<p>Basically, I'm working in a neuroscience lab this summer and i was thinking of entering my project into these competitions. I have never done research/entered any kind of science competition/fair before, so i do not know much about this process. I know how hard it is to place in Siemens or Intel, and i am willing to work hard.</p>
<p>It'd be great if you past applicants/winners can offer me advice/share your experiences/make any comments!!</p>
<p>*If someone already made a thread similar to this (containing great advice), please refer me to it!</p>
<p>Siemens is more project-based, whereas Intel evaluates the applicant as a whole (ie. grades, recommendations, etc, although your project still plays the major role). </p>
<p>Also, the Siemens' application is like a million times easier than the Intel app. The Intel one sucks because you need recs, principle's signature, proof from your school you're a senior, etc, not to mention essays and two to three pages of background information about yourself via a questionnaire of sorts. It's essentially worse than a college application (although in perspective, it makes the common app look really easy). I probably spent ten times longer on my Intel app, which proved to be a waste of time since I wasn't a semifinalist, but not too long on my Siemens app and ended up being a semifinalist. In retrospect, I wish I had the opportunity to spend four years developing my research (as most big winners do) as opposed to barely 14 months throughout the school year, but I can't change that.</p>
<p>^Intel doesn't really care as much about the applicant as a whole until the finalists are all stacked up against each other.</p>
<p>Don't worry if you don't place in intel or go far in siemens. Most of the winners have directed guidance, either through a school program or through connections because their parents are research scientists as well. They've usually known about these competitions/and or been doing research for at least a few years as well (the ones with connections at least, this isn't bitterness but the reality).</p>
<p>Don't you move on automatically to ISEF after placing in Intel or something?</p>
<p>Considering I just started my project a month ago, i don't even know if i should apply to intel. 14 months = not enough?? wow. What exactly did you do your project on?</p>
<p>What categories were you in? Medicine and Health, for the win! </p>
<p>So we don't hijack this thread: blueducky, getting to ISEF is actually pretty "hard" because science fairs, at least from my experience, are judged subjectively. Luckily, I was on the good side of that two years in a row, haha.</p>
<p>Getting to ISEF really depends on your regional fair. There are some people who have teeny tiny regional fairs, and since the regions can send their top winners directly to ISEF, it's easy to get in that way unless you have a huge region like ours (Austin, TX). Getting in from state is a real toss-up =/</p>
<p>Not all finalists have directed assistance. While S spent two years learning the foundations of his topic, the project itself only took six weeks, because once he understood the material, he was able to move it forward in a new way without trouble. He did this sitting in the front yard and walking along the beach.</p>
<p>I have posted some other things about Intel/Siemens and will go back and find them.</p>
<p>Mary, you don't need a congresional representative for your project -- they just ask who your rep is because if you make the Intel finals, you get to meet him/her. At the SF level, you might get a certificate from the rep or something.</p>
<p>Other posters are correct -- you must qualify for ISEF via a regional fair.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Not all finalists have directed assistance. While S spent two years learning the foundations of his topic, the project itself only took six weeks, because once he understood the material, he was able to move it forward in a new way without trouble. He did this sitting in the front yard and walking along the beach.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The "most" represents any project that requires a lab (biology and chemistry specifically speaking)</p>
<p>Folks with lab projects do have different constraints than theoretical problems. Blueducky, if you are already doing research, go for it! If this is something you are interested in as a career, just the process of writing up your findings, etc. is a learning experience.</p>
<p>The kids we know who made it to the big competitions were uniformly shocked and humbled that they got there. There is no magic formula and you never know what will intrigue the readers or judges.</p>
<p>I am working on a Siemens project on neuroscience that involves euthanizing lab rats and analyzing their brain tissue. The experiment is being conducted in an authorized university lab and follows all guidelines for animal care. However, Siemens does not allow you to euthanize animals solely for the purpose of your project.
My question is: would I still be allowed to enter my project into Siemens because the data gathered from the brains will not only be used in my Siemens project, but also for the research papers of the graduate students that I am working with? Also, I am not involved at all in the euthanizations: they are performed by the licensed animal care workers. I just receive the brains from my mentor after they have been removed.</p>
<p>If anyone has any experience with this, please let me know!
Thank you!</p>