If you’re an ambitious high school student with strong critical thinking and communication skills, then competitions that test your knowledge of a subject, research skills, and ability to present findings coherently should be on your radar. These are essential skills that will serve you well while applying for college and advanced research programs. 

One program worth considering is the TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students, held annually by the American Psychology Association (APA). Competitions run by prestigious organizations like the APA add significant value to your student profile by demonstrating excellence and sustained interest in a subject.

In this blog, we will review the TOPSS Competition, providing information on its rules, eligibility, selection criteria, judging, and more, ending with some tips to help you ace it!

What is the TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students all about?

The APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) Competition is an annual contest designed to test students’ knowledge of psychology and their ability to present information and original thought in a structured and coherent manner. Each year, APA invites students to submit either a video, essay, or other form of audiovisual or written submission that explains a topic in the psychological sciences and how it can benefit local communities, subject to certain parameters. 

In 2024, students’ submissions had to relate to the Cognition Pillar of the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula, while in 2023 students’ submissions had to link to the curricula’s social and personality pillar.

Who can apply for the competition?

All current high school students in the U.S. and internationally can apply. You cannot send an entry as a team, and a maximum of five students per school can apply for the competition—confirm your participation as early as possible with your school coordinator!

What does it cost to participate?

Nothing! Participation in TOPSS is free and open to all high school students.

What do the winners get?

APA usually selects three winners annually, each receiving a $300 scholarship. 

Is the competition prestigious?

TOPSS is highly prestigious and competitive. Even though winners do not receive a large monetary prize (only $300), there is significant prestige attached to this competition, and winning it would greatly benefit your student profile. APA is a renowned organization known for its high publication standards—winning TOPSS would indicate that you have strong societal awareness and critical thinking and analytical skills, are adept at academic research, and can communicate complex topics simply. 

What are the competition topics like?

The topic for the 2025 edition will be released in Fall 2024. 

For 2024 and 2023, APA asked students to submit a video up to three minutes long of themselves explaining how a psychology topic could benefit their local community and improve people’s lives. These topics related to Cognition (themes covered here include cognition, memory, perception, or intelligence) and Social and Personality (social psychology, personality, multiculturalism and gender, motivation, and emotion) Pillars of the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula. 

Some winning entries were  Shiloh Durett’s Implicit Biases in Social Class, Lila Raj’s NIMBYism and the Minimal Group Paradigm, and Jiting Xiao’s A Foot in the Door Saves Lives.  

In previous years, APA asked students to write an up to 3,000-word essay on topics like resilience concerning stress or trauma, psychology in politics, and animal research in psychology. 

How are submissions scored?

Judges score your submission on a 100-point scale, giving scores based on the following criteria:

• Understanding of the psychology topic which is the focus of the video/essay (20 points)

• Choice of and understanding of relevant research study cited (20 points)

• Example of how said topic could impact the school/local community (20 points)

• Compelling nature of the principal message (20 points)

• Organization of ideas and delivery (10 points)

• Delivery techniques used to make a compelling argument (10 points)

8 tips to help you ace the TOPSS competition:

Now that we know more about TOPSS, here are eight tips to help you win it:

1. Start preparing early

While the 2025 topic isn’t out yet, it will likely follow previous years’ trends and relate to a pillar of the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula. Since Cognition and Society and Personality have already been used, the 2025 topic will likely relate to either the Biological, Development and Learning, or Mental and Physical Health pillars. Researching each of these and narrowing down potential topics in each can help you hit the ground running.

1. Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the APA style

The APA style is widely used in academic publishing and you need to use it when citing academic papers to construct your argument. Your submission, no matter how good it is, will not be considered a winning entry unless you cite research correctly.

1. Organize your arguments

Create an outline to structure your points — your argument should flow logically. Your submission should have a well-defined introduction and conclusion, and the body should be structured to ensure coherency.

1. Understand the judging criteria

Judges score submissions based on six main criteria: understanding of the topic, research cited, real-world examples, principal message, organization of ideas, and delivery techniques used. Maximizing each of these sections can help you win the competition!

1. Demonstrate a depth of knowledge

Incorporate the different psychology theories and techniques you have learned in class or read about when constructing your argument, and show how these theories can apply to a real-world setting in your school or local community. 

1. Be clear and professional, but avoid jargon

You may be tempted to showcase the depth of your vocabulary, but it’s important to use simple yet professional language in your writing or video recording. Don’t use language you aren’t comfortable with—judges will be able to spot it. The more comfortable you are, the easier you’ll find it to make a convincing argument.

1. Get an outside opinion

Once your video/essay is ready, let your parents, peers, and teachers see it and ask for their feedback. Their input can help make your work more easily understandable. 

1. Review past winners’ entries

You can view previous winners’ video entries on the competition website. This will give you a better idea of what judges look for in winning submissions and can be a source of inspiration!

One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Kieran Lobo is a freelance writer from India.