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A few days remain until the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) application deadline on November 7, 2024 at 8pm ET. Every year, over 2,000 students apply to the nation’s oldest and most prestigious youth science competition for the chance to be recognized as a future leader in STEM – and take home some of the $3.1 million awarded to students and their schools each year.

If you’re a high school senior with a great science research project – or know someone who is – we hope you’ll read the tips below, designed to help entrants make the most of the application process.

1. and get started TODAY. Make sure to write down what email you used to sign up – we recommend using a personal email address instead of a school-based one to prevent important system messages from getting caught in your school’s filtering system. Use our registration form, not the single sign-on options offered through Google, for the best experience.

2. Mark your calendars! The 2025 Regeneron STS application deadline is Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 8pm ET. Our Technical Support deadline is 24 hours prior – we suggest putting both deadlines in your phone. We also recommend skimming each task and planning when you’ll tackle each one. If you split the application into small parts and do a little bit of work each week, you’ll give yourself plenty of time to get it all done.

3. Request your recommendations ASAP. STS requires three kinds of recommendations – see the full for more information. All three types require answering questions in our system and are NOT traditional form letters, so you’ll want to give your recommenders plenty of time to make sure they can access the system and complete your recommendation well in advance of the deadline.

4. Explore Task 3 to determine what paperwork and approvals you need. Remember, some research – especially for students who worked with humans, vertebrate animals or potentially hazardous biological agents (PHBAs) – requires approval BEFORE you start your project. Run through our Rules Wizard in Task 3 to see what paperwork is required for your specific project. Filled out correctly, our logic will tell you exactly what you need.

• BONUS TIP: Remember, data collected from humans falls under our rules for human participant research, even if you did not work with humans directly. Make sure to CAREFULLY read through our Rules Book for information about what requirements apply to your project.

5. Complete Tasks 1, 8, 10 and 11 first. These tasks contain basic demographic and personal information and are easy to check off your list. Set a timer for an hour and see how far you can get – this will help you stay motivated and on target. Once you’ve completed these tasks, 20% of your application is already done!

6. Don’t overthink the essays! Feeling stuck? Remember that done is better than perfect. When you’re getting started on your essays, try freewriting, word association or record yourself answering the questions out loud.

7. Give clear and thorough answers. You don’t need to max out every word count, but take note of sections where you’re encouraged to explain your process in detail. Make sure you’re giving us all the information we need to accurately assess what you did and how you did it. Judges are not mind readers! Click and drag in the bottom right corner of any text box to expand it.

8. Give us context. STS is a holistic competition, meaning we aren’t only interested in your research. We give you lots of space to talk about what matters to you both in and outside of STEM. Take advantage of opportunities to tell us the whole story of who you are and how the resources available to you, challenges you’ve faced and communities you’re part of have influenced your path as a leader, scientist and person.

• BONUS TIP: Context also means being honest about any support you’ve received. Make sure to disclose potential conflicts of interest – it’s totally fine to pay to attend a research program or receive guidance or connections from a relative, but it’s important that those connections are credited and clear. Err on the side of sharing more information about who has helped you along the way, not less!

9. Tell us YOUR story! Before you get too far into the application, take a moment to answer the following questions:

• What are 5 things that are most important to you in life? 
• What are 5 things you want Regeneron STS to know about your project? 
• What are 5 ways you show leadership potential? 
• What are the top 7 ways you spend your time each week?

Let your answers to these questions serve as your north star. Before you submit, you can read back through your responses and make sure the real, authentic you is expressed in your application.

10. Spend time with the on our website. Visit us online to explore FAQ pages for and , inspiring media stories and more. You can sign up on our website to receive and invitations to join our . Still in need of assistance? Email our team at sts@societyforscience.org.