WOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training) vs Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams

Comparing two highly competitive STEM opportunities. WOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training) is a enrichment while Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is a competition.

WOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training) Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
Prestige Tier Tier 2 — Highly Competitive Tier 2 — Highly Competitive
Type Enrichment Competition
Organization Art of Problem Solving Lemelson-MIT Program at MIT
Acceptance Rate No formal acceptance rate published; program appears to have open enrollment for qualified students Approximately 8-10% (based on 8 teams selected annually; suggests 80-100+ applications per year, though exact applicant count not publicly available)
Applicants Not publicly disclosed; AoPS serves over 1 million problem solvers globally Estimated 80-100+ schools apply annually (extrapolated from 8 selections)
Deadline Rolling Rolling
Award $7,000
Cost to Apply $0 Free
US Only No / International Yes
Grades Grades 8-12 High school students (9-12)
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... Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is viewed very favorably in college admissions, particularly for STEM programs. Selection as an InvenTeam demonstrates: (1) exceptional innovation and problem-solving ability; ...