8 Entrepreneurship Competitions for High School Students in 2024
Entrepreneurship is a major focus in today's world. As a high school student, engaging in entrepreneurship competitions that attract global talent offers valuable exposure. Winning these contests can significantly enhance your college applications by signaling your academic caliber and problem-solving abilities.
In this blog, we'll explore 8 of the most prestigious entrepreneurship competitions available to high school students. Highlighting your achievements in these competitions, alongside a strong academic profile and passion projects, can be a crucial step toward gaining admission to your dream school.
Location: Conferences vary in location (different cities around the US)
Eligibility: All high schools are eligible to join their schools’ chapters
Cost: Fees vary per conference
Application deadline: November 15, 2024
Contest dates: Varies with most conferences in April
Prizes:
If you are a high school student interested in business, DECA competitions offer a valuable opportunity to enhance your skills. These competitions align with National Curriculum Standards in key career clusters such as marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism. For newcomers, the Principles of Business Administration Events provide a platform to present basic business concepts in a competitive environment. As you advance, Individual Series Events challenge you to address complex business scenarios through role-plays in specialized career areas, enabling you to apply your theoretical knowledge practically.
If you prefer working in a team, Team Decision Making Events allow you to partner with someone to analyze and solve case studies pertinent to your career interests. For those interested in research, the Business Operations Research Events encourage you to design, conduct, and present findings on various annual topics. Additionally, Project Management Events require you to demonstrate comprehensive project management skills from initiation to closure, either individually or as part of a team - there’s a competition for everyone!
2. Wharton Global High School Investment Competition
Location: Virtual pitching rounds with a final presentation at the UPenn
Eligibility: Domestic and International high school students
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: Open from June 17 through September 13, 2024
Competition dates: September 2024 to April 2025
Prize: Certificates, a complimentary spot in the Wharton Online Summer Program for winning teams
The Wharton School of Business at UPenn is recognized as one of the top business schools globally. Participating in the annual Wharton Global High School Investment Competition offers a unique opportunity to engage with teams worldwide, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and enhancing your finance skills. The competition is free to enter and spans 10 weeks, providing an intensive course on investing, business analysis, pitch creation, and portfolio management.
You will compete in a team of 4-7 students from your school, submitting two deliverables for consideration in the semifinal round. The top 10 teams advance to the Global Finale, where they pitch their investment ideas at Wharton.
Explore the available free learning resources and review case studies from previous years to get a sense of what to expect and how to prepare.
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students aged between 14 and 18 years at the time or at registration, including international students.
Cost: Not specified
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.
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.
4. Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Students aged 14-19. If you reside in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, or Turkey, you will need to contact GYEC's partner organization(s) to submit your application.
Cost: 10,000 yen per team
Application deadline: March 21, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Competition dates: April 13 to May 25, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Prize: Certificates, trophies, and awards
The Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (GYEC) is an annual virtual startup competition designed to enhance entrepreneurial skills, aptitude, and enterprise exposure for students aged 14-19. This 12-hour event challenges participants to develop actionable and innovative solutions to global problems.
Working in teams of up to 8 students, participants are required to submit their final pitches by the end of the competition period. A foundational knowledge in areas such as science, technology, marketing, and business communication is beneficial for this competition.
Check out the winners of the 2022 Challenge here for inspiration and insight into successful pitches!
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology, NY
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to participate
Cost: There is a $50 application fee plus a $425 participation fee per participant. .
Application deadline: Applications typically close in March. The participant registration deadline is usually in May.
Competition dates: The finals will be held June 10 to 14, 2025 (tentatively, based on the previous year’s dates).
Prizes: Different prizes are awarded across the available competition categories.
This prestigious Olympiad includes a business category within its broader focus on environmental solutions. Participants can enter in one of two categories: social responsibility or entrepreneurship.
You are tasked with developing a new product or technology aimed at reducing human environmental impact. Alternatively, you can propose enhancements to existing products or technologies to make them more eco-friendly or sustainable. This challenge requires a blend of science, engineering, and business acumen. Additionally, your proposed solution must be accompanied by a comprehensive business plan and a go-to-market strategy.
Check out our blog for detailed tips on how to win the Genius Olympiad!
6. CONRAD Spirit of Innovation
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18, in teams of 2-5 students
Cost: $499, waiver available
Application deadline: March 1, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Competition dates: April 23 to 27, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Prize: Certificates, the "Pete Conrad Scholar" award, scholarships to universities, as well as discounted access to professional services for the winning team
The CONRAD Spirit of Innovation Challenge calls on students worldwide to tackle complex global issues by developing innovative, comprehensive solutions. Participants can select from various fields for the three competition rounds: Aerospace & Aviation, Cyber-Technology & Security, Energy & Environment, the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Health & Nutrition, and Oceans: The Plastic Problem.
This challenge immerses you in a global community of aspiring entrepreneurs, providing an excellent platform to enhance your skills in business analysis, presentation, design thinking, and ideation. The competition has a history of producing groundbreaking solutions in areas like CyberTech, aerospace, and environmental sustainability, all crafted by talented students like you.
7. Cooper Hewitt Design Competition
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Students aged 13-19 can register individually or in teams of up to 3 students
Cost: No cost
Application deadline: Applications close in February (tentatively, based on previous years)
Competition dates: April to June (tentatively, based on previous years)
Prize: Certificates, a gift package worth $500 from SHOP Cooper Hewitt, and a Family membership to Cooper Hewitt.
This competition emphasizes using design thinking to address real-world issues, effectively functioning as a research-based entrepreneurial challenge. Upon registration, participants receive guidance on employing data visualization to communicate and tackle real-world problems. Submissions can incorporate both secondary and primary data and are evaluated through a two-stage screening process. Finalists benefit from mentorship by leading figures in data design and present their projects virtually during the Virtual Judging Weekend at Cooper Hewitt.
Entries are assessed based on innovation, impact, relevance, and communication. For those interested in careers in data design, data analysis, or data science, participating in this competition offers valuable experience, significantly enhancing a college application.
Location: Virtual pitching rounds with a final presentation at the University of Delaware
Eligibility: Students between the ages of 14-18 can participate in teams of 2-4 people
Cost: Not specified
Application deadline: Applications are due in January
Competition dates: April 25 to 27, 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Prize: Certificates, cash prizes of up to $100,000
The Diamond Challenge, organized by the University of Delaware, provides a platform for students to develop, lead, and pitch their entrepreneurial ideas. Participants can choose to present concepts in either business innovation or social innovation categories.
The competition spans five rounds: an initial submission round, a pitch round, two semi-final rounds, and a final round. For inspiration, you can check out some of the business ideas that reached the semifinals in 2022.
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI is founded by Harvard graduate students. Through the programs, you get a chance to 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 AI & ML with us. You can apply here!
AI + Finance: Veritas AI is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the AI + Finance program, students gain a deeper understanding of AI applications in the financial field. They get a chance to engage in lectures, code walkthroughs, and real-world projects using AI & ML models to predict future financial patterns using past data, forecasting stock prices, and more. Here is the program brochure and the application form
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!
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