Regeneron Science Talent Search: College Scholarship

The Science Talent Search is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious opportunities for high school students to present original scientific research. If you have been conducting research and will be a senior in high school next year, then this is a wonderful opportunity to earn scholarships and connect with other young researchers!

Regeneron Science Talent Search: Overview

The Science Talent Search is a program administered by the Student Science division of the Society of Science & the Public. The program first started in 1942 and was sponsored by Westinghouse. In 1995, Intel began sponsoring the program, and Regeneron is the current sponsor as of 2016. In this competition, students submit a report on an original research project to be judged for its contribution to the field.

Application Process and Requirements

To be eligible, you must either be a U.S. citizen or be enrolled in your senior year of high school in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake and Midway Islands, or the Marianas. Students from any type of U.S. high school (public, private, or homeschool) may apply, and U.S. citizens living abroad may also apply.

To apply, be sure to submit all of the following components by the deadline:

• A complete application form, including your demographic and educational information, your extracurricular involvement, and any other awards you’ve received.
• Essay responses
• Any previous research experience
• A description of your research
• Your research report (20 pages following an appropriate academic style)
• Paperwork, such as IRB or IACUC approval forms, blank copies of surveys/questionnaires, or blank copies of consent forms
• Educator recommendation: A teacher recommendation by the person who is most familiar with your scientific potential
• Project recommendation: Completed by the person who is most familiar with your research and worked with you closely
• High school report: Uploaded by a guidance counselor and including your official transcript
• Optional: Test scores

Applications for the 2020 awards will open sometime this summer, and will most likely be due in November. You can sign up to receive notifications about when the application goes live by filling out this form.

Awards

Once the deadline has passed, a panel of doctoral scientists, mathematicians, and engineers will review the applications to select 300 scholars. Each of these scholars receive a $2,000 scholarship as well as $2,000 in funding for their school and an invitation to apply for Regeneron’s exclusive summer internship opportunity.

Once the 300 scholars have been selected, another panel will narrow it down to 40 Finalists, where they receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. to present their research to top scientists and compete for one of the top 10 awards. Here are the award amounts associated with each level:

• 1st Place: $250,000
• 2nd Place: $175,000
• 3rd Place: $150,000
• 4th Place: $100,000
• 5th Place: $90,000
• 6th Place: $80,000
• 7th Place: $70,000
• 8th Place: $60,000
• 9th Place: $50,000
• 10th Place: $40,000
• Remaining 30 Finalists: $25,000
  

Tips on Applying for Scholarships

Many national scholarships require you to do a lot of work upfront, and the Science Talent Search is no exception. If you want to be competitive for this scholarship, you should begin finding ways to get involved with research through either your school, local college, or organization. This way you can gain the experience you need to be able to create an original project to work on prior to your senior year.

However, there are also more general tips that will help you make the most of any scholarship application.

Start early. Give yourself plenty of time to research scholarship opportunities and figure out which ones interest you the most. Look at their requirements and see if there are steps you need to work on, such as getting involved in certain types of extracurricular activities or finding local competitions that can help you develop essay and interview skills.

Know your strengths. We often take our best qualities for granted, but many of our skills are valuable and we can find scholarships that celebrate them. To identify your strengths, consider which classes you enjoy or subjects that come easily to you. Find ways to challenge yourself in those areas so that you can develop your strengths further.

Get help. Whether you’re still searching for scholarships or are in the middle of working on an application, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can turn to a trusted teacher or a community leader who can give you advice about how to strengthen your application. Many guidance counselors can help you identify opportunities and work with you to secure recommendations.

Wrapping it Up

Scholarships are one of the best ways that you can make college more affordable. Furthermore, when you enter prestigious competitions like the Science Talent Search, a successful outcome can strengthen your application to any school. Even if you don’t win an award, getting research experience is a worthy investment in itself.

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!

For more information about scholarships, check out these posts below:

Does the Ivy League Offer Scholarships?

How to Maximize Your Child’s Merit Aid Eligibility

Which Colleges Give Out the Most Merit Aid? A List of the Top 50