Best Science Competitions for High Schoolers: ISEF, STS and More
The best science competition is the one that fits your student’s grade, working style and genuine interest, not the one with the biggest name. For a senior with finished independent research, that may be the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS). For a ninth or tenth grader who wants years of runway, it is usually a science fair that leads to Regeneron ISEF. For a student who loves theory and problem sets, it may be an exam-based Olympiad such as the USA Biology Olympiad (USABO). Below we compare the real options, explain how ISEF and STS differ, and show how admissions committees tend to read each one.
TL;DR
ISEF is open to grades 9 to 12 through affiliated regional and state fairs, and it accepts team projects. STS is for seniors only, applied for directly, and judged on individual research.
Research-based competitions (ISEF, STS) reward months of experimental work. Exam-based competitions (USABO) reward mastery of difficult material in a short, intense window.
STS for the 2027 cycle has a November 5, 2026 deadline, so seniors with a finished report need to move now.
Pick one competition that matches your student’s core interest and go deep. Entering everything dilutes the story.
Table of Contents
Research-based or exam-based: the first decision
Before comparing names, decide which kind of competition suits your student. Research-based competitions like ISEF and STS are long-term commitments that require planning, experimental design and data analysis over months. Exam-based competitions are intensive, short-term academic tests. The same source notes that students often try both without budgeting for how different the preparation is.
A useful way to think about it:
Research-based | Exam-based | |
Examples | ISEF, STS | USABO |
Time horizon | Months to a year | Weeks of focused study per round |
What it shows | Tenacity, scientific process, originality | Mastery of complex theory |
Best for | Students who like open-ended questions and lab or data work | Students who like problem solving and depth in one subject |
Neither is “better.” Admissions readers value both, for different reasons: research signals persistence and the ability to run a scientific process, while an Olympiad signals command of difficult theory.
The main options compared
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
ISEF is the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition. It is open to students in grades 9 to 12 who qualify through a Society-affiliated regional or state fair. More than 1,600 finalists from over 75 countries compete each year, and roughly $9 million is awarded in prizes and scholarships. Unlike STS, it accepts team projects of two to three members. Top prizes reach $100,000.
For the 2027 cycle, the finals run May 8 to 14, 2027, in Los Angeles, and affiliated fairs must wrap up by April 12, 2027. Fair deadlines vary, so find your nearest affiliated fair early. Affiliated fairs exist in nearly every state.
Best for: students in any high school grade who want to run a real experiment, present it, and compare notes with a global peer community.
Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious competition for high school seniors. Students apply directly, with an original research report, transcripts and recommendations, and the review is holistic. Top prizes reach $250,000. Around 2,600 students apply each year, 300 are named scholars and 40 become finalists, with more than $3.1 million in annual awards. It is individual research only: no team projects, and no one below 12th grade.
The 2027 application deadline is November 5, 2026. If your senior has a completed project, treat this as an urgent date.
Best for: seniors whose independent research is already finished and who can write about it clearly.
USA Biology Olympiad (USABO)
USABO is an exam-based competition for grades 9 to 12 with four tiers, beginning with an Open Exam. More than 10,000 students take part each year, and the top four at the National Finals represent the United States at the International Biology Olympiad. Registration is handled per school and typically runs about $95 to $125. Progression past the Open round is restricted to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.
The Open Exam is a 50-minute online multiple-choice test available to any high school biology student registered by a school or authorized center, which makes it an approachable first step.
Best for: students who enjoy biology theory and want a measurable, ranked result without running a lab project.
Science Olympiad
Science Olympiad is a major U.S. competition for school teams, with hands-on and written events. Because it is team-based and run through schools, it suits students who want collaboration and a range of subjects rather than a single deep project. Check with your school about whether a team exists and what the tryout process looks like.
Best for: students who thrive on teamwork and variety.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC)
For middle schoolers, JIC is the counterpart to ISEF. Students do not apply directly: they must be nominated through a top placement at a Society-affiliated fair. It is a strong way to learn lab and analytical skills before high school. If your child is younger, our guide to summer programs for eighth graders shows how to build depth early.
3M Young Scientist Challenge
The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is aimed at students in grades 5 to 8 and asks them to develop an innovative idea that could change their world for the better. It is another good early option for curious middle schoolers.
ISEF vs. STS: which one is right?
This is the question we hear most. Both come from the same sponsor, but they are different games.
Factor | ISEF | STS |
Grades | 9 to 12 | 12 only |
How you enter | Qualify through an affiliated regional or state fair | Apply directly |
Teams | Yes, 2 to 3 members | No, individual only |
Research window | Up to 12 months of continuous research | Finished independent research report |
2027 key date | Finals May 8 to 14, 2027 | Application due November 5, 2026 |
Top prize | $100,000 | $250,000 |
The guidance from this ISEF vs. STS comparison is straightforward: choose by grade level and project type. ISEF fits high schoolers who want to present team or individual research through a fair network. STS is a high-stakes assessment of future leaders in STEM, exclusively for seniors with finished work. High-achieving seniors often do both when the research timeline allows it.
A practical rule: if your student is a freshman, sophomore or junior, aim at ISEF through a local fair. If they are a senior with a completed project, look at STS this fall and, depending on dates, the fair route as well.
Rules that trip families up
The 12-month rule
For ISEF, a project may represent no more than 12 months of continuous research, and it cannot have been conducted more than 18 months before the ISEF event. A multi-year project has to be documented as distinct, year-over-year phases. Keep a rigorous lab notebook from day one.
Approvals come before the experiment
The Scientific Review Committee (SRC) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) forms are not paperwork to fill in afterward. Research involving human subjects or hazardous materials needs approval before it starts, or it is ineligible for high-level fairs regardless of how good the results are. Read the ISEF rules manual before touching equipment or recruiting participants.
Citizenship limits
USABO progression beyond the early rounds is limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, so international families should check eligibility first.
Matching a competition to your student’s spike
We talk often about a student’s “spike,” the one area where they go unusually deep. The best competition is the one that showcases it. A student who has spent a year running experiments on soil microbes has a natural ISEF story. A student who has been working through advanced biology texts for fun has a natural USABO story. Someone who prefers coding or data might look at a broader list such as CompeteSTEM’s competition directory, which lists grades, team formats and typical costs for many events.
To find your focus, try this:
List the last three things your student read or built without being asked. The pattern is usually the spike.
Decide the time budget. A year of research and six weeks of exam prep are very different commitments.
Check the calendar backwards from the deadline. ISEF needs a fair entry; STS needs a finished report by early November of senior year.
Pick one primary competition and, at most, one supporting entry.
Reading is a large part of good research. If your student is working through journal articles, a tool like Omphalis for saving, annotating and asking questions about papers can keep notes attached to the passages they came from.
No lab? You still have options
Not every student has access to a university lab or a mentor. Fairs still welcome independent work, and computational or data-driven projects can be done at home. We have written about research projects for high schoolers that require no lab and about publishing high school research before applications. Both are good places to start if the idea of a lab placement feels out of reach.
How admissions officers read competition results
A prize helps, but it is not the whole story. Admissions readers ask three questions:
Was the interest real? A competition that grows out of years of curiosity reads as authentic. One added in junior spring to fill a line does not.
What did the student do? Be specific about the question, the method and what went wrong along the way. Setbacks make a stronger essay than a trophy list.
Does it connect? The best applications link classes, summers, competitions and essays into a single trajectory. Our overview of extracurricular activities for Ivy League admissions explains how.
A student who never places can still present a compelling research story. A student who places but cannot explain their own work cannot.
Our perspective
We see two common patterns. Some families chase every well-known name and end up with a thin résumé of shallow entries. Others pick one path early, protect the time it needs, and arrive at senior year with a project they can discuss for twenty minutes without notes. The second group nearly always has the stronger application.
Our advice: start from the student, not the trophy. Ask what they would work on if no one were grading it, then choose the competition that gives that work a stage. Be honest about the timeline, because the 12-month rule, IRB approvals and fair deadlines punish late starts. And do not treat a competition as the application itself. It is one piece of the puzzle, and it matters most when it fits the rest of the picture.
This is how we work with families. Each student works directly with the lead counselor, with mentoring from current Ivy League students and application review by former admissions officers, and we keep caseloads small so planning stays personal.
— Randy Pryor
Planning competitions into your admissions strategy
If you want help choosing a competition, mapping it onto grades 9 to 12 and connecting it to your college list and essays, that is exactly what our counseling covers. We work on early high school planning, junior year preparation, the college list and the application itself, and you can read how personalized counseling works on our FAQ page. If you are already a senior, our guide on improving your college application after junior year covers what to do this fall.
Common questions
Can middle schoolers go to ISEF?
Not as competitors. ISEF is for grades 9 to 12. Middle schoolers can enter an affiliated fair and, with a top placement, be nominated to the Junior Innovators Challenge, which is the middle school counterpart. The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is another option for grades 5 to 8.
Can a student enter both ISEF and STS?
Yes, if the timeline allows. Many strong seniors do both, since the same research can feed an affiliated fair entry and an STS application. The ISEF 12-month rule and the STS direct-application deadline of November 5, 2026, need to be checked against the project’s dates.
Do I need a lab to compete?
Not necessarily. Fairs accept a range of project types, but any work with human subjects or hazardous materials needs SRC or IRB approval before it begins. Computational and data-based projects are often easier to run independently.
Is USABO open to international students?
The Open Exam is available to students registered through a school or authorized center, but progression to the Semifinal and later rounds is limited to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.
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