As you start preparing for a future career in science, boosting your profile by participating in competitions can help you stand out in the college admissions process. These competitions will challenge your academic and practical knowledge and demonstrate your commitment and drive to prospective colleges. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to collaborate effectively with other students through team-based challenges. 

If you’re interested in space exploration and related research topics, then we recommend you consider challenges and competitions from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Events like these are a great way to test your skills against your peers — placing in such a competition would enrich your college profile and even ensure that NASA notices you!

Below are five competitions by NASA that you can consider, some offered in the summer and others during the school year. Many of these competitions have a virtual component, though some offer an in-person experience to successful applicants!

1. NASA Student Launch Challenge

Location: Huntsville, Alabama

Cost: None

Application Deadline: TBD

Competition Dates: April 30-May 4, 2025

Eligibility: Open to U.S students grades 6 and above

The NASA Student Launch Challenge is a nine-month competition that invites students (in teams) to enhance their rocketry science and engineering skills. Teams are asked to design, build, test, and launch a high-powered rocket carrying a scientific or engineering payload. Then, selected teams will be invited to the special Launch Event at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, where students can put their rockets into action. 

Given that students of many educational backgrounds can participate in the competition, the Student Launch Challenge is a wonderful opportunity to meet and learn from students with similar academic interests from around the country. The competition organizers also offer a very detailed handbook with answers to frequently asked questions, which will be made available online in the coming months. 

2. NASA International Space Apps Challenge (Space Apps)

Location: Virtual

Cost: None

Application Deadline: Applications open from July 18th and will remain open till October 6, 2024

Competition Dates: October 5-6, 2024

Eligibility: Anyone around the world is eligible to participate. Participants under 18 must be registered by a parent or guardian. 

Since 2012, the NASA Space Apps Challenge is an annual hackathon-style competition worldwide. It’s fairly prestigious and quite competitive — it is the largest annual hackathon in the world and has seen participation from 185+ countries in its 12-year history. Challenges in this competition typically cover topics in space science, technology, arts and humanities.  

Participants tackle challenges using data available from NASA’s Open Data Portal, which holds publicly available code, datasets, and APIs. Participants are usually required to develop innovative solutions to challenges both on Earth and in space. NASA’s prize categories include local impact, global connection, best mission concept, galactic impact, best use of science, art & technology, best use of technology, most inspirational, best use of data, and best use of storytelling.

3. NASA App Development Challenge (ADC)

Location: Virtual, but finalists invited to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Cost: None

Application Deadline: Registration Opens August 14, 2024, with the submission deadline being December 11, 2024 

Competition Dates: April 14-17, 2025

Eligibility: All high school and middle school students in the U.S. in teams of at least 5 students and 1 Lead Teacher. Students must be U.S. citizens. 

The ADC is a team-based competition that challenges students to utilize coding to contribute to deep space exploration missions. It is part of the prestigious NASA Artemis Student Challenges. By participating in ADC, students have ten weeks to submit a video highlighting their developed app according to the prompt given to participants for that cycle. 

Teams selected as finalists will present the app in real time through an interview with professional space experts working at NASA. In the month of April following the submission period, the top teams have a unique opportunity to visit a NASA center, with most expenses covered. Do note that each team must be approved by their educational institution/ school with an assigned Lead Teacher and a letter of support from their principal or an administrator. 

4. NASA Aeronautics “Dream With Us!” Design Challenge

Location: Virtual

Cost: None

Application Deadline: April 2025

Competition Dates: Submissions are accepted from March through the end of April. The ceremony for award winners is virtual and in May. 

Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades 6-12 and aged 13-18 attending public, private, and parochial home schools in the United States. 

The Design Challenge asks students to develop creative solutions to pressing problems utilizing aerospace technology. This past year, the challenge topic focused on natural disasters and how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) mitigate their disastrous effects. In teams of up to four people, students must build a presentation explaining their solution and outlining a method to teach others about it. Professionals from NASA judge the presentations to select who the winning teams are. 

The winning teams are then featured on NASA’s media sites, including their social media platforms. Submissions will be evaluated based on impact, originality, practicality, and the successful communication of their idea. For students new to this competition, don’t worry! NASA also offers a variety of resources to consult to make the process easier. 

5. NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge 

Location: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL

Cost: None

Application Deadline: TBD

Competition Dates: April 11-12, 2025

Eligibility: Open to U.S and International students in grades 6 and up

This is a great challenge for groups of students looking to challenge themselves in building a human-powered rover! The Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) is a team competition where students from across the globe compete to design and build a functional rover from start to finish. 

Submissions are scored not only based on the final product but also on the completion of timely design reviews and mission tasks. The competition offers an opportunity to strengthen interdisciplinary engineering, design, and collaboration skills.

Do note that this competition cannot be completed individually but must be done in teams of at least two, with at least one female student.

If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 

Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!

Image Source - NASA Logo