Does anyone know about any engineering competitions or challenges specifically geared towards high schoolers? I’m looking for some hands-on experiences to dive deeper into engineering, ideally something that could also beef up my college app. Would love to hear about your experiences if you've participated in any!
Absolutely, engaging in engineering challenges is a fantastic way to explore your interests and enhance your college application at the same time. A popular option is the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), where students work together to build and compete with robots they've designed and constructed. If you're interested in environmental solutions, the National Engineering Design Challenge (NEDC) might be appealing—it focuses on developing assistive technologies to help people with disabilities. Additionally, the Science Olympiad offers events in various branches of engineering, from bridge building to electric vehicles. There's also the Real World Design Challenge (RWDC), which provides high school students the opportunity to work on real-world engineering challenges in a team environment.
These competitions can highlight your teamwork, leadership, and technical skills—attributes that are highly regarded by colleges. If you've participated in any of these, make sure to reflect on what you learned and how you contributed to your team when discussing the experience on your college applications!
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