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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Speech and Debate for High School Students

While the two are linked together, Speech and Debate are completely different activities. They are akin to different sports; there are some similarities between them, but the details differ, and those are what matter most. Both are competitive however, and both are most commonly associated with the ; though it is hardly the only provider. We’ll now go through each in turn, to explore it thoroughly.

Speech

Speech is the art of making a verbal statement on a subject. This has many different varieties, but they are in general divided into two camps:

• Public Address Events: These rely on the student giving a speech that they have composed. This may be written well in advance or composed briefly for extemporaneous speaking. These speeches can try to persuade audiences, educate them, or argue for a specific belief. 
• Interpretation Events: Here, students give a reading of a speech or other written work created by someone else. These are published material, and generally center on a theme of some kind. 

These are both competitions, where many students give speeches in the same format and on the same topic, and are judged on their rhetoric and presentational skills. What you say and how you say it are both quite important; speech is a performance, and lacking in style or substance will hurt your score. 

Tournaments are held regionally at high schools, with state, national, and international tournaments held by invitation depending on your performance in lower level events. There are several organizations which organize and put on speech tournaments, but most national competitions are hosted at and put on in partnership with colleges and universities.

High schools generally have established speech teams. These function somewhere between a sport and an academic club, and are sometimes but not always connected to the debate team.

Debate

Debate is directly competitive, with students each presenting on the same topic in direct opposition to each other, and being judged on how compelling their arguments are. Debate topics may be known well in advance, or given very shortly before the debate begins. Here are the most common styles of debate: 

• : This is a 2v2 debate, with a new vague topic announced yearly to be debated. The affirmative side must present a plan to implement what they propose; thus this debate format requires a lot of research. 
• : This is a 1v1 debate with topics changing every two months. This usually requires debaters to discuss the merits of different schools of thought. 
• : These are 2v2 debates with topics that change every month, generally related to current events. Debaters generally have to defend either the status quo or a change to the status quo.
• : These are 3v3 debates with topics that change every round; these can be impromptu or prepared. This debate has an international championship.
• : This is a 2v2v2v2 debate, with two teams on each side of a policy issue. Teams are ranked out of four, and are not allowed to collaborate. Each round is impromptu, with the topic announced shortly before the start of the round.

It is normal for students to compete in multiple different forms of debate, though this depends on your own debate team, and the tournaments you compete in. High schools generally have established debate teams, which can be attached to or separate from teams dedicated to speech. These teams often operate similarly to sports teams, with long practices and travel to events which may take significant time. 

As with speech, debate is a performance, and the content of what you say has equal importance to how you say it. There are different tools of rhetoric and persuasion used when debating, which you master through practice. 

Speech and Debate in College Applications

In many ways, the activity which speech and debate most resemble in college admissions is sports. Speech and debate had competitive societies in colleges long before they spread to high school, and top colleges often compete fiercely with each other in these fields.

As with sports, many colleges will recruit for these teams. While speech and debate coaches do have far less sway than athletic ones, getting recruited for speech and debate can greatly increase your chances of getting into a school. 

Part of the reason for that, though, is that the only way to get recruited for speech and debate is to be nationally successful, which is quite impressive in its own right. Winning any national academic competition is a capstone achievement to show off to admissions officers, and speech and debate tournaments are some of the oldest and most respected academic competitions available. Only a few students can win each year, but they often have a much easier time getting into top colleges. 

On top of this, both of these activities tend to be fairly time intensive, and require significant commitment from you in order to compete. Colleges like to see long hours of continual commitment to a single activity, as this demonstrates your passion and drive. Read more about how colleges judge extracurriculars in our article on the subject here. 

Should You Participate in Speech or Debate?

While participating in speech and debate can be a lot of fun, it isn’t the right activity for all students. As with all high school extracurricular options, there are both pros and cons to consider. The most important of this, as with so many other activities, is the time investment. If you do speech or debate seriously, it will require a major investment of your time. You can still participate in other activities, but it will be the largest consumer of your free time, and limit your ability to deeply involve yourself elsewhere. 

This is true of many potential activities, but means you should be sure you actually enjoy the activity before you commit to it. If it’s something you enjoy a bit, but don’t want to spend all of your time doing, then aim for a lower commitment level, and understand that it won’t have much impact on your admissions chances. 

If you are interested in political science or public policy, then speech and debate are useful activities to be involved with, along with other classic examples such as Model UN. While it may not directly prepare you for politics, understanding how to craft a compelling argument serves political commentators and politicians quite well. 

We finally want to note that speech and debate tends to attract a certain variety of students, those who enjoy arguing for its own sake, and rhetorical tricks, and the fun which can be found in detail oriented pedantry. There is nothing wrong with this, but not everyone will thrive in such an environment, and may not enjoy spending time there. 

If you are interested, we do recommend trying speech or debate; it may not be for you, but dipping your toes into the water to see if it suits you is harmless. You shouldn’t join specifically to get recruited by colleges; this is as difficult as athletic recruiting, but it can be a fun way to spend your time in high school. 

Final Thoughts

There are many ways you can spend your time in high school, and many worthy activities which can aid you in college admissions and beyond. While speech and debate might not be the right choice for all students, they can be well worth your time for those who are interested in them and have an aptitude for rhetoric. 
We hope that this article has given you a solid introduction to speech and debate, and shown you whether or not they are worth pursuing for you. Of course, there’s no single right way to build candidacy and prepare for college; each student is unique, and must find their own path. If you are looking for help along that path, or advice on how to play to your strengths, schedule a free consultation today. Our candidacy building service excels in helping students make the most of their time in high school, and we’re always happy to hear from you.

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Last Minute Summer Programs

Many rising seniors we work with aim to complete capstone projects in the summer before their senior year, something big and grand they can brag about to colleges, showing off their skills and potential.  We do not recommend doing one of these at the last minute, but there are still some things you can do during the summer to show off your talents and interests. 

Now, most summer programs require you to apply sometime before July, but there are still opportunities available now. Most notable are summer jobs, the staples of lifeguard or restaurant work, or other opportunities. These are often overlooked in the admissions process, but can be an amazing source of both experience and subjects for essays. 

Having worked a job shows colleges your maturity, and gives you a taste of life after high school. Most jobs are also frequently hiring, making it easy to find a position at the last minute. Now, not all jobs are fun, but that too can be an important learning experience. 

Besides jobs, you can also work on independent projects over the summer. These require even more work than a job in most cases, but can give even greater results. Now, many projects do require a long lead up period, but others can be started now, with little preamble or preparation. What projects are available depend on your own skills and interests. 

Last Minute Capstone Projects

So if you want to create a capstone project right before your senior year with no prep-work, how do you go about doing it? The first, and most important, step is to decide what kind of project you have the means to accomplish. Coding an app, for example, may be difficult if you’ve never done any coding before.

Thus you should determine what skills you have, and how these can be brought to bear. Here are some examples of projects students have done with łÔąĎąŮÍř, to give you an idea of the variety of things you can attempt: 

• Making a short documentary about a local issue the student wanted to draw attention to.
• Undertaking and publishing original research.
• Coding an app based on the student’s love of philosophy.
• Working as an intern at a nonprofit and helping them organise their database in a more efficient manner.

Now, not all of these are equally approachable, but you likely have skills and talents of your own you can use in service of a grander project. Once you have determined these skills and the project you are going to undertake, the next step is figuring out the timeline.

Capstone projects, by their nature, require a lot of work over a long period of time. You should of course begin as soon as possible, and your goal should be to finish by the time you submit your first applications. For most Early Decision schools, that gives you a deadline of November 1. This does limit some projects; you may be able to complete a research project, but not publish it, or film a documentary, but not find a venue to display it.

This is fine, because the work of doing a project is often beneficial in and of itself. You can also tell colleges that research has been submitted for publication, or a film submitted to a festival, even if it hasn’t been made public yet. We advise doing so; sharing one of these projects is the final stage, and makes the accomplishments far more impressive. 

Last Minute Major Interest

Colleges frequently ask what you want to major in, and ask you what you have done already that relates to this subject. This is especially important for the most popular majors; business, computer science, and engineering. Thus, if you are looking for last-minute ways to build your candidacy, then focusing on things related to your major of interest is a good idea. 

This doesn’t necessarily need to be big capstone projects (though these can be very useful); even smaller ventures can lend much needed experience and expressions of interest. This is good, because most of the largest and most involved projects are going to be too time intensive for you to accomplish much before applications are due. 

Here are some examples of how past łÔąĎąŮÍř students have gotten involved with their majors of choice, even when they didn’t have much time before applying: 

• Volunteering to teach children coding through their local library.
• Organizing and running a blood drive at their school.
• Getting a job at a local business
• Investing some of their own money in the stock market
• Volunteering to help register people to vote

Volunteering is especially helpful here, because most charities are constantly looking for people who can help them with their mission. This does depend a bit on the charity in question, and it may take some work to find one that meets your interests, but colleges also love to see students giving back to their communities.  

What Not to Do

We’ve covered some great ways to get involved at the last minute, but there are some common missteps we see students make as well that you should be wary of. It can be easy to panic at the last minute, and we do not blame students for making these mistakes; we simply don’t want you to spend your time and effort fruitlessly, as doing so often leaves you more stressed with little to show for it. 

Joining a Dozen Clubs

A common reaction to realizing you may not have done as much as colleges want to see is to immediately jump to the other extreme, and sign up for as many clubs and activities as you can. This is a bad idea for two reasons. First, it comes off as disingenuous; admissions officers may doubt your commitment to all of these organizations you joined at once, and think you are just doing this to try and appeal to them.

Next, joining so many clubs leaves you unable to focus on any one thing. Picking a few activities and throwing your energy into them will lead to greater results, and require less of your time overall. This is the same as our overall extracurricular strategy with our students, which you can read more about in this article. 

Doing Nothing

The other thing we often see is students throwing up their hands and declaring that the situation is hopeless, that too much time has passed, and that there’s no point in trying anymore. This too is a key mistake; we have helped students starting as late as a week before the deadline; while there is not much time to build candidacy then, starting now gives you something to write about when it comes to waitlist appeals or followups. 

It can feel hopeless, but the amount of difference effort now can make can be tremendous. Colleges want students who will strive for themselves, who are self-motivated and eager to face challenges, and so starting something, even if it’s late, will appeal to them greatly. 

Acting Cynically

Finally, every activity you do should be something you are genuinely interested in. It doesn’t necessarily need to be your favorite thing, and you don’t need to enjoy all of it; you can love the game of football and still grumble about having to run sprints. You may not enjoy every aspect of a project or activity, but it should be something you are genuinely passionate about. 

Colleges care about authenticity, and admissions officers can often sniff out when students participate in activities they don’t like just to score points, or because they think it’s what admissions officers want to see. They far prefer students who are active in their passions, regardless of what those passions may be. 

Final Thoughts

College admissions demands a lot of high school students, and by the time many students realize the full scope of this, they often feel like they’ve already lost. We hope this article has helped show that it isn’t too late, that there’s always benefit to doing new things and improving your candidacy, both for your own sake, and for your chances of getting into a top college. 

If you want help plotting out your own candidacy building efforts, or mapping your road to college acceptance, then łÔąĎąŮÍř can help. We work with students in every phase of the admissions process, and have a long experience helping students get into the colleges of their dreams. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more; we’re always happy to hear from you.

The post How to Impress Colleges Quickly appeared first on łÔąĎąŮÍř.

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Students strive to accomplish wonderful things in high school, both for their own sake, and to impress colleges with their vigor and drive. Of course, accomplishments are better if there is some verification that they happened; anyone can say they’ve flown to the Moon, but unless there’s some way to verify that, then the claims are worth far less. 

Of course, most claims are not nearly this grand, but colleges do like seeing some third party confirmation of your accomplishments. One great way to do this is certifications, professional and otherwise. These state that you have a specific skill, and the training to use it, and that this has been verified by an independent body. In this article we’re going to go over how these certifications work, and how they can contribute to your college application. Then we’re going to cover a long list of possible certifications you can earn, broken down by discipline. Let’s get started!

Why Certifications Matter

Certain jobs and opportunities require specific skills. At a basic level, if you want a job doing computer programming, you need to be familiar with at least one coding language. Some jobs require more niche skills; lifeguards need to know CPR, architects should understand CAD (Computer Aided Design), and archaeologists need to be able to use GIS (Geographic Information System) software. 

These matter for professional jobs, but can also be impressive in other contexts. For example, if you are applying to college with the goal of one day becoming a doctor, then getting certified in first aid is a thing you can do right now to both show your commitment, and begin learning skills that will come in handy later. Colleges want students with the drive to pursue their passions actively, and earning a professional certificate is a great way to demonstrate this drive in a way that’s verifiable. 

Of course, not all certificates are created equal. There are plenty of websites where you can get certified in all kinds of things as a joke, and even more which charge high fees for certifications that aren’t worth much of anything. You must examine the credibility of whichever institution is offering the certificate, as this will greatly impact whether or not it is worth the paper it is printed on. Here are the criteria we use to evaluate a certificate:

• What is required to earn it? Certificates where you need to complete set tasks and prove competence are worth more than ones where the only requirements are the ability to sign your name and pay a fee.
• Who is offering it? Note that an impressive sounding name is not all that you’re looking for. If it’s offered by a company, look for how long they’ve been in business, and what their industry reputation is.Ěý
• Who is it aimed at? Certifications required by professionals are often more credible, and a better use of your time, but this is not always the case.Ěý
• What does it cost? Some certifications may be quite inexpensive, while others are more costly. Cost alone doesn’t determine if a certificate is worth anything, but cost without purpose should raise red flags.Ěý

These are not the only questions to ask, but it is worth know exactly what you’re paying for, and what it’s worth, before you invest in it. As we go through certificates later in this article, we’ll let you know our evaluation of how credible each is. 

Certificates For High School Students

This isn’t going to be a complete list of certificates that high school students can earn of course; there are a great many out there. We are going to cover ones we have found particularly interesting or useful to students, and which have solid reputations. A certification not being on this list is not indicative of quality, for good or ill, but we do advise verifying each carefully first, before committing. 

This list is broken down by area of interest, for each of browsing. 

Online Coursework Certificates

One of the most common kinds of certification we come across are those offered by online coursework organizations, such as Udemy, edX, and Coursera. These certify that you completed the courses you say you did, and thus have the associated skills. These are not worthless, but they are generally not needed for college applications. 

You can’t earn college credit from these courses, and we recommend just using them as a way to explore areas of interest to you. Getting a certificate will add nothing to your profile that simply saying you completed wouldn’t already have done. These certificates do have a purpose if you are using them for job qualifications, but they are unnecessary when applying to college. 

A Note on Engineering Certifications

Engineers are required to certify and register in order to work as engineers. These are intensive exams, and require you to have completed an undergraduate engineering program at an accredited school to sit for them. Understandably, this makes these certifications impractical for high school students to pursue. Luckily, there are plenty of amateur engineering projects you can pursue without certification.

Certificates for Business Students

(CFOA)

Offered by the International Council for Derivative Trading, this is a specific certification to indicate that you are trained in trading . This is generally intended for professional investors, but is also a way for independent investors to prove their snuff and demonstrate they understand the markets they are moving in. 

This certification requires completing the exam. There was originally a requirement of either a university degree or two years of trading experience, but this has been waived. That said, we do recommend you have both significant trading experience and an in-depth understanding of derivatives markets before taking the exam; the goal is to demonstrate mastery which you should already possess. 

The exam is 80 minutes long with 100 multiple choice questions, broken up into four sections. It may be taken at a testing center, or through a remote testing service. The test covers derivatives, options, futures, and risk management. The current fee is $390; once you are certified, you remain so for life.

Microsoft Office, and the tools associated with it, are some of the most used software products in the world. Having an understanding of how they work is an excellent skill, and having an advanced understanding of how they work is valuable indeed. These certifications do tend to be more useful for job applications, but the skills you learn are broadly applicable. 

Some high schools offer these certifications to their students through certain coursework and electives, but this is not universal. If your high school doesn’t (or you simply can’t fit them into your schedule), you can get certified from Microsoft directly. The cost for this varies based on the test and the level you are aiming for. 

We recommend focusing on Word and Excel, but other programs may be of interest based on your own pursuits. Word and Excel are the most widely used and applicable programs however, and both provide powerful tools, which can be of great help to you in college and beyond. If you are attempting certification by exam, you should make sure you have a thorough understanding of each program first. Some of these have associated training, other times you must find training separately. 

This certification is offered by the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), and is intended for people who want financial analytic and modeling skills. This certification is not just an exam, but includes a number of optional and required coursework; thus it is a good introduction to the topics as well, rather than just a signifier that you have already mastered the material at hand. 

These courses do mean that this certificate requires some time commitment; you will need to spend several months learning material before you actually take the certification exam. That said, learning is valuable in its own right, and this is a good certificate to aim for first because of the coursework included. The pricing structure on their website is opaque, but this is not the cheapest certificate.

Offered by the CFA institute, this certificate is an introductory overview to investment, in both simple and complex cases. It covers structure, concepts, and ethical considerations of investing. This is done through self-paced online coursework, which culminates in an exam to earn the certification. The cost for this is currently $350.

This is more introductory, but that is good for students, especially those looking to get involved with stock trading themselves. The coursework which comes with it is a good introduction to concepts that you usually won’t find in high school, and can serve as a solid foundation to be able to investigate further on your own.

Certificates for Computer Science Students

Codecademy offers professional certifications in most popular programming languages, at multiple levels of expertise. If you have taught yourself programming and want to apply for a job doing coding, then investing in one of these may be worth it. They are less important for college applications, but do look quite good on a resume. 

Codecademy generally is a great resource to learn coding online, and they are generally well regarded in the tech field. That doesn’t mean one of these certificates is always worth it, or even necessary, but they are useful if you want to demonstrate to an employer that you have coding skills, even if you were unable to take any coding courses at your high school.

This exam is for those interested in cyber security, with a focus on understanding and defending various techniques used by hackers. There are technically no prerequisites to take this exam, but they do expect you to already have a solid understanding of both coding and cybersecurity principles. You can take the exam without any qualifications, but it will be quite difficult. 

You can either take their class, or learn cybersecurity elsewhere. Once you are fully confident in your skills, you can take the exam. You must first apply to take the exam, and then take it. These exams are offered both virtually and through testing centers. This is a fairly time-intensive process, both in terms of initial preparation and for the exams themselves, requiring two days and multiple hours of training. The cost varies, depending on what training you sign up for. 

Google offers a plethora of online coursework and certifications. These cover a range of fields, but as a tech company, most are at the very least tech adjacent, and a significant number cover useful tech subjects. These are self-paced courses, allowing you to learn at your own pace and then test for certifications in fields such as data analytics, UX Design, or cybersecurity.

Working through Google certificates is a subscription model, costing $49 per month. These courses are offered in partnership with Coursera. These are intended primarily for job growth and career readiness, but will also serve students looking to get introductions to these fields, or to learn specific skills to launch their own projects. These are a great place to begin with, as many of these courses require no prior knowledge in the field, and teach you all of the fundamentals you need as you go through them. 

You can do as many or as few of these courses as you wish, but we recommend sticking to ones that complement your core interests, and where you can put the skills to use on projects you are undertaking.

Linux is a very popular operating system among significant portions of the tech field, and a large number of tech companies and systems make use of it. While it is not used nearly as broadly as Windows or Apple, it still has a broad appeal. The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) offers training and certifications in using Linux and other open source software.

These certifications parallel and complement similar offerings for more popular operating systems, but offer a particular benefit for students interested in specific realms of tech. If you are interested in working in Linux systems or open source development, either now or in the future, these are useful certifications to earn. 

Exams vary by price and requirements by level. Note that prices also depend on your country. All exams are offered fully online; you do not need to do any training first, but we recommend having a thorough command of the associated systems before sitting for the certification exams. 

The Computing Technology Industry Association offers a number of introductory and professional level certifications in IT and other tech specialties. These are accredited, and widely respected in the tech field. These are generally sought by those applying for jobs in the industry, but can also be used to build skills you need for personal projects, or demonstrate competence to colleges.

Note that unlike many other certifications we have mentioned here, CompTIA certificates expire after three years, and require you to either pay for a retest, or pay a maintenance fee and access continuing coursework. Their reasoning for this is that the tech field is constantly changing; this is true, but it does also provide a solid revenue stream for them.

The cost and time commitment varies by certification. We recommend focusing on one or two which best complement your interests, or that will give you skills to pursue your own independent projects. 

Apple exists in its own operating system bubble, which some prefer and some do not. If you are working in this bubble, then getting trained and certified can be quite useful. They offer training on both app development and general IT. Note that Apple systems do tend to be a bit more closed box than Windows, and significantly more closed than Linux (but everything is more closed than Linux), so you may get less room for experimentation within the system. 

We recommend this for students who want to work within the Apple ecosystem; it is equally good as any other certificate when showing colleges your interest in computer science. It is slightly less helpful as far as career certification though, simply because there are fewer companies using Apple systems. 

As a major and long-standing player in the tech field, IBM offers a number of certification programs online. These are intended for professionals to showcase career skills primarily, but are also a way for you to show off your skills and expertise. The process offers both training courses and certification exams; you may pay for training, or just the certifications themselves. 

We do advise undergoing training before undertaking any of the exams. This does not need to be from IBM, of course, but you should be confident of passing the exam before attempting it. The cost varies by certification. We advise doing one or two of these which complement your own areas of interest. Note that many of these are offered at an advanced level, and are not necessarily intended for those new to the industry.

Dell, the computer manufacturer, offers a number of professional certifications. They have fewer than some competitors, and most focus on tools which are often packaged with Dell devices, with the intended clients for these trainings being companies who purchase industrial quantities of Dell laptops. 

These can be useful for students as a demonstration of your interest in certain fields, but often have less immediate applicability to your own projects than some other certifications. Dell offers trainings as well, which may be packaged with certifications, or approached separately. The cost varies by certification. These are not bad for students, but may not be as immediately relevant as some other options. 

Certificates for Pre-Med Students

The Red Cross is a major force within medicine, and offers a significant number of fully online courses and certifications which are available to all. Some courses are only offered in person, but due to their broad reach, it is often easy to find courses in your area. These courses tend to focus on various aspects of medical care that non-emergency personnel may find themselves doing, from CPR to full first-aid courses. 

The cost of these varies by format and course, but they offer a wide variety of options. Many of these are basic, but they have some advanced and specialized ones as well. You may even be required to get certified with these courses for certain jobs, specifically lifeguard. 

If you are interested in medicine, then getting certified for first aid, AEDs, or other lifesaving care is a great first step to take. On top of that, these are just really good skills to have, for both medicine and in life generally. Note that not all courses are intended for the public, but students are welcome to take part in any that are.

The American Heart Association offers online courses on first aid, CPR, and other health related topics, specifically those related to heart health. They have slightly less breadth than the Red Cross here, in large part because they have a more narrow purview. 

In general, you only need a single first aid or CPR certification, though you may be asked to recertify regularly, especially if you end up in a job which requires it. We advise going for whichever provider best meets your needs; there isn’t going to be any major difference in material presented in these courses. You are, of course, free to certify multiple times, but we don’t see any benefit to this. 

These are an extension of first aid training, and offer a significant amount of new material to students. The point of first aid generally is to stabilize a patient until professionals arrive. In a wilderness setting, this can be more difficult, so what is required of you as a responder may be significantly enhanced. These courses are generally a good idea if you go camping often, but are also good for students interested in medicine because they go far more in-depth on treatment techniques and methods than a standard first-aid course.

There are several levels to these courses, which become more intensive and more expensive as they go, as they cover more and more ground. These are a good way to gain some initial insights into medical treatments, and also give you some useful and practical skills, ones you hopefully will never need (but being prepared is always a good thing). 

This is a certification intended for those working in senior care or assisted living facilities, or those who may be helping a family member in convalescence. For pre-med students, this certification can qualify you to work in a nursing home, and gain some initial patient interaction experience. 

This is a basic certification, costing $99-$138, and covers what you need to know to be able to give a standard level of care. This is most helpful for students to qualify for other opportunities of note, but also shows an early commitment to helping people. If you do have a responsibility to care for a family member, this can be a good resource as well, to affirm the work you are doing. 

Other Certifications for High School Students

GIS programs are used to create detailed maps of areas, and are commonly used in fieldwork, specifically archaeology, but in other related fields as well. Some universities offer specific courses on using GIS programs, but you can learn on your own as well. If you are interested in archaeology or geology, this is one good way to get a jump on a useful subject in high school. 

The certification is offered by the company who makes the ArcGIS software, and demonstrates your mastery of it. If you are looking to explore GIS generally and don’t think a certification is necessary at this time, then we recommend . Both programs are used in the field, and both are respected by experts. 

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You don’t only get the chance to gain a learner’s permit for a car at 16 (at least in most states), you can also get a student license for aviation. This is of course somewhat niche, and requires access to things like a plane (you know, just a minor thing like that). This is an interesting certification to get simply because it is rare, and unique, and likely to make an application stand out. 

One of the things we help students do often is figure out how to differentiate themselves from their peers. When 50,000 people apply to a school, what makes your application unique? Being a certified pilot doesn’t necessarily make you more qualified to be a doctor or lawyer, but it is unique and interesting, and makes admissions officers take interest. This won’t be an option for all students, but if you do have access to an airplane, then you should consider learning to fly it. 

Autodesk, the maker of the most commonly used CAD (Computer Aided Design) software, offers training and certifications for their products. This program is commonly used by anyone doing design work, and is therefore quite useful in a lot of fields, notably engineering, architecture, and construction, but is also used in everything from set design to robotics. 

Of course, you don’t need to be certified to use CAD, but if you are going into architecture specifically, you should have some experience with CAD, and a certification is quite helpful here to showcase this. This isn’t as necessary for engineering, but can still be a useful skill to pick up for students interested in pursuing engineering projects, either now or in the future.

You can become a certified translator if you have full fluency in both languages (generally to and from English, but not necessarily). This exam focuses on written rather than spoken translations, and is open book. The passages translated are high level, and are university-level texts (though they do not include technical terms). 

These certifications are primarily useful for people who want to get jobs in translation, but students interested in international affairs or international business will need to study languages anyway, and having a jump on that can help. Note that the level of fluency required is generally above what you would gain even in an AP language course; these exams would require self-study and a degree of proficiency beyond what you can generally achieve in high school. If you do have this proficiency already, however, they can be a very good option. 

Are Certifications Right for You?

This is an important question. While there are many certifications available to high school students, most of them require a significant investment of time or money, of which you only have so much. The answer, as with so many things in life, is that it depends. In this section then, we’re going to go over when you should get certified, and how doing so properly can improve your candidacy for top colleges. 

The first thing to note is that certification is not an end unto itself. The goal of a certificate is to prove that you have the skills that you claim you do, and to demonstrate your competence in them. Putting these skills to use is often more important than getting them in the first place. 

Thus, getting a certificate showing that you are qualified to trade derivatives is nice, but using the knowledge you gained in doing so to help your parents manage their portfolio is more impactful. Getting the certification is just the first step, you must then put that knowledge to work.

You can, of course, simply start trading derivatives without one of these certificates, the point of it is to prove that you have this knowledge, and that you worked hard to get it. Colleges want to recruit students who are active in their pursuit of new horizons, and working towards a certification demonstrates this. Further, colleges want students who will do something with all of that knowledge, on campus and beyond, and so too should you make use of your newly certified skills. 

Final Thoughts

There are many potential ways you can explore during high school, but certifications are one that many students have never considered, and which can allow you to explore avenues and subjects many high schools don’t cover. In addition, the skills you gain in doing so can directly contribute to other projects you seek to take on, and find use both now and in any future career you pursue. 
We hope this article has given you a solid introduction to certificates, and introduced you to some which may be of interest to you. Of course, we can’t cover everything, but we have tried to be as comprehensive as possible. If you are looking for more personalized advice about exploring your passions, or becoming the kind of student top colleges are eager to admit, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience guiding students in discovering their passions, and are always happy to hear from you.

The post How to Get Professional Certificates in High School appeared first on łÔąĎąŮÍř.

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Top Universities are seen as Ivory Towers, held high and aloof, completely arcane and inaccessible to the general public. Historically, this was very much the case for higher education, but in recent decades this has reversed. Universities are increasingly interested in sharing knowledge more broadly, and in inviting greater numbers of people to benefit from the educational opportunities they offer.

The internet has expanded this again, and led to the rise of certification programs open to the general public. These are generally (though not always) free online courses in any number of subjects which you may take. While these are not specifically aimed at high school students, you are members of the general public, and can benefit from these courses both through exposure to concepts you may not see in high school, and a chance to see what university level instruction is like. 

In this article, we’re going to go through which certification programs are offered by top universities for the general public, and which high school students may gain something by taking advantage of. Let’s get started!

Brown University Certificate Programs

Brown offers a number of , meant to share knowledge with the public at large. First are ; these are intended for current working professionals, and are paid multi-week online courses which grant a certificate at the end. 

Next are the executive education open enrollment programs. These are intended for people currently working in various industries to hone their skills, much like Brown’s certificates. These may have some interest for high school students, but neither is quite intended for you, and you may be out of your depth with some concepts; these are not introductory courses, but assume a high level of base knowledge. These courses are also all focused on business, though some intersect with computer science.

Finally, Brown has partnered with edX to offer online courses, which may also grant a certificate at the end. These are more accessible and offer more options, but are also less exclusive than the above options. Many high school students do take advantage of these courses however. 

Caltech Certificate Programs

Caltech offers a large number of certificates through their . These courses are intended for working professionals to brush up on their skills, but you don’t have to be one to take advantage of these courses. These are online courses, some of which are live, and some of which are asynchronous and self-paced. We recommend high school students stick to self-paced courses, as so much of your schedule is dictated by the school day. 

These programs feature a range of business and technology options, and some overlap of the two. These are a good choice for students interested in either field. Note that these are often not introductory, and may expect you to have some knowledge going in to get the most out of these courses. 

Columbia Certificate Programs

°ä´Ç±ôłÜłľ˛úľ±˛ąâ€™s offers a significant number of certificate programs, meant for learners of all ages. Note that some of these are offered virtually, while others are only offered in-person on °ä´Ç±ôłÜłľ˛úľ±˛ąâ€™s campus; depending on your location, you may not be able to take advantage of all of their course offerings. These are a good option for high school students, though some may assume or require prior knowledge of the subjects in question.

Cornell University Certificate Programs

Cornell has an extensive certificate program through . This offers more than 240 programs for professional development, in the form of online courses. These courses are primarily aimed at current working professionals looking to improve their skills, but anyone is able to take part in these courses. 

They group these courses into the following broad categories: 

• Artificial Intelligence
• Business and Finance
• Data Science and Analytics
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Engineering
• Environmental, Social, and Governance
• Food and Plant Science
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Human Resources
• Law
• Leadership
• Marketing and Communications
• Nutrition
• Project Management
• Real Estate
• Technology
• Beekeeping

As you can see, this covers a significant number of fields, though not every possible topic of interest is covered. These courses range from introductory to advanced; some assume significant prior knowledge, while others are far more accessible to beginners. These courses are all available online, and all paid. 

Dartmouth Certificate Programs

Dartmouth offers a number of online courses through , a partnership program with edX. This is designed to give free and open access to Dartmouth courses, at both an introductory and advanced level. These are a popular option among high school students, and can provide a good taste of some majors and courses of study. 

Georgetown University Certificate Programs

łŇ±đ´Ç°ů˛µ±đłŮ´Ç·É˛Ô’s offers a significant number of professional certificates. These are intended for current industry professionals to further hone and develop their skills, but are offered online and available for anyone to take advantage of. These are of varying length; some can take as little as a week to complete, while others may take months. We recommend starting with a shorter one, to get a feel for the structure and the demands of the course. Georgetown offers certificates in the following general areas: 

• Business & Management
• Education, Health, & Policy
• Executive Leadership
• Organizational Mastery
• Marketing & Communications
• Social Impact
• Technology & Security

Harvard University Certificate Programs

Harvard first offers the , which allows anyone to take one or more courses from Harvard, either individually or in pursuit of a degree. These courses range from introductory to advanced, and can be taken either online or offline, asynchronous or on schedule. These courses are offered during the regular Harvard terms, and are the exact same as what Harvard students take. You must pay per credit to take these courses, but they do offer college credit if you complete them. 

Johns Hopkins University Certificate Programs

Johns Hopkins offers a number of courses through their . Some of these are full graduate degrees, and thus inaccessible to high school students, but others cover more introductory subjects, and are available to a wider set of the population. In addition, they have partnered with Coursera to offer courses on a variety of subjects and at a variety of levels. These are quite popular with high school students due to their broad availability.

MIT Certificate Programs

MIT offers ; these are online courses meant for current members of various fields looking to learn new skills and advance their careers, mostly in business and technology, though with some other options as well. These last from nine to twelve months, and are a serious commitment. Note that these programs do require an application, and they may be hesitant about allowing a high school student to join unless you can demonstrate the breadth of your prior knowledge in the field. 

Northwestern University Certificate Programs

±·´Ç°ůłŮłó·É±đ˛őłŮ±đ°ů˛Ô’s offer a number of certificates. Note that these are mostly designed for working professionals, others are designated as post-bacc programs (meant to be taken only after you have a bachelor’s degree) or as graduate programs (meant to complement your course of studies while in graduate school). These are online programs which must be applied to; applications are competitive, and they may be hesitant to admit a high school student. 

Northwestern also offers a number of options. These are meant for current working professionals to give them new skills and advance their careers, so not all will be of interest to high school students. Learning to administer AP exams may sound like a good time, but is unlikely to be directly relevant to you. SOme of these courses are online, and some are only offered in-person, on ±·´Ç°ůłŮłó·É±đ˛őłŮ±đ°ů˛Ô’s campus. 

Princeton University Certificate Programs

Princeton offers course opportunities through several partners, primarily Coursera and edX. These courses are on a variety of subjects and taught at a number of levels, from introductory to advanced. These are quite popular amongst high school students, due to their accessibility. Princeton does have a number of in person certificate , but these are not open to current high school students. 

Rice University Certificate Programs

Rice offers a number of programs specifically for through their School of Continuing Studies. These are primarily not certificate programs, but do still give you the option to provide college level coursework. Their other programs, such as and are explicitly only for those who are over 18, and thus are not a viable option for high school students. Their precollege and related programs are quite interesting opportunities, but are not quite certificate programs; we are including them here for the sake of completeness. 

Stanford University Certificate Programs

Stanford offers certificate programs through their . These are (as the name suggests) aimed primarily at current industry professionals who are looking to hone or expand their skillsets. They offer a mix of remote and in-person options, though many of their programs are fully online. They offer course options in the following areas:

• Innovation and Design Thinking
• Cybersecurity
• Artificial Intelligence
• Digital Transformation
• Product Management
• Business & Management
• Medicine & Health
• Energy & Sustainability

Not all of these will be open to high school students, but you can avail yourself of many of these options. 

UC Berkeley Certificate Programs

UC Berkeley’s program offers professionals programs to gain new skills or to learn what they need to be able to change careers. This offers courses and programs across a significant number of disciplines, most of which are available online and asynchronously. These are not intended for high school students, and some may be too advanced in terms of the material covered. That said, they are open programs, and if you have experience in these areas already, they could be a good resource for you to explore in more depth. 

UCLA Certificate Programs

±«°äł˘´ˇâ€™s program is meant for working professionals who want to gain practical skills to advance or change their career, or who are looking to master a new technology disrupting their industry. Most of these are offered both online and in-person. You do not need a college degree to enroll in these courses, but they are offered at a post-baccalaureate level, that is the teachers assume you have experienced a collegiate level of education already, and pace the course accordingly. This means you may need an extensive background in the subject being taught to be comfortable with the pace and amount of material.

UChicago Certificate Programs

UChicago offers a significant number of non-credit across a significant number of disciplines. These are aimed at professionals, but many of them are open enrollment. They are offered at a high level however, and assume you already have a significant amount of experience in these fields. Some of these do require you to have a bachelor’s degree in order to enroll, while others do not. There is no specific start date, but these courses are offered each quarter, or once to twice per year in the case of some electives. 

University of Pennsylvania Certificate Programs

are offered from their School of Arts and Sciences, and are intended for students who want an alternative to earning a bachelor’s degree. These courses are generally offered on a weekly synchronous schedule, meaning you must be able to make it to their times. For this reason, they can be difficult for high schoolers to take advantage of, except during the summer. These courses are offered on an accelerated eight week schedule.

Wharton offers its own suite of , most of which are certificates aimed at current working professionals. These courses are primarily self paced, and taught at a high level. While you generally do not need a college degree to enroll, they are taught at a collegiate level, and expect you to already be familiar with many of the concepts discussed. 

Washington University in St. Louis Certificate Programs

°Â˛ą˛őłó±«â€™s (CAPS) program offers students who don’t want to commit to a full degree program the chance to take collegiate courses and earn credit. While these courses are designed for working professionals, they can be taken by anyone interested. These courses are all offered online, though the availability of certain courses can vary by semester. The undergraduate programs are the best option for high school students; the graduate level programs presuppose a higher level of knowledge already. 

Yale University Certificate Programs

Yale offers courses in partnership with Coursera. These are offered for free, and are quite popular, due to the broad range of topics covered and their flexibility as offerings. 

In addition, they have a limited number of certificate programs aimed at current working professionals. These are, unfortunately, not open to high school students, as they require you to have completed a bachelor’s degree in order to enroll.

Are Certificate Programs a Good Option for You?

This depends on a number of factors. For the most part, however, these programs are not designed for or intended for high school students. You may be able to enroll in them under rules (“There’s nothing in here that says a dog can’t play basketball.”), but that doesn’t mean the course will be well suited to your needs. These courses are a way, generally, for universities to make a bit of extra money, and for working professionals to gain extra accreditation.

If you already have an advanced understanding of a subject, and want to take that to the next level along with receiving a third-party acknowledgement of the work you completed, then one of these certificate programs may be a good use of time. They are akin to the courses you see on Coursera and edX, save that they also have an official acknowledgement of the work you put in at the end. 

Some of these programs, especially the longer ones, grant or offer college credit., This can be quite appealing, but we recommend being careful with this, especially for programs meant to act as replacements for degrees. You don’t want to accidentally earn enough credits that you have to apply as a transfer student. 

It is also worth noting that certificate programs are not available across all fields; they are most common in business and technology spheres, with an occasional venture into something medicine related. Students interested in other areas of study are unlikely to find anything for them here. If you are interested in other subjects, then online courses are a good way to explore them at a higher level, though they don’t have the structure of these certificate programs. 

Final Thoughts

There are a great many ways you can explore your interests in high school, and certificates are one that most students never consider. They are not always the right choice, and certainly aren’t the best option for every student, but they are an option, and they can offer things that many other programs do not. We hope that this article has given you new insight into something you may not have considered before, and given you enough context to know whether or not a certificate program is the right choice for you.
There are many options available to high school students, and only so much time for you to budget out. Choosing the best option for you can feel overwhelming, and trying to evaluate your choices in light of what colleges are looking for often feels disheartening. That’s where łÔąĎąŮÍř come in. We have an extensive database of programs for high school students, and an in-depth knowledge of what college admissions officers are looking for. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help you make the most of your time, we’re always happy to hear from you.

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