Are you looking for competitions to join as a high schooler? Living as a high school student is always challenging, and there are too many areas that we have to take care of; academics, sports, and social life, to name a few. To lessen the load of things to consider on a daily basis, we made a list of five helpful competitions for your future lives. The competitions cover the following subjects: music, history, art, math, and science.
- Music: For the students who have an interest in playing instruments, Berkshire provides
an opportunity to expand your musical experience. The competition is called the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA), an open space for students to compete and receive opportunities to enhance music education. MMEA offers auditions and/or learning spaces for wind, string instruments, and percussion, for both orchestras and bands. Practicing for the auditions that MMEA provides can help students to actively schedule their time, and could result in success in other classes. Check out the official website if you are ready to show your talents in music! https://www.massmea.org/mission-vision-values
- History: Another competition for students to consider—especially if they want to be
engaged in knowing the history of specific events—is National History Day. NHD can be done either as a group or as an individual, and students can choose it based on their personal preferences. Each year, NHD provides a different and unique historical prompt that pushes students to have deeper and broader thoughts concerning history. Students are expected to have their own way of elaborating on the given prompt, such as websites, documentaries, exhibits, performances, and more. These varied participation styles can surely boost creativity and help students experience new materials. Make sure to check the NHD website for more detailed information! https://nhd.org/en/.
- Art: As many students know, there are diverse and unique art curriculums and
programs in Berkshire. To enforce your journey as an artist, there are some competitions outside of Berkshire School that are worth a try. First, there is the Scholastic Awards. The Scholastic Awards are divided into two categories: Art and Writing, with respective regional and national levels. If a submission receives a silver or gold key at the regional level, that submission now has the option to move onto the national level. It is highly competitive; therefore, if you plan to be an artist in the future, you should consider submitting your work to the competition. Moreover, there is an additional competition called “Young Arts”. Young Arts has different categories than the Scholastic Awards, including performance types of art. If you are interested in the performing arts, then “Young Arts” could be a great option for you, too! Here are the links for the competitions:
Scholastic Award and Young Arts.
- Math: For some students, math feels like a fairly accessible subject. If you are interested
in solving mathematics and want more challenges, then why not consider taking competitions like AMC/AIME? These competitions are divided into groups based on grade and level, (9-10 and 11-12) and they offer opportunities to compete against other students around the world. You can find more information through the MAA website, and look at some problem sets if it interests you!
- Science: At Berkshire, there are a wide variety of science subjects that cover various
areas. If you are interested in researching at a deeper level than the Berkshire curriculum and want credit for an extracurricular activity, then there are some recommended competitions or activities that you would like to try. One of the recommended competitions is the Junior Science Humanities Symposium (JSHS), which gives you an opportunity to share your learning through a science fair. The 61st national JSHS will be on April 12-15, and students who are interested in the program should register beforehand. From the usage of a science fair, you will achieve better acknowledgments in scientific fields by looking at different STEM research. Here is the website link for the science fair. Additionally, to show a greater interest in a particular field in science, pre-college science summer sessions may help you to advance as a scientist. Joining these science programs will require you to spend a couple weeks on the college campus, allowing you to focus on your scientific research. Since each college offers different programs, you should find a pre-college program perfect for you. Another beneficial point is that taking the pre-college session allows you to be planning ahead after Berkshire. After the programs, you would be able to feel where you would like to go to prosper your academic career.
