<p>yea they changed the format for it. </p>
<p>i still dont enjoy the fact that long island gets the same amount of bids as like...montana when we have 100x more projects done.</p>
<p>still though, how could they not choose a finalist to go to isef?</p>
<p>what's interesting tho is that Amber didn't find out about her finalist status until the day of the public release. Or maybe her parents got a call the night before but decided to surprise her the next day.</p>
<p>Yeah, I don't know why she (as opposed to most other people) found out the day of, at school...</p>
<p>Actually the number of ISEF people each fair can send is proportional to the number of projects in the fair.</p>
<p>actually zogoto, its not. kids in states where there are not 10 (the minimum bids given to an area) will get an automatic entry no matter how good their project is. the reverse goes for long island.</p>
<p>and no, it is not proportional because many areas do not even have local fairs.</p>
<p>meanwhile, LI and NY gets screwed over.</p>
<p>zogoto, did you get the proverbial call?</p>
<p>one of the long island finalists is from syosset...</p>
<p>and in response to bob^3, it IS unfair. however, we have more opportunities, since we have more research facilities (i.e. Brookhaven, Cold Spring Harbor Lab, Stonybrook...not to mentiion all the hospitals and universities in NYC). i guess letting kids from the central states get into ISEF makes up for the lack of opportunities there. =/</p>
<p>That's still not fair. The best projects make it in. But, whatever. Looking forward to seeing the finalist list tomorrow :)</p>
<p>Wait...10 is definitely not the minimum. Usually my area only has 6, but last year we were big enough to have 9.</p>
<p>I didn't get called :(</p>
<p>im fairly sure its 10...</p>
<p>but keep in mind that any given state will have universities to do research in as well. so those states still have a great deal of opportunities...its more that the kids dont wish to take advantage of them. we shouldnt be penalized because kids in montana dont want to devote the time to do research.</p>
<p>Zogoto, that sucks, man. Was hoping to see you in D.C. :\ Well, good luck at ISEF, JSHS and the like! ;)</p>
<p>It seems that being from Long Island you take for granted the actual presence of opportunities in other states. Sure, any given state has universities where you can do work, but for the most part those with research endowments and labs that are willing to take on high school interns are state schools that are in one place. Not everyone lives close to these universities, and most of these universities don't have organized programs for high schoolers to intern. Also, the opportunities available in a given school district are a major factor. I am in one of the poorest and most over-crowded public school districts in the country. Even though I am at a magnet school, you can imagine how hard it is to get funds to support a student research program when there are schools here that haven't had their plumbing fixed in a decade and are robbed practically every other week. Having set bids for a local fair might seem like some regional quota, but its merely a recognition of students who had to go out of their way to find a mentor or who taught themselves the science and did their work tabletop rather than being handed an internship at a top laboratory.</p>
<p>That being said...no call tonight. I'll have to settle for a grand.</p>
<p>From personal experience, a rather long and arduous process of persevering to find a mentor, I take quite offensively your assertion that people on Long Island and in other heavy research areas are "handed" internships. Some, but not all, and to make it this far, chances are it's your passion that took you there, not a position you were given for going to the right school. That being said, your basic argument makes sense and I'm sorry you didn't get the call :(</p>
<p>blue noise...we dont get support from our school for any research either. thats why i had a job for 2 years, to fund my research.</p>
<p>So I just talked to Kiran and he rounds out the top 3 from Siemens. Looks like this is the best year in a while for Siemens finalists going on to Intel. Haven't heard yet from the other two Siemens people who made STS semis.</p>
<p>Congratulations GuitarMan and sran!! Go Space Science! </p>
<p>It looks like S didn't make finalist, unless something really unusual happens. He was also surprised to make semifinalist (like your daughter, conyat), as he didn't do his research with the view of entering it anywhere. </p>
<p>Like you, GuitMan, his research was the product of his own drive/interest/ability. (he has an amazing angel who believes in him, too.) So I'm glad to read that nothing was "handed to you" like so many people believe. </p>
<p>S also worked very very hard for his opportunity. Rare is the student at an International School overseas who submits an Intel research project, and I think my son is the only semifinalist at an overseas school in years, but maybe some of you ISTS historians have more precise info. Check the back of the Semifinalist Book -- that's him. (Now you know everything.) :-)</p>
<p>Please blog the Washington adventure! Many people are rooting for you, GuitarMan and sran.</p>
<p>I'm glad to read of so many of you participating in science fairs. That must be lots of fun! Good job all -- you guys are golden.</p>
<p>i thought i did not make the finalist last night since i did not get the call. but this morning Silkin called me and told me i made it. and she said there are still a few phone calls left.</p>
<p>aaand some people are being told in person!!!!
<em>grins</em>
yeah, that meeting with the principal on a day when there wasn't school? My suspicions were confirmed.</p>
<p>and congrats southside!</p>
<p>Congrats southside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See you in D.C.!!</p>
<p>(But not Flierdeke)</p>
<p>thanks, guitarman :P
btw i'll be blogging the trip/experience (although not specifically setting up a blog just for intel) at <a href="http://mathe.livejournal.com%5B/url%5D">http://mathe.livejournal.com</a></p>