I did research at the NIH this summer, but my mentor did not want me submitting my work to any competitions like Intel or Siemens because it is not yet published (it is on the way to publishing, but probably won’t be until after college acceptances). My mentor wanted the work confidential till then, and thus didn’t let me submit it to competitions. She is, however, writing me a letter of recommendation to colleges, which I am hoping will be convincing, and I’m submitting the research poster I created to many of the schools as a supplemental material. It sucks not being able to enter my work into a competition, as I know many MIT and ivy league students have been semifinalists or finalists at various competitions. Still, I know that the opportunity for a high schooler to intern at the NIH is a pretty cool accomplishment. I’m wondering how not having submitted my research or won any awards at a competition will affect my standings/appeal to the aforementioned colleges. I know that other things (grades, scores, EC’s) matter too, but I really appreciate any answers to my question. Thanks in advance for any help.
It should be just fine since you have a LOR from your mentor. College admissions officers are concerned with substance, not just awards. I don’t think it is necessary to submit the research poster as part of your application (will admission officers understand it?) but if you want to go that route be sure you confirm with your mentor that it is OK to do so.
You can put in your app that your research has been submitted as a paper to journal X. (I assume that you are a coauthor.) If the paper has been accepted before apps are due, you can add that it has been accepted for publication. Also, once the paper is accepted, you can contact the associate editor in charge of the review of the paper, and ask for an anticipated publication date. If you get one, you can add that too to your app.
Some universities (MIT, Caltech, …) allow you to upload your research poster during the application process. It’s a smart thing to do, even if the AOs don’t understand your research. Who knows, maybe they’ll pass it on to a prof that is familiar with your research area and solicit a review, prior to the admission decision.
You should also consider writing about your research in one of your college essays. Try to think of ways to explain the relevance of your research but, most important, make your essay on your research INTERESTING. For AOs, publication of your work is likely less relevant than the “passion” that you have shown for science. Make that come through in your essay.
My kid did lots of research and participated in two competitions. He didn’t win in either. (The quality of the research and the presentation skills of many kids in these competitions are truly impressive.) Nevertheless, he was admitted to tippy top STEM-focused universities. As recommended above, he uploaded his poster to supplement his apps, and he wrote compelling essays about his research topic. He didn’t even mention the science competitions that he competed in… PM me, if you want specifics.