Tier 2 (Highly Competitive) Opportunities
All Tier 2 (highly competitive) competitive opportunities for high school students.
118 opportunities found
Canadian Computing Olympiad (CCO)
Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), University of WaterlooInvitation-only week-long intensive for top CCC participants. Features workshops, contests, and selection for Canada's International Olympiad in Infor...
Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies (SPCS)Intensive residential mathematics program for a select group of rising high school juniors and seniors from around the world, focusing on advanced mat...
ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair)
Society for ScienceInternational science and engineering fair competition with affiliated regional science fairs in nearly every U.S. state and 80+ countries.
USA Biolympiad (USABO)
Center for Excellence in Education (CEE)Premier biology competition for high school students with two rounds of exams, national finals with advanced training, and international competition o...
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...
Simons Summer Research Program
Simons FoundationSummer research program for high school students conducting original scientific research with faculty mentors.
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.
Chick-fil-A Community Scholars
Chick-fil-A, Inc.Annual scholarship program awarding $25,000 to students based on academic success, community service, and financial need, plus one-year leadership dev...
One Teen Story
One StoryFree writing contest for teen writers ages 13-19. Winners are edited, published, and paid for their work.
Photo Essay Contest
The New York Times Learning NetworkTeen photographers submit photo essays on topics of their choice. Winning essays published in The Times.
Student Open Letter Contest
The New York Times Learning NetworkContest inviting students to write open letters on civic and current issues. Winning letters are published on the NYT Learning Network; past topics in...
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.
Cambridge Future Scholar Research Programme
Cambridge Centre for International Research (CCIR)13-week online research programme where high school students complete independent research projects under mentorship from faculty at Cambridge, Oxford...
YoungArts Creative Opportunities
YoungArtsPrograms for award winners to create, develop and present work through residencies, exhibitions, and performances.
Podcast Contest
The New York Times Learning NetworkCreate an original five-minute podcast about almost anything. 1,400 submissions received; winners selected and published.
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.
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.
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.
Young Emerging Authors (YEA) Fellowship
The Telling RoomFree, paid 15-month writing and publishing fellowship for Maine students to write, edit, and publish their own books with mentorship and peer support.
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.
Bezos Scholars Program
Bezos Family FoundationYear-long leadership program for high school students to develop community change projects with mentorship from educator partners and peer cohorts.
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.
International Philosophy Olympiad
International Philosophy OlympiadTwo-stage online competition where high school students write essays and debate philosophical questions about ethics, knowledge, and existence.
Data Science Academy
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School3-week intensive pre-college program teaching machine learning, data science, and AI to high school students using R and Python with hands-on projects...
PhysicsWOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training - Physics)
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS)7-month online physics olympiad training program developing problem-solving mastery for USAPhO, IPhO, and F=ma competitions.
WRO International Final
World Robotics Olympiad (WRO)International robotics competition for students integrating STEM, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
Summer Reading Contest - Podcast Challenge
The New York Times Learning NetworkStudents create an original five-minute podcast about almost any topic. Selected winners from 1,400+ submissions are published.
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.
CodeWOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training - Computer Science)
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS)7-month online competitive programming training program helping students develop algorithmic problem-solving skills for USACO and IOI competitions.
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 - Production Engineering Track
MLH (Major League Hacking)12-week remote internship alternative focused on Production Engineering/SRE and DevOps skills for aspiring technologists.
Regeneron ISEF Awards
Society for ScienceOver $7 million in awards, prizes and scholarships for 9th-12th grade finalists competing at Regeneron ISEF science competition.
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.
U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad
American Chemical Society (ACS)Multi-stage chemistry competition where high school students solve problems, take exams, and compete to represent the U.S. at the International Chemis...
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.
Service Academy Nomination – Congressman Scott Franklin (FL-18)
Office of Congressman Scott Franklin (Florida's 18th Congressional District)Congressional nomination for high school students in FL-18 to apply to U.S. service academies (West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Merchant ...
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.
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
QuestBridgeConnects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds with educational, career, and life opportunities through scholarships to top colleges.
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.
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.
NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
NASAPaid short-term internships for college students to work on real NASA projects in science, technology, aeronautics, and space exploration with NASA me...
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.
Summer at Simons
Simons FoundationSummer internships at the Simons Foundation and Flatiron Institute in NYC for undergraduates and graduate students in computational science, mathemati...
QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program
QuestBridgeScholarships and resources for high-achieving low-income juniors to prepare for admission to top colleges.
Davidson Institute Gifted Programs
Davidson InstituteEducational programs for profoundly gifted middle and high school students, offering online courses, in-person academy, and scholarships.
American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME)
Mathematical Association of America (MAA)Invitational math competition for high school students who qualify from AMC exams, hosted by Stanford Math Circle.
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...
REACH Summer Seminar
Davidson InstituteSummer seminar program for profoundly gifted students offered by the Davidson Institute.
MathWOOT (Worldwide Online Olympiad Training - Math)
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS)7-month online math olympiad training program where students work with former medalists to master problem-solving for AIME, USA(J)MO, and IMO competit...
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.
Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Application
Jackie Robinson FoundationApplication portal for the Jackie Robinson Foundation scholarship program for high school students
PROMYS Mathematics Program
PROMYS (Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists)Intensive summer mathematics program for high school students featuring daily Number Theory lectures, challenging problem sets, and advanced seminars ...
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.
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.
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.
Secondary School Program (4-week)
Harvard Summer School4-week residential college-credit summer program for high school students to earn college credits, experience campus life, and take accelerated course...
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
Lemelson-MIT Program at MITHigh school teams develop invention prototypes through hands-on STEM problem-solving and collaboration with community organizations.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships
Jack Kent Cooke FoundationScholarship programs for outstanding students with financial need, providing financial assistance and academic support.
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.
Mathcamp
MathcampResidential summer math program for high school students featuring advanced mathematics classes, problem-solving, and community-based learning.
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.
Harvard Secondary School Program (SSP)
Harvard Summer School4- or 7-week college-credit summer program for high school students offering 200+ courses taught by Harvard faculty, with residential, online, or comm...
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.
Mathcamp Qualifying Quiz
MathcampA 5-10 problem qualifying quiz for Mathcamp summer program application, designed to assess mathematical thinking and problem-solving ability.
GEM Fellowship Program
GEM (Graduate Engineering and Management)Fellowship program providing full tuition, fees, and annual stipend for engineering and management students
National YoungArts Foundation
National YoungArts FoundationPremier arts competition for high school students recognizing and supporting young artists across multiple disciplines including visual arts, music, d...
TK Ethics Research Pathway
TK Ethics16-week mentorship program connecting high school students with professors and researchers to conduct independent research and produce publishable pap...
QuestBridge Law Fellows/Stanford Law School
Envision Experience, QuestBridge & Stanford Law SchoolScholarship program for law-interested students through partnership with QuestBridge and Stanford Law School.
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.
USESO National Open Exam
United States Earth Science OrganizationAnnual spring exam for high school students interested in earth science; top performers are invited to Training Camp and IESO competition.
Mathcamp 2026
Mathcamp34th summer mathematics camp at Champlain College in Burlington, VT 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...
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.
NASA Center Internships
Maine Space Grant Consortium (MSGC)10-week paid summer internship working alongside NASA personnel at NASA field centers. Hands-on research and technology experience for undergraduate s...
ICPC Asia Pacific Championship
ICPC FoundationPremier programming competition for university students in Asia-Pacific region, a gateway to ICPC World Finals.
YoungArts Programs
YoungArtsAward programs providing critical support for artists at every stage of their career development.
MATE ROV World Championship
MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education)Students design and build remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to complete underwater engineering challenges at the international championship competitio...
NASA ORBIT
NASAMulti-phase student challenge to inspire innovators and engineers. Compete for cash prizes, receive NASA expert mentorship, and present at in-person s...
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.
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...
Future Problem Solving International Conference
Future Problem SolvingInternational conference for Future Problem Solving participants to showcase solutions and compete at the global level.
AcaResearch Pathway
TKEthics16-week independent research program for high school students with university professor mentorship, culminating in publishable research papers.
The Coolidge Scholarship
Calvin Coolidge Presidential FundFull-ride scholarship covering tuition, room, board, and fees for high school students attending college.
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.
SSP International
SSP InternationalInternational summer program for high school students focusing on STEM and global engagement
Student Research Fellows Internship
Lemelson-MITResearch internship focused on qualitative research methodologies, education challenges, and mentorship from MIT experts.
Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize
Yale University PressOldest annual literary award in the US for emerging poets. Submit original book-length poetry manuscript for chance to win $1000 advance, publication ...
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.
2027 Hertz Summer Workshop
Hertz FoundationAnnual gathering of top scientists, entrepreneurs and leaders in STEM. Students meet, collaborate and network with physical scientists, biologists, en...
YoungArts
YoungArtsNational competition and awards program for emerging artists ages 15-18 across all art forms, offering recognition, validation, and career support.
SLMath Summer School
SLMath (formerly MSRI)Intensive summer mathematics program for talented high school students to explore advanced mathematical topics through lectures, problem sessions, and...
National YoungArts Foundation Competition
National YoungArts FoundationAnnual competition for visual, literary, and performing artists ages 15-18 to gain recognition, mentorship, and lifetime artistic support across 10 di...
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, ...
Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship
Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA)Scholarship for exceptionally talented high school students. Applicants submit essays, academic records, and standardized test scores for consideratio...
National Arts Competition - YoungArts
YoungArtsNational arts competition supporting young artists ages 15-18 across 10 disciplines with lifetime mentorship and networking.
Stanford AI4ALL
Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies (SPCS) / AI4ALLTwo-week residential or online program immersing high school students in Artificial Intelligence through lectures, hands-on research projects, and men...
AwesomeMath Summer Program (AMSP)
AwesomeMathIntensive three-week online advanced mathematics training program featuring daily lectures and problem-solving in Algebra, Combinatorics, Geometry, an...
Chemistry REU at Colorado State
Colorado State UniversityResearch experience program in chemistry involving synthesis, characterization, computational modeling, and device performance assessments.
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.
AAPT Physics Team
American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)A high school physics competition pathway culminating in team selection for the USA Physics Olympiad and potential international competition.
MathPath
MathPathResidential summer math program for talented middle and high school students to develop advanced mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS)
Yale UniversityCompetitive summer program for high school students to engage in global issues through seminars, lectures, and cultural experiences at Yale University...
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.