Tier 2 (Highly Competitive) Opportunities
All Tier 2 (highly competitive) competitive opportunities for high school students.
79 opportunities found
Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesIdentifies and nurtures talented emerging screenwriters through fellowships. Scripts reviewed by Academy members.
Dell Scholars Program
Michael & Susan Dell FoundationScholarship and college completion program providing financial aid, academic advising, career coaching, and support services to help students earn deg...
Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award
From the Top and Jack Kent Cooke FoundationAnnual $10,000 scholarship for 20 outstanding young classical musicians demonstrating financial need to support advanced musical training.
Simons Summer Research Program
Simons FoundationSummer research program for high school students conducting original scientific research with faculty mentors.
Elite Contest Coaching for Canada's Top Math Students
Spirit of MathMerit-based competitive math program for Grades 3-12 students competing in national and international mathematics contests.
Acumen Poetry Magazine - Submissions
AcumenLiterary magazine publishing new poetry, translations, articles, and reviews. Open submissions for poets of all levels.
One Teen Story
One StoryFree writing contest for teen writers ages 13-19. Winners are edited, published, and paid for their work.
Canadian Computing Competition (CCC)
Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), University of WaterlooFun programming challenge for secondary school students with beginner to advanced skills. Participants solve 5 algorithmic problems in 3 hours.
YoungArts Creative Opportunities
YoungArtsPrograms for award winners to create, develop and present work through residencies, exhibitions, and performances.
WOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training)
Art of Problem Solving7-month online olympiad training program with former medalists for math, computer science, physics, and chemistry competitions.
Dr. Charis Eng Monell Science Apprenticeship Program
Monell Chemical Senses CenterEight-week paid summer research apprenticeship for high school students in biomedical science, with focus on underrepresented groups.
Zero Robotics High School Tournament
NASANational competition where high school students write code to direct autonomous satellites to divert a virtual comet from Earth's trajectory.
International Philosophy Olympiad
International Philosophy OlympiadTwo-stage online competition where high school students write essays and debate philosophical questions about ethics, knowledge, and existence.
Stanford Math Tournament (SMT) 2026
Stanford UniversityIn-person math competition inviting ~800 students from across the US to compete at Stanford, with an online option available.
WRO International Final
World Robotics Olympiad (WRO)International robotics competition for students integrating STEM, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
National Forensic League (NFL) - Partners & Competitions
National Forensic LeagueSpeech & debate honor society offering multiple national competitions including IPPF, American Legion oratory, and international WSDC debate formats w...
Scripps National Spelling Bee
Scripps NetworksPremier national spelling competition for middle and high school students showcasing vocabulary mastery and competitive excellence.
MLH Fellowship - Production Engineering Track
MLH (Major League Hacking)12-week remote internship alternative focused on Production Engineering/SRE and DevOps skills for aspiring technologists.
MLH Fellowship
Major League Hacking (MLH)12-week remote internship alternative where participants earn a stipend and collaborate on open source projects with peers and engineers from top comp...
MLH Fellowship - Software Engineering Track
Major League Hacking (MLH)12-week remote internship alternative for aspiring software engineers to work on real projects with tech company partners.
Regeneron ISEF Awards
Society for ScienceOver $7 million in awards, prizes and scholarships for 9th-12th grade finalists competing at Regeneron ISEF science competition.
Cooke Young Scholars Program
Jack Kent Cooke FoundationSelective five-year pre-college scholarship for 7th grade students with financial need, including academic support and summer programs.
National College Match
QuestBridgeFree application for full four-year scholarships to 55 top colleges for high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds.
SMART Scholarship Program
Department of War (DoW)Full scholarship for STEM students to pursue higher education and careers with the Department of War, including support for complex research.
National Achievement® Scholarship Program
National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)Historic scholarship program for Black American high school students, transitioned to UNCF Achievement Capstone Program for college graduates in 2016.
QuestBridge
QuestBridgeConnects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with educational, career, and life opportunities through scholarships to top colleges.
DoW STEM Scholarships - SMART Scholarship
Department of Defense (DoD)STEM scholarship program supporting high-performing students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program and National College Match
QuestBridgeSupport for high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds applying to top colleges through mentoring, resources, and scholarship opportunities.
Aramco STEM Racing World Finals 2025
STEM RacingInternational STEM competition where high school teams design and race miniature cars, competing for world championship titles and awards.
Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics (YSPA) - Research Projects
Yale UniversityHigh school students conduct astrophysical research in teams using telescopes and remote observatories, analyzing data with Python to create scientifi...
QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program
QuestBridgeScholarships and resources for high-achieving low-income juniors to prepare for admission to top colleges.
Summer at Simons
Simons FoundationSummer internships at the Simons Foundation and Flatiron Institute in NYC for undergraduates and graduate students in computational science, mathemati...
Davidson Institute Gifted Programs
Davidson InstituteEducational programs for profoundly gifted middle and high school students, offering online courses, in-person academy, and scholarships.
Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Application
Jackie Robinson FoundationApplication portal for the Jackie Robinson Foundation scholarship program for high school students
Ron Brown Scholar Program
Ron Brown Scholar ProgramProvides $40,000 scholarships to African American high school seniors demonstrating academic excellence, leadership, and community service commitment.
Wolfram High School Summer Research Program
Wolfram ResearchIntensive 2.5-week project-based research program for high school students to advance programming, computational thinking, and AI skills under expert ...
PROMYS
Boston UniversitySix-week summer program for high school students to explore mathematics through number theory in a supportive community with peer mentors and research...
PRIMES: Program for Research in Mathematics, Engineering and Science for High School Students
MITFree year-long research program offering high school students mentoring in mathematics, applied mathematics, theoretical computer science, and computa...
Summer Science Program (SSP)
SSP InternationalImmersive summer program for high schoolers to learn science, conduct research, and experience college life at top universities.
The Congressional Award Gold Medal
The Congressional AwardU.S. Congress' highest honor for youth recognizing commitment to community service, personal development, physical fitness, and expeditions.
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
Lemelson-MIT Program at MITHigh school teams develop invention prototypes through hands-on STEM problem-solving and collaboration with community organizations.
Idyllwild Arts Academy
Idyllwild Arts AcademyInternationally acclaimed residential arts high school for grades 9-12 and postgraduate students with 8 art majors and professional instruction.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships
Jack Kent Cooke FoundationScholarship programs for outstanding students with financial need, providing financial assistance and academic support.
PROMYS - Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists
PROMYS6-week intensive summer program in mathematics for highly motivated high school students from the U.S. and around the world.
GEM Fellowship Program
GEM (Graduate Engineering and Management)Fellowship program providing full tuition, fees, and annual stipend for engineering and management students
Canada/USA Mathcamp
MathcampImmersive summer experience for mathematically talented students ages 13-18 from around the world.
Summer Science Program (SSP International)
SSP International, Inc.Five-week residential summer research experience in astrophysics, biochemistry, bacterial genomics, and synthetic chemistry for high school juniors.
Davidson Young Scholars
Davidson Institute for Talent DevelopmentFree program connecting profoundly gifted students with a supportive community and enrichment opportunities.
Wolfram Summer Research Institute
Wolfram ResearchSummer research program for students to develop original computational projects under mentorship from Stephen Wolfram and experts.
Cooke College Scholarship Program
Jack Kent Cooke FoundationUndergraduate scholarship for high-achieving high school seniors with financial need attending top four-year colleges and universities.
Mathcamp
MathcampResidential summer math program for high school students featuring advanced mathematics classes, problem-solving, and community-based learning.
Mathcamp Qualifying Quiz
MathcampA 5-10 problem qualifying quiz for Mathcamp summer program application, designed to assess mathematical thinking and problem-solving ability.
ICPC Asia Pacific Championship
ICPC FoundationPremier programming competition for university students in Asia-Pacific region, a gateway to ICPC World Finals.
Berkeley Lab Summer 2026 High School Programs
Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorySummer STEM internship and educational programs including quantum computing, data science, and research apprenticeships for high school students.
Summer Science Program (SSP) - University Partnerships
SSP InternationalImmersive residential summer research programs for high school students at partner universities, offering hands-on scientific experiences with leading...
Mathcamp 2026
Mathcamp34th summer mathematics camp at Champlain College in Burlington, VT for high school students
42nd Annual Science Olympiad National Tournament
Science Olympiad, University of Southern California (USC)The highest level of science competition for middle and high school teams across the nation, held at USC in Los Angeles.
Future Problem Solving International Conference
Future Problem SolvingInternational conference for Future Problem Solving participants to showcase solutions and compete at the global level.
YoungArts Programs
YoungArtsAward programs providing critical support for artists at every stage of their career development.
AcaResearch Pathway
TKEthics16-week independent research program for high school students with university professor mentorship, culminating in publishable research papers.
YoungArts Awards Competition
YoungArtsAnnual arts competition for high school students offering cash prizes between $250-$10,000 in 10 disciplines including music, dance, visual arts, thea...
Summer Science Program - Campus Living
Summer Science ProgramFive-week residential summer program for high school students featuring research, lectures, and community living on college campuses.
Student Research Fellows Internship
Lemelson-MITResearch internship focused on qualitative research methodologies, education challenges, and mentorship from MIT experts.
SSP International
SSP InternationalInternational summer program for high school students focusing on STEM and global engagement
Europe Women's Programming Contest 2026
ICPCIndividual algorithmic programming contest for women and non-binary students across Europe with online qualification and onsite finals.
CURE Program (Cancer Research Training Programs)
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer CenterHands-on cancer research training program with mentorship, scientific seminars, and professional development for high school students.
YoungArts
YoungArtsNational competition and awards program for emerging artists ages 15-18 across all art forms, offering recognition, validation, and career support.
Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service
The Obama Foundation and AirbnbTwo-year leadership and scholarship program supporting undergraduate students passionate about public service with financial aid, travel experiences, ...
National Science Olympiad 2026
Science OlympiadNational Science Olympiad tournament featuring competitions in STEM events across Division B and C at USC in Los Angeles.
ACS Chemistry Olympiad
American Chemical SocietyNational chemistry competition for high school students testing knowledge and problem-solving skills in chemistry.
National Arts Competition - YoungArts
YoungArtsNational arts competition supporting young artists ages 15-18 across 10 disciplines with lifetime mentorship and networking.
From the Top Fellowship Application
From the TopApplication guide for From the Top Fellowship for young musicians including soloists, small ensembles, and large ensemble directors.
Chemistry REU at Colorado State
Colorado State UniversityResearch experience program in chemistry involving synthesis, characterization, computational modeling, and device performance assessments.
AwesomeMath Summer Program (AMSP)
AwesomeMathIntensive three-week online advanced mathematics training program featuring daily lectures and problem-solving in Algebra, Combinatorics, Geometry, an...
Math League International Summer Tournament
Math LeagueAnnual summer tournament featuring lectures by renowned mathematics professors and Fields medalists.
Cambridge Centre for International Research (CCIR)
Cambridge Centre for International ResearchHighly-selective online research programme designed by Ivy League and Oxbridge professors for students interested in independent research.
Brown University Pre-Baccalaureate Program
Brown UniversityHighly selective summer program for rising/recent HS seniors to take credit-bearing undergraduate courses alongside Brown students.
YoungArts Professional Development Programs
YoungArtsProfessional development programs, workshops, artist residencies, and cultural partnerships to advance artists' careers and networks.
International Research Olympiad
An olympiad competition focused on research for high school students internationally.