Registration Opens on June 1: How U.S. High School Seniors Can Prepare for Regeneron STS and Strengthen Their Ivy League Application Profile
As the oldest and most prestigious high school science research competition in the United States, the Regeneron Science Talent Search, also known as Regeneron STS, has been a leading platform for young scientific innovators since its founding in 1942. It is often referred to as the “Junior Nobel Prize.”
Every year, outstanding high school students from across the United States, as well as U.S. citizens living abroad, participate with independently completed original research projects. Nearly 2,500 students compete for one of the highest honors in youth science research.
The 2026–2027 STS season will officially open for registration on June 1. For students aiming to pursue research honors and apply to top U.S. universities, now is the key window to begin original research, plan a project pathway, and gain an early advantage in the competition.
What Is Regeneron STS?
Regeneron STS was founded in 1942 and is currently sponsored by Regeneron. The competition encourages young students to invent new technologies, develop innovative methods, improve people’s lives, and make a positive impact on the world.
Because of its strong academic value and long-term influence, STS has become one of the most competitive research competitions for high school students in the United States and among Chinese international student families.
In the past two years, among more than 500 STS semifinalists, around 50%–57% were admitted to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, or MIT, while 70%–76% entered Top 15 U.S. universities.
Suitable Students
Regeneron STS is open to high school seniors in grade 12 who attend schools in the United States or U.S. territories. U.S. citizens living abroad may also apply, but they must provide proof of citizenship.
Students currently in grade 11 may begin preparing their research projects early. They can submit their applications during the first semester of grade 12, which is their final year of high school.
Participation Rules
Regeneron STS requires students to participate individually and complete their own research projects.
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Individual Participation | Students must submit an individual research project. |
| Team Projects Not Allowed | Completed team projects cannot be submitted. |
| No Team-to-Individual Conversion | Students may not intentionally convert a team project into an individual project for submission. |
| Mentor Involvement | Students may work with research mentors or college students, but mentors must not overly interfere with or directly determine the outcome of the student’s individual project. |
| One Project Only | Each student may submit only one project. |
| Student Originality | The project must clearly demonstrate the applicant’s own ideas and contributions. |
Research Categories
Regeneron STS accepts projects across a wide range of scientific fields.
| Research Category |
|---|
| Behavioral and Social Sciences |
| Biochemistry |
| Bioengineering |
| Cellular and Molecular Biology |
| Chemistry |
| Computational Biology and Bioinformatics |
| Computer Science |
| Earth and Planetary Science |
| Engineering |
| Environmental Science |
| Genomics |
| Materials Science |
| Mathematics |
| Medicine and Health |
| Physics |
| Plant Sciences |
| Space Science |
Regeneron STS Timeline
The following timeline is based on the 2025–2026 season for reference.
| Stage | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Application Opens | June 1, 2025 | Students may begin submitting applications through the online application system. |
| Application Deadline | November 6, 2025 | Students must submit applications and recommendations before the deadline. Applications can only be submitted online. After the deadline, changes are generally not accepted for any reason. |
| Top 300 Scholars Announced | January 7, 2026 | The Top 300 Scholars are officially released. |
| Top 40 Finalists Announced | January 21, 2026 | The Top 40 Finalists are announced. |
| STS Finals Week | March 5–11, 2026 | Finalists participate in the national finals. |
| Public Exhibition of Projects | March 8, 2026 | Finalists present their research projects to the public. |
| Awards Ceremony | March 10, 2026 | Winners are announced at the official awards ceremony. |
Why Students Should Start Preparing Early
Scientific research is a long-cycle project. A strong STS submission usually requires months or even years of preparation, including topic selection, literature review, experimental design, data collection, analysis, writing, revision, and recommendation preparation.
For students aiming to compete in Regeneron STS, early planning is essential. Starting in grade 11 or even earlier allows students to explore meaningful research questions, build technical skills, find suitable mentors, and produce a more mature and original project by the application deadline.
For students targeting top U.S. universities, STS is more than just a competition. It is a powerful way to demonstrate academic curiosity, independent research ability, scientific creativity, persistence, and long-term commitment to a field of study.
