NSHSS reports more than 2,000,000 members since 2002 and accepts any student who meets one of eight criteria, including a 3.0 GPA. The question for families is not the fee but the signal: what membership tells an admissions reader at a selective college, and whether to list it at all.
Three AP Exam scores of 3 or higher earn the AP Scholar award, and five with a 3.5 average earn AP Scholar with Distinction. The awards carry no money and appear on the score report from July. What each level requires, which awards were discontinued, and how colleges read them.
245 students reach the National JSHS each year, the top five from each regional symposium, with expenses paid. The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium is free to enter, and national winners receive scholarships of up to $12,000. How regionals work, the 2027 dates, and how colleges read it.
A 3.5 GPA, a 1300 SAT, or a 22 ACT qualifies a student for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, a three-day paid program run by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. The 2027 Congress is June 23 to 25. How nomination works, the costs, and how colleges read it.
More than 300,000 students received over 350,000 College Board National Recognition Program awards in 2026. Sophomores and juniors qualify with a B+ GPA and a top 10% PSAT score in their group, or two AP scores of 3 or higher. The three awards, how to claim one, and how colleges read it.
800 hours over at least two years earn the Congressional Award Gold Medal, the highest of six levels. The program is open from age 14 until the 24th birthday, costs $35 once, and is non-competitive. What the Gold Medal requires, how goals are approved, and what it means on a college application.
The National Honor Society selects students in grades 10 to 12 who hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, or the higher bar a chapter sets, and who show service, leadership, and character. The NHS Scholarship awards $2 million to 600 seniors, with a November 20, 2026 deadline. How to get in.
USACO runs free online programming contests in four divisions, Bronze through Platinum, and selects the US team for the International Olympiad in Informatics. In 2025-26 it held three online contests and a proctored US Open on March 28, 2026. Format, certified scores, and what each level means.
Johns Hopkins CTY serves advanced students in grades 2 to 12 through online, day, and three-week residential courses. Joining costs $55, and most courses require a qualifying score on the SCAT, PSAT 8/9, SAT, ACT, or a school test at the 98th percentile. Levels, tests, summer 2027 dates, and value.
The National Junior Honor Society considers students in grades 6 to 9 who hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, or the higher bar a chapter sets, and who show service, leadership, character, and citizenship. How selection works, what members owe, the $500 award, and what it means for college.
The PSAT 10 is the same test as the PSAT/NMSQT, given to sophomores between March 1 and April 30, 2027. It is scored from 320 to 1520, tenth graders averaged 917 in 2025-26, and it does not count for National Merit. What it measures and how to use the score before junior year.
The PSAT 8/9 is scored from 240 to 1440. In 2025-26, 8th graders averaged 810 and 9th graders averaged 863, and about a third met both College Board benchmarks. Schools give the test October 1 to 30, 2026 or March 1 to April 30, 2027. Format, scores, and how families should use the result.
MATHCOUNTS is a national mathematics competition for students in grades 6 to 8. Chapter competitions run February 1 to 28, 2027, state competitions in March, and 224 students reach the national competition in Washington, DC on May 9 and 10, 2027. Rounds, scoring, registration, and what it means.
The AMC 8 runs January 21 to 27, 2027 for students in grade 8 and below. In 2026, 80,977 students took it, the average score was 12.42 out of 25, and the Honor Roll cutoff was 21. Dates, registration, scoring, awards, and what the result means for high school and college admissions.
Honors classes cover a course in more depth and at a faster pace, and each school sets its own standard and GPA weight. The University of California caps honors points at 8 semesters and counts only approved courses. What honors classes are, how they compare with AP, and how colleges read them.
High school math classes usually run Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, then Calculus. Where a student starts decides where the sequence ends: Algebra 1 in grade 8 reaches calculus by senior year. The levels, the options after calculus, and what selective colleges expect.