CompetifyHub

By Satya Kokonda

Winning a science fair is about more than just having a great idea; it’s about presenting your project in a way that captivates judges and demonstrates your understanding of the scientific process. From selecting a unique and impactful topic to delivering a polished presentation, success lies in preparation, creativity, and attention to detail. In this article, we’ll explore key strategies to help you stand out and impress at your next science fair.

For information on how to get started with the scientific process, check out this article.

The Science Fair Process:

The Board

Firstly, you want a poster board that follows the ISEF board size. For the 2024 competition, this cannot exceed a depth of 76 centimeters, width of 122 centimeters and height of 274 centimeters (but make sure to check with your regional fair as well). 

Now there isn’t a set “one size fits all” model for your science board, but there are a few things that you want to follow:

1. Hypothesis which is what you expected to happen, or an Engineering Claim which is how you are going to build your solution and what you are looking for in the solution. 

2. Data Analysis: You want to have data and also have a comparison to a baseline or prior model to show growth. 

3. Conclusions: What is a final takeaway that you want the judges to remember, along with a few important statistics.

4. Show Don’t Tell, try to avoid long paragraphs and have images to visually explain complicated ideas. 

There are also a variety of different posters and materials to choose from, but the traditional method includes printing sheets with information and gluing said sheets onto your poster board.

The PResentation

At the highest level, everyone has a stellar topic, months of hard work, a world-class board and the presentation is what makes or breaks your chance at a grand award. Here we will go through your different judge archetypes and teach you how to have a winning presentation.

Presentation Tips:

You want to be knowledgeable, this is where the notes from when you did the research become crucial. Make sure you are not reading off your notes. 

Instead pointing periodically to maintain the attention of your judges. Knowing a lot about the field helps showcase your knowledge and build a connection with the judge. 

Now there are 3 archetypes of judges at most science fairs, what I like to call the Average, the Grill and the Chill. We will be going through each of them so that you know what to expect.

The average:

These judges tend to be the majority of the judges you get, friendly, and ask you a few questions about your work. 

You want to be able to have a conversation with them, and showcase your knowledge. They will also tend to be more expressive, so you can utilize that to perhaps focus more on the parts they may not have understood.

The “Grill”

No, not the food (although I could definitely go for a good burger right now…)

These are the judges who have likely seen the poster beforehand, and will be asking back to back questions for an extended period of time.

The main thing is to stay consistent, a few small mistakes won’t cost you much and being able to maintain your focus is crucial. The main thing you want to remember is that doing well with these judges is hard, but doing well also means these judges are going to be the ones really advocating for you. 

The “Chill”

These are the quiet judges who talk very little, and tend to be less expressive as well. 

You would want to maintain your focus, and simply go through your presentation as rehearsed. Don’t take their lack of interest personally, and just remember that this is a well known archetype. 

Final Thoughts:

This guide laid the foundation of your science journey by giving you vital resources, science fair information and a comprehensive step by step guide to the entire scientific process. Make sure to check out our newest blogs to take your research and presentations to new heights!