In this article, we’re going to run through the mechanics of podcasts, and how they relate to high school students. We’ll begin by looking at what potential benefits may come from starting a podcast, and whether or not doing so is a good idea for you. Then we’ll look at the mechanics of actually doing so. There are many possible ways you can impress a college; let’s see if this is one which speaks to you!

Starting a Podcast for College Admissions

All activities in high school serve a dual purpose. They should be things you actually enjoy, passions you like exploring and enjoyable ways to spend your time, but they should also serve to impress colleges. Colleges don’t like this sort of cynical approach, but they themselves are the cause of it. The ideal activity is one which does both, letting you explore your interests while also letting you show off your talents and abilities to admissions officers.

A podcast can theoretically do both, though this is not guaranteed. Podcasts are very flexible things; they can be on almost any subject, and allow you to dive deep into any one of your passions. That said, they require a very specific kind of personality and set of interests to pull off well.

Podcasts are a performance, one where you are either alone and narrating to a microphone without an audience, or playing off of a guest. This sounds easier than it is, and isn’t something everyone is suited for, nor interested in. There is no shame in not having these talents, and there are plenty of other ways to explore and share your interests if you so desire. 

Podcasts are also a heavily saturated field. Here was a time when you could make one and expect to gain listeners through novelty, but that has passed. Now, you must have a plan, a niche, and something interesting to say. We will cover how to make all of these in later sections, but if this isn’t something you are truly interested in or passionate about, there are better ways to spend your time. 

The Logistics of Starting a Podcast as a High School Student

There are many component steps to starting and running a successful podcast. We’re going to run through the ones relevant to high school students in the order you should complete them, and give advice as to how best to approach each step in the sequence. 

Choosing a Topic and Format

Your podcast has to be about something. This will shape all other decisions, from who your listeners are to how you prepare for each episode. The ideal subject is something that you both know a lot about, and are eager to explore in even greater depth. It should also be something that you are passionate about sharing with others. 

You then need to choose the goal of the podcast in relation to the topic. Is it meant to be merely educational, introducing audiences who may have an interest in a thing to the deeper nuances of it? Are you looking to be primarily entertaining? Is there a call to action, trying to get listeners more engaged with their mental health approach or to take action regarding the environment? 

Finally, you need to choose the format for your podcast. What is each episode going to look like; will it just be you speaking into a microphone? Will you have a cohost or a rotating panel? Will you be inviting in guests, experts who can share their expertise?

There is no single right format for a podcast, and no single correct topic for it to focus on, but you do need to have a clear understanding of both. This will help you plan out and organize your production, and help audiences identify what you are offering, and if it’s something they would be interested in. 

Choosing an Audience

Who you are aiming your podcast at will change how you create and present it. Material for high school students is very different from material for adults, and different once again from material for middle schoolers. You can make podcasts with broad or narrow appeal, but you need to decide this ahead of time, to determine how to shape the tone and tempo of each episode.

Technical Requirements

You will need certain pieces of equipment and software in order to actually create a podcast. These do not need to be extremely fancy or high-end, but they do need to be functional. Here are the basic components you will need: 

• A computer, where you can edit the various recordings you make.
• Microphones. Generally the ones you have in your computer will suffice.
• Editing software. This doesn’t need to be high end or professional, but you will need to stitch composite clips together, Programs like Audacity are free, and used by many amateurs. 
• Interview Software. If you are interviewing guests remotely, you will need some way to record the conversation, either through Zoom or other video conferencing tools, or through dedicated software like Squadcast.

You will need a stable internet connection, both to interview people remotely and to upload your podcast episodes. You will not need to invest a lot of money into starting a podcast, there are many free pieces of open-source software out there to use, but you will need to invest the time needed to learn how to use it. Make sure you understand your interview software fully before you begin interviewing guests for your show. 

Hosting a Podcast

Podcasts need to be stored somewhere so that people can see them. A dedicated hosting service is preferred, even if you plan on linking them on a personal webpage. Even if you plan on making a video version of your podcast and uploading it to Youtube, we recommend having an audio-only version on a dedicated podcast platform. That’s how most listeners engage with the media, and how you’re most likely to draw in new audiences. 

Some hosting services are free for students, notably Spotify, which is also one of the most popular platforms. A paid service may be preferable if you’re looking for something more professional, but many of the services they offer are less relevant to students just getting started podcasting. 

You will need the following in order to upload podcasts to a hosting site: 

• A logo. This doesn’t need to be professionally designed or overly flashy, but should be distinctive enough to help distinguish your show.
• A name for your podcast.
• Titles and descriptions for each individual episode.
• A tagline for the podcast itself.
• Season numbers.

Once your podcast is hosted, you can connect it to directories. Apple Podcasts is the most important, and most smaller directories automatically clone every show that is uploaded to Apple Podcasts. Still, for completeness, you should also connect your RSS feed to Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Amazon Music (the hosting service will include instructions on how to do this).

Running a Podcast

Now that we’ve gone through the technical side, we’ll give you a bit more advice on the process of creating and running a podcast. First, you’re going to need to decide what episodes of your podcast are going to look like, and how the show as a whole will run. Consider the following questions:

• How long will each episode be? Generally, you should aim for them being similar lengths. Both long and short podcasts have their niche, but appeal to different audiences. 
• How frequently will you upload episodes? It is best to keep a consistent schedule, but you should figure out how much time and effort goes into creating an episode before setting one.

We recommend planning out, scripting, and creating the first three episodes of your podcast before you upload anything. This will give you a sense of how much effort it takes to create an episode, and what a reasonable production schedule looks like for you. 

Finding Content

One thing you need to plan out well ahead of time is the content for each episode. You must source guests if you are doing interviews, or prepare notes or things to discuss if you are presenting on various subjects. You should try and create a broad plan for a whole season before you begin creating and uploading interviews. 

When finding guests, you should begin with your personal network. People you or your friends know, or people who your parents can put you in contact with. This may be more feasible for some subjects than others; if your well of potential guests runs dry, then you will need to start doing outreach. 

You should always research any potential guests carefully before reaching out, then establish contact individually. This should be done with personalized emails; introduce yourself, what you are doing, and politely request to interview them. You will experience some rejection while doing this, but many experts are happy to speak with respectful and enthusiastic students about their areas of expertise. 

If you have already begun publishing episodes, you should include a link back to your podcast when reaching out. This will let potential guests take stock of what you’re asking, and what they can expect. When preparing to interview a guest, always do your background reading on their area of expertise, and have a list of questions worked out ahead of time. Your job as host is to facilitate an interesting discussion.

Final Thoughts

There are many possible ways to explore and share your interests as a high school student. Creating a podcast may not be the right one for you, but if you have the gift of gab and a flair for the theatrical, it could be worth investigating. We hope that this article has given you insight into what this process may entail, and whether or not it’s something for you to invest your time in.

It can be hard to explore your passions as a high school student, and to do so in a way that will impress the most competitive colleges. That’s where łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors have a long experience guiding students to explore their passions, and connecting them with opportunities that let them take those passions to new heights. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more, we’re always happy to hear from you. 

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The real answer, however, is somewhat underwhelming: there is no “right” club to join to get into a top college.

That doesn’t mean all clubs are created equal however, nor that all extracurricular involvements are on a level field. In this article, we’ll go into what the best way to involve yourself in high school extracurriculars are, and how certain activities can prepare you better or worse for college admissions. There’s a lot of nuance in this, but everyone loves that, so let’s get started!

Why Colleges Care łÔąĎąŮÍř High School Clubs

We are going to be focusing on high school clubs specifically in this article, rather than extracurriculars as a whole (though some of the things we say and conclude will apply to both). High school clubs are the most accessible extracurriculars for most students, and often the most misunderstood, so we wanted to focus on them for this article. 

The first thing to note is that colleges don’t generally distinguish between kinds of extracurriculars, at least in terms of how you got involved with them. Playing club soccer or playing for your high school team are equivalent in theory. There are certain extracurriculars which only occur through high school (like student government), but the most important takeaway from this article is this: there is no single extracurricular you can take part in that will, on its own, increase your chances of getting into college.

Admissions officers don’t use checklists, going down your application to see how many clubs you joined, how many varsity teams you participated in, and giving points based on the clubs themselves or how many you signed up for. The clubs you join are instead used as proxies, ways for colleges to try and measure the actual things they do care about. These are: 

• Passion. They want students who care about things, and who have taken the time to pursue those things they care about.
• Leadership: They want students who have shown initiative and stepped up to take on responsibilities. 
• Community. They want students who can work well with others, who can join a group larger than themselves and contribute meaningfully to it.
  

High school clubs give you one of your best opportunities to demonstrate all three. In the rest of this article, we’re going to explain how, and how certain clubs can help, or hinder, your efforts. 

Demonstrating Passion Through High School Clubs

Simply joining a club which is related to a subject you are interested in can indicate passion, but it doesn’t do much if that’s all you do. The trick is to find the things you care about, the things that excite you, and then apply yourself to them fully. As an example of how this looks to admissions officers, here’s two students, both of whom want to study engineering: 

1. Student A joined the robotics club, the computer science club, and the rocketry club at their school, and went to meetings for all three each week.
2. Student B joined the robotics team for their school. They sought out competitions for the team to participate in, helped the team fundraise, participated in every step of the design process, actively recruited new students, and was the lead programmer for their robot. 
   

Based on just these descriptions, which student seems more passionate about robotics? Which one seems to care more? This is a somewhat extreme example, but this is also pretty much all the data an admissions officer has to go on. They don’t get to meet you, talk with you, they only see what you have done, and read the essays you send them. Student B shows off passion; student A might have it, but they don’t show it, even though they have joined more clubs related to their passion on paper. 

Your passions can be related to the major you intend to pursue, but they do not have to be. That said, certain competitive majors do benefit from showing interest early. If you intend to study computer science, and have never once tried to learn a programming language in high school, colleges may question your passion for the field. The general rule is that the more opportunities there are to get involved with an activity you might want to major in, the more expectations colleges have. Students interested in computer science need to show that; students interested in archaeology have a little bit more leeway. 

Demonstrating Leadership Through High School Clubs

Colleges want leaders; that is students who have displayed qualities of leadership. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have been in charge of everything you’ve been a part of, but that you have shown that you’re willing to step up and take responsibility, that you show initiative, and that you work well without needing constant outside reinforcement. 

Colleges look for this as a sign of maturity, that you will be able to handle both the rigors and the freedoms present on a college campus. AT college, you will be in charge of your own schedule, and will need to hold yourself responsible for getting your work done. The best way to show you have done this is demonstrating that you have done equivalent things before.

This is a measure of quality, not quantity. Just as passion is not demonstrated through the sheer number of clubs you join, neither is responsibility indicated by becoming president of every club. You can take on leadership roles in multiple organizations and ways, but these can vary in appearance and commitments. 

You can also show leadership without being the president of a club, or even an officer. Here are the best ways to show leadership through the clubs you join:

• Assume responsibility. Whether it’s for a single event, a component of a larger project, or the official responsibility of running the thing, show that you are willing to step up and handle something solid and real. This means taking the initiative to get things done, and knowing when to stop and ask for help.
• Acknowledge failures. You may be lucky and have everything go well, but if things do go wrong, acknowledge your own part in what happened, and reflect on what you learned from it. This demonstrates emotional maturity and depth. 
• Create lasting change. The best leadership roles are ones that change things in the long term. If a club flourishes while you are present but dries up once you leave, then you are not as effective as you could be as a leader. Show how you took steps to nurture the next generation in the organizations you are part of.
  

This can be done in any student club or organization you join. Every organization needs people who are willing to step up and work, and those are the kinds of people colleges are looking for. Even if you don’t have a solid leadership position to describe on your activities list, this is still something to explore in your essays.

Demonstrating Community Through Your High School Clubs

Admissions officers are trying to build communities, groups of people who will work and thrive together on campus. There is a stereotype of academics and scientists working alone in labs, cackling as lightning flashes and discoveries are made, but almost all academic work takes place in groups, and life on campus is communal. Thus, admissions officers want students who will contribute positively to their shared community. 

The most common way students try to demonstrate this is through volunteering; this is an excellent approach, but you can do the same through your high school clubs.This is true regardless of what the club is; while some allow you to involve yourself more in the affairs of the school community as a whole, all clubs are communities unto themselves. 

How you go about doing this, what it looks like, depends on both the club you are a member of and your own personal talents. Not everyone builds community in the same way, or has the same skills, and that’s okay; colleges look for these distinctions and unique talents. 

When describing your activity in your clubs, however, there are some things you should pay attention to, and try to discuss, if only in passing: 

• How you were able to work with others in the club, serving as part of a team working towards a common goal. Colleges want leaders, but they also need people who can unite as part of a common vision.
• How you were able to handle conflict and disagreement. People argue; that’s a normal and healthy part of any relationship or group. What matters is how you handled it, and found common ground with your chosen community.
• How you specifically contributed to the group. You want to show both what you were able to do, your own strengths and values, and why contributing is important to you, why you want to help make the places and groups you are part of better. 
  

This is easiest to show through your essays. That you were part of a group is clear from your activity list, but how you contributed, what kind of member you were, is what top colleges want to see. Again, being a quality member of a few clubs matters more than dallying in a great number. 

Thoughts on Specific High School Clubs

We cannot cover every high school club and activity, but we will discuss some of the most popular, and some broad categories of clubs. None of these are inherently better or worse for your application, but we will point out some ways you can make sure you are making the most of the clubs which appeal to you. 

Student Government

Whether you’re on student council or in charge of the whole thing, student government is a popular way to contribute to a school community. Be wary of the problem of all politicians, over-promising and under-delivering. When writing about your accomplishments in government, you want to show genuine care for the school community, and use hard numbers to demonstrate how you tried to make it better. Here, more than most clubs, you can impact the school as a whole; there is a lot of potential to do good here. 

Sports

High school sports may be the most popular set of extracurriculars as a whole. At the high end, the very best athletes will get some admissions boost to some schools. For most high school athletes however, they won’t get this boost, and should instead treat them as any other club, focusing on leadership and community. We advise always having some extracurricular involvement beyond sports, unless you know you are one of those rare talents who coaches will actively recruit.

Academic Teams

From quiz bowl to debate to chess club to the various academic olympiads (and beyond), these are a great way to show off your passion for various academic subjects. Placing very well in these competitions can meaningfully impact your chances of admission, but even if you don’t reach those lofty heights you can still contribute to the environment of the clubs. 

Art and Music

A lot of high school students participate in art and music and dance without intending to major in any of those fields. This is fine; there are great ways to demonstrate your maturity, your willingness to work hard towards a distant goal through these engagements. It is easier to showcase many of these values through something like orchestra or a stage production than a more solo pursuit of art, but you still can and should try to engage with the broader artistic community at your school, whatever your involvement with it is. 

Interest and Social Groups

This is the broadest category, and these are often the clubs which require the least active involvement, which can easily fall by the wayside, especially if you join a lot of them. When joining these clubs, do so intentionally, with the desire to find and build a community. You don’t have to devote all your time to them, but don’t just join a bunch of these clubs so you can check off a few more boxes on an activities list. Pick a handful, and do something meaningful within them.

Final Thoughts

There are many many clubs you can join in high school, and any of them can set you on the path to getting into a top college. There is no one “right club” or “right sport” or “best extracurricular”; there is no hidden secret to find the key to what admissions officers want. We hope that this article has helped you understand what admissions officers look for from high school clubs, and how you can demonstrate it yourself. 

If you are looking for advice exploring your own passions, or taking your extracurricular involvement to the next level, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are experts at every aspect of the admissions process, and love helping young students explore and discover their passions. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can set you on the path to collegiate success; we’re always happy to hear from you.

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Understanding Duke’s STAR Program

As the name (Summer Training in Academic Research) suggests, the point of this program is to introduce students to academic research in a serious and hands-on way. This is a five-week in person program, hosted at Duke’s Clinical Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina. 

Students are each partnered with a Duke faculty member, and spend their time working on a hypothesis driven research project, originating as a proposal and culminating in a full research paper. One of the core goals of the program is to have every student who participates qualify for co-authorship credit on a peer-reviewed manuscript related to the work they do during the summer. 

The program is free to attend, and provides a stipend to participants. This is to increase access to the program, so that even students who would normally need to work during the summer may consider this as an option. The stipend is $4,000 for high school students. Note that housing is not provided by the program, and students are required to secure their own housing for the five-week duration. This may make this more attractive to students who already live in the area. 

The program is specifically for students who do not have prior experience with the research process. While you are permitted to apply if you do, all students receive training on both laboratory research and on how the research process works as a whole. Students learn from a faculty member on the lab work, a medical writer on how to craft a manuscript, and a statistician on how to analyze the data they have collected, all building to the final research results. 

This program is specifically aimed at students with an interest in medicine, and both undergraduate and medical students may apply, alongside high school students. High school students not interested in medicine may apply as well, but they may get less out of it. Students attend multiple lectures on topics related to medical research over the course of the program. 

How to Apply to Duke’s STAR Program

The application dates and deadlines vary by participant group, and each has their own form to fill out to apply. We will be focusing on high school students in this article, as they are the primary group of students we work with, but we will include details for other groups as well. Here are the application deadlines for the STAR program: 

• Medical Students: October 1-November 15
• College and High School Students: November 17-January 2

All applications must be received before midnight Eastern Time. 

Applications must be submitted online. All applications require the application form (which consists of academic and biographic information), a school transcript, and two letters of recommendation from non relatives. These must be submitted directly by the letter writer to the program. We suggest getting these from current math or science teachers, or a previous research mentor you have worked with.

In addition, all applicants must submit a 500 word essay answering the following prompt: 

• What I want to be, and how I’m going to make it happen.

This is a very open prompt, so we’re going to spend some time discussing how best to answer it. The first, and most obvious thing, is that your answer should relate to the program and what you will gain from participating in STAR. 

This is true regardless of your end goal, though certain end goals work better than others. Students interested in research, medicine, bioengineering, and related fields have the clearest path; as these are the students this program is designed to serve, this does make sense. Students interested in other fields should focus on how research skills themselves will aid in pursuit of their goal, and how learning these methods from the STAR program will benefit them.

You can cover your motivations, but this shouldn’t be entirely about them. You can also cover what you’ve done previously; past research experience is not required, but it can show your interest in the field; for example, if you have the goal of being a doctor, then past work you’ve done related to medicine is worth discussing. 

You can also cover non-research experiences you have had (or which you plan to pursue). There should be a clear narrative, where the STAR program is a clear intermediary step which helps set you up for your long term goals. You want to show authentic passion and enthusiasm in this essay, as that’s what they’ll be looking for most. 

Eligibility

The program is intended primarily for rising seniors, but rising juniors can apply, and are admitted in some cases. You are allowed to apply if you are younger than eighteen, but students who are below eighteen at the start of the program will not be able to participate in shadowing faculty at clinics or in the hospital. All applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents. 

If you have graduated from high school and are enrolled to attend college next year, you may apply for the program as a college student. There is no application benefit for the children of Duke alumni.

Should You Apply for the STAR Program?

This is an excellent program, but that doesn’t mean it is the right choice for all students. This particular program is best for students with a strong interest in both research and medicine, especially those who have not been able to explore it up to this point. It is also well suited for students who already live in and around Durham, North Carolina, though the stipend means other students can benefit more easily than otherwise. 

This is what we generally classify as an A-Tier summer program. It is a program which substantially and meaningfully adds to your college candidacy, but on its own will not get you into college. It offers a hands-on experience, and the kind of training and experience you will not otherwise be able to get in high school.

It is not the only program of its sort; there are a significant number of opportunities for students to complete laboratory work at a college, in a number of STEM fields. That this program offers a stipend is not unique, but is exceptional, and is another thing to recommend it. 

This is on the shorter end for research internships at only five weeks; many similar programs run for eight-to-ten. This can be helpful if you are looking to do other things over the course of your summer, but means you won’t be able to dive as deep into the material you are learning at the program. Five weeks is what we would generally call the minimum for this kind of program, enough time to really sink your teeth into what you’re learning and doing, and to gain a genuine appreciation for research.

Students who do not enjoy science or math, or who don’t want to pursue research in undergrad or beyond will not enjoy this program. Students interested in being pre-meds, and those interested in BS-MD programs will benefit more from this than some other similar programs, due to the focus this one has on medical research specifically. 

This is not a uniquely excellent program, but it is a wonderful way to spend your summer. Since all of these on-campus research programs are competitive, we encourage students to apply to multiple. If you are looking to spend your summer before senior year pursuing research, especially research aligned with the medical field, then we do recommend applying to the STAR program. 

Final Thoughts

There are many possible ways for high school students to spend their summer vacations, and colleges know that. Because of that degree of freedom students have, colleges see this as one of the best ways to evaluate students, to see what you care about enough to devote your free time to it. We hope that this article has given you insight into one such option available to you, and let you decide if it is a good use of your limited free time.

If you need help finding the perfect summer program to serve as a capstone to your interests, or want assistance applying to one of these competitive programs, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are skilled at helping students explore and connect with their interests, feeling out their breadth and depth to see how they feel. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help make your summer spectacular, we’re always happy to hear from you.

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This tends to raise questions like: what is a CV exactly? How is it different from a resume? Why do some positions want one or the other? These are reasonable questions, but ones not often answered, especially for high school students. In this article we’re going to break down the differences between resumes and CVs, when each one is used, and why this matters to you. 

Resumes and Curricula Vitae Compared

A resume is a brief summation of your past educational and work experience. A curriculum vitae (more commonly CV) is a complete summary of your education and career, with a focus on academic work. Curriculum vitae is Latin, and translates literally to “course of life”; it is used to showcase the full sum and total of what you have done over your career. 

To help demonstrate the differences (and similarities) between these two documents, please refer to this hand table: 

As you can see, both of these documents are doing the same general thing, but to different extents. A resume covers what you’ve done in brief, while a CV covers the sum total of what you’ve done. Both follow the same general formatting guidelines in doing this: 

• A heading with your name and contact information
• A section on your education, from newest to oldest
• A section on your work experience, from newest to oldest

A resume can have a section for things like publications, conference presentations, or field work, but doesn’t have to. CVs should generally include these if you have engaged in these pursuits. 

Why do Some Positions Ask for CVs?

So if these are functionally very similar, why do some positions only want a CV, while most prefer a resume? This, plainly enough, depends on what positions are looking for in terms of information from applicants. 

Businesses, generally, want to make sure you have relevant experience to whatever the position you are applying for. They don’t need to know everything you’ve ever done, just what you’ve been up to recently, and any highlights of skills or experiences which relate to the position at hand. If you’re applying to an internship with a coding startup, they will be interested in research you did on AI topics, while a finance firm is less likely to find it relevant. 

Academia, by contrast, is built upon itself. Creating and sharing your research is a core function of what academics are expected to do, and so when applying for a position within academia, there is naturally a curiosity for the research you have done. At high levels, they want to see just how far your career has gone, and what your research interests are. At lower levels, it’s about understanding the full scope of your experience, in research generally and in a field specifically. 

Businesses are concerned with efficiency; there’s a reason most people advise a resume be limited to a single page, as those involved in hiring don’t want or need to read your entire life story, just the pieces which are relevant to them. CVs exist in their own ecosystem however, one which you are poised to enter as you begin your college journey. 

Do You Need a Resume and a CV?

This is the most relevant, and important, question to consider for high school students. You have plenty of work to do already in your college applications, and we don’t want to throw additional stress on you. The goal of the initial sections was to explain the differences, so that you know what a position is asking for; now we’ll discuss the likelihood of each.

You Should Make a Resume as a High School Student

While you likely won’t need a resume to apply to colleges (though some schools accept one), we do recommend all high school students have a resume. From internships to summer jobs, scholarships to impending work-study opportunities, having a resume now will serve you well.

We have an article already on how you should write a resume, but we’ll give some specific advice in light of what we’ve discussed in this article. First, and most importantly, don’t worry too much about how long or short your resume is. If you haven’t done much, that’s fine, you’re in high school. If you’ve done a lot, that’s impressive, you’re in high school. 

In later years, you’ll want to refine your resume, but for now, you should include all relevant skills and experience on it. The other point to make is that once you’re in college, you don’t need to keep including most of what you did in high school on your resume. For now though, these experiences do matter. 

You Probably Don’t Need a CV as a High School Student

We probably could have led with this, but then you wouldn’t have gotten the fun experience of learning what a CV is (and learning is always fun, we promise). Even if you are applying to research positions, lab internships or summer programs, they’ll only ask for a resume. At this stage, at the beginning of your career, your resume and CV will be more or less indistinguishable anyway. 

That said, if you are interested in pursuing a career in academia, or in doing research at a higher level, making a CV may be worth it. You won’t use it for a while, but when you do need it, you’ll have it ready to go. It is possible to be overprepared and over-ready, but this is a small investment of time, especially if you are certain of your career goals. 

We will also note that like a resume, most of your high school work should eventually drop off a CV. If, however, you have published research in a peer review journal, or presented research at an academic conference while in high school, that should remain on your CV. Yes, your career may go in very different directions after that, but it is still worth keeping on there. 

Final Thoughts

There are many many things you need to worry about as you apply to colleges, forms to complete, essays to write, and odd undefined terms you’ve never really had to concern yourself with before. We hope that this article has helped you understand what exactly a CV is, and whether or not you need concern yourself with it. 

If you are looking for advice or assistance with any of the application components which you do need to worry about, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are experts at every aspect of college admissions, and excel in helping you calm your worries and focus on what really matters in the admissions process. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more, we’re always happy to hear from you.

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Understanding the Saturday Morning Science Program

The first thing to note is that this program is run by the Baylor College of Medicine, rather than Baylor University. These schools are not related, despite having the same name and both being based in Texas (and having a very popular jointly administered BS/MD program). Yes, this is confusing. No, there isn’t anything anyone can do about it. 

This program specifically serves students in grades 6-12 who live in the Houston area (And surrounding suburbs). The primary goal of the program is to increase student access to medicine, and to inspire underrepresented students and populations to consider and pursue careers in the field. 

The program itself has three branches: Spring, Summer, and Fall programs. We’ll cover each individually.

This is a virtual program, hosted on Zoom, for students in grades 6-12. While it has alternated between in person and virtual in previous years, it seems that they are committing to virtual in 2026; future years remain to be seen. While this program is primarily intended for students in the Houston area, due to its virtual nature, students from other states who are interested in healthcare are also invited to attend. 

The program consists of two-and-a-half hour sessions on Zoom on four Saturdays in April and May. The first half of each session is a large group lecture from a guest lecturer, and the second half will be small group activities directed by BCM faculty and staff. You need to commit to attend at least three of the sessions, and participate in the group discussion, in order to be eligible for the program. 

The application to participate in this program is due in April. To apply, you must complete a statement (at least a few sentences in length, but up to half a page) on your career goals and interest in the SMS program. If you have previously participated in SMS, you should include a few sentences about what you gained from it previously, and what you hope to gain from it this year. 

This is a summer program which allows students who have already participated in one of SMS’s other programs to take part in an intensive eight week research project with a BCM researcher. This program requires around forty hours of work each week, and also gives students access to weekly professional development sessions, where you learn more about the process of research and careers in healthcare generally. 

At the conclusion of the program, you will get to present your research to other program participants at a symposium. You will have other chances to share your research during the following school year. Note that some of the specifics of this program are determined by individual researchers and labs, but that you must commit to the full eight weeks if you are accepted. 

This program is only open to students who are 18 or older by the program’s start date. You must also be a US citizen or permanent resident, and legally eligible to work in the US. This program is incredibly popular, and has a limited number of seats available, due to the number of participating researchers. 

In order to apply, you must have your school complete a nomination form, and must complete and submit their application. This includes a personal statement of your research interests and career goals, which can highlight past research experiences. You must also include a resume. 

The Fall program is in many ways similar to the Spring program. It consists of virtual, two-and-a-half hour sessions hosted via Zoom, held on Saturday mornings. Each session begins with a lecture, and concludes with students breaking into small groups for discussion. Like the Spring session, this is open to students in grades 6-12. It is open to both Texas residents and those from other states, due to its virtual nature. 

The main difference between the Fall and Spring programs is the number of total sessions; there are six in Fall, compared to just four in Spring. You must commit to attending at least four of the sessions when you apply to the Fall program. Aside from this, the application components and requirements are exactly the same as the Spring program.

Is Saturday Morning Science Right for You?

The answer to this depends on your interests of course, but SMS does have a number of features to recommend it. The first is how broadly available it is, especially to younger students. High school students always have more and better options to explore subjects than their peers in middle school, and so those students in grades 6-8 should make note of programs like this one. 

The Fall and Spring programs are not capstone or headlining activities. They are quite nice, yes, but they give little in the way of practical experience. They are, however, also low commitment, and even older students generally lose very little if they want to participate in them. We do advise younger students to focus more heavily on these, while older students look to more serious undertakings, but these programs won’t cost anything. 

The Summer program is a capstone, the kind of intensive research experience that highly benefits all students who participate, and which admissions officers love to see. This is somewhat more limited than many programs of this sort, due in large part to the age requirement; you must be 18 by the start date of the program. Thus some students may be able to participate in this program in the summer after their junior year, but others will have to wait until the summer after their senior year. 

For college admissions, understandably, participating in the summer after your junior year is far more beneficial; colleges are unable to notice programs you take part in after your application is submitted. That said, it can be useful even if you are participating in the summer after your senior year; lab experience once helps you gain lab experience again, and if you are planning on a career in medicine, then getting this kind of experience early is always a good idea. 

Local Outreach Programs

Saturday Morning Science is just one example of a local outreach program, something pretty much all colleges and universities take part in. These are often distinct from their summer programs and other offerings, tailored specifically to the communities they are in. Here are some key traits of these programs (not every program has every trait, but these are commonalities for many of them): 

• Framed as outreach programs. The goal of these programs is to get students interested in various fields generally, often but not always STEM.
• Free. These programs are free of charge.
• During the school year. These programs take place during the school year, often on weekends, and are generally quite short in duration; a day or two, or a few weekends in a row.
• Location dependent. These programs are only for students who are local to a particular college. Some partner programs are only for students at a particular school.

These programs exist for many reasons, but a major one is that colleges want to give back to the communities they are part of. Colleges are often a major employer and business, and they want to stay on good terms with the locals. Providing opportunities like this is a great way to start.

If you are interested in STEM, or really any subject, you should begin by looking at the outreach programs offered by colleges near you. Many of these are less serious or intensive (though there are sometimes higher level internships offered), but are a great introduction to these fields, and since they are often free, can be explored with little risk. This is especially true for younger students, those in middle school or underclassmen in high school, who often have fewer opportunities. 

Final Thoughts

You may or may not know that you want to be a doctor in middle school, but you may be considering it, and all the more so as you enter high school. In those circumstances it is best to pursue that curiosity, to see if this field is really the kind of thing you are interested in engaging with long term. Saturday Morning Science is just one program to enable that, but it is an excellent option for students in Houston.

If you are looking for help applying to SMS, or in finding programs that will enable you to explore your passions, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our mentors are skilled at helping you discover the right opportunities to support your interests, and pursuing them to great heights. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more; we’re always happy to hear from you.

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The is one such honors society, and is notable due to its age, size, and range of membership. In this article, we’re going to explore what the National Beta Club is, how it functions, and whether or not it’s the kind of opportunity you should pursue. Let’s get started!

What the National Beta Club Is

The is an independent honors society for students, and is the largest independent honors society for high schoolers in the US. It has more than 450,000 active members currently, which is a significant amount, and more than 9,600 clubs nationally. 

Like other academic honors societies, the purpose of the National Beta Club is to promote academically gifted students, and to connect them with resources and communities. Founded in 1932, it was originally intended to emulate collegiate honors societies but for high school students.

It has grown significantly since, and is especially notable for enrolling younger students as well. It has three membership divisions:

• is for students in grades 4 and 5
• is for students in grades 6 through 8
• is for students in grades 9 through 12

This is the most significant difference between the National Beta Club and other honors societies for students, as it is also accessible to younger students, which many of these organizations are not. Being a member in a younger club does not guarantee membership in a higher level one, but it is still nice for younger students to get the opportunity to participate in an honors society.

A Note on the Name

The National Beta Club was named that because the intention at founding was that most students would have grades in the A-B range. In the 1930s, B grades were more valuable than they are today, as grade inflation hadn’t impacted schools to nearly the extent it has now. 

How to Join the National Beta Club

The requirements to join, and the standards for members, are set by each individual club. The national organization requires that all students be at or above grade level, but they understand that each school handles grades and grading differently, so they leave it up to individual clubs to decide which students are qualified and how. 

There is a to help you see existing clubs; many schools have them, but they are not universal. If you are looking to join a club and your particular school doesn’t have one, then you can speak with a teacher or administrator at your school about the possibility of starting one. 

For educators, they try to make the process of simple and efficient. There is no cost to the school, and they provide both resources and support at the national level to new organizations. Clubs need to be directed by a staff member at a school, but parents can help with the running of one. 

There are one-time membership fees for students when they join a club. Currently, this is $16 for elementary members, $24 for junior members, and $32 for senior members. This money goes to funding the national organization. Some clubs may also assess local fees to help pay for the costs of club activities, but this is determined by individual clubs. 

What do National Beta Clubs Do?

This is a reasonable question, and there is no single answer to it. Each club runs and organizes itself, so the activities each takes part in are as diverse as the clubs themselves. In general, however, these clubs are service oriented, much like the National Honors Society and other academic honors societies. 

The activities this manifests as vary widely, but they have a core theme of service to communities that students are part of. This can be anything from working with a local foodbank to organizing a blood drive at your school. Older students are generally given more influence into what a club chooses to do, though younger ones are often encouraged to provide input.

One of the core themes of the organization is promoting leadership in students, which can take place in any number of ways. In general, however, these clubs are going to be low-commitment in terms of the number of hours you need to put into them. They are a very good way to connect with volunteering and service opportunities in your community however. 

National Beta Club Scholarships

Of particular note are the awarded by National Beta Club annually, $300,000 in total awards. These are only available to active club members currently in the 12th grade, a limited pool, and a significant perk of membership. 

Applications for these scholarships are done , through their website. The application opens each year in early November, and is due in mid-January. You need your membership number to access the application. You will need to upload both your high school transcript and your SAT or ACT scores directly to the application. 

The initial application is all demographic, no major writing required. Based on transcripts, test scores, service hours, and resume, 100 semifinalists will be chosen to contend for the larger awards. They are required to submit 2-4 letters of recommendation and two essay responses. 

The scholarship is specifically looking to reward students with a strong history of community service and leadership, and those who have been active members of their clubs, upholding the organization’s ideals. The scholarship funding can go to any qualifying educational expenses at an accredited university. 

Should You Join a National Beta Club?

National Beta Clubs, like all academic honors societies, are not going to be your crowning achievement in high school. These clubs often do excellent work, and membership can be an impressive thing on your resume, but they aren’t a shining jewel or capstone project. 

These clubs and organizations serve primarily as a third-party confirmation of your academic prowess, that somebody at your school has recognized you are academically gifted and display these excellent traits. This is the kind of thing which goes on an honors list, and looks good there. 

This club in particular is also an excellent way to get more involved with community volunteering, which is something colleges like to see and also just a good thing to take part in. If you are highly involved in volunteering through this, then that can end up on your activities list as a separate item, showcasing the effort you put into serving your community. 

In general, taking part in national honors clubs like this is a good idea; they add something to your candidacy, and they can give you opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise, especially through the scholarships they offer. These should not be your only activity, but can definitely be one of the ones you take part in. 

It may be worth starting one of these clubs at your school, especially if it doesn’t participate in the National Honors Society. It certainly isn’t the only way to showcase these values, but it can offer a significant number of upsides for only a small amount of additional work for you. 

Final Thoughts

There are any number of activities you can take part in during high school, and academic honors societies were and remain a popular option for many students. The National Beta Club is a fine example of this, and has served students well for almost a century at this point, connecting them with both fellowship and opportunities to give back to their communities. 

We hope that this article has given you insight into this organization, and whether or not it’s the kind of thing that would support your collegiate goals and ambitions. If you are looking for advice finding the right high school activities to support your educational goals, or want help with exploring your options, then łÔąĎąŮÍř is here. Our mentors specialize in helping students pursue their interests fully and deeply, creating genuine and lasting passions. To learn more about this, or to ask any questions about this or other activities, schedule a free consultation with us today. We’re always happy to hear from you!

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Most internships happen during the summer, when students have a lot more free time. Some, however, continue into the school year, or happen then primarily. These have different challenges, but also often offer unique rewards. In this article, we’re going to look at how these internships work, and give some examples of school-year internships our students have taken part in in the past. Let’s get started!

How School Year Internships Work

In many ways school year internships work just like those during the summer, but there are some logistical changes, due mostly to students being in school. Since you are in school during normal working hours, many internships simply don’t operate; businesses may love your enthusiasm, but workers rarely want to stay past five. Similarly, many don’t work on weekends. 

In addition, the number of hours you can devote is significantly curtailed. While some internships ask for 40 hours a week during the summer, 10 per week is the norm for the school year. You simply have many more demands on your time, and school work needs to come first. 

Here’s a chart to more fully compare school year and summer internships:

School year internships are not inherently better or worse than ones offered during the summer, but they offer different benefits, and add to your candidacy in different ways. The biggest boost is the long-term commitment; colleges love to see your ability to commit to something long-term, and interning for the same organization for a full year (or even more) definitely does that.

Asynchronous Internships

A brief note on this, as it is quite common for school year internships. For these, you are doing work for an organization, but it is done remotely and on your own schedule. You will meet with a supervisor once a week to discuss assignments and the work they want you to focus on, and then you will mostly be left to your own devices to complete it. 

This has the advantage of flexibility in scheduling, allowing you to complete internships even in the face of schoolwork and other extracurriculars. It does, however, require a significant degree of maturity on your part, as you need to be responsible for budgeting and scheduling your own time, and getting work done without constant supervision.

Finding School Year Internships

In the next section, we’ll go over a number of options for school-year internships. First, however, we want to give general advice on how to find these internships in the first place; we can’t cover every example, and there are likely some excellent ones near you just waiting to be uncovered. 

The simplest way to enter a school year internship is to begin a summer internship, then find a way to extend that. Some programs have set pathways to do this, others may be amenable to it, especially if you wow them during the summer. This has the benefit that summer internships are much more common, and once you know the people at an organization, they are more likely to want to keep you around for longer. 

The other approach is the same way to find any other internship; begin by working your network; options available through your school, the people your parents know, and any businesses or organizations you have connections with. For more advice on how to pursue and approach internship opportunities, see our article here.

School Year Internship Opportunities

This isn’t going to be a full examination of every school year internship; many organizations do not have set internships, but may make an exception for a particularly bright and talented student. This is a list of interesting options, and gives you a sense of what options are out there when you go looking for these internships. 

These, and other government internships, are currently on pause, but are a great option for students with an interest in public service or specific fields that are otherwise difficult to get a start in in high school. These are competitive positions, and all government internships require you to be at least 16 or older and enrolled full time.

These internships are intended primarily for college students, but high schoolers who are eligible may apply. Note that these are all in-person internships, and require that you live close to wherever the work is happening. This severely limits availability for some students; many governmental internships are only feasible for students who live in the DC area.

These are paid internships, generally paying federal minimum wage. Your duties will vary a lot by department and location, but you will learn a lot working for the government, and the experience is quite valuable. 

This is an internship offered by a non-profit, and is a virtual asynchronous internship; that is, it doesn’t matter where in the country you are, all you need is a stable internet connection. These are limited duration internships, offered at half or quarter time. Half-time internships are only available during the summer, and expect 20 hours of work a week for two to eight weeks. Quarter time internships expect eight hours of work per week, and last for one to nine months.

These internships are open to both high school and college students. The internships generally consist of having students research various entities in the field of green or renewable energy. Students will be directly mentored during their internships, overseen one-to-one by an employee of EnergyMag. This isn’t micromanaging; their goal is to make sure that all of your questions are answered and you are able to do the work well and with their full support.

These are unpaid internships; EnergyMag is a nonprofit, and lacks the funds needed to make these paid positions. Applications may be submitted directly through their site; you must be at least a sophomore with a GPA above 3.25 in order to qualify, and have taken at least one honors English or science course. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

The Metropolitan Museum in New York City is one of the world’s premier art museums, and they offer internship opportunities to both college and high school students. These are part-time 10 week internships, and occur both in the summer, and during the school year. 

These are paid internships, and take place in-person. For this reason, they are only feasible for students who live in New York City. You must be in 10th or 11th grades, and either enrolled in high school or homeschooled to take part in one of these internships. Applications must be submitted online, and are due well in advance; the spring internship’s application is due in October. 

As an intern you will learn about both art and curation, while helping the Met with its mission of disseminating art to the public. This is an ideal program for students interested in art, art history, or museums generally. You will have varied responsibilities as an intern, working in all aspects of the Met and its collections. 

Run by the US Senate (as you might expect), this program offers both summer and semester opportunities for high school students aged 16 to 17 to work in the US capitol. You must be a US citizen or permanent resident, and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to apply. 

Applications are handled by individual senators; not all senators take on pages through this program, and how each does so depends on their own office. There are 30 page positions; which senators get to appoint them rotates. Pages stay at the capitol and attend a special school there during the school year, while also carrying out their duties. Pages are held to a very high ethical standard.

Pages are paid, and serve for less than a year; housing is provided as part of the program, and students do not need to pay for this. This is a very prestigious and very competitive program. 

Final Thoughts

This is only a taste of the internship opportunities available to high school students, but does highlight just how many options are out there. There are fewer than you can find during the summer, but it certainly is an option, one which more students should consider availing themselves of. Colleges want to see how you have pursued your passions over the long term, and an internship like this is perfect for doing so. 

If you are looking for help finding and securing one of these internships, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. We both help students apply to any number of opportunities, and partner directly with a number of firms to arrange exciting internship opportunities for students. Our goal is to help each student find the situation that best helps them explore and elevate their interests. If you’re interested in working with us, then schedule a free consultation today; we’re always happy to hear from you.

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What are Hackathons Anyway?

Before we discuss your options for hackathons, we’re going to very briefly cover what these events are, and why they might be impressive for admissions officers. Put simply, a hackathon is a short-term high intensity programming or software engineering event where coders all work towards a specific goal; either collaboratively or alone. The goal of the event is to have created something usable by the end, and to develop skills in problem solving and collaboration.

What problem these events are attacking, and the methods they use, are as varied as the hackathons themselves. Some of these are competitive, with prizes for the best entrants, while others are more casual and collaborative. They are all short term; the longest last 48 hours, and most are far shorter (especially those aimed at high school students). The goal is to see how much you can get done, and how quickly.

Hackathons generally end with presentations of what everyone has done. Thus you can both show off what you’ve accomplished, and gain insight into how others attacked the same problem. In-person events are also great opportunities for networking, as there are many people there with similar goals and interests as you.

For admissions, hackathons serve several purposes. First, as with any competition, winning one shows off what you are capable of in comparison to a peer group. Next, the experience of a hackathon, the joy of creation in a somewhat stressful collaborative environment, is often great fodder for college essays, and shows off many of the traits and values these schools look for in students. Universities want students who can operate well under pressure, who can meet tight deadlines when needed, and who seek out academic challenges for the fun of it. Hackathons demonstrate all of these traits and more.

Top Hackathons for High School Students

We’ll give details for each event on who is allowed to compete, the format of it, and any other information we think is relevant. We are putting these in alphabetical order, for convenience. 

In spite of the name, this organization offers programming events and competitions for students all over the world, all of which are free to enter and participate in. All contests are held online; they have different divisions based on age and ability level. There are four contests each season, giving students multiple chances to compete; generally different contests focus on different challenges or programming languages.

Students must take a free online in order to register; this will help determine which divisions and competitions you are eligible for. These contests are great for students looking to be actively involved; the number of competitions each year gives you many opportunities to test your skills.

This is a 24 hour free global hackathon hosted entirely online. It is competitive, and students are given a challenge to solve; they are encouraged to collaborate. There are a variety of workshops and presentations over the course of the day, and at the end, students are given a chance to present what they have made; three minutes for the presentation, and two minutes for questions.

This event happens in June, and is relatively low commitment; many hackathons are due to the short time frame. This is a good event if you are looking for an introductory hackathon, as they allow for a broad array of submitted coding projects. You must be a currently enrolled high school student to participate.

This competition is hosted by New York University (as the name suggests). This is primarily an event aimed at college students, but high school students aged 16 and up may participate if they are accompanied by a guardian. The event has multiple possible tracks; students choose which they are participating in when they sign up.

You do not need a team when you sign up (though all competitions are team based). There are opportunities to find teams at the event, or beforehand amongst other attendees. The event is in person; food is provided for free. There are prizes for top performing attendees. This is a good option, especially for students who are already based in New York.

Run by Hewlett Packard, this is an annual hackathon held in March each year for students aged 13 to 18. They support several coding languages, and students submit source code to answer the challenge of the event. Students work in teams to complete this. Teams must be led by an adult sponsor; this sponsor must be associated with an accredited school.

Teams are two to three students; single teams are permitted but not recommended. There are both novice and advanced challenges available each year. This is both an in-person and virtual event. This is a three hour event where teams try to solve as many problems as possible; the team with the most points at the end wins. This is a good event to get a sense of hackathons, and to try out various coding challenges.

This is one of the largest global hackathons, and is open to participants of all skill levels, from students to experienced engineering professionals. Put on by NASA annually in October, this competition gives participants access to NASA’s data, and challenges them to use it to solve specific problems NASA is facing. Entrants work in teams to complete their projects, which are then submitted and judged. 

This one is remarkable because it also has a lot of local events, allowing for in-person networking. These events are held globally; you can see if there’s one near you. This is a great option for students with an interest in data science or space exploration generally, on top of the CS applications.

This was the world’s first student-run college hackathon; while it is still primarily competed in by college students, any students aged 15 and up are permitted to enter. It is held each year in September, and is run by the students at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Engineering. This is an in-person event, with students travelling from around the world to Philadelphia to compete. 

This event is free to attend; you must pay for travel costs, but lodging and food are provided. You must apply to compete; this is competitive, and acceptance is not guaranteed. You will be assigned a team and an app challenge when you arrive. This is a competition, and prizes are awarded for the best apps and projects at weekend’s end.

Hosted by Stanford’s Association for Computing Machinery, this hackathon is only available to high school students in the Bay Area. This is held in March each year, students compete in teams of up to three to solve a number of programming challenges over the course of three hours. The number of questions varies each year.

There are both novice and advanced divisions, but all entrants are expected to have at least a year of programming experience. This contest is free to enter and participate in; there are prizes for the top-performing teams. You may use several different programming languages, depending on preference. This is a great option for students who are local to the Bay Area.

Final Thoughts

Hackathons are not the right choice for every student looking to get involved in computer science, but they are a relatively low-commitment way to put your skills to the test, and have a lot of potential for high rates of return. If you are interested in coding, and want to connect with like minded peers while partaking in challenges often based in real world practical scenarios, hackathons are one of the best ways to spend your time.

We hope that this article has given you needed insight into where to start finding these events. Of course, there are many other ways to get involved in computer science as a high school student, and to show off your potential to colleges. If you are looking for more personalized advice, or guidance on how to make your own accomplishments shine, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience helping students find the best opportunities for them, and are always happy to hear from you.

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In this article, we’re going to talk about one such scholarship: the . We’re going to go over what exactly this is, how to apply for it, and how to maximize your chances of winning it. As with all competitive scholarships, Davidson is quite competitive, but in many ways the journey of this scholarship makes applications worthwhile anyway. Let’s find out why!

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship

This is a scholarship run by the , a foundation devoted to supporting and advancing particularly gifted students. The scholarship itself has three levels of awards: $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000. This is not a recurring or renewable scholarship, but you have ten years to use it. The scholarship funding may be spent on any educational related expense, from tuition costs, to supplies, to fees. 

The scholarship money can go directly to the school, or your family can pay the costs and then be reimbursed by the scholarship. Due to the ten year limit on the scholarship, some students use it to pay for graduate school as well. 

This scholarship is awarded annually. All submissions must be in one of their stated categories (more on that later), but are judged and awarded collectively. The number of awards given is budgeted to be 20 total annually; an independent panel of judges reviews all projects and selects those most worthy of recognition to be awarded, along with the level of award each will receive.

Eligibility

The scholarship has broad availability. There is no fee to apply for this scholarship. You must be 18 years old or younger (there is no minimum age), and a US citizen or permanent resident residing in the US. US citizens living abroad due to military deployment are eligible; citizens living abroad for other reasons are typically not eligible to apply. 

These are the only rules for eligibility.

Applying for a Davidson Fellowship

Applications to the Davidson Fellows program must be done online. The application opens in the Fall, and is due in early February. The application must be , and has two parts. The first part asks for a brief description of your project, to ensure that it is eligible for the scholarship. In the second, you input your nominator’s information, along with category specific criteria. 

Each application requires submission of a project or portfolio that falls into one of their specified categories. Each category has its own application requirements; we go into these in more detail in the next section. 

They urge students to submit the initial portion of the application, the description of your project, as soon as possible. This will then be reviewed, and if it is deemed eligible, you and your nominators will be sent links to submit the rest of the materials. 

You must have two nominators for your project; these may not be your parents. Despite describing these as nominators, their real purpose is much more that of a letter of recommendation; we do not know why they do not just use that term, but that is their prerogative. See our article here for advice on letters of recommendation. Note that these nominators should include any research mentors you worked with in the creation of your project.

Once these and your project are submitted, they will be reviewed by an independent panel of judges. We will go over review criteria in a later section. We advise you to submit before the deadline, though there is no mechanical advantage to submitting early; it simply ensures you won’t be late due to unforeseen circumstances. 

Davidson Fellowship Project Categories

Projects submitted to the Davidson Fellows Scholarship fall into one of three broad categories, each of which has its own sub-categories. These are: 

• STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math
• Humanities: Literature, Music, Philosophy
• Out-of-the-Box: Social Sciences, Academic fields not listed, interdisciplinary projects

Note that there are also some fields where students may not submit projects. This includes all artistic fields other than music, sports, and community service. While these can all be wonderful projects, these are not what the Davidson Fellowship is looking for. We will now go through each of these categories in turn, plus their sub-categories, to explain what they are looking for in these project submissions. 

Also note that any projects involving human subjects (including surveys) or studies involving live vertebrates are not eligible for submission.

STEM Projects

All STEM projects have the same basic requirements, regardless of field. These basic requirements are: 

• A formal research paper
• A visual model
• Code
• Supplemental documentation or information
• Application Attachments

The formal research paper is exactly what it sounds like, and should follow the standard model of an academic paper as would be submitted for publication. For guidance on writing one of these papers, see our article on the subject here. Note that for these papers, they do not accept literature reviews. You need to have done novel research and analysis, even if it is a reinterpretation or application of an existing data set. Your paper should of course have a literature review section, but this cannot be the entire paper. If you are using a paper that has already been published, make sure you don’t self plagiarize. They have a link where you can report it if you are submitting a paper by you which has already been published elsewhere. This is allowed, but they want to know.

The visual model can be any image or graphics which best represent the work you have done. This can be plots or charts, diagrams, technical drawings, powerpoints, 3d visualizations; anything which visually illustrates what you have done. Davidson recommends you consult with your nominators about how best to present your data or project visually. 

Not all projects in this category will use code, but if yours did, then judges want to see it. All code needs to be differentiated between code you acquired (such as open source projects from GitHub), and the code you wrote. This is so judges can accurately evaluate your particular contributions to the coding aspect of the project. Even if your project uses limited code, such as R for data analysis, this needs to be noted. 

Supplemental information is anything else you want the judges to know about your project. Most commonly, this is future plans if this is an ongoing undertaking, or a resume for further context. Davidson allows you to submit projects which have been submitted elsewhere, so if your research project already won at a local science fair, you can put that on your resume and then submit it as supplemental material.

Finally, you must include attachments to your application; all categories require this, but they vary in their components. Within STEM, they are all the same. You are first required to complete two essays. The first essay is on your process, and is meant to describe how you undertook the research and work you completed. This essay is meant to answer the following questions: 

• What inspired you to pursue this work?
• How much time (hours/days/months) did it take you to complete this work?
• How did you organize the work that went into doing it?
• What difficulties did you encounter and how did you handle them?
• Where was the work completed?
• Who supervised your work (ex. teacher, mentor, grad student, principal investigator, etc.)?
• List who helped you and what assistance they provided. (Please include individuals who offered equipment, ideas, critiques, materials, methodology, etc.)
• Was your project completed through a paid program/mentorship? If yes, which one, who did you work with and in what capacity?

The final question is especially important, especially as paid research programs proliferate, many of questionable quality. Their goal with this is to determine how much of the work was actually done by you, and that your contributions were your own. The second question is simpler in nature, but harder to answer: it asks how your project, as you understand it, will benefit society or have a positive impact. 

Finally, you are required to submit a video of up to ten minutes in length. You are not judged on production quality, though it should be intelligible. This is your chance to discuss anything else you feel is relevant to your submission that wasn’t covered elsewhere; they encourage creativity in this. The two essays must be submitted directly with your application, the video must be uploaded to Youtube. 

Humanities

Humanities projects have similar requirements, but differ somewhat based on individual field and the nature of work within them, so we will cover each in turn. All of these require a portfolio of work, a grand project and undertaking; these are meant to be equally difficult and equally impressive as the STEM projects. 

Literature

For literature, you are required to submit a portfolio of different works totalling 60-75 pages in length. They want you to demonstrate your breadth and depth as a writer, and want works from three of the following four genres: 

• Fiction (they note that novel excerpts may not exceed 30 pages)
• Nonfiction (they note that any school assignments, including book reports, research papers, or journalism, may not be submitted)
• Poetry
• Drama or screenplay

They note that each genre may have multiple shorter pieces, so long as all three genres are represented. An overarching theme may be incorporated at your discretion, but is not expected or required. A bibliography (if necessary for nonfiction or otherwise), does not count towards the total page count. All pieces need to have been created by you within the past three years (or updated within the past three years). 

You must also submit a literary narrative; this is not counted with the literary portfolio page count. This is a narrative written by you about your own relationship with reading and writing, and how you relate to and view yourself and your work in a literary context. The purpose of this is to express yourself and analyze your own relationship with this as an artistic field. They specifically link to when discussing what a literary narrative is and what they are looking for.

Finally, there are the attachments. These are additional components which are attached to but separate from the portfolio itself; more of a meta commentary. The first is the process essay; this is discussed above in the STEM section. The second is a video submission, this is also discussed in the STEM section. Your creation process for literature is likely to be entirely distinct from the creation process for a scientific research paper, but they still want to understand it, to gain deeper insight into how the work you submitted was done. 

Music

The music portfolio has three distinct categories: composition, classical instrument, and other instrument. Each of these has different portfolio components, but all have the same additional attachments component at the end. We’ll go through the portfolio components for each, and then discuss the attachment requirements. 

Composer portfolios are required to include three scores created by you, and recordings of those scores being performed. They note specifically that AI generated compositions are not allowed, but MIDI may be used for recordings. There are no other guidelines on the character or requirements of these compositions.

Classical instrument portfolios require two components. The first is an audition-format video demonstrating your breadth and depth as a musician by playing at least one piece from at least three of the following periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary. This recording need not be done in one take, and cannot exceed 45 minutes total. The second component is a live recording of you playing your instrument in a public performance within the past year which includes one complete movement of a concerta, sonata, or solo piece.

Other instrument portfolios are for jazz, bluegrass, and other musical traditions not considered classical. These require two components. The first is an audition style video of not more than 45 minutes demonstrating your breadth and depth as an artist. This must include one piece where you play off a written manuscript, demonstrating your ability to read music, plus three additional pieces. The second component is an unedited video of a public performance of your instrument within the past year. 

Regardless of portfolio type, all applicants in music must include the same attachments. Two of these are the process essay and personal video, described already under the STEM section. Your process for music is likely to be very different, but this is a place to detail all the work you did, that which cannot be seen in a simple audition piece, your time and effort spent perfecting your craft.

The other essay attachment required is a reflective essay, a chance for you to reflect on how music and performance impact you and your life. There are no length guidelines or requirements for this essay. They want this piece to reflect on the following questions:

• What music means to you in your everyday life?
• How you think music is socially relevant?
• Do you think music has the capacity to bring people together in our ever-fractured society? If yes, how? If no, why not?
• Do you plan on pursuing music as you progress through school, career and life? Why or why not?
• Is there anything else you would like to reflect on about your submission?

Philosophy

A philosophy portfolio is a compendium of works written by the student presenting analyses of fundamental assumptions or beliefs relating to human thought or culture. A portfolio should contain three to five different short pieces of this nature, each no more than 3,000 words in length. Each piece needs its own bibliography; they prefer APA formatting for citations. 

The philosophy submission also requires attachments. These are the exact same as those required of STEM submissions; first an essay on your process, then an essay on your work’s relevance and benefit to society, and finally a ten minute video describing your work, serving as a conclusion to all else included in your submission. 

Outside the Box

This category is for all submissions that do not fit into another category, and which are also not one of the categories they do not accept (all other arts, athletic accomplishments, and community service). All work submitted is expected to be graduate level, and you should not submit school assignments or descriptions of future majors or fields of study. If your work fits into another category, then you should submit it as that category. 

You must specify the category or categories your submission falls into. From there, there are several options for what you can actually include. Specifically, this can be either a written research paper, or a portfolio of work, in both cases meant to demonstrate the breadth of your understanding and engagement with the material at question. You may also include supplemental material, such as graphics or images, best needed to convey your points. You are expected to include a bibliography should one be necessary as part of your work.

The Outside the Box submission also requires attachments. These are the exact same as those required of STEM submissions; first an essay on your process, then an essay on your work’s relevance and benefit to society, and finally a ten minute video describing your work, serving as a conclusion to all else included in your submission. 

How Projects are Reviewed

All submissions for the scholarship are reviewed by a panel of judges; there will be subject matter experts in your field and in related fields who are judging your work. The goal here is that all works are reviewed by people who understand them. In general, judges are looking for the following things when they judge submissions: 

• The scope and quality of the work
• How significant the work is to the domain in question as judged by subject matter experts
• Your own depth of knowledge of the work and of related fields of knowledge

Overall, they are looking for projects that go above and beyond what could be expected of high school level work, and that show a real possibility of changing and impacting the world in a positive way. Now, there are many different ways a work can be judged to be significant. They do give some examples of what they consider: 

• Creative reapplication of existing knowledge, especially if it’s in a way that creates a great benefit in an unexpected way
• A fully new idea or innovation with immediately apparent impact
• An important advancement in a field that can be replicated and built upon, even if not immediately impactful
• A prodigious performance (for music especially)

Note that they don’t want purely theoretical projects for this reason; they want to see how your ideas work in practice to benefit society. A theory is great, but they can’t judge that. A project in progress can be submitted if you have the necessary data and results and proof of relevance to be judged. If it doesn’t, then keep working, and apply next year.

Strict Judging Criteria

The first thing judges check is that the application is fully complete and correct. This is an application with a lot of moving parts, and judges need to be able to access all of them. Make sure each essay is uploaded to the right place, not duplicated or left out. For your video uploaded to YouTube, make sure it is an unlisted video, and not a private video. Private videos are not watchable, this renders an application incomplete and your application will not be viewed.

These judges are professors or PhDs, and there are different panels for different subjects (this is why they ask you to specifically designate your field and subfield when you apply). Thus if you submit a chemistry project, it will be judged by chemistry professors, while a literature project will be reviewed by literature professors.

Projects are scored on this rubric out of 100 points: 

• 50 points for quality and scope of the entry
• 30 points for the level of significance
• 20 points for the depth of knowledge and understanding of the domain area

This evaluation is based on the application packet alone. Having won other programs is great, and can be a sign the project is worth submitting, but will not impact judging either way. Note that you may receive questions via email if they have questions about your application; make sure you answer these emails promptly.

Judging runs through the end of June, there were approximately 750 applicants in 2024 and 900 in 2025. If your project is not selected for an award, you can continue working on the project and resubmit next year if you are still eligible.

A Note on Intellectual Property

Your submission and application will not be published on the website; if you win, you will be asked to write additional material to feature on their website. All intellectual property remains the property of the student; judges and members of the staff at Davidson sign NDAs and confidentiality agreements to this effect.

They do specifically state that even if your material is patent pending, you must still submit all required documentation. They will not steal your ideas, but they do need to be able to see and understand your process. None of these materials will ever be published by them, and remain the student’s intellectual property.

Final Thoughts

This is an incredibly detailed application, and they urge all students to read the entire thing carefully before submitting, and to make sure you understand it before you do. They also welcome you to reach out with any questions; they try to make everything straightforward, but with the amount of money on the line, they are incredibly strict with the standards for submission.

We hope that this article has given you a solid understanding of how the Davidson Fellows Scholarship operates. This is a very prestigious and very competitive scholarship, but one well worth applying to, as any project done for this scholarship is also going to look impressive in its own right on a college application. If you are looking for help doing one of these high tier research projects yourself, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. Our Research Mentorships partner students with experienced and published researchers to conduct original research, and have seen publications in numerous professional and industry journals. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more; we’re always happy to hear from you.

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Just as athletes compete to show their prowess at the regular Olympics, so can high school students demonstrate their mastery of any number of subjects through the science olympiads, a series of national and international competitions. In this article, we’re going to go through a number of these, to explore what your options are, and then discuss if these are a good opportunity for you to pursue. Let’s jump right in!

This is the most prestigious math competition globally for high school students, with over 100 countries participating each year. The qualifying tests for this in the US are the and the , which many high schoolers take if they are in an advanced math class. 

Each country sends a team of six to this competition. The test consists of six questions over two days, each of which is worth seven points, for a maximum score of 42. You have four and a half hours to solve the three problems each day. Calculators are not allowed or needed. All problems can be understood by anyone with high school math, and do not require knowledge of calculus or analysis to solve, though both can be helpful. 

As with AIME and AMC, the point of these questions is to be fiendishly difficult while having simple solutions. These often require creative applications, and delve into fields of math outside those covered in normal high school or college courses. 

This is an incredibly competitive opportunity, and even qualifying for a national team is an incredible achievement. Students interested in math should focus on the qualifying exams, which are similar in questions and format to the grander olympiad. The competition takes place in July each year (though has occurred in June and September in the past).

Note that this is distinct from the International Science Olympiad, as this competition is for students in the US only. Teams of students compete in 23 science related events at the regional, state, and national level. There are also invitational events; these are generally hosted by a local university and serve as practice for other events; they do not count for qualifications. Both middle and high schools field teams. 

Teams are allowed up to fifteen members who compete in the 23 events. This generally happens in a single day, but some states, like Texas, run over multiple days. All of the events fall into one of the five following categories: 

• Life, Personal, and Social Science
• Earth & Space Science
• Physical Science & Chemistry
• Technology & Engineering
• Inquiry & Nature of Science

These are then either knowledge based tests, which consist of written exams; hands on tests, which include practical labs and device testing; or engineering based, where teams complete a device ahead of time which needs to complete certain tasks on the day of the competition. Most events only allow two team members to participate, though some allow three. This encourages specialization, with certain team members assigned to certain portions of the event based on their strengths. 

Teams are generally associated with a school, though homeschool groups field teams as well. Events and rules change each year to encourage dynamism and to prevent specific teams from continuously dominating. 

Each event is scored differently based on metrics for that event. Teams are then ranked based on their performance. Overall score is based on your rank from each event. In the case of a tie, certain extra events are planned to serve as tie breakers. The top few teams from regional competitions advance to state, and the top one or two teams from state advance to nationals. Larger states get to send more teams to nationals, due to increased competition and level of student participation.

The timing of regional and state competitions varies; the national competition is always held in May. This competition requires a good amount of preparation, and is a major time commitment.

Generally abbreviated USNCO, this competition is run and hosted by the American Chemistry Society, and is used to select the four member team who represents the US at the International Chemistry Olympiad. 

The competition begins with local exams. You must register with your local ACS coordinator to sign up for this exam; not everyone who registers will be able to participate. Around 16,000 students take this exam each year. Each local section coordinator selects eight students to take the national exam (or more in the case of exceptionally large sections). Around 1,000 students take the national exam each year. The local exam is held in March, and the national exam in April.

The national exam is hosted at university campuses across the country, and consists of three sections:

• A 90 minute, 60 question multiple choice test. Each question is worth 1 point, with no penalty for guessing. Questions are loosely grouped by topic, with the following subjects covered: descriptive chemistry/laboratory techniques, stoichiometry, gasses/liquids/solids, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, electronic structure/periodic trends, bonding theories, and organic chemistry.
• A 105 minute free response section with eight questions. These require written explanations and full calculations.
• A 90 minute lab practical, where students must complete two tasks using only the materials provided.

The top 20 scorers on the national test are invited to a two week summer camp, from which the four member international olympiad team is selected. The study camp takes place in June, while the international competition is in July. The top 50 scorers on the exam are awarded high honors, and the next 100 scoring are awarded honors. Getting any level of honors from this exam is quite impressive.

This is the top chemistry specific event in the country, though other competitions have chemistry as a component. It is not particularly time intensive, and complements other events you may participate in if chemistry is already a focus of yours.

Abbreviated as USABO, this is a national competition hosted by the Center for Excellence in Education, which is used to select the US team for the International Biology Olympiad. This is an incredibly rigorous selection process, one that has caused the US to have remarkable success in the international competition. 

USABO finalists are selected through two rounds of testing. The first is the open round; this may be entered by any high school student, who registers through their school or a testing center. High Schools must register with the USABO to administer this test. This is a 50-minute multiple choice exam, with no penalty for wrong answers. The top 10% of students who complete this exam are then invited to take the second round of testing.

The second round is generally administered in March. This test takes 120 minutes to complete, and has the following three sections:

1. A simple multiple choice
2. A more complex multiple choice, with multistep problems and the chance of multiple correct answers, where students must select all correct answers
3. Short answer or essay questions

The top 20 scoring students on that exam are invited to attend the national finals round. This is an extended program; students may take 24 hours off to attend high school graduation, which the competition knows it might conflict with. This final portion is a nine day course where students receive advanced instruction from university professors. On the tenth day, there is a ten hour exams, consisting of two parts:

1. A six hour practical exam
2. A three hour theoretical exam

1st-4th place receive gold and a chance to represent the US at the international Olympiad, 5th-8th receive silver, and 9th-12th receive bronze. That said, simply making it to the final round is a major accomplishment, one colleges prize. 

Abbreviated as USACO, this is an online coding competition open to high school students, and is used to select the national team for the International Olympiad in Informatics. Four contests are held each year, in December, January, February, and the US Open (held in March-April). 

Participants compete in increasingly difficult divisions; performing well in one division allows you to compete in the higher level in the next round. These are bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Each division is provided with a set of three problems to be completed in three to five hours. You may complete these using C, C++, Java, or Python. 

Solutions are judged not just on the correctness of the answers, but also based on restrictions on run time and memory usage. Each problem is scored the same, but problems are intentionally designed to be difficult, and scores are often lower than in other programming competitions. 

The US Open has the same format, but is more challenging, and is a major decider in invitations to the national team. All of these exams are held online. They are not proctored, but if cheating is detected that competitor is banned from the competition for life. 

If you are interested in coding generally, this is a great opportunity to test and hone your skills, regardless of how you do. 

Usually abbreviated as USAMO, this is the premier mathematical competition in the US. It is the final round of the math competitions which select the team to compete in the International Math Olympiad. 

Participation in the USAMO is by invitation only, and simply qualifying to do so is one of the highest honors you can achieve in high school mathematics. You must be a US citizen or permanent resident to participate in the USAMO. Approximately 500 students participate each year; 260-270 in the USAMO, and 230-240 in the junior division. Qualification is based on your scores on the AMC and AIME. The cutoff changes each year, depending on the pool of test takers. 

The competition itself is a six question nine hour proofs based examination spread over two days, with students completing three questions over four and a half hours each day. Each question is graded on a scale of 0-7 using the following rubric: 

• 0: No or trivial work completed on the problem.
• 1-2: Progress is evident on the problem, but it is not solved.
• 3-4: All steps are present, but lack clarity (this score is rarely given).
• 5-6: There is a complete solution with minor errors.
• 7: Perfect solution.

The maximum score possible on the exam is 42. Generally, students take the test at their high school, overseen by a faculty member. Student responses are faxed to the administrators at the end of each testing period. The top twelve scorers, and top eighteen next highest from grade 11 and under are invited to the Mathematical Olympiad Program, a summer program hosted by Carnegie Mellon University to prepare students for the IMO. 

None of the questions on the test require calculus (though its use is allowed), and instead focus on geometry, algebra, combinatorics, and number theory. They are designed to require creativity to solve, and application of mathematical concepts students may not be otherwise familiar with. 

Are Science Olympiads Right for You?

This is entirely dependent on your personal aptitudes and desires. In their own right, olympiads are generally a very low time commitment; most are a single test lasting only a few hours, at least for the first round. The other rounds may require a slightly higher investment, but it’s still less than many other activities, at least on the surface. 

Now, to actually do well on these tests, you generally need to do a fair bit of studying on these subjects outside of what you do in school. That said, if you already do this (such as pursuing coding projects or independent research in one of these fields), then olympiad competition can dovetail nicely. 

In general, there’s no harm in trying it and seeing how you do, but for a chance to do well, the olympiad should be in coordination with some of the other activities you pursue. 

Note that winning or becoming a finalist in these competitions is one of the most impressive things you can do in terms of establishing your intellectual vitality for colleges. Doing lower, however, generally gets you nothing. These are very all or nothing in that respect. 

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to impress colleges through your honors and activities, and scientific olympiads are one such. These are not the best opportunities for every student to pursue, but we hope that this has opened your eyes to this as a possibility, and given a sense whether it’s a good fit for you.

If you are looking for help picking the ideal opportunities for you to explore, or want advice on how an olympiad may fit into your own college application plans, then schedule a free consultation today. Our candidacy building program specializes in helping students find the best opportunities to support their interests, and we always love assisting high school students pursue their dreams. 

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