A contest/exam testing  students’ knowledge of Ancient Greek language and grammar.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students studying Ancient Greek.
  • Timing: Administered late Feb–mid-March.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National  Junior Classical League (NJCL) Contests – A  collection of national contests for members of the Junior Classical  League, including academic tests, creative arts, graphic arts, and more in  classical subjects.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high  school students (JCL members) in the U.S.
  • Deadline: Varies by contest (many occur at the NJCL convention each summer).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National  Latin Exam (NLE) – A widely taken national exam  on Latin language and Roman culture, offered at various levels.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school Latin students (all Latin I–VI students can participate).
  • Timing: Administered every March.      
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National  Mythology Exam (NME) – An international exam competition testing knowledge of Greek, Roman, and other mythologies.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide.
  • Timing: Usually administered  Feb–April.
  • Recurrence: Annual
• National  Roman Civilization Exam – An international  contest exam focusing on the history and culture of ancient Rome.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide (often taken by  Latin/Classics students).
  • Timing: Offered in October.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Omnibus Magazine Gladstone Memorial Essay Prize – An international essay competition on classical studies topics, organized by Omnibus (a classics magazine) for school students.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: July (summer).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Omnibus  Magazine Sam Hood Translation Prize – A  competition inviting students to submit translations of ancient Greek or  Latin texts (with commentary), run by Omnibus magazine.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students.
  • Deadline: July.
  • Recurrence: Annual.

Business, Economics, and Finance Competitions

• Blue Ocean Entrepreneur Competition – An international entrepreneurship competition where high school students  pitch innovative business ideas that create new market space (a “Blue   Ocean” strategy)
  • Eligibility: High school students  worldwide.
  • Deadline: Typically February (submission  in winter)
  • Recurrence: Annual
• DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) – DECA’s global business competition culminating in the ICDC event. Students compete in various business and marketing role-play events  and written projects.
  • Eligibility: High school (and middle  school divisions) DECA members who qualify through state/provincial competitions.
  • Timing: International finals held in  spring (April)
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Diamond Challenge – A global high school entrepreneurship competition (run by University of Delaware) where  students pitch business or social innovation concepts.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school  students (typically ages 14–18) internationally.
  • Deadline: January (round 1 submission)
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• EEO (European Economics Olympiad) – An international economics competition that tests high schoolers on economics  and finance knowledge, with national rounds leading to a European finals.
  • Eligibility: High school students  (typically ages 16–19) from participating countries.
  • Deadline: National rounds vary; European  final usually in July.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• FBLA National Leadership Conference (NLC) – The Future Business Leaders of America competition where middle and high  school students compete in business-related events, with the national conference as the final stage.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school FBLA  members who advance from state competitions.
  • Timing: National Leadership Conference  held in the summer (June/July).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Harvard International Economics Essay Contest (HIEEC) – An international economics essay competition for high school  students, organized by Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association.
  • Eligibility: High school students   globally.
  • Deadline: January for essay submissions.  
  • Recurrence: Annual
• Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics Challenge (HPEC) – An international economics case competition for high schoolers,   involving analysis of economic scenarios.
  • Eligibility: High school students  worldwide.
  • Deadline/Timing: April.
  • Recurrence: Annual
• International Business Olympiad (IBO) – A  global business case competition for high school students, involving  business problem-solving and strategy presentations.
  • Eligibility: High school students (ages  ~14–18) worldwide.
  • Timing: Typically a summer event (July.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• International Economics Olympiad (IEO) – A worldwide competition in economics, business, and finance for high  school students, featuring national qualifying rounds and an international     final.
  • Eligibility: High school students  representing their countries (usually winners of national econ      olympiads).
  • Timing: International finals held mid-summer      (July/August)
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• LIBF Global Financial Challenge (London  Institute of Banking & Finance) – An international finance competition  focusing on financial literacy and banking, organized by LIBF.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school   students globally.
  • Deadline: March (spring).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• LSESU Economics Society Essay Competition – An economics essay contest for high school students run by the LSE  Students’ Union Economics Society (London).
  • Eligibility: High school students      worldwide.
  • Deadline: September.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Model Entrepreneur® Competition – A  business competition where high school students simulate the startup process, pitching a venture idea (affiliated with NFTE).
  • Eligibility: High school students      worldwide.
  • Deadline: January (for initial    submissions.
  • Recurrence: Annual
• Modeling the Future Challenge – A  national actuarial science and math-modeling competition in which high  school teams analyze real data to model and solve a future problem     scenario.
  • Eligibility: High school students      (typically teams of 1–4).
  • Deadline: Registration in fall; final      models due by November. Recurrence: Annual.
• National Economics Challenge (NEC) – A  U.S. economics competition (by CEE) where high school teams compete in   micro, macro, and international economics knowledge.
  • Eligibility: High  school students in the U.S., in teams of 3–4.
  • Timeline: State and regional rounds,  then national finals (timeline varies; usually spring).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Pirates Pitch Competition – An  entrepreneurship pitch contest (notably one run by Seton Hall University)     for high school students to propose innovative business ideas.
  • Eligibility: High school students  (typically juniors/seniors).
  • Deadline: October  (for submissions).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Royal Economic Society Young Economist of the Year – A prestigious international economics essay competition for  high school students, run by the UK’s Royal Economic Society. Participants write on given economic questions.
  • Eligibility: High school students  (usually ages 16–18) worldwide.
  • Deadline: June (essays due in June).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• SAGE World Cup (Students for the Advancement of Global  Entrepreneurship) – An international youth  entrepreneurship competition where student teams run businesses or social  enterprises and present at the “World Cup” finals.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school  student teams (often winners of national SAGE competitions).
  • Timing: World Cup held in May.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• SoT (State of the Teen) Economics Essay Contest – An economics essay competition for middle and high school  students (often hosted by nonprofits to engage youth in economic issues).
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school  students worldwide.
  • Deadline: September.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• The National Personal Finance Challenge –  A U.S. competition where high school teams compete in personal finance   knowledge and financial decision-making scenarios.
  • Eligibility: High school students in the  U.S. (teams qualify via state Personal Finance Challenge competitions).
  • Timing: National finals vary (often in  spring; varies by state).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Wharton Global High School Investment Competition – A global investment strategy competition run by The Wharton  School for teams of high school students, who develop and present an  investment portfolio proposal.
  • Eligibility: High school students (teams of 4–7) worldwide.
  • Timeline: Begins in September, with  final presentations in spring (after a several-month simulation)
  • Recurrence: Annual
• YIS (Young Investors Society) Global Stock Pitch Competition – An international finance competition where students pitch a  stock investment idea to judges.
  • Eligibility: High school students  (typically through Young Investors Society clubs worldwide).
  • Deadline:  Preliminary submissions due April.
  • Recurrence: Annual (global finals after   regional qualifiers)

Art Competitions

• Congressional Art Competition – A national visual art contest  sponsored by the U.S. Congress, where each Congressional district selects a winning artwork to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.
  • Eligibility: U.S. high school students (Grades 9–12) in participating   Congressional districts.
  • Deadline: Varies by district (typically spring; late April).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National Scholastic  Art & Writing Awards – (Also listed under Writing.) A premier national competition recognizing teen excellence  in visual arts and writing. For art categories, students in grades 7–12 submit artwork in various media and can earn regional Scholastic Keys and  national medals.
  • Eligibility: U.S. middle and high school students.
  • Deadline: Varies by region (generally December for submissions).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• New York Times One-Pager Challenge – A contest by the NY Times Learning Network where students create a one-page visual art and  writing response to a piece of content (e.g. a Times article). It blends visual design and written reflection.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (13–19).
  • Deadline: January.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• New York Times  Photo Essay Contest (Exploring Community) – A NY Times Learning Network contest inviting students to submit a photo essay (a series of photographs with captions or a brief essay) that     explores their community.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students.
  • Deadline: January.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Quill and Scroll  Yearbook Excellence Contest – An international contest by the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society,  recognizing high school yearbook students for excellence in yearbook writing, photography, and design.
  • Eligibility: High school yearbook  staff students worldwide.
  • Deadline: October for entries (covering previous school year’s yearbook).
  • Recurrence: Annual.

Computer Science Competitions

• American  Computer Science League (ACSL) – A national/international coding and computer science contest where middle  and high school students compete in a series of contests (written tests and programming problems) throughout the year.
  • Eligibility: Middle school and high school students (typically organized in  school teams).
  • Timeline: Contests run December through May, with an All-Star finals in May.
  • Recurrence: Annual (with multiple contest rounds each year).
• International  Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) – The premier  worldwide programming and algorithms competition for high school students.  Students must advance through national computing olympiads to represent  their country.
  • Eligibility: High school students (typically under age 20) selected by their  country’s IOI committee.
  • Timing: IOI held each year in summer (usually August or September).
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Kaggle   Competitions (Student category) – Kaggle (a  platform for data science) occasionally hosts competitions suitable for  high school or college students, where participants build machine learning  models.
  • Eligibility: Open (students can participate in open Kaggle challenges).
  • ‍Deadline:  Varies by competition (Kaggle competitions have individual  timelines)
  • Recurrence: Continuous (multiple  competitions year-round).
• USA  Computing Olympiad (USACO) – A nationwide  competitive programming contest in the United States with multiple online rounds (Bronze to Platinum levels) and a training program. Top performers  make the U.S. IOI team.
  • Eligibility: Pre-college students (mostly high school) worldwide can  participate in USACO online rounds.
  • Timeline: Online contests are typically in late fall, winter (Dec, Jan,  Feb), and a US Open in March; finals training camp in late spring
  • Recurrence: Annual (with roughly monthly contest rounds during the school year

History Competitions

• National History Day (NHD) – A nationwide project-based  history research competition where students create history projects (papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites) on an annual  theme
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (Grades 6–12) in the U.S., competing in junior and senior divisions.
  • Timeline: Projects due at regional contests in winter; National finals in June.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• The Concord  Review (TCR) Academic Writing Contest – The     Concord Review is a prestigious quarterly journal that publishes exemplary history research papers by high school students. While not a timed “contest,” getting published is highly competitive
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: Varies – submissions accepted year-round for quarterly  issues
  • Recurrence: Quarterly publication (with “emerging historian” awards).

Humanities Competitions

• Columbia  Undergraduate Law Review High School Essay Contest – A humanities/social sciences contest where high schoolers write  law-related essays for Columbia’s Undergraduate Law Review. Topics  typically involve analysis of legal issues or policy.
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide
  • Deadline: June
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Harvard Political Review Essay Competition – An  international essay contest for high school students organized by the Harvard  Political Review, inviting essays on political or public policy topics.  
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (often split by age group)  internationally
  • Deadline: March
  • Recurrence: Annual

Math Competitions

• Advantage Testing  Foundation/Jane Street Math Prize for Girls – The  Math Prize for Girls is the largest math competition for young women, held  at MIT, focusing on challenging math problems
  • Eligibility: High school girls (approximately 11th grade and below)  worldwide, by invitation (based on AMC scores).
  • Deadline: Qualifying through AMC/AIME; contest held in September.
  • Recurrence: Annual
• American  Mathematics Contest (AMC 10/12) – A national series of mathematics exams (AMC 8, 10, 12) that serve as the first step  toward the US Math Olympiad
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (AMC 8 for grade 8 and below;  AMC 10 for grade 10 and below; AMC 12 for grade 12 and below).
  • Dates: AMCs are offered in November and again in January each year
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Caribou Contests – A worldwide online math contest held throughout the school year  with multiple rounds, featuring puzzles and standard problems
  • Eligibility: Elementary through high school students (multiple age  categories) worldwide.
  • Dates: Six contest rounds per year (approx. one each in Oct, Nov, Jan,  Feb, Apr, May)
  • Recurrence: Ongoing throughout  the year.
• High School   Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM) – An international team contest where high school students have 36 hours to solve an open-ended real-world math modeling problem and write a report
  • Eligibility: High school students (teams of up to 4).
  • Timing: Contest window in November annually
  • Recurrence: Annual
• Math League International Summer Challenge – A math contest  held by Math League during the summer, involving international individual  or team competition on various math topics
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide.
  • Date: August (summer program/contest)
  • Recurrence: Annual (summer  event).
• Math League  International Summer Tournament/Math Camp – A summer tournament and camp organized by Math League, combining math contests with enrichment (often hosted abroad)
  • Eligibility: Middle school  students (for the camp/tournament mentioned) internationally.
  • Date: July
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Middle School  Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MidMCM) – A parallel to HiMCM, but for middle schoolers, involving a 36-hour math modeling problem for younger students
  • Eligibility: Middle school students (typically ages 13–14, teams of up to 4).      
  • Timing: Contest in November
  • Recurrence: Annual.

Multidisciplinary Competitions

• Academic  Decathlon – A rigorous ten-subject academic team  competition covering math, economics, art, music, language/lit, science, social science, speech, interview, and essay. Students compete as a team  representing their high school.
  • Eligibility: High school students in the U.S. (teams of 9 with GPA-based  divisions).
  • Timeline: Local and state contests throughout the year; U.S. national  finals in April.
  • Recurrence: Annual
• Interlochen  Review (Young Writers) – The Interlochen  Review is a literary journal that features work by high school writers  and artists (connected to Interlochen Arts Academy). The  competition/listing refers to opportunities to submit poetry, prose, or artwork for publication.
  • Eligibility: High school students (ages ~14–18).
  • Deadline: April (for annual issue)
  • Recurrence: Annual publication contest.
• New  York Times Coming of Age in 202X (Multimedia Contest: “Growing Up With     A.I.”) – A NY Times Learning Network contest where teens created multimedia narratives on the theme of  coming-of-age with technology (specifically A.I.)
  • Eligibility: Middle and high  school students.
  • Deadline: November (for the A.I. theme contest)
  • Recurrence: One-time theme (Coming of Age series; themes vary by year).
• Quill and Scroll Writing, Photo, and Multimedia Contest – A broad annual contest by Quill and Scroll for high school journalists, covering categories in writing, visual (photo/cartoon), and multimedia  (blog, podcast, video, etc.)
  • Eligibility: High school students (often those in school media or journalism programs).
  • Deadline: February
  • Recurrence: Annual
• River  of Words Poetry and Art Contest – An  international contest (associated with the Library of Congress) where students create poetry and art about the environment (watersheds)
  • Eligibility: Students ages 5–19  worldwide, in grade categories.
  • Deadline: Typically December 1 (annual
  • Recurrence: Annua
• Social  Justice Awards – A youth competition encouraging creative works (essays, poetry, art, maybe video) on themes of social justice, equity, and activism.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students.
  • Deadline: September
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• YoungArts  National Arts Competition – A prestigious national competition in the U.S. across multiple art disciplines (visual arts, writing, music, theater, etc.), administered by the National  YoungArts Foundation
  • Eligibility: Artists ages 15–18 (Grades 10–12) in the U.S.
  • Deadline: October (annually)
  • Recurrence: Annual (winners participate in National YoungArts Week).

Science Competitions

• Annual  DNA Day Essay Contest – An international essay contest run by the American Society of Human Genetics to commemorate DNA  Day, where students write about genetics topics
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: Early March (around National DNA Day, April 25)
  • Recurrence: Annual (around DNA Day).
• HOSA –  Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference – HOSA’s annual competition where students in health science  programs compete in events like medical terminology, biomedical debate,  etc.
  • Eligibility: Middle, secondary and postsecondary HOSA members (Grades 6–12  and college).
  • Timing: HOSA ILC held in June; preliminary competitions vary (state competitions in spring)
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• International  Brain Bee – A neuroscience Q&A competition  for high school students around the world, testing knowledge of the brain
  • Students  win at national Brain Bee contests to attend the International Brain Bee.      
  • ‍Eligibility: High school students (ages ~14–18).
  • Timing: Local/national bees often run in winter/spring, international  championships often in the fall.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) Competition – An international eco-journalism contest where students create an article,  photo, or video about an environmental issue
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (11–18 years) worldwide.
  • ‍Deadline: March (for national submissions, which then go to international judging
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Regeneron   ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair)- The world's largest pre-college science competition where students  present independent research across STEM fields.
  • Eligibility: High school students who advance from affiliated local and regional  fairs.
  • Timing:  Finals held in May each year
  • Recurrence:  Annual
• Regeneron STS (Science Talent Search) - The nation's oldest and most prestigious U.S. science research competition for high school  seniors.
  • Eligibility:  U.S. high school seniors conducting original research.
  • Deadline: Typically November.
  • Recurrence:  Annual.
• International  Science Olympiad Series (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, Informatics,  etc.) - Prestigious global contests where  national teams represent their countries after several qualifying rounds.
  • Examples:
    • International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)
    • International  Biology Olympiad (IBO)
    • International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO)
    • International  Mathematical Olympiad (IMO)
    • International  Olympiad in Informatics (IOI)
  • Eligibility: High school students who qualify through national Olympiad programs (like USABO, USNCO, USAMO, USACO, etc.).
  • Date: National qualifying exams are usually held between January  and April, depending on the subject and country. The international  Olympiad finals take place in July each year, hosted by a different country.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) -  Research-based competition sponsored by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force  where students present original research.
  • Eligibility: High school students in the U.S. and DoDEA schools.
  • Timing:  Regional events January-March; National Symposium in April.
  • Recurrence:  Annual

Public Speaking Competitions

• American  Debate League – A U.S. organization that runs debate tournaments and public speaking events for middle and high school     students
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students in participating regions (primarily New York/New Jersey).
  • Timeline: Tournaments throughout the school year; annual championship  varies.
  • Recurrence: Ongoing (local leagues each year).
• Harvard   National Middle and High School Invitational Forensics Tournament – One of the largest U.S. speech and debate tournaments, held at  Harvard University, featuring events in speech (original oratory,  interpretation) and debate.
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (tournament divisions)  internationally.
  • Timing: Held every February at Harvard
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National  Speech and Debate Tournament (NSDA Nationals) –  The U.S. national championship tournament for high school speech and  debate, organized by the National Speech & Debate Association
  • Eligibility: High school students who qualify through district tournaments.
  • Timing: June each year
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• New  York Times Student Podcast Contest (Audio Stories) – A contest where students create a short original podcast on a  topic of their choice for The New York Times Learning Network
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students (ages 13–19).
  • Deadline: May (typically)
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• The  Cosmos Championship – An international  English-language debating competition (notably associated with the World Scholars Cup community) where students debate global issues in teams.
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: Varies (multi-stage competition)
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• The  World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) – The global championship for high school debate, using World Schools style,  where national teams debate each other
  • Eligibility: High school students selected for national debate teams  (approximately ages 14–19).
  • Timing: Held annually (host country varies, usually July/August
  • ‍Recurrence: Annual‍
• World  Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC) – A global English public speaking tournament where high school  students compete in multiple speaking events (persuasive speaking, interpretive reading, debate, etc.) ‍
  
  • Eligibility: High school students (typically through member  schools/countries). ‍
  • Timing: Held each spring (April).‍
  • Recurrence: Annual‍
• World  Scholar’s Cup (WSC) – A worldwide team academic competition with events in debate, collaborative writing, and quizzes  across multiple subjects, culminating in a “Tournament of Champions” at Yale.‍
  
  • Eligibility: Students ages ~11–18 (Junior and Senior divisions). ‍
  • Timing: Regional rounds throughout the year; Global Rounds in summer;  Tournament of Champions in November.
  • ‍Recurrence: Annual (multi-round).

Social Science Competitions

• International  Psychology Olympiad (IPsyO) – An international competition on psychology knowledge and research, where high school students take exams and present on psychology topics (similar in spirit to a science olympiad)
  • Eligibility: High school students worldwide (often through national  Psychology Olympiads).
  • Timing: Summer (July) for international round
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• Scholar of Tomorrow Essay Competition – A global essay  contest that invites middle and high school students to propose innovative  solutions or ideas for future global challenges (often interdisciplinary)
  • Eligibility: Middle and high school students worldwide.
  • Deadline: September.
  • Recurrence: Annual

World Language Competitions

• International  Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) – A prestigious global  competition where secondary students solve linguistics puzzles and problems in various languages.
  • Eligibility: High school students (team representatives from each country’s  linguistic Olympiad; typically Ages 14–18).
  • Timing: Held each year in July/August.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National  French Contest (Le Grand Concours) – A national  French language examination/contest administered by the American  Association of Teachers of French, testing students’ French skills.
  • Eligibility: U.S. students of French in grades 1–12 (different levels).
  • Timing: Annually in March.
  • Recurrence: Annual.
• National  Spanish Exam (NSE) – A national Spanish language  proficiency contest/assessment for U.S. middle and high school students
  • Eligibility: U.S. students in grades 6–12 studying Spanish (various levels).
  • Timing: Administered in late winter (February)
  • Recurrence: Annual.

Each of these competitions is recurring (most are held annually, some multiple times a year). Note that current open status can depend on the time of year – for example, many academic competitions open registrations in the fall and have deadlines in winter or spring. Always check the official competition website for the most up-to-date details and deadlines, as they can change from year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the best student competitions for high school in 2025?

Some of the best high school competitions in2025 include the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), Regeneron ISEF, International Science Olympiads (IPhO, IBO, IChO, IMO, IOI), National History Day, YoungArts, John Locke Essay Competition, and the Wharton Global HighSchool Investment Competition. These are internationally recognized and offer strong academic enrichment and scholarship potential.

When do student competition deadlines usually fall?

Most student competition deadlines fall between December and March each academic year. Essay contests and Olympiad qualifying exams tend to open in the fall, while research fairs and final rounds (like ISEF or international Olympiads) take place in spring or summer. Always verify exact dates on each competition’s official website.

How do I qualify for international science Olympiads (IPhO, IBO, IChO, IOI, IMO)?

To qualify, students must advance through their national Olympiad programs. For example, U.S. students compete in exams like F=ma → USAPhO → IPhO, USABO → IBO, USNCO → IChO, USAMO → IMO, or USACO → IOI. National exams are usually held January–April, with international finals in July or August.

Which writing contests offer scholarships for high school students?

Several writing competitions provide scholarships or cash awards, including the Bennington College Young Writers Awards, Ayn Rand InstituteEssay Contest, JohnLocke Essay Competition, ScholasticArt & Writing Awards, and the Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize.Many university-sponsored contests also offer tuition credit or publication opportunities.

Are there student competitions open to middle schoolers?

Yes. Middle schoolers can enter contests such as the It’s All Write! TeenWriting Contest, EngineerGirlWriting Contest, NationalHistory Day (Junior Division), National Mythology Exam, Math League, and Science Olympiad (Division B).Many contests have junior divisions or separate categories for grades 6–8.

Where can I find official rules and dates for each competition?

Each competition’s official website lists updated rules, eligibility, and deadlines. This guide links directly to verified official pages where available. Because dates may shift yearly, always confirm the most current information on the official site before registering.

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