Academic competitions play an important part in learning for highly gifted students. They are designed to inspire and enlighten, and can create enthusiasm and entice students to try their hardest, helping to maximize their abilities. Some require students to work on their own or as part of a team; some involve answering rapid-fire questions in front of an audience. Throughout the pandemic, many competitions have gone online for the first time, while others have always been online. Most importantly, academic competitions are a fun way to teach gifted students how to handle the pressures of real-life challenges.

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Table of Contents (random order)

 

• #1 – International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO)

• #2 – Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

• #3 – American Mathematics Competitions (AMC)

• #4 – FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)

• #5 – International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)

• #6 – International Chemistry Olympiad:

• #7 – USA Biology Olympiad(USABO)

• #8 – USA Computing Olympiad(USACO)

• #9 – Google Science Fair – Competitions for students

• 10 – The National History Bee and Bowl

• #11 – Doodle for Google – Competitions for students

• #12 – National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Young Writers Program

• #13 – Scholastic Art & Writing Awards – Competitions for students

• #14 – Commonwealth Short Story Prize

• #15 – YoungArts 2024 National Arts Competition

• #16 – National High School Mock Trial Championship

• #17 – North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO)

• #18 – Physics Bowl

• #19 – Harvard/MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)

• #20 – Academic Decathlon

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#1 – International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO)

The IMO has gained international recognition and has become a prestigious high school mathematics competition. It takes place annually in various countries around the world.

The IMO aims to challenge and recognize the mathematical abilities of young minds while promoting international collaboration and fostering a passion for mathematics.

 

#2 – Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

Held annually in May, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, providing an annual forum for more than 1,700 high school students from over 70 countries, regions, and territories to showcase their independent research and compete for about $5 million in awards in 17 categories.

Organized annually by the Society for Science, the fair provides a global platform for students to present their projects, interact with leading scientists and professionals, and compete for prestigious awards and scholarships.

 

#3 – American Mathematics Competitions (AMC)

https://maa-amc.org/amc/amc-competitions/

Students have the chance to compete to be part of the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) and Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO) or the American Invitational Mathematical Examination (AIME). The top-scoring students from across the nation are invited to the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Then, six of those 12 students compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

 

#4 – FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)

The FRC is an exciting robotics competition that brings together high school teams from around the world. FRC challenges students to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in dynamic and complex tasks.

The FRC experience extends beyond the competition season, as teams often engage in community outreach programs, mentorship initiatives, and knowledge-sharing activities. Many participants go on to pursue higher education and careers in engineering, technology, and related fields, thanks to the skills and passion ignited by their involvement in FRC.

Competitions For Students – FIRST Robotics Competition. Image: Pontiac Daily Leader

 

#5 – International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)

The IPhO not only celebrates the achievements of talented young physicists but also fosters a global community passionate about physics education and research.

It aims to promote the study of physics, encourage scientific curiosity, and foster international collaboration among young physics enthusiasts.

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#6 – International Chemistry Olympiad:

https://www.acs.org/education/students/highschool/olympiad.html

The U.S. National Olympiad (USNCO) is a multi-tiered competition designed to stimulate and promote achievement in high school chemistry. The Goals of the USNCO and the schedule are set by a subcommittee of the ACS Society Committee on Education (SOCED).

 

#7 – USA Biology Olympiad(USABO)

USABO stands for the United States of America Biology Olympiad. It is a prestigious competition for high school students in the United States who have a strong interest and aptitude in biology.

 

https://www.usabo-trc.org/

https://www.usabo-trc.org/usabo-2024-calendar

 

#8 – USA Computing Olympiad(USACO)

USACO stands for the United States of America Computing Olympiad. It is a competitive programming competition for students in the United States who have a passion for computer science and programming.

 

http://www.usaco.org/

 

#9 – Google Science Fair – Competitions for students

The Google Science Fair is an online science competition for young minds students aged 13 to 18 to showcase their scientific curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.

The competition, hosted by Google, aims to inspire young minds to explore scientific concepts, think critically, and develop innovative solutions to address real-world challenges.
 

#10 – The National History Bee and Bowl

The National History Bee & Bowl is a thrilling quiz bowl-style competition that tests students’ historical knowledge with fast-paced, buzzer-based quizzes.

It is designed to promote a deep understanding of historical events, figures, and concepts while fostering teamwork, critical thinking, and quick recall skills.

 

#11 – Doodle for Google – Competitions for students

Doodle for Google is a competition that invites K-12 students to design a Google logo based on a given theme. Participants create imaginative and artistic doodles, and the winning doodle is featured on the Google homepage for a day. It encourages young artists to explore their creativity while incorporating technology and design.

 

#12 – National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Young Writers Program

NaNoWriMo is an annual writing challenge that occurs in November. The Young Writers Program provides a modified version of the challenge for students aged 17 and under. Participants set a word-count goal and work towards completing a novel during the month, fostering writing skills and creativity.

 

#13 – Scholastic Art & Writing Awards – Competitions for students

One of the most prestigious and recognized competitions, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, invites students in grades 7-12 from the United States and other countries to submit their original works in various artistic categories, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, poetry, and short stories.

 

#14 – Commonwealth Short Story Prize

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is an esteemed literary competition that celebrates the art of storytelling and showcases emerging voices from across the Commonwealth countries.

It aims to showcase emerging voices and diverse perspectives in storytelling. Participants submit original short stories, and the winners receive recognition and the opportunity to have their work published.

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#15 – YoungArts National Arts Competition

The YoungArts Award is a prestigious recognition program in the United States that identifies and supports exceptionally talented young artists in various disciplines, including visual arts, performing arts, writing, and more, providing them with opportunities for mentorship, scholarships, and exposure in their artistic pursuits.

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#16 – National High School Mock Trial Championship

The national mock trial championship was initiated in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa. After the success of the tournament in Iowa, more states became interested in participating and the tournament became billed as an “All-State” Tournament.

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#17 – North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO)

The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO) is a contest in which high-school students solve linguistic puzzles. In solving the problems, students learn about the diversity and consistency of language, while exercising logic skills. The competition has attracted top students to study and work in those same fields. This high school olympiad in linguistics and computational linguistics leads up to the International Linguistics Olympiad (ILO).

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#18 – Physics Bowl

Every April, approximately 10,000 students take a 40-question, 45-minute timed, multiple-choice test under their school’s supervision.

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#19 – Harvard/MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)

This tournament is committed to providing opportunities to mathematically gifted students looking for a challenging experience, as well as meeting others interested in math from around the country and the world. There are two tournaments: 1) HMMT February is one of the most difficult math competitions in the United States for students who can comfortably and confidently solve at least 6 to 8 problems correctly on the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) and write mathematical proofs; 2) HMMT November provides a more approachable alternative for students to gain math tournament experience, such as those who have performed well on the AMC exams.

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#20 – Academic Decathlon

The Academic Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competition for teams of high school students. Each high school enters a team of nine students: 3 “A” or Honor students, 3 “B” or Scholastic students, and 3 “C” or Varsity students.

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