10 Online Competitions for High School Students
Participating in competitions as a high school student not only enhances your extracurricular profile but also significantly improves your chances for college scholarships and opens pathways to research careers.
When looking for the right remote competition for you, it is important to consider a wide range of factors like credibility, cost, networking opportunities, recognition, and judging criteria. All of these should contribute towards strengthening your academic profile ahead of college applications.
In this blog, we’ve curated 15 remote competitions perfect for ambitious high school students. Our list encompasses a variety of subjects, from chemistry to poetry, ensuring there's something for everyone!
Eligibility: Open to all US high school students.
Application Deadline: November 10, 2023 (school registration).
Competition Dates:
February 1, 2024 - Online Open Exam (OE),
April 4, 2024 - Semifinal Exam,
May 24, 2024 - National Finals Begin,
July 7 to 14, 2024 - International Biology Olympiad (Astana, Kazakhstan).
Other important dates are available here.
Cost: No cost for students if the school registers for USABO 2024. National exam transportation is the student’s responsibility. Students must pay country visa costs for the country in which the IBO will be held. Room and board are available for both in-person exams. Financial aid is available.
Prizes: Medals, awards.
Location: Virtual for open exams and semi-finals. National finals are in person at a host university. The International Biology Olympiad is in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 7–14, 2024.
The USA Biolympiad presents an exciting and rigorous challenge for those passionate about biology, drawing in over 10,000 participants each year. Contestants engage in various activities and quizzes spanning multiple biological topics, progressing through two timed online exam rounds.
The top 20 finalists receive advanced training at Marymount University, and four of these finalists go on to represent the USA at the International Biology Olympiad in Kazakhstan.
2. American Computer Science League (ACSL)
Eligibility: Elementary, middle, or high school students can apply. Please ensure your school has registered for the competition.
Application Deadline: December 31, 2023
Competition Dates:
Contest 1: November 1, 2023 to January 14, 2024
Contest 2: January 2, 2024 to March 3, 2024
Contest 3: February 5, 2024 to April 7, 2024
Contest 4: March 11, 2024 to May 12, 2024
Prizes: Prizes (undisclosed) and certificates
Cost: Registration cost for the first team in a Division is $150 ($100 for the Elementary Division), while additional teams in a Division are $75 each ($50 each for the Elementary Division). Each team is allowed a maximum of 12 students.
Location: Virtual
The American Computer Science League (ACSL) has been a prominent organizer of computer programming and science contests for K-12 schools worldwide for 46 years. In the last season, approximately 8,000 students from various regions participated in these competitions, including those from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
The ACSL season consists of four online contests that test fundamental computer science concepts, with topics ranging from Number Systems to Digital Electronics. Higher divisions also involve programming challenges in languages such as Python, C++, or Java. Check out our detailed guide here for a comprehensive overview of this competition.
Check out our complete guide to ACSL!
Eligibility: Open to all high school students worldwide. Visit the Doodle for Google website for submission details.
Application Deadline: March 21, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s deadlines).
Competition Dates: On a rolling basis.
Prizes: Win a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 technology package for your school, Google hardware, and a 24-hour feature of your artwork on Google’s homepage.
Cost: No cost
Location: Online
Doodle for Google is an art contest inviting participants to design a Google logo based on a yearly theme. You can use any art material to create your doodle and include a write-up explaining its meaning. The theme for 2024 was “My Wish for the Next 25 Years.” Entries are evaluated on creativity, originality, and how well the theme is communicated at both State and National levels.
The competition is highly competitive, with thousands of entries submitted each year. US states and territories vote for their favorite entries, resulting in 5 national finalists. A panel of Google employees then selects one national winner from these finalists.
Eligibility: High school students aged between 14 and 18 years at the time or at registration, including international students.
Application Deadline: 18 February 2025 (tentatively, based on the previous year’s deadlines).
Competition Dates: The 2024 competition has ended; register for the 2025 competition here.
Prizes: Cash prizes of $1000, $750, and $500, respectively, for the top three winners, and an additional $750 for a people’s choice award winner. Certificates for participants and awards for participating schools.
Cost: No cost
Location: Virtual
The Blue Ocean Competition is a prominent virtual pitch competition designed for high school students with an interest in entrepreneurship. This event has garnered over 2,293 participants from 135 countries worldwide.
Once registered, participants can engage with mentors and peers on a global scale, receiving valuable feedback, mentorship, and support through Q&A and brainstorming sessions. The competition culminates in a 5-minute pitch presentation, which can be delivered individually or as a team. Before joining the challenge, it is advisable to review the recommended resources.
5. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Eligibility: Student in grades 7–12, age 13 years or older as of the date of entry, and residing in the United States, U.S. territories or military bases, or Canada.
Application Deadline/ Submission Deadline: Deadlines vary by region and can be as early as December 1, 2024, until January 2025.
Prizes: Honorable Mentions, Silver or Gold Keys, or American Visions and Voices Medals at the regional level. National award winners attend the ceremony at Carnegie Hall, with sponsored monetary rewards and scholarship opportunities varying by genre and sponsor.
Cost: Entry fees of $10 per individual entry or $30 for a portfolio, with waivers available for eligible applicants.
Location: Virtual
This contest invites submissions across various genres, including critical essays and short stories, with participants advancing from regional to national levels. Regional competitions are hosted by local organizations, with winners competing nationally.
Open to U.S. students in grades 7 through 12, the entries are evaluated based on skill, originality, and the development of a personal voice or vision.
6. The Plant the Moon Challenge (PTMC)
Eligibility: High school students from all over the world can participate.
Application Deadline: Open from April to September.
Competition Dates: No specified final competition date; however, program materials are available from August 1, 2024.
Prizes: Best in Show Awards
Cost: Team registration fee of $405 covering up to 10 students and one kit. The cost of any supplemental materials used by teams is not covered.
Location: Virtual
In this innovative competition, teams engage in a global science experiment to investigate crop cultivation in simulated lunar or Martian soil conditions. Each team receives a 5kg bag of soil simulant, a pH meter, ten KN95 masks, ten pots, and access to the PTMC guide.
Teams, which can include up to 10 students, focus on applying the scientific method and design process over a 10-week period. They then submit their project reports, contributing valuable insights into sustainable food sources for space missions. All participants have the opportunity to attend a virtual symposium featuring NASA scientists.
7. United Nations World Wildlife Day Youth Art Contest
Eligibility: High school students from all over the world
Submission Deadline: February 6, 2025 (tentatively, based on the previous year’s deadlines).
Prizes: The winning entries were announced at the World Wildlife Day Event on March 3, 2024.
Cost: No cost
Location: Virtual
The UN World Wildlife Day Art Contest is a distinguished international competition for high school students passionate about wildlife conservation. Participants are invited to highlight a species that has prospered thanks to collaborative conservation efforts.
Artwork can depict the roles of local leaders, scientists, governments, or communities in preserving biodiversity. Submissions can be crafted using markers, crayons, colored pencils, and/or paint, offering a creative outlet to showcase the importance of wildlife protection.
Last year, the contest received over 1500 submissions from students from over 60 countries - this is an experience you should take advantage of.
8. Engineer Girl Annual Essay Contest
Eligibility: Elementary, middle school, and high school students can register.
Submission Deadline: February 1, 2025 (tentatively, based on the previous year’s deadlines.
Prizes: For each age group, first-place winners will be awarded $1,000, second-place entries will be awarded $750, and third-place entries will be awarded $500
Cost: No cost
Location: Virtual
EngineerGirl’s annual contest invites students to reflect on the role of engineering in everyday life. The 2024 Writing Contest challenges participants to delve into the lifecycle of a commonly used object. Submissions, which can be up to 1,200 words, may be written from either a first-person or third-person perspective and must highlight at least three engineering disciplines.
The contest will announce winners in the summer, and entries will be judged based on how well they present engineering concepts, the diversity of perspectives, and the overall quality of writing. You can find more details about the competition in this PDF.
9. World Historian Student Essay Competition
Eligibility: Students from kindergarten to grade 12 can participate.
Submission Deadline: May 1, 2025 (tentatively, based on the previous year’s deadlines).
Prizes: $500 prize to winners in addition to a one-year membership in the WHA.
Cost: No cost
Location: Virtual. Submissions can be via email or post.
The World Historian Student Essay Competition is open to students globally, from kindergarten to grade 12, whether they attend public, private, or parochial schools or are homeschooled. Participants must submit a 1000-word essay on one of the given topics, reflecting on its personal significance and connection to world history.
Essays will be evaluated based on a clear thesis supported by specific examples, critical thinking, effective organization, and the student's ability to convey a personal connection and transformative experience with world history studies.
10. Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers
Eligibility: Must be high school sophomores and juniors.
Submission Deadline: The deadline for the 2024 submissions was November 30, 2023. Check back for 2025 dates.
Prizes: Winning and runners-up poems will be published in The Kenyon Review, and the winner will receive a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop.
Cost: No cost
Location: Virtual
The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize, presented by The Kenyon Review, is an esteemed competition designed specifically for high school sophomores and juniors worldwide. The contest emphasizes the importance of fostering young talent and nurturing the creative voices of the future, giving students a rare chance to have their poetry read and appreciated by a wider audience.
Winners of the Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize receive several notable benefits, including publication of their poem in The Kenyon Review, which can serve as a major boost to their writing credentials and confidence.
You can check out past winners from the competition here.
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Image Source - ACSL Logo