Extracurricular Deadlines in October — Programs to Apply to

October is the fall deadline peak — many prestigious competitions and spring research programs close this month.

Most programs listed here run on annual cycles, so this month's deadline pattern repeats every year — check each listing for the exact current date.

99 verified programs match this page; 24 of the featured listings are completely free; 11 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Morehead-Cain Scholarship — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Earn a full-ride scholarship while developing leadership skills through the hybrid Morehead-Cain program. Perfect for college-bound high school senior
• Posse Foundation Scholarship — Posse Foundation: Earn a full-tuition scholarship to top colleges through this virtual leadership program. Build skills, join a supportive cohort, and strengthen your c
• Questbridge National College Match — QuestBridge: National college-prep program connecting talented high school seniors with full scholarships to top universities. Boost college applications and secur
• NASA International Space Apps Challenge — NASA: Solve real-world space and climate challenges in NASA’s global hackathon. This free competition lets high schoolers build coding, data science, and te
• NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles — NAfME: Join elite high school musicians in this prestigious in-person honor ensemble program. Enhance your skills, perform nationally, and boost your college
• U.S. Presidential Scholars Program — U.S. Department of Education: Earn national recognition as a U.S. Presidential Scholar, the highest honor for top high school seniors. Boost college applications and showcase leade
• Fulbright U.S. Student Program — U.S. Department of State / IIE: Prestigious international fellowship offering virtual research and teaching opportunities for high school seniors. Boosts college applications and bui
• Stamps Leadership Scholars — Stamps Foundation: Earn a full-ride scholarship plus enrichment funds at top colleges while building leadership skills. Perfect for high school seniors aiming to stand o
• Flinn Scholarship — Flinn Foundation: Elite full-ride scholarship for Arizona seniors to ASU, UArizona, or NAU. Boost leadership skills, gain recognition, and secure your college future at
• Knowledge Matters Virtual Business Challenge — Knowledge Matters: Join this free virtual business competition for high schoolers to manage retail, sports, or restaurant simulations. Build entrepreneurial skills and b
• Conrad Challenge: Innovation Competition — Conrad Foundation: Create innovative solutions to real-world problems in categories like aerospace, cybersecurity, health, and energy. Win scholarships and recognition.
• Hertz Foundation Fellowship Application Prep — Hertz Foundation: Prepare for the elite Hertz Foundation Fellowship and boost STEM skills. Perfect for high school seniors aiming for competitive grad school applicatio
• Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognition — Forbes Magazine: Gain national recognition as a high school entrepreneur with Forbes 30 Under 30. Boost college applications and showcase your achievements in business
• Rhodes Scholarship — Rhodes Trust: Unlock the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for international graduate study at Oxford. Boost your college applications and academic skills in a virtual
• Chicago International Model United Nations (CIMUN) — Chicago International Model United Nations: Immersive MUN conference in downtown Chicago using realistic crisis simulation and continuous negotiation. Known for its innovative format that goes b
• National Young Composers Challenge — Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra: Compose original music, gain hands-on experience, and showcase your talent in the National Young Composers Challenge. Perfect for college apps and asp
• National PTA Reflections Program National Award — National PTA: National arts recognition through PTA in visual arts, music, literature, photography, film, and dance.
• Gaudeamus International Composers Award — Gaudeamus Foundation: An international award supporting emerging contemporary music composers through competition, performances, and mentoring.
• Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) — Harvard International Relations Council: Immerse yourself in global diplomacy at one of the largest high school Model UN conferences. Build public speaking, leadership, and international rela
• Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society — NCSS: Join Rho Kappa, the leading honor society for high school social studies enthusiasts. Build leadership skills, enhance college applications, and celeb
• Citadel Data Open Competition — Citadel LLC: Data science competition hosted by leading hedge fund. Demonstrates quantitative skills to elite finance industry employers.
• National Association of Teachers of Singing Student Auditions — NATS: Showcase your classical voice skills in this prestigious competition for grades 9-14. Build performance experience, enhance college applications, and
• DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships - HS Track — Department of Energy: Paid high school research internship offering hands-on STEM experience at DOE national labs. Boost your college applications while gaining real-world
• Global Citizen Year Bridge Year — Global Citizen Year: Transform your gap year with an immersive international program. Build leadership skills, gain hands-on experience, and stand out on college applicati
• CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition — Air & Space Forces Association (AFA): Join a free high school cybersecurity competition to develop hands-on skills in Linux, Windows, and networking. Boost your college applications with r
• Museum Apprentice Program (MAP) — Brooklyn Museum: Join a paid high school internship to gain hands-on experience in museum education, leadership, and community engagement. Perfect for college resumes
• Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program — Girls Who Invest: Highly selective free 4-week summer program placing high school girls and nonbinary students at top investment management firms for training in financ
• National Fossil Day Art & Activities — National Park Service: An annual National Park Service celebration of fossils with contests, activities, and education for students, teachers, and the public.
• Tournament of the Towns Math Competition — Tournament of the Towns Coordinating Council: An international problem-solving math contest where cities worldwide compete using the same challenging papers.
• Princeton Model United Nations Conference (PMUNC) — Princeton International Relations Council: Join a selective Model UN competition for high schoolers (Grades 9-12) to build public speaking, policy, and leadership skills—perfect for college app

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