<p>I'm doing the Intel STS project. My question is: Can I put that in the Common Application? I know I would not have gotten any results since it's due in November and I'm applying ED, but can I put that I was a participant in Intel anyway? </p>
<p>Anyone can participate in Intel STS, so I’m not sure if that’s going to help you at all. You can update by emailing the admissions office when the results come out? (Or if you participated in Siemens and became a semi-finalist or a regional finalist, you can put that down…)</p>
<p>I was thinking it would show that I did research, regardless of whether I win anything or not. Also, I was thinking that since my AP Environmental teacher is going to be looking it over, she could write about what I did in her letter of recommendation for me. </p>
<p>I would recommend that you put ‘research’ as one of your activities instead of ‘Intel STS participant’ then because it’s broader and does not limit you to the premises of one single project.</p>
<p>So, on the common app, should I just write research, and write what type of research, and then list the number of hours I spent? I’m not sure how to prove the number of hours I spent though.</p>
<p>Your research is a process. STS awards are a validation and a judgment of the relative quality of the research, kind of like getting “best paper” award at a professional conference. You have done the research and presumably are writing up the results. This is good fodder for essays, and your research advisor would be a great academic reference. I believe part of Intel STS is a poster presentation of a paper describing your research. I would put down the title & author of the paper, and list it as “Poster paper presented at 2014 Intel STS, <place>, <date> (in submission).” If there is room (I don’t know where there would be), the abstract would be a lovely addition. You could also, in addition, put in research as an activity and estimate the number of hours you spent.</date></place></p>