<p>Suppose I win the Intel STS award first place in Senior Year. I have used partial differential equations to cure world poverty, blah blah blah. However, since the awards ceremony where they announce the winners is in March, I'm unable to put it on a college application, which is due in January mostly. Thus, I am rejected from all my reach schools.</p>
<p>So my problem is this: what is the point of Intel STS to do any good to your college application if you are a senior (which a vast majority of finalists are) and the winners are announced in March?</p>
<p>I've heard the old "do it because you want to do it!!" argument over and over, but let's be honest: we only apply for the Intel STS competition because it's prestigious and the winners tend to go to HYPSMC schools. And just because I want to put it on a college application does not mean I can't have fun with it or I am not passionate about winning or I do not care about anything else besides winning.</p>
<p>I have to think an award that prestigious would be able to help you with more than just undergraduate admissions (but don’t quote me), so it’s probably worth it to try anyway.</p>
<p>I know a girl who won nationals at a somewhat prestigious (I think it’s a bit sketchy tbqh but whatever, maybe that’s just my regional competition) competition and took a grade 13 to apply to US schools (among other things, ofc). She got into all of them and will be attending Princeton this fall.</p>
<p>If you were a winner of said competition, you probably have accomplished a lot of other things so probably won’t even need to add it on your college app.</p>
<p>I have no idea how Common App (I assume you’re using that) works for listing these things, but could you list participant? or results unreleased? something along those lines?</p>
<p>If you’re even worried about getting into HYSMC schools, you’re not the type of person that’s going to even be an intel finalist. Sorry to burst your bubble.</p>
<p>I think even if you don’t or forget to, Intel notifies all of the colleges you apply to. College apps are due late Dec/early Jan. Semifinalists are announced about a week later, and finalists are announced in late January. Since admissions decisions are not made (sent out) until the end of March, there is ample time for an adcom to transfer your application into the “accepted” pile after they learn you were recognized as a semifinalist/finalist. As some of the previous posters have mentioned, being named semifinalist is very, very prestigious, but those who are named finalists do not necessarily have better projects, but are accomplished in other fields too, as any Harvard matriculant would be. Many have perfect SAT scores, etc, and would have been accepted anyway. Nevertheless, someone who is named a finalist that might not be so “talented” in other areas and just has this kickass project and Intel as the highlight of their application has a very strong chance of being accepted by schools at the top of your local USNWR list.</p>