Best Extracurriculars for High School Seniors

Make your final year count with meaningful experiences and continued involvement in your passions.

What Seniors Should Focus On

  • Maintain and deepen existing commitments
  • Complete capstone projects
  • Submit to research competitions (Regeneron STS, Siemens)
  • Mentor younger students
  • Explore internship opportunities

Programs open to seniors right now

1790 matching programs are listed in the directory right now. The most recently added:

  • Khan Academy High School Volunteer Translation Program — Khan Academy: Translate educational content to make free learning accessible worldwide.
  • Free Rice High School Volunteer Program for Hunger Relief (World Fo — World Food Programme: Answer trivia questions to donate rice through the World Food Programme.
  • Missing Maps — Missing Maps / Red Cross: Map vulnerable areas to help humanitarian organizations respond to crises.
  • DoSomething.org High School Leadership and Community Service Program — DoSomething.org: Lead youth-driven social impact campaigns on issues you care about.
  • 7 Cups High School Emotional Support Volunteer Program — 7 Cups: Provide free emotional support through anonymous online chat conversations.
  • Be My Eyes Video Volunteer — Be My Eyes: Help blind and low-vision people with everyday tasks through video calls.
  • Presidential AI Challenge — White House Office of Science and Technology Policy: National K-12 AI competition where students build real-world AI solutions for community challenges, with finals at the White House.
  • National Japan Bowl — Japan-America Society of Washington DC: Compete in the National Japan Bowl to showcase your Japanese language and cultural knowledge. Build key skills, earn scholarships, and enhance your co
  • PennApps Hackathon — University of Pennsylvania: Compete in the nation’s largest student-run hackathon for high schoolers. Build coding skills, innovate in tech, and boost your college applications.
  • Kaggle Data Science Competitions — Kaggle/Google: Join exciting online data science competitions for high school students! Build Python coding skills, explore AI, and strengthen your college applicati
  • Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition — Blue Ocean Global Network: Join the world’s largest virtual pitch competition for high school students. Build entrepreneurship skills, boost your college applications, and showc
  • EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship — Experimental Aircraft Association: Earn up to $12,000 for flight training toward a Private Pilot Certificate. Perfect for high school students seeking hands-on STEM experience and colle
  • MIT Global AI Hackathon — MIT RAISE & App Inventor Foundation: Join a free virtual AI hackathon for high schoolers to develop apps tackling global challenges. Gain hands-on STEM experience and boost your college a
  • Microsoft AI for Good Challenge — Microsoft: Empower global impact by joining this free AI competition for high schoolers. Develop machine learning skills, boost college applications, and tackle
  • 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
  • International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) — IOAI Foundation: Compete in the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence to enhance AI and machine learning skills, boost college applications, and gain hands
  • World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY) — Ready AI: Join a global AI competition for grades 6-12 to solve real-world problems using artificial intelligence. Build STEM skills, boost college applications
  • National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA) — Carnegie Hall: Join a prestigious summer orchestra program for high school musicians in grades 10-12. Develop advanced music skills, perform at Carnegie Hall, and bo
  • Yau Science Awards (Asia) — Tsinghua University / Harvard University: Showcase your scientific research skills in this prestigious high school competition. Gain hands-on experience, boost college applications, and connec
  • Young Playwrights Festival — Young Playwrights Inc.: Showcase your talent in this free playwriting competition for high schoolers (Grades 10-12). Develop creative skills, gain theater experience, and boo
  • MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition — MIT: Compete in a premier entrepreneurship competition for high schoolers. Develop business skills, launch innovative ventures, and boost college applicati
  • Yale Summer Conservatory for Actors — Yale School of Drama: Develop advanced acting skills in Yale’s intensive summer program for high school students. Build confidence, gain hands-on experience, and stand out
  • Yale Entrepreneurial Society High School Fellowship — Yale Entrepreneurial Society: Master entrepreneurship skills in this free 8-week virtual fellowship for high school students. Build startups, strengthen college applications, and l
  • White House Internship Program — The White House: Gain hands-on leadership experience with this prestigious White House internship. Perfect for building government skills and boosting college applicat

View all programs for 12th graders

Frequently Asked Questions

Should seniors continue extracurriculars during application season?

Yes, but adjust your involvement realistically. Colleges track your senior year activities, and dropping everything looks concerning. Maintain leadership roles and key commitments, but it's acceptable to reduce hours. The mid-year report includes your senior activities, so continued engagement matters.

Do senior year activities matter for college applications?

Activities through the fall of senior year appear on applications. Major achievements (competition wins, performances, projects) can be reported through updates. Colleges also receive mid-year reports covering first semester. Senior spring matters less for admissions but still reflects your character.

What should seniors focus on in their final year?

Focus on leadership transitions (mentoring successors), culminating projects, and any final competitions or performances. Use senior year to complete long-term projects and document your contributions. Also consider what you want to explore before college—internships, independent projects, or new experiences.

Are internships valuable for high school seniors?

Internships can be excellent senior year activities, especially in fields you plan to study. They provide real-world experience, professional connections, and often compelling content for essays. Look for opportunities in fall or spring, or over winter break.

Should seniors start new activities or deepen existing ones?

Generally, deepen existing commitments rather than starting new things. Colleges value trajectory and impact over breadth. However, if a unique opportunity arises that aligns with your interests, pursuing it can add richness to your story. Just don't appear to be resume-stuffing.

How should seniors handle 'senioritis' with extracurriculars?

Senioritis is real, but completely disengaging harms your character and your legacy. Find sustainable involvement levels that maintain your commitments without burning out. Focus on mentoring underclassmen and completing meaningful projects—this creates a satisfying end to your high school activities.