Will Siemens give me a boost at Harvard, MIT, Stanford?

Considering that my other stats/grades are strong, what kind of boost does Regional Finalist in the Siemens Competition provide for top schools?

It’s okay, but I don’t think it’ll substantially help your application for schools of that calibre - it’s run of the mill in context to their applicant pool.

I think it’ll help in the context of your extracurriculars. For example, if you do a lot of science research, this award can show that you’re serious about it and truly talented. There are also very few RFs, so it can’t be too “run of the mill.” I’m more optimistic than above.

Fair enough. I don’t really have the extensive research profile to match the award…but it still provides some boost, right?