The Young MastersCompetitions
Student Competitions

Competitions That Actually
Matter for Boarding School

Not all competitions carry equal weight. We curate the ones that top boarding schools actually recognize — and map each competition to the specific schools where it resonates most.

15
Curated Competitions
6
Categories
30
Mapped Schools
Category
Competition Guide

Competitions & School Mapping

15 competitions shown. Each card includes the competition profile, difficulty level, and which schools value it most.

MathematicsIntermediate

MATHCOUNTS

Grades 6–8

A national middle school math competition that builds problem-solving skills through school, chapter, state, and national levels. Highly regarded by top boarding schools for demonstrating quantitative reasoning under pressure.

AlgebraGeometryNumber TheoryCombinatorics
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +4 more

Annual (School → Chapter → State → National)
Official Website
MathematicsBeginner

AMC 8

Grades 8 and below

The American Mathematics Competitions for middle schoolers. A 25-question, 40-minute multiple-choice exam that serves as the entry point to the AIME and USAMO pipeline.

ArithmeticAlgebraCountingProbability
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +4 more

Annual (November)
Official Website
MathematicsIntermediate

AMC 10

Grades 10 and below

The American Mathematics Competitions for students in grade 10 and below. AIME qualification through AMC 10 is a significant signal of mathematical maturity for boarding school admissions.

AlgebraGeometryNumber TheoryCombinatoricsTrigonometry
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +9 more

Annual (November)
Official Website
MathematicsAdvanced

AMC 12

Grades 12 and below

The premier high school mathematics competition. AIME qualification and strong AMC 12 scores are viewed as evidence of advanced analytical ability by elite prep schools.

Advanced AlgebraTrigonometryPrecalculusCombinatoricsNumber Theory
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +9 more

Annual (November)
Official Website
MathematicsAdvanced

AIME

AMC 10/12 qualifiers

The American Invitational Mathematics Examination. Invitation-only competition for AMC 10/12 high scorers. Qualifying for AIME is a major distinction in boarding school applications.

Advanced AlgebraGeometryNumber TheoryCombinatoricsPrecalculus
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +4 more

Annual (February)
Official Website
Computer ScienceAdvanced

USACO

All grades

The USA Computing Olympiad. Online programming contests with bronze, silver, gold, and platinum divisions. Gold and Platinum divisions are highly respected by tech-oriented boarding schools.

AlgorithmsData StructuresGraph TheoryDynamic Programming
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +8 more

4 contests per year (Dec–Mar)
Official Website
ScienceIntermediate

Science Olympiad

Grades 6–12

Team-based science competition covering 23 events across biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and engineering. A strong Science Olympiad record signals well-rounded scientific curiosity.

BiologyChemistryPhysicsEarth ScienceEngineering
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +8 more

Annual (Regional → State → National)
Official Website
ScienceAdvanced

Regeneron ISEF

Grades 9–12

The International Science and Engineering Fair. The world's largest pre-college STEM competition. Finalist status is a major credential for any STEM-focused boarding school applicant.

ResearchBiologyChemistryPhysicsEngineeringComputer Science
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +8 more

Annual (May)
Official Website
BusinessIntermediate

DECA

Grades 9–12

An international association of high school and college students studying marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA competitive events demonstrate business acumen and leadership potential.

MarketingFinanceHospitalityManagementEntrepreneurship
Appeals To

The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Loomis Chaffee, Milton Academy, St. Mark's School, Northfield Mount Hermon +4 more

Annual (Regional → State → International)
Official Website
BusinessIntermediate

FBLA

Grades 9–12

Future Business Leaders of America. Competitive events in business, technology, and leadership. FBLA state and national awards signal strong organizational and communication skills.

BusinessTechnologyLeadershipPublic SpeakingFinance
Appeals To

The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Loomis Chaffee, Milton Academy, St. Mark's School, Northfield Mount Hermon +4 more

Annual (Regional → State → National)
Official Website
BusinessAdvanced

Wharton Global High School Investment Competition

Grades 9–12

A team-based investment simulation run by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Global semifinalist or finalist status is a standout credential for finance-oriented applicants.

FinanceInvestmentPortfolio ManagementTeamworkResearch
Appeals To

The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Loomis Chaffee, Milton Academy, St. Mark's School, Northfield Mount Hermon +4 more

Annual (September–April)
Official Website
Speech & DebateIntermediate to Advanced

NSDA Speech & Debate

Grades 6–12

The National Speech & Debate Association. The largest interscholastic speech and debate organization. NSDA national tournament qualification is a top-tier credential for communication-heavy schools.

Public SpeakingDebateInterpretationExtemporaneous SpeakingPolicy Debate
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +9 more

Year-round (District → National)
Official Website
Model UNAdvanced

HMUN (Harvard Model UN)

Grades 9–12

Harvard's annual Model United Nations conference. One of the largest and most prestigious MUN conferences globally. HMUN delegation awards and individual gavel recognition carry significant weight.

International RelationsDiplomacyPublic SpeakingResearchNegotiation
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +10 more

Annual (January)
Official Website
Model UNAdvanced

YMUN (Yale Model UN)

Grades 9–12

Yale's annual Model United Nations conference. Known for rigorous committee simulations and high-quality delegate preparation. Strong YMUN performance signals global awareness and diplomatic skill.

International RelationsDiplomacyPublic SpeakingResearchNegotiation
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +10 more

Annual (January)
Official Website
Model UNIntermediate

NMUN (National Model UN)

Grades 9–College

The National Model United Nations, held in New York and Washington D.C. NMUN delegation awards are recognized by boarding schools as evidence of teamwork, research, and public speaking ability.

International RelationsDiplomacyPublic SpeakingResearchTeamwork
Appeals To

Phillips Exeter Academy, Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy +10 more

Annual (Spring)
Official Website

The SSAT is the first doorway.

Build your competition record while your SSAT score is climbing.

Start SSAT Prep
The Young Masters
PrepMaster Innovations

© 2026 The Young Masters · PrepMaster Innovations

Content by PrepMaster Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Preview Period

This feature is currently in preview. Access will be available soon.