WOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training) vs DoW STEM Scholarships - SMART Scholarship
Comparing two highly competitive STEM opportunities. WOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training) is a enrichment while DoW STEM Scholarships - SMART Scholarship is a scholarship.
| WOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training) | DoW STEM Scholarships - SMART Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| Prestige Tier | Tier 2 — Highly Competitive | Tier 2 — Highly Competitive |
| Type | Enrichment | Scholarship |
| Organization | Art of Problem Solving | Department of Defense (DoD) |
| Acceptance Rate | No formal acceptance rate published; program appears to have open enrollment for qualified students | Approximately 8-18% depending on year; recent data shows ~600 awards annually from ~4,000-5,000 applicants |
| Applicants | Not publicly disclosed; AoPS serves over 1 million problem solvers globally | 2024-2025 cycle: estimated 4,000+ applicants; historically 2,000-2,655 per year |
| Deadline | Rolling | Rolling |
| Cost to Apply | $0 | Free |
| US Only | No / International | Yes |
| Grades | Grades 8-12 | Currently enrolled undergraduate, master's, or doctoral students (NOT high school students) |
| College Impact | WOOT and olympiad participation are viewed very favorably in college admissions to top-tier universities: MIT Admissions explicitly mentions that mathematically inclined students find AoPS an 'indispe... | SMART Scholarship is HIGHLY REGARDED in college admissions and professional circles. For undergraduates: Demonstrates exceptional STEM commitment and achievement; counts as major merit-based scholarsh... |