GENIUS Olympiad

Key facts

Eligible grades

Grades 8 to 12, or the equivalent, from any country.

The current official rules say grades 8 to 12. Older versions of the same document, still circulating on third-party sites, say grades 9 to 12. Use the current PDF on geniusolympiad.org.

Source, checked 2026-09-02

Recommended preparation

A completed project on an environmental theme, plus funds for the finalist fee and travel

Why: Entrants submit a project in science, engineering, art, writing, business or robotics with an environmental focus. Finalists pay a participation fee reported between $425 and $850 plus travel to New York State, which is a real constraint on who can take part.

Based on the audience the organiser describes.

This is Compete's reading of the competition's documented content, not a requirement stated by the organiser. You may enter without it.

Compete guidance, not an eligibility restriction. Students outside this are still eligible if the official eligibility above allows them.

Eligible ages

Minimum age 13. Even if a project is selected as a finalist, a student younger than 13 cannot participate.

Students younger than 18 must attend with an adult chaperone, who may be a teacher, parent or relative. Students 18 or older still in high school may attend without one. Older circulating versions of the rules set that threshold at 17; the current PDF says 18.

Source, checked 2026-09-02

Individual or team

Individual or team · Each student may present only one project, and must choose if selected as a finalist for more than one. Science, business, coding, AI and short film projects may be submitted and presented by up to two students. Speech, art and solo music projects are individual. Students may apply with multiple projects to improve their chance of acceptance but will be selected for only one.

Where it runs

In person · International

Entry cost

Not confirmed; application fee plus a substantial finalist feeNot confirmed for 2027, and this competition is expensive. Circulating versions of the rules give a $50 per-project application fee plus a participation fee for finalists quoted variously at $425 to $850 depending on accommodation, or around $600. Travel to New York State is on top of that. Confirm current figures before applying, and budget for the finalist fee, not just the application.

Registration deadline

Set locally, not published as a single national date 2027 dates not confirmed. The cycle has historically run an application deadline in early March, finalist announcement in late March, and a participation registration deadline in early May, with a later deadline for affiliated US and EU fairs.

Competition dates

Finals held in June at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Difficulty

CompetitiveSerious preparation over a season. Advancing past the first round separates prepared students from unprepared ones.

Prizes

Medals and Rochester Institute of Technology scholarshipsFour tiers of award by score within each category, plus supervisor and school awards. Grand gold, silver and bronze winners in the science category are asked to submit to the International Journal of High School Research for peer review and publication. No cash prize schedule was confirmed.