Do Science Competitions (Siemens, Intel, etc) Really Help?

[Anonymous]

My DS has set his sights on competing in one of these national science competitions. He's a sophomore and I wonder if all the stress is worth it. Does placing in one of these competitions really give you a leg up?

[Anonymous]

Um yeah. Of course. The winner of Intel can write their ticket to any college they wa But placing at those competitions is incredibly hard to do. Good luck to your kid.

[Anonymous]

And, hey, even if he doesn't win, it sounds like an interest worth encouraging. He'll learn a lot.

I wouldn't push a kid to do this for college admissions purposes, but I'd certainly support a kid who really wanted to do it. Does HE think it's his ticket to college or is it just something he thinks sounds fun/interesting/challenging?

[Anonymous]

Yes, they help but winning anything national is more like a lottery.

There are many local science competitions. They start off just a little more sophisticated than in school science fairs.
Winning these is also like a lottery.

Some judges want amazing science, some want kid originated science and some want the kid to have an amazing presentation.
Each one of these can be a HUGE deal breaker for kids in HS that will disappear by the time they start their actual science career.

You really have to downplay the desire to win. Science isn't about winning and losing. Neither is college applications.

The trick is to ride your DC's enthusiasm for learning/trying something new. Just because they try it in 10th grade doesn't mean
they are committed until they go to college. Next year it might be the robotics team or crew...

[Anonymous]

Winning a regional or national science competition Is definitely a resume builder. But more importantly, does youre Kid love science? Like many selection processes I.e. College admission, there is a huge amount of luck involved in winning. For example, are the judges interested in the topic you selected. Does the judge know the mentor who sponsored your project. If your kid loves science, then the process is worthwhile. But if your kid is doing this only because they expect to win, it could be a disappointing experience.

[Anonymous]

Not sure how old your kid is but these competitions can be useful in getting him started on building a portfolio of individual projects. If he is most likely to go to college and seek a science/engineering/cs degree then individual or group projects can really be beneficial. At my DD university the cs and engineering departments are top 10 and competitive to the point of single digit acceptances in some majors. For example: no student was accepted to CS without having written and SOLD an app for profit. It's not a well known secret to students that this type of requirement exists for some programs. Many many students with fabulous scores and grades are confused as to why they don't make the cut, but then just think it's because the program is competitive. Well, apparently being a successful software developer in HS is part of the competition. It doesn't end there because the internships are easier to get if you have your side projects to talk about as opposed to just course work.

[Anonymous]

The kids who compete at the state level are excellent. They usually have great mentoring and mores side projects that they refine over years. Often, they are done in someone's professional lab. Some kids think up their own project in the vacuum of their own home, but not many.

IT is great that your kid wants to do this. I hope he has already started working on this year's project because time is running out.

Getting to the regional science fair in your own community is a great first step, then refine the project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids who compete at the state level are excellent. They usually have great mentoring and mores side projects that they refine over years. Often, they are done in someone's professional lab. Some kids think up their own project in the vacuum of their own home, but not many.

IT is great that your kid wants to do this. I hope he has already started working on this year's project because time is running out.

Getting to the regional science fair in your own community is a great first step, then refine the project.

Realistically I can't picture my child finding a mentor and having side projects. How common is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For example: no student was accepted to CS without having written and SOLD an app for profit. It's not a well known secret to students that this type of requirement exists for some programs.

I know this is not true for Stanford, CalTech, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, or Berkeley. What school are you possible talking about?

[Anonymous]

Middle school parent joining the discussion. What about Science Olympiad? My son tried out for the team, it's supposed to be the best in our state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kids who compete at the state level are excellent. They usually have great mentoring and mores side projects that they refine over years. Often, they are done in someone's professional lab. Some kids think up their own project in the vacuum of their own home, but not many.

IT is great that your kid wants to do this. I hope he has already started working on this year's project because time is running out.

Getting to the regional science fair in your own community is a great first step, then refine the project.

Realistically I can't picture my child finding a mentor and having side projects. How common is it?

My DD did it. Got into the local university lab internship, hooked with the professors, submitted her research result to Google and Simens science contest.