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Boosting Ivy League Chances: Social Sciences & Humanities Contests
April 24, 2025
Welcome to part two of our five-part series, Boosting Ivy League Chances, where we discuss the best methods to boost your chances of getting into an Ivy League university. In today’s article, we will be discussing the best social sciences and humanities contests to catch the eyes of Ivy League admissions officers.
Humanities Contests
For students not interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, one of the easiest ways to distinguish yourself is through competitions that showcase your depth of knowledge, interest in the field, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
Below is a curated chart of some of the most prestigious social sciences and humanities contests that can boost your Ivy League chances.
| Contest Name | Eligibility | Date(s) | Individual or Team? | Type of Contest | Reward |
| National YoungArts Foundation | Ages 15-18 in grades 10-12 | Due in October | Individual | There are multiple disciplines, including classical music, design, film, dance, jazz, photography, theatre, visual arts, voice, and writing | Winners earn cash prizes and mentorship opportunities |
| John Locke Institute Essay Competition | 18 years old or younger before the date of the submission deadline | The registration deadline is in May, and the submission deadline is in June. | Individual | -Students write an essay on their chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration)
-Subjects include theology, psychology, law, history, economics, politics, and philosophy. |
Winners earn a scholarship to attend a John Locke Institute course, ranging from $2000 to $10,000. Courses are primarily taught by Oxford and Princeton professors. Around half of their alumni from 2011 to 2022 moved on to attend Ivy League schools. |
| National History Day | Junior: Grades 6-8 and Senior: Grades 9-12 | Deadlines vary per region | Documentary, exhibit, performance, and website categories have both individual and group submissions, while the paper category is individual participation only. | Research-based competition where students submit a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website that centers on the year’s theme. | There are several rounds before the national contest. |
| Language Competitions (National Japan Bowl, National Spanish Exam, Le Grand Concours, National Language Arts League, etc.) | High School Students *Each contest has specific eligibility | Dates range for each contest | Some are individual, and some are team | Most have some sort of multiple choice option paired with a speaking portion | Most awards honor students |
| DECA (particularly, the DECA International Career Development Conference) | All high school students | Conferences vary by location | Both team and individual | -Students typically start with the Principles of Business Administration events where they present various business concepts
-Students progress to project management individually or on a team |
Most of these competitions have regional divisions before national divisions |
| Blue Ocean Competition | High school students | Year-round, but submissions are due in February | Both | Students develop novel business concepts that open up a new market space where there is no competition (also known as a “blue ocean”) | Top 3 pitches earn $1000, $750, and $500, respectively |
Key Takeaways
- There are many types of competitions. Listed above are a few of the most renowned competitions that may catch the attention of Ivy League admissions officers.
