10 Computer Science Competitions for High Schoolers
What’s Covered:
Entering a computer science competition is an excellent extracurricular activity for students interested in the field. Keep reading to learn how participating in a computer science competition can enhance your extracurricular profile, along with a few notable competitions you’ll want to have on your radar.
How Impressive Are Computer Science Competitions?
An easy way to understand how colleges view a student’s activities outside the classroom is through the four tiers of extracurricular activities.
Understanding the Four Tiers of Extracurricular Activities
The four tiers of extracurricular activities are as follows:
- Tier 1: These are the most impressive activities—they demonstrate national-level recognition, exceptional leadership, or extraordinary achievements. Tier 1 activities are the least common; consequently, they’re highly regarded by admissions officers.
- Tier 2: These activities exhibit either significant leadership, statewide recognition, or both.
- Tier 3: These activities involve participation, but with some level of distinction, like a minor leadership role or local recognition.
- Tier 4: These are basic participation activities. They require regular involvement, but don’t display leadership roles or notable achievements.
How does your participation in a competition measure up against the four tiers? Let’s take a look at how college admissions committees view different computer science extracurriculars.
Tier 1: National Level Recognition or Extraordinary Achievement
Tier 1 activities showcase exceptional talent and commitment, demonstrated through national recognition or extraordinary achievements.
Examples:
- Winning or achieving a high rank at a prestigious national or international CS competition, such as the USA Computing Olympiad: This type of recognition puts you among the top students in the nation or the world, indicating an elite level of skill and dedication.
- Creating a widely used app or software: If your app or software gains significant usage beyond just your local area or state, that shows a high level of impact and achievement. It demonstrates that you have used your skills to create something that meets the needs of a broad audience.
- Having a research paper published in a renowned CS journal: Research publication, especially in a prestigious journal, is a rare and impressive achievement for high school students. This indicates that you’re producing work at a near-professional level, contributing new ideas to the field of computer science.
Tier 2: Significant Leadership or Statewide Recognition
Tier 2 extracurricular activities show your involvement in substantial leadership roles, earning statewide recognition, or both.
Examples:
- Leading a team to a state coding competition—this involves not just competing, but guiding your team to compete at a higher level. This demonstrates significant leadership and team management skills.
- Developing and launching an app locally that attracts a significant number of users—this shows that you can apply your skills to create something that others find useful. The app’s popularity demonstrates the impact and relevance of your work.
- Winning a state-level award for a CS project. Winning such an award signifies that your work stands out among a large number of students and illustrates your high level of skill and creativity in computer science.
Tier 3: Participation with Distinction
Tier 3 activities involve a higher level of commitment or achievement, often including minor leadership roles or local recognition.
Examples:
- Participating in a regional coding competition. While participating in competitions is impressive, standing out in these events can push your activity into Tier 3. This could mean scoring high, even if you don’t win the competition overall.
- Holding a leadership position in your school’s coding club. As a leader, you’re not just participating—you’re organizing activities, guiding club members, and making decisions that affect the club. This can show colleges your ability to manage and lead.
- Earning a certificate of distinction in an online CS course. Beyond simply taking an online course, earning a certificate of distinction often means you’ve scored in the top percentage of learners. This displays a high level of understanding and mastery of the topic.
Tier 4: General Participation
Tier 4 activities primarily involve regular participation without significant leadership roles or exceptional achievements. These activities demonstrate your interest and consistent involvement in computer science.
Examples:
- Participating in your school’s coding club. This shows your dedication to learning and practicing coding. It demonstrates your willingness to work with others and improve your skills.
- Enrolling in online computer science courses. By taking the initiative to learn outside the traditional classroom, you illustrate a strong interest in computer science. This could range from basic programming courses to advanced topics like machine learning or artificial intelligence.
- Volunteering to help maintain the school’s website. This demonstrates your practical application of computer science skills, as well as your willingness to contribute to the school community.
Computer science competitions are a fantastic way to demonstrate your passion for the field and showcase your problem-solving skills. However, their impressiveness in terms of college admissions largely depends on the level of the competition and your performance or role in it.
Simply participating in competitions usually falls under Tier 3 or 4. If you take on a leadership role, guide your team to significant achievements, or win prestigious awards, your activity could reach Tier 1 or 2 status. The higher tiers are especially noteworthy to college admissions officers, as they denote exceptional talent, commitment, and initiative.
10 Computer Science Competitions for High Schoolers
Below are 10 profile-boosting computer science competitions for high schoolers.
1. USA Computing Olympiad (USACO)
Dates:
- December 13-16
- January 24-27
- February 21-24
- March 21-24
Type: National followed by an international competition
USACO is a highly esteemed competition that challenges and develops your computer programming skills. To enter, you must first register on the USACO website and select the division that aligns with your proficiency, starting from Bronze to Platinum. The competition involves solving algorithmic problems that require logical reasoning and knowledge in various programming languages like Java, C++, and Python.
2. American Computer Science League (ACSL)
Dates:
- October 20-January 11
- January 5-March 1
- Febraruy 2-April12
- March 2-May 17
Type: International competition
ACSL provides an excellent platform for K-12 students to showcase their knowledge in computer science and programming. Interested schools need to register on the ACSL website. Participants are required to have foundational knowledge in computer number systems, Boolean algebra, digital electronics, and programming basics. ACSL encourages teamwork, so you’ll also have to collaborate effectively with your peers.
3. CyberPatriot
Dates: April 1-October 1
Type: National competition
CyberPatriot aims to inspire students towards careers in cybersecurity or other STEM disciplines. It’s a team-based competition where each team is tasked with managing the network of a small company—finding and fixing vulnerabilities while maintaining critical services.
To participate, a coach, usually a teacher or adult coordinator, must register the team online. Participants should have a basic understanding of cybersecurity, though part of the competition’s aim is to educate students on these topics.
4. PicoCTF
Dates: N/A
Type: International competition
PicoCTF is an exciting way to dive into the world of cybersecurity, teaching hacking through capture-the-flag–style puzzles. Participants develop skills in programming, networking, and cryptography, helping them explore potential careers in cybersecurity.
The challenges gradually increase in difficulty, but all are designed to be educational, ensuring that both beginners and experienced competitors can enjoy the competition.
5. CodeWars
Dates: Continuous (Year-Round)
Type: International
CodeWars offers you a flexible, continuous platform to hone your coding skills. It’s less of a competition and more of a platform for self-improvement, but it does feature a ranking system. To start, you’ll need to sign up, select your preferred programming languages, and begin solving the available challenges.
6. Technovation Challenge
Dates: April 20-June 15
Type: International
The Technovation Challenge is a global tech competition exclusively for girls aged 8 to 18. The competition fosters a combination of technical and entrepreneurial skills as it requires participants to identify a problem in their community and develop a mobile app to address that problem. A business plan outlining the app’s viability is also a component of the competition.
To enter, girls need to form a team and register online. Each team is paired with a mentor who guides them throughout the competition, providing valuable insights into the world of technology and entrepreneurship. The competition nurtures not only coding skills but also promotes business planning, public speaking, and collaboration.
7. International Computer Science Competition (ICSC)
Dates: TBD
Type: National and International
ICSC jumpstarts high schoolers’ knowledge of computer science—deepening their understanding of the field while building their logical thinking skills by solving challenges. High schoolers compete in one of two divisions:
- Junior: for 10th graders and below
- Youth: For students in the 11th and 12th grades
All competitors receive the same problems, but are scored according to their age group. In addition to providing solutions, participants must explain the reasoning behind how they solved each problem.
8. Bebras Computing Challenge
Dates: N/A
Type: International
Bebras is an international program for students ages 6 to 18 that challenges their computational thinking skills. Participants receive 3 sets of 5 tasks and have 45 minutes to complete as many tasks as they can—the highest-scoring students are invited to compete on more challenging tasks.
To compete, students must have a teacher sign up as a coordinator—they’ll have access to your scores.
9. Codemonk
Dates: Continuous (Year-Round)
Type: International
While not a computer science competition per se, Codemonk can help you build the skills needed to win competitions and pursue a career in computer science. The program explores the fundamentals of computer programming—covering topics such as algorithms, data structures, and mathematics—through tutorial and practice problems.
Codemonk gamifies the learning process—participants win badges as they solve problems and build their skills.
10. CodinGame
Dates: Continuous (Year-Round)
Type: International
Not a competition in its strictest sense, CodinGame allows participants to play alone or compete against others while developing their JavaScript and Python skills through:
- Games
- Puzzles
- Virtual escape rooms
- Competitive Clash of Code events
Participants earn badges as they progress, climb the leaderboard, and develop their coding skills along the way.
More Extracurricular Resources for Computer Science
From intensive residential programs like Carnegie Mellon University’s Summer Academy to online courses on platforms like edX, Coursera, Udemy, and Codecademy, there’s something for every learning style and interest.
Consider joining local computer science clubs or participating in internships offered by prestigious institutions and organizations like the Microsoft Discovery Program or Meta Summer Academy. These not only provide practical experience but also open doors to networking and mentorship.
Finally, explore opportunities from nonprofits such as Kode With Klossy and The Coding School’s Code Connects, which provide affordable or even free programs.
Whether it’s online or in-person, summer or during the school year, there are numerous opportunities out there for those passionate about computer science. The key is to stay curious, keep learning, and seize the opportunities that come your way.
How Will a Coding Competition Impact My Admissions Odds?
As you explore and take advantage of computer science resources, it’s equally important to understand how these experiences could impact your college admissions journey. Knowing where you stand in the college admissions landscape is empowering, allowing you to strategize effectively and maximize your chances of success.
CollegeVine’s Admissions Calculator is another valuable tool. It provides personalized guidance based on your unique profile, helping you understand your competitiveness for different colleges using your unique characteristics, like GPA, standardized test scores, and extracurricular activities.
