Welcome to our blog post featuring enriching competitions for middle schoolers, providing a plethora of opportunities for intellectual and creative growth. We’ve curated contests in academics such as mathematics, science, STEM, Humanities & Social Sciences to foster critical thinking. For art and sport enthusiasts, we also spotlight creativity-focused art contests and teamwork-centric sports organizations.  Dive into this world of opportunities designed to stimulate your child’s passion while challenging them intellectually and creatively.

Academic Competitions

Math Competitions

AMC 8

The American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8), commenced in 1985 and is organized by the Committee on the American Mathematics Competitions. It’s open to students under grade 8 (14.5 years old) and below.

Key Information

• Number of questions: 25
• Question type: Multiple-choice
• Full score: 25 points
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Competition time: January
• Commonly participating grades: G4 – G8

Types of Awards

• Distinguished Honor Roll: Top 1%, typically scoring 21 or above.
• Honor Roll: Top 5%, usually scoring 19 or above.
• Achievement Roll: For students in grade six and below, scoring above 15 points. 

To learn more about AMC 8, click here…

AMC 10

The American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) started in 2000 and is organized by the Committee on the American Mathematics Competitions. It is open to students under grade 10 (17.5 years old).

Key Information

• Number of questions: 25
• Question type: Multiple-choice
• Full score: 150 points
• Duration: 75 minutes
• Competition time: November
• Commonly participating grades: G6 – G10

Types of Awards

• Distinguished Honor Roll: Top 1%, usually a score of 120 or above.
• Honor Roll: Top 5%, typically scoring 95 or above.
• Achievement Roll: For students in grade eight and below, a score of at least 90.
• AIME Qualification: Top 2.5%, usually scoring over 100.
• The AMC10 is a selective exam with clearly increasing difficulty.

To learn more about AMC 10, click here…

MATHCOUNTS

The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series, started in 1984, is a national middle school mathematics competition organized by the MATHCOUNTS Foundation. It’s open to students in sixth through eighth grades (11-14 years old).

Key Information

• Number of questions: Varies depending on the round. The Sprint Round has 30 questions, Target Round has 8 questions and Team Round has 10 problems.
• Question type: Mix of multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank answers.
• Full score: Varies depending on the round.
• Duration: The Sprint Round is 40 minutes long, Target Rounds are approximately 24 minutes total (6 minutes for each pair of problems), and Team Rounds are about 20 minutes long.
• Competition time: February to May
• Commonly participating grades: G6 – G8

Types of Awards

• National Champion: Top individual scorer at the National Competition.
• Team Champion: Top team at the National Competition.
• Written Round Winner: Top scorer in written rounds at National Competition.
• Countdown Round Winner: Winner of countdown round at National Competition.

To learn more about MATHCOUNTS, click here…

Science Competitions

Science Bowl

The National Science Bowl (NSB), started in 1991, is a nationwide academic competition organized by the United States Department of Energy. It encourages students to excel in science and mathematics and pursue careers in these fields.

Key Information

• Number of questions: Varies depending on the round. There are multiple rounds including an elimination round.
• Question type: Multiple-choice and short answer
• Full score: Varies depending on the round.
• Duration: Each match lasts for approximately 20 minutes, but entire competition spans over several months with regional competitions leading to national finals.
• Competition time: Regionals usually start around January or February with nationals typically held in April or May.
• Commonly participating grades: Middle school (G6 – G8) and high school (G9 – G12)

Types of Awards

The top three middle and high school teams receive a trophy, individual medals, and photographs with officials of the Department of Energy.

The top 16 middle and high schools earn a check for their school’s science departments. As of 2020, the top 16 schools receive $1,000, the top 8 schools receive $1,500, the top 4 schools receive $2,000, and the top 2 schools receive $2,500.

Each team with the best Division Team Challenge result in their division earns a $500 check for their school’s science department.

Science Olympiad

The Science Olympiad is a team-based competition that promotes learning in various STEM disciplines among K-12 students. It consists of numerous events that cover a wide range of scientific fields, including biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Key Information

• Teams: Each team usually consists of 15 students who compete in 23 events. These teams can be from the same school or from different schools within a state.
• Events: The events in the Science Olympiad vary each year but always cover a broad range of scientific topics. Some examples include Anatomy and Physiology (studying parts of the body), Disease Detectives (epidemiology), Dynamic Planet (geology), and Experimental Design (designing and conducting an experiment).
• Competition Levels: There are three levels to the competition – regional, state, and national.

Types of Awards

Medals and trophies are awarded at all three levels of competition: regional, state and national level.

FIRST LEGO League

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is a global robotics program that ignites an enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in kids ages 9 to 16. It’s a hands-on program designed to inspire young people and develop their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Key Information

• Teams: Teams of up to ten children with at least two adult coaches participate in the challenge by programming an autonomous robot to score points on a thematic playing surface (Robot Game), developing a solution to a problem they have identified (Project), all guided by the FLL Core Values.
• Challenges: Each year FLL releases a new Challenge for teams that focuses on different real-world topics related to the sciences. Each Challenge has three parts: Robot Game, Innovation Project, and Core Values.
• Robot Game: Teams build and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology to score points in 2.5-minute matches on a themed playing field.
• Innovation Project: Teams research real-world problems such as food safety or recycling then develop solutions and share their findings with others.

Types of Awards

• Judging & Awards: In competitions teams are judged on three areas: Robot Design/Performance where the team’s robot competes against others on specific challenges/tasks; Research Project where teams present their innovative solution for judging; Teamwork/Core values which looks at how well they work together as team.
• Levels of Competition: Similar to many other competitions there are usually several levels including local tournaments leading up regional/national/international championships depending upon location/country.

Humanities and Social Sciences Competitions

National History Bee

The National History Bee is an academic competition for primary and secondary school students that tests knowledge of a wide range of historical topics. It was first held in 2010. The National History Bee Middle School Division is an exciting competition for students who have a keen interest in history.

Key Information

• Number of questions: The Regional Qualifying Exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions.
• Question type: Multiple-choice (Regional Qualifying Exam), verbal question-and-answer format (National Finals).
• Full score: The highest possible score on the Regional Qualifying Exam is 50 points.
• Duration: The Regional Qualifying Exam takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, while each round at the National Finals lasts about 8 minutes.
• Competition time: The Regional Qualifying Exams typically take place from December to April, and the National Finals usually occur in June.
• Commonly participating grades: G6 – G8

Types of Awards

• National Champion Title: Awarded to the top student at the National Finals.
• Regional Champion Title: Awarded to the top student during regional competitions.

Arts Competitions

Visual Arts Competitions 

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, started in 1923, is the longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S. It’s open to students in grades 7-12 (13-18 years old) across the United States.

Key Information

• Submission type: Original art and writing.
• Categories: More than 29 categories including architecture, painting, flash fiction, poetry etc.
• Deadline for submission: Varies by region but generally falls in December or January.
• Commonly participating grades: G7 – G12

Types of Awards

• Gold Key: Top works submitted at the regional level. Gold Key works automatically advance to national judging.
• Silver Key: Stand-out works submitted at the regional level that demonstrate exceptional ability.
• Honorable Mention: Accomplished works submitted at the regional level showing great skill and potential.
• National Medalists : A panel of creative–industry experts review Gold Key works from across the country to determine which pieces receive National Medals.

Music and Performing Arts Competition

World Choir Games

The World Choir Games, also known as the Olympics of Choral Music, were initiated by INTERKULTUR in 2000. It’s open to all non-professional choirs globally.

Key Information

• Number of participants: Varies, depending on the size of the choir.
• Categories: Middle school choirs typically participate in categories such as “Children’s Choirs” or “Youth Choirs of Equal Voices”. However, they can also choose other categories based on their repertoire and choir composition.
• Duration: Approximately two weeks
• Competition time: Typically held every two years; however, dates may vary.
• Commonly participating groups: Middle School choirs from various countries

Types of Awards

• Gold Medal (in Champions Competition): For top-scoring middle school choirs in each category.
• Silver and Bronze Medals (in Champions Competition): For second and third highest scoring middle school choirs respectively in each category.
• Gold Diploma (in Open Competition): For top-scoring middle school choirs in each category.
• Silver and Bronze Diplomas (in Open Competition): For second and third highest scoring middle-school-choir respectively in each category.

Organizations for Sports

According to our data and research, we found that lacrosse, ice hockey, baseball, and soccer can better assist with college applications compared to other sports. For more details, click here… Therefore, we have selected a few organizations for each sport.

Lacrosse

USA Lacrosse Youth Festivals

The USA Lacrosse Youth Festivals are organized by the US Lacrosse organization. These festivals are a celebration of lacrosse and sportsmanship, offering middle school students an opportunity to compete in a fun and supportive environment.

Key Information

• Game type: Field Lacrosse
• Age Group: Middle school students (typically 11-14 years old)
• Duration: Varies per festival, typically 2-3 days.
• Festival time: Vary throughout the year, check with local US Lacrosse chapters for specific dates.
• Commonly participating grades: G6 – G8

Types of Awards:

• Awards vary based on the specific festival but can include:
• Team Awards: For teams that win their respective divisions or show exceptional sportsmanship.
• Individual Awards: For players who demonstrate exceptional skill, leadership or sportsmanship during the festival.

To learn more about Lacrosse, check this article: Navigating the Path to College Lacrosse: A Comprehensive Guide for High School Athletes

Ice Hockey

USA Hockey National Championships

The USA Hockey National Championships is an annual event organized by USA Hockey. It’s open to youth ice hockey teams from around the United States in various age groups, including middle school students.

Key Information

• Number of games: Varies depending on the tournament structure.
• Game type: Ice hockey matches
• Duration: Each game typically lasts about 60 minutes, divided into three periods.
• Competition time: Typically held in March and April each year.
• Commonly participating ages: Various age groups, typically categorized as U12, U14, etc.

Types of Awards

• National Champion: The team that wins the final match in each age division.
• Runner-up: The team that loses in the final match of each age division.
• Individual Awards: Often there are individual awards for players showing exceptional skill or sportsmanship during the tournament.

Baseball

Perfect Game

The Perfect Game, established in 1995, is a leading organization in amateur baseball scouting. It organizes tournaments, showcases, and travel team competitions for prospective collegiate and professional baseball players in the United States.

Key Information

• Number of games: Varies depending on the event or tournament.
• Game type: Amateur Baseball games.
• Full score: Determined by the rules of Baseball.
• Duration: Typically lasts around 2-3 hours per game; however, this can vary based on many factors like innings played and pace of play.
• Competition time: Year-round with different events scheduled throughout the year.
• Commonly participating ages: Players between 12-18 years old.

Types of Awards

• All-Tournament Team: Selected based on performance during tournaments.
• Top Prospect List/Team: Identified through showcases based on skill evaluations and potential.
• PG All-American Classic Selections: An annual game featuring top high school seniors in the country.
• Top Ranked Players by Class/Position/State/Nation etc.: Rankings provided by Perfect Game to help identify top talent.

Soccer

American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO)

The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Tournaments, started in 1964, are organized by the AYSO National Office. They’re open to all AYSO registered players from U-10 to U-19 divisions.

Key Information

• Number of games: Varies per tournament
• Game type: Soccer match
• Full score: Depends on the number of goals scored in a match.
• Duration: Approximately 60 minutes for younger age groups, up to 90 minutes for older ones.
• Competition time: Varies throughout the year depending on location and tournament.
• Commonly participating ages: From under 10 years old (U-10 division) to under 19 years old (U-19 division).

Types of Awards

• Champion Award: Given to the winning team of each age group at each tournament.
• Finalist Award: Given to the runner-up team in each age group at each tournament.
• Sportsmanship Award: Often given at tournaments recognizing teams that exemplify good sportsmanship.

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