The first thing to understand is that ISEF is so much more than a science fair. If you've won your state or national fair and you're heading to ISEF for the first time, you probably have a lot of questions about what the week actually looks like. Here's what you need to know, including the things most people don't talk about.
As both a 2025 ISEF First Place Grand Award winner and now a mentor to students aiming for the top levels of science fair competition, here’s what I think you need to know.
What Happens During ISEF Week?
You'll be spending the entire ISEF week with your state or national delegation (the people you qualified with). You'll be rooming together, going on excursions together, and making memories that last.
The actual competition portion is surprisingly compact: judging is one full day, the awards ceremony and project setup/takedown account for another. The rest of the week is genuinely fun.
Socializing at ISEF
You'll have plenty of opportunities to meet students from all over the world who share your interests, especially others in your category. Start conversations, exchange contacts, and make group chats.
These are high-agency high schoolers with serious ambitions, and the talent density is extraordinary. You could meet your next co-founder or a lifelong friend. To this day, I still connect with people I met at ISEF, and we help each other on our respective endeavors. You're not just attending a competition, you're becoming part of a community.
That said, there's usually a "fun night" before judging day. It's worth enjoying, but don't stay up too late. You need to be well-rested.
What Judging Day Is Actually Like
Judging day is long. Expect to be standing and talking all day. You'll receive around eight judges, with each interview running for 15 minutes.
You may also be interviewed by additional Special Awards Organizations (SAOs) who are considering you for their special award, which can include cash, scholarships, or various opportunities.
Note that the lunch break is short and the lines for food at the venue are long. Your chaperones should be on this, but it's worth suggesting they order food in advance so your team can eat right away within the one-hour lunch window.
Also, do not assume WiFi will be available if you have a software demo; prepare offline demos if needed.
A Note on Safety and Sportsmanship
Society for Science does a great job maintaining a safe, respectful environment throughout the week. But with thousands of people in one place, incidents can happen. If anyone, another student or even a judge, says or does anything that makes you uncomfortable, report it to SFS or someone from your fair immediately. You'll know where to find them. Don't sit on it.
Occasionally, other students may try to get into your head with rude comments. It's rare, but it happens. Don't let it affect you. Move on and stay focused. You've earned your spot there.
ISEF is a truly special experience, and I hope this gives you a clearer picture of what to expect. The competition is real, but so is everything around it. Go in prepared, stay present, and make the most of every part of the week.
Preparing for the Week of ISEF
Let’s go back and look at how you should prepare for ISEF.
Logistics & Preparation
Getting your poster board and materials to ISEF is something your chaperones should help coordinate, but your main options are shipping ahead or bringing materials on the plane.
Many students get their posters printed as custom-size retractable pull-up banners. It looks professional, travels easily, and some even come with a backpack carrying case. For larger demo items, shipping is usually the way to go if you can't stuff them in your suitcase.
Choosing your ISEF Category
When choosing your category, read the subcategory descriptions carefully. Many projects sit at the intersection of multiple fields, say medicine and machine learning. In those cases, think about where you want your judges' expertise to lie.
If you want judges who understand ML systems, the ML subcategory under ROBO might serve you better than the TMED category, even if your project isn't robotics, as the name suggests. The goal isn't to avoid hard questions. It's to make sure your judges can evaluate the parts of your project you spent the most time on.
Do not factor category sizes into your decision. It’s a common misconception that the grand awards correspond to exactly four projects per category. They aren't actually first, second, third, or fourth place. They're based on percentages, since categories can have different sizes.
How to Prepare Your Presentation
Prepare three versions of your presentation: a 30-second pitch, a 2-3 minute version, and a 5-7 minute version. The points you cover and the order you cover them should be memorized and rehearsed, but don't stress over exact wording. It's okay if it comes out a little different each time. Different judges will ask for different lengths, so having all three ready matters.
The 5-7 minute version is your default when a judge says, "Tell me about your project." Many judges will interrupt you to ask questions mid-presentation, so don't talk too fast.
I like to use my board as a visual guide, moving top-left to bottom-right through each section in a consistent order. That way, if a tangent conversation breaks out, which is a good sign by the way, I always know where to pick back up. Often, the interview will naturally evolve into a genuine back-and-forth, and that's exactly what you want.
How to Manage Judges
You’ll often hear the advice that "all the judges will be PhDs who know a lot about your field, so be ready to get grilled and discuss technical details." In my experience, this wasn't quite right.
Not every judge will have domain expertise in your exact project, and some won't be familiar with the specific technologies you used. Some will.
But since you won't know in advance, you should always explain your project in a way anyone can understand, with a clear emphasis on why you made certain decisions and what value each component adds, rather than spending time explaining how things work. If a judge wants to know how something works, they'll ask.
Preparing for ISEF with ScienceFair
Preparing for ISEF can feel overwhelming, especially if you're navigating it alone. You're suddenly expected to think like a researcher, communicate like a scientist, and present like a professional.
At ScienceFair, other mentors and I coach students going through this process. If you want targeted feedback on your project, help with your poster, presentation, and judging strategy, we can help.
Schedule a consultation call to connect with one of our team members and create a personalized plan tailored to your needs.
