Resource · Updated for 2026-27
Competitions calendar for high school students.
The list we choose from in sessions, by usual deadline. Selectivity is our judgement from past cycles; deadlines shift by a few days each year, so confirm on the organiser's page before planning around one. How we coach entries.
44 of 44 competitions
| Competition | Usual deadline | Category | Selectivity | Eligibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Challenge Entrepreneurship · Impact | Jan16 January | Business | Medium | Ages 14 to 18, teams of 2 to 4 | Business or social innovation track; summit in May. |
| Harvard International Review Academic Writing Contest International relations · Economics | JanRolling; early January round | Policy | High | High school, worldwide | International affairs essay; strong signal for IR and economics pillars. |
| MIT THINK Scholars STEM | Jan1 January | STEM | High | US residents | Project proposal with funding; US only. |
| National WWII Museum Essay Contest History | Jan1 January | Essay | Medium | US residents, high school | History essay; US only. |
| Non-Trivial Fellowship Research · Impact | Jan12 January | Research | Medium | Ages 14 to 20 | Funded research fellowship, USD 2,000 to 10,000; broad topics. |
| Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Writing · Arts | JanRegional deadlines December to January; international by early January | Writing | Medium | Grades 7 to 12 | Multiple categories; Gold Key is a strong signal. |
| Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition Entrepreneurship | Feb16 February | Business | Open | Ages 14 to 18 | Free; five-minute video pitch of a blue-ocean idea. Good first entrepreneurship credential. |
| Iowa Young Writers' Studio Writing | Feb4 February | Writing | Medium | Grades 10 to 12 | Summer program by application; writing sample decides. |
| The Concord Review History · Research | FebRolling; 1 February for summer issue | Essay | High | High school, worldwide | History research essay of 5,000 to 8,000 words; roughly 5 percent accepted. The most respected high-school humanities publication. |
| Columbia Law School High School Essay Contest Law | Mar1 March | Essay | Medium | High school | Law essay. |
| GENIUS Olympiad STEM · Impact | Mar1 March | STEM | Medium | High school, worldwide | Environment-themed projects across science, art, business, robotics, music, film, coding; finals at RIT in June. |
| Global Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Entrepreneurship | Mar21 March | Business | Open | Teams of 3 to 8, same country | Twelve-hour online challenge. |
| High School Academic Research Competition (SARC) Research | Apr17 April | Research | Medium | Ages 13 to 18 | Any topic; paper submission. |
| HPAIR Youth Leadership Summit Leadership · International relations | Apr10 April | Community | Medium | High school | Harvard-affiliated summit; application essays. |
| International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition STEM | Apr26 April | STEM | Medium | Junior, youth and senior categories | Online rounds. |
| International Children's Peace Prize Impact | Apr1 April | Community | High | Under 18 | Nomination-based; requires a substantial, sustained initiative. |
| Royal Institute of Philosophy Think Essay Prize Philosophy | Apr22 April | Essay | Medium | Under 18 | Up to 1,200 words on a set philosophy question. |
| World Science Scholars Maths · STEM | Apr13 April | Maths | High | Ages 14 to 18 with exceptional maths | Selective year-long program. |
| Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition Essay · Research | May10 May | Essay | Medium | High school, worldwide | Themed prompts on ethics, technology, economics, public health; run by CCIR. |
| John Locke Institute Essay Competition Essay · Economics · Philosophy · Law | May31 May (register by 31 March; late registration to 30 April) | Essay | High | Ages 18 and under; junior prize for under 15 | Up to 2,000 words across ten categories including philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology and law. Free entry. Tens of thousands of entries; commendations are meaningful. Our students have earned multiple Very High Commendations. 2026 schedule; confirm 2027 dates on the institute site. |
| Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition Writing | May15 May | Essay | Medium | Commonwealth citizens under 18 | The oldest international schools' writing competition. |
| Technothlon (IIT Guwahati) STEM · Maths | MayPrelims in July; registration by May | STEM | Medium | Classes 9 to 12, India | Logic and reasoning olympiad; mains in September. |
| Ashoka Young Changemakers Impact | Jun30 June (varies by country) | Community | High | Ages 12 to 20 with a running initiative | Selection into a global network; needs a sustained, team-led social venture. |
| Breakthrough Junior Challenge STEM | JunEarly June | STEM | Medium | Ages 13 to 18 | Explain a scientific concept in a video under three minutes; USD 250,000 scholarship for the winner. |
| New York Times Summer Reading Contest Writing | JunWeekly, June to August | Writing | Open | Ages 13 to 19 | Short weekly responses; winners published. A low-cost writing credential. |
| S.T. Yau High School Science Award (Asia) Research · STEM | JunRegistration by 12 June | Research | High | Secondary students in Asia | Research-based; maths, physics, chemistry, biology, computing, economics. |
| Diana Award Impact | Aug30 August (nominations) | Community | Medium | Ages 9 to 25, nominated | Recognises sustained social action; nomination by an adult who knows the work. |
| Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Ignited Mind Award Impact · STEM | Aug31 August | Community | Medium | Under 19, India | Grassroots social innovation. |
| R.A. Butler Politics Prize (Trinity College, Cambridge) Politics | Aug1 August | Essay | High | Year 12 / Grade 11 equivalent | 3,000-word politics essay. |
| Ayn Rand Institute Anthem Essay Contest Essay | SepEarly September | Essay | Open | Grades 8 to 12 | Book-based essay; cash prizes. |
| Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar Impact | Sep15 September | Community | High | Under 18, India | National award for exceptional achievement; nomination. |
| Wharton Global High School Investment Competition Finance · Economics | SepRegistration mid-September | Business | Medium | Grades 9 to 12, teams | Ten-week simulated investing with a written strategy; finals at Wharton. |
| INSEF National Fair STEM · Research | Oct20 October | STEM | Medium | Classes 5 to 12, India | Indian Science and Engineering Fair; pathway toward ISEF. |
| INSPIRE MANAK (DST) STEM | Oct15 October | STEM | Medium | Classes 6 to 10, school-nominated | Five nominations per school; leads to district and national exhibitions. |
| IRIS National Fair STEM · Research | Oct30 October | STEM | High | Classes 5 to 12, India | Selects Team India for Regeneron ISEF. |
| Regeneron ISEF (via IRIS / INSEF) STEM · Research | OctThrough national fairs in October | Research | High | Grades 9 to 12 | The most recognised STEM research competition; Indian entry via affiliated fairs. |
| Bennington Young Writers Awards Writing | Nov1 November | Writing | Medium | Grades 10 to 12 | Poetry, fiction, nonfiction; teacher sponsor. |
| Conrad Challenge Entrepreneurship · STEM | Nov3 November | Business | Medium | Ages 13 to 18, teams | Innovation with a business plan; teacher recommendation required. |
| National Youth Award (Ministry of Youth Affairs) Impact | NovMid-November | Community | High | Ages 15 to 29, India | National service award. |
| Tata Young Innovators Challenge STEM · Entrepreneurship | Nov15 November | STEM | Medium | School students, India | Innovation challenge. |
| World Robot Olympiad STEM | NovNational rounds by November | STEM | Medium | Ages 8 to 19, teams | Robotics. |
| Ayn Rand Institute Fountainhead Essay Contest Essay | Dec20 December | Essay | Open | Grades 11 to 12 | Book-based essay; cash prizes. |
| International Youth Math Challenge Maths | Dec15 December | Maths | Medium | Ages 12 to 19 | Online qualification and final rounds. |
| Kemper Human Rights Essay Contest Law · International relations | Dec10 December | Essay | Medium | High school | International human rights essay. |
Publishing research
Journals that publish high-school papers
Cost, acceptance rate and what each is good for. Free and selective beats paid and fast, if the paper can stand it.
| Journal | Cost | Acceptance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journal of Emerging Investigators | USD 35 (waivers) | 70 to 75 percent | Hypothesis-driven STEM; long peer review; respected. |
| International Journal of High School Research | USD 200 | 20 to 30 percent | Peer reviewed; needs reviewers; widely recognised. |
| STEM Fellowship Journal | USD 400 | 5 to 10 percent | Very selective; slow. |
| Journal of Student Research | USD 50 plus 200 | 70 to 80 percent | Quarterly; solid backup. |
| National High School Journal of Science | USD 250 | 60 to 70 percent | Fast decision. |
| Curieux Academic Journal | USD 150 | 60 to 70 percent | Quick, high acceptance. |
| Journal of High School Science | Free | About 20 percent | Free and selective. |
| Stanford Intersect | Free | Under 5 percent | Science, technology and society; interdisciplinary. |
| Young Scientist Journal | Free | 10 to 15 percent | Top-quality STEM; annual. |
| The Concord Review | USD 150 | About 5 percent | History only; the gold standard. |
Research mentorship at Plinth: topic to journal in ten to fourteen weeks.
Questions
About competitions
How many competitions should a high school student enter?
Two or three a year, chosen inside the student's pillars and spread across the calendar. One strong result matters more than a page of participation certificates, and every entry should also produce a piece of work that can go on the application even if it does not win.
Which competitions do US and UK admissions officers actually recognise?
For writing: John Locke, the Concord Review, Harvard International Review and Scholastic. For STEM: ISEF and its national feeders (IRIS, INSEF in India), Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and the olympiads. For business: Wharton's investment competition, Diamond Challenge, Conrad. For impact: the Diana Award and Ashoka Young Changemakers. Recognition depends on fit with the intended course more than on the name.
Are paid competitions worth it?
Usually not if the entry fee is the only barrier. Selectivity is what makes a result meaningful. Most competitions on this list are free or charge a nominal fee; the paid items are journals, which are a different decision.
When should a student start entering competitions?
Grade 9 or 10 for the first attempt, which will probably not win and is still worth doing. The result that matters usually comes in Grade 11, after two or three earlier entries taught the student what winning work looks like.
Which three of these fit your child?
That is a diagnosis question. Send the transcript and activity list; the written review names them.