# Academic Awards & Honors for High School Students

Awards on this page — congressional medals, presidential honors, national subject awards — certify achievement you have already built elsewhere, which makes them the highest-leverage applications you can file.

Most students never apply for the honors they already qualify for; an hour of paperwork here regularly outperforms a semester of new activity.

47 verified programs match this page; 22 of the featured listings are free; 15 can be done online.

## Programs (47 total, first 30 shown — full list on the canonical page)

| Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/forbes-30-under-30) | Forbes Magazine | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-10-31 |
| [Caltech Signature Award for Innovation](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/caltech-signature-award) | California Institute of Technology | Free | virtual | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-01 |
| [U.S. Presidential Scholars Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/presidential-scholars-program) | U.S. Department of Education | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2026-10-02 |
| [National High School Musical Theatre Awards (Jimmy Awards)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/jimmy-awards) | Broadway League | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-18 |
| [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Special Awards](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/intel-international-science-and-engineering-fair-special-awards) | Various Organizations at ISEF | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-08 |
| [Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/society-for-neuroscience-young-investigator-award) | Society for Neuroscience | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-14 |
| [International Thespian Society](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/international-thespian-society) | EdTA | $30 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |
| [Indiana Academic Honors Diploma](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/indiana-academic-honors) | Indiana Department of Education | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |
| [Princeton Prize in Race Relations](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/princeton-prize-in-race-relations) | Princeton University | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-15 |
| [Duke of Edinburgh's International Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/duke-of-edinburghs-international-award) | Duke of Edinburgh Award | $100 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |
| [Astronaut Scholarship Foundation](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/astronaut-scholarship) | Astronaut Scholarship Foundation | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-03-15 |
| [Yale Science & Engineering Association Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/yale-science-engineering-association-award) | YSEA | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-01 |
| [Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/rho-kappa-social-studies) | NCSS | $30 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2026-10-01 |
| [State Seal of Biliteracy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/seal-of-biliteracy) | Various State Departments of Education | Free | hybrid | Grade 12 | 2027-05-01 |
| [World Language Honor Societies (Multiple Languages)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/language-honor-societies) | Various | $30 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-31 |
| [Harvard Prize Book Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/harvard-prize-book-award) | Harvard Club | Free | virtual | Grade 11 | Rolling |
| [U.S. Presidential Scholars Program in the Arts](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/us-presidential-scholars-program-in-the-arts) | U.S. Department of Education | Free | hybrid | Grade 12 | 2027-03-12 |
| [Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/hispanic-heritage-youth-awards) | Hispanic Heritage Foundation | Free | hybrid | Grade 12 | 2026-11-23 |
| [Cappies (Critics and Awards Program)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/cappies-theatre-awards) | Cappies | $25 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-30 |
| [College Board National Recognition Program Awards](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-student-recognition-award) | College Board | Free | virtual | Grades 10–11 | 2027-05-21 |
| [InnerView National Community Service Awards](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/innerview-community-service-awards) | InnerView | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-15 |
| [National Latin Exam Summa Cum Laude](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-latin-exam-summa-cum-laude) | National Latin Exam | $7 | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-29 |
| [Kohl's Cares Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/kohl's-cares-scholarship) | Kohl's Corporation | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |
| [Texas Academy of Science High School Awards](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/texas-academy-of-science-high-school-awards) | Texas Academy of Science | $50 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-11 |
| [FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Dean's List Finalist](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/first-robotics-competition-frc-deans-list-finalist) | FIRST | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-04 |
| [Le Grand Concours National Gold Medal](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/le-grand-concours-national-gold-medal) | American Association of Teachers of French | $15 | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-03 |
| [Davidson Fellows Honorable Mention](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/davidson-fellows-honorable-mention) | Davidson Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-18 |
| [Barry Goldwater Excellence in Education](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/barry-goldwater-excellence-in-education) | Goldwater Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-01 |
| [Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/gloria-barron-prize-for-young-heroes) | Barron Prize | Free | virtual | Grades 8–12 | 2027-04-15 |
| [National History Day Special Prizes](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-history-day-awards) | National History Day / Various Organizations | Free | in_person | Grades 6–12 | 2027-06-13 |

## Frequently asked questions

### How many awards & honors programs are listed for high school students?

ExtracurricularHub currently lists 47 verified awards & honors opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link.

### Are any of these awards & honors programs free?

Yes — 22 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early.

### Which deadlines are coming up soonest?

The next deadlines: Texas Academy of Science High School Awards (September 11, 2026); Cappies (Critics and Awards Program) (September 30, 2026); Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society (October 1, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site.

### Do awards & honors extracurriculars help with college admissions?

Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in awards & honors (participation → awards or leadership → independent work) reads far stronger than scattered one-off activities. Pick one or two programs from this page and go deep.

## Related pages

- [Prestigious & Highly Selective Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/prestigious)
- [Scholarships for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/scholarships)
- [Honor Societies Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/honor-societies)
- [Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/competitions)
- [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars)
- [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit)

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Source: ExtracurricularHub (https://extracurricularhub.com) — a free directory of 1,826 verified extracurricular programs for high school students. Cite the canonical page above; always confirm binding details on each program's official site.