Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences vs Stanford Math Tournament (SMT) 2026

Comparing two elite STEM opportunities. Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences is a summer program while Stanford Math Tournament (SMT) 2026 is a competition.

Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation High School Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences Stanford Math Tournament (SMT) 2026
Prestige Tier Tier 1 — Elite Tier 2 — Highly Competitive
Type Summer Program Competition
Organization MD Anderson Cancer Center, School of Health Professions Stanford University
Acceptance Rate Approximately 5-10% based on estimated 60-120 applications for 6 spots (highly competitive but not as selective as top national programs like RSI or TASP) Approximately 10-13% based on ~800 participants selected from ~6,000-8,000 estimated applicants (extrapolated from tournament size and typical math competition application rates). School teams have higher acceptance rates than individuals.
Applicants Estimated 60-120 annually (exact numbers not disclosed by MD Anderson) Estimated 6,000-8,000 students apply nationally (exact figures not published)
Deadline Rolling Rolling
Award $7,200
Cost to Apply $0 $0
US Only No / International Yes
Grades High school seniors only (current seniors during spring semester before program start) High school students only (grades 9-12)
College Impact This program has SIGNIFICANT positive impact on college admissions, especially for students pursuing health professions. Admissions officers view it as: (1) Evidence of serious commitment to healthcar... Math competitions like SMT carry MODERATE TO STRONG college admissions weight, particularly for STEM-focused students. Impact includes: (1) DEMONSTRATES MATHEMATICAL PASSION: Shows genuine interest be...