# Philosophy & Ethics Programs & Competitions for High School Students Ethics bowls, essay prizes, and university philosophy institutes reward exactly what selective colleges say they want: rigorous argument, close reading, and intellectual risk-taking. Philosophy is a rare-signal activity — far fewer applicants bring a national ethics bowl run or a philosophy summer seminar than another coding camp, and humanities readers notice. 18 verified programs match this page; 14 of the featured listings are free; 7 can be done online. ## Programs (18 total) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Atlas Fellowship — High School Philosophy & Economics](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/atlas-fellowships-high-school-philosophy) | Atlas Society / Atlas Fellowship | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-23 | | [Princeton AI4ALL](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/princeton-ai4all) | Princeton University | Free | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2027-04-09 | | [Ayn Rand Institute Anthem Essay Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ayn-rand-institute-anthem-essay-contest) | Ayn Rand Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 9–10 | 2027-05-31 | | [Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/eugene-and-ruth-roberts-summer-student-academy) | City of Hope | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-11 | | [Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/elie-wiesel-ethics-essay) | Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2027-01-20 | | [John Locke Institute Essay Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/john-locke-institute-essay-competition) | John Locke Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-31 | | [USMA Summer Leaders Experience (SLE)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usma-summer-leaders-experience-sle) | United States Military Academy | $625 | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-04-15 | | [Stanford Summer Humanities Institute (SHI)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stanford-summer-humanities-institute-shi) | Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies | $6,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [USAF Academy Summer Seminar](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/usaf-academy-summer-seminar) | United States Air Force Academy | $300 | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-01-15 | | [National High School Ethics Bowl](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-high-school-ethics-bowl) | University of North Carolina Parr Center for Ethics | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-18 | | [School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/school-for-ethics-and-global-leadership-segl) | School for Ethics and Global Leadership | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-02-15 | | [Poynter High School Journalism Workshops](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/poynter-high-school-journalism-workshops) | Poynter Institute | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Fountainhead Essay Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/fountain-essay) | Ayn Rand Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 11–12 | 2026-07-31 | | [Ayn Rand Institute Fountainhead Essay Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ayn-rand-fountainhead-essay) | Ayn Rand Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 11–12 | 2026-07-31 | | [National Ethics Bowl Champion](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/national-ethics-bowl-champion) | Parr Center for Ethics | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-15 | | [St. John's College Summer Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/st-johns-college-summer-academy) | St. John's College | $1,400 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | Rolling | | [Kids Philosophy Slam National Winner](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/kids-philosophy-slam-national-winner) | Kids Philosophy Slam | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-15 | | [CMU AI Scholars (AI4ALL)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/cmu-ai-scholars-ai4all) | Carnegie Mellon University | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-01 | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many philosophy & ethics programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 18 verified philosophy & ethics opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these philosophy & ethics programs free? Yes — 14 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: Fountainhead Essay Contest (July 31, 2026); Ayn Rand Institute Fountainhead Essay Contest (July 31, 2026); National High School Ethics Bowl (December 18, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Do philosophy & ethics extracurriculars help with college admissions? Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in philosophy & ethics (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 - [History & Civics Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/history) - [Writing Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/writing) - [Debate & Speech Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/debate) - [Arts for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/arts) - [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars) - [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit) --- Canonical page: https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/philosophy 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.