<p>Hey there, just wondering how much will participating in the Intel Science Research Contest affect my chances of getting into Stanford or any other Ivy? I got a 2330, pretty high GPA, and lots of ECs (2 Presidents during my Junior Year)</p>
<p>The problem is that my school offers this class called InSTAR geared toward finding us a mentor and entering the contest. I have been in this class during 10th and 11th grade (only years offered) and now I have a choice to take it next year or not. If I take it next year, this will require me to use my whole summer working at a lab geared toward just one project (like 8am-8pm)</p>
<p>So should I take it next year or not? Will dropping a class like this lower my chances? Does it only matter if I win? Basically I'm not going to win, nor am I trying to be a semifinalist or anything. The only reason people have won at my school is because of connections and I have none of that. I am interested in business and my goal is to create a business this summer (web startup) but if I am doing the Intel thing, I can't. Please help, this is one of my last obstacles.</p>