For students who are extremely focused on a specific preferred major or future career, global competitions are an incredible opportunity to raise all three corners of their Triangle of Talent. Even to qualify for these competitions, however, a student must already have a strong track record in order to accumulate the prerequisite experience that will give him or her the best possible chance of success at the event.
Additionally, certain universities prefer certain award winners due to their specific university mission and strengths. For example, MIT prefers Science Olympiad winners, whereas Caltech prefers students with patents and other intellectual property.
By starting in middle school, getting a student acclimated to the competitive environment of high school competitions can be extremely beneficial. Many competitions are sponsored by large corporations that focus on the sciences as a way to encourage students to study these subjects more. Several examples are below:
Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering Rising Stars) – the top science and engineering competition for middle school. In other words, it is the middle school equivalent of Siemens or Intel competitions (more on those later).
MATHCOUNTS -A premier math competition for middle school students, with large scholarships available. Here’s an example of a problem solved by the national champion.
Duke TIP – A talent search program run by Duke University that is based upon middle schoolers taking the SAT or ACT.
Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science (TEAMS) – Middle schoolers work in teams to solve real-world engineering problems. One case study example includes how to build an ecofriendly trail through a national park while minimizing negative environmental impact.
CyberPatriot – Middle school students must pretend to be IT professionals who are in charge of protecting the data and connectivity of a major company. They need to be prepared to defend against any sort of cyberattack.
You Be the Chemist – This is a chemistry bowl challenge for individual middle school students
eCYBERMISSION – This is an online STEM competition to solve real-life problems that impact their local community. It is team-based with three to four students each.
Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge – In this challenge, middle school students identify a problem in their everyday lives, create a solution, and then produce a video showing the solution and its impact on their communities. During the video, the students must explain their STEM-related thinking and procedures for creating the solution.
Technology Student Association – The TSA believes in the need for a technology literate society. Middle School and High School students can create a variety of projects applicable to agriculture, web design, and many other fields.
Rube Goldberg Machine Contests – Ever seen a Rube Goldberg machine? It’s a crazy contraption that requires many mechanical movements to complete one simple task. Middle schoolers can participate in an online construction competition that requires intuitive engineering ideas.
SeaPerch International Challenge – Students can create underwater robots to complete certain tasks, challenges, or explorations.
International Olympiads occur in many different topics, including Physics, Math, Biology, Linguistics, Geography, Philosophy, amongst others. You must qualify in your country’s Olympiad before you can compete at an international level. Here some examples of Taiwan’s placements in recent Olympiads:
Taiwan wins two gold and two silver medals in Linguistics Olympiads _ Taiwan News.pdf
Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF). By far the most prestigious high school science competition there is. Being a finalist is a huge boon to any student’s application. The below video introduces the atmosphere and intensity of the program.
Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology – (Similar in stature and scope to ISEF)
Google Science Fair – An online science fair competition where leading finalists present their ideas at Google HQ.
AAN Neuroscience Research Prize – Students who investigate brain-related medical problems have the opportunity to present their research at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology
Microsoft Imagine Cup – a global Computer Science competition where students create software applications.
International BioGENius Challenge – A world-leading biotechnology competition where students can present research and win awards.
Research Science Institute (RSI) – Only 80 students are invited to MIT for a summer to conduct research in a field of their choice/expertise.
SSP – The Summer Science Program – Study astrophysics or biochemistry at a campus in the US, including Caltech and MIT.
Simons Summer Research Program – Hosted outside New York City at SUNY-Stony Brook campus, The Simons Program hosts students for STEM research.
MITES – a summer engineering program hosted by MIT
Clark Scholars Program -A summerlong engineering program that includes required business classes. Hosted at several campuses across the US
High School Honors Science Program (HSHSP) at Michigan State University
Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS) at University of Chicago
Telluride Programs – Named after a small yet famous Colorado town, these two programs (TASP and TASS) are free and extremely competitive.
Most famous math competitions are hosted by universities, such as the following:
Harvard – MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)
Princeton University Math Competition (PUMaC)
Ross Program in Math at Ohio State University
VEX and FIRST Robotics Competition – The most well-known and well-respected robotics competitions.
MIT THINK Scholars Program – MIT funds projects from high school students, inviting them to MIT to attend a Tech Symposium and compete for project funding.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the competitions available to you. ThinkSTEP can help you research further competitions based on the unique needs of your Triangle of Talent.