The Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS), known for its first 57 years[1] as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search is a research-based science competition in the United States for high school seniors. It has been referred to as "the nation's oldest and most prestigious" [2] science competition. In his speech at the dinner honoring the 1991 Winners, President George H. W. Bush called the competition the "Super Bowl of science."[3]
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The Society for Science & the Public began the competition in 1942 with Westinghouse Electric Corporation; for many years, the competition was known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. In 1998, Intel became the sponsor after it outbid Siemens, which had acquired Westinghouse's power generation unit; Siemens subsequently sponsored its own competition. Over the years, 21,000 Finalists and Semifinalists have received $13.8 million in awards through the program.
| Level | Award |
|---|---|
| First place | $100,000 |
| Second place | $75,000 |
| Third place | $50,000 |
| Fourth place | $40,000 |
| Fifth place | $30,000 |
| Sixth place | $25,000 |
| Seventh place | $25,000 |
| Eighth place | $20,000 |
| Ninth place | $20,000 |
| Tenth place | $20,000 |
| 30 finalists | $7,500 |
Entrants to the competition conduct original research—sometimes at home and sometimes by "working with leading research teams at universities, hospitals and private laboratories."[1] The selection process is highly competitive, and besides the research paper, letters of recommendation, essays, test scores, extracurricular activities, and high school transcripts may be factored in the selection of finalists and winners.
Each year, approximately 1,700 papers are submitted. The top 300 applicants are announced in mid-January with each Semifinalist and their school receiving $1,000. In late January, the 40 Finalists (the award winners) are informed. In March, the Finalists are flown to Washington, D.C. where they are interviewed for the top ten spots, which have awards ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 for the first prize winner. The judges have included Glenn T. Seaborg (Nobel Laureate with Edwin M. McMillan in Chemistry, 1951) and Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr. (Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1993). The remaining 30 Finalists also receive $7,500 awards.
Many Finalists and winners have gone on to receive higher honors in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology. Seven went on to receive Nobel Prizes, two earned the Fields Medal, three have been awarded the National Medal of Science, eleven received MacArthur Fellowships; 56 have been named Sloan Research Fellows; 30 have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences; and five have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.[1]
Across the United States, 12 secondary schools have produced 20 or more semi-finalists over the years 2002-2010. 11 of the schools are public schools, and 7 out of the 11 (64%) are located in the greater New York area.
| School | Location | Semi-finalists | Finalists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High School | Silver Spring, MD | 108 | 16 |
| Stuyvesant High School | New York, NY | 103 | 13 |
| Ward Melville High School | East Setauket, NY | 85 | 11 |
| Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology | Alexandria, VA | 75 | 7 |
| Bronx High School of Science | Bronx, NY | 59 | 6 |
| Paul D. Schreiber High School | Port Washington, NY | 50 | 3 |
| Byram Hills High School | Armonk, NY | 46 | 10 |
| Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science | Denton, TX | 43 | 7 |
| Great Neck North High School | Great Neck, NY | 31 | 3 |
| Illinois Math and Science Academy | Aurora, IL | 29 | 8 |
| Great Neck South High School | Great Neck, NY | 24 | 2 |
| The Harker School | San Jose, CA | 24 | 4 |
| Midwood High School | Brooklyn, NY | 23 | 3 |
| Scientist | Year | Placed | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Mottelson | 1944 | Finalist | Lyons Township High School |
| Leon Cooper | 1947 | Finalist | Bronx High School of Science |
| Walter Gilbert | 1949 | Finalist | Sidwell Friends High School |
| Sheldon Glashow | 1950 | Finalist | Bronx High School of Science |
| David Mumford | 1953 | Finalist | Phillips Exeter Academy |
| Roald Hoffmann | 1955 | Finalist | Stuyvesant High School |
| Gary A. Wegner | 1963 | Finalist[6] | Bothell High School |
| Frank Wilczek | 1967 | Finalist | Martin Van Buren High School |
| Eric Lander | 1974 | 1st Place | Stuyvesant High School |
| Paul Zeitz | 1975 | 1st Place | Stuyvesant High School |
| Lisa Randall | 1980 | 1st Place | Stuyvesant High School |
| Brian Greene | 1980 | Finalist | Stuyvesant High School |