Five hot tips for the 2022 Broadcom MASTERS application

The Broadcom MASTERS® is the nation’s premier middle school STEM competition. Each year, Society-affiliated fairs nominate the top 10% of 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students to participate in the competition. The program awards approximately $100,000 to extraordinary middle schoolers whose research projects explore a multitude of science and engineering questions, ranging from understanding ‘antiprime’ numbers to improving wildfire detection technology to analyzing the effect of fast-food locations on obesity rates. Learn more about the 2021 Broadcom MASTERS finalists’ projects here: https://projectboard.world/societyforsciencebcm.

We want to show you that the application is not a scary process – you’ve already done the hard work by completing your research project and presenting it to judges at your local fair! Below, we have highlighted five important things to know for nominees applying to the 2022 Broadcom MASTERS. So don’t wait – open and complete your application today! The deadline for the 2022 Broadcom MASTERS application is June 15, 2022 at 8pm Eastern Time. 

1. You will be asked for a fair password to access the full application.

When you received your nomination, you should have also received a digital nominee packet with information about the competition and a fair password that gives you access to the application. If you do not have this information, you can email masters@societyforscience.org with your name, city/state, and the name of the fair you competed in and the Broadcom MASTERS team will help you out.

2.  Video Resources are available to help break down each step of the application process.

Check out the videos in the “Resources” tab of the application, or on our YouTube page. Open your application today to receive updates on when our next live webinar will be!

3. Feeling stuck? Take Breaks! You can also try answering the questions out loud first.

The application may seem long at first, but you can always save your work and pick up where you left off. We recommend completing Part 1 (Formal Registration) and Part 4 (Personal Interests) first — these sections ask for basic information about yourself and about what you like to do in your free time. Once you have completed these two sections, you are already done with two out of the four application parts!

The project essay questions in Part 2 are written to feel like a judging interview, so try talking through the questions before typing them out. This will help you get started and remind you that you already know these answers!

4.  Team research is allowed. While every team member is not required to apply to the Broadcom MASTERS, each team member who is planning to apply, must submit their own application.

The Broadcom MASTERS application primarily asks about your research project, but also includes essays that address your creativity and critical thinking skills. For this reason, judges will hear from each member of your team and individually assess your essay responses and understanding of your research project. Teams can have a maximum of three teammates to qualify. While every member of a team is not required to apply, each team member who is applying to the Broadcom MASTERS, must submit their own application.

5. You can edit your application even after you submit, but it must be before the deadline.

We encourage nominees to submit early! The good news is that even after you submit your application, you may make as many changes as you would like before the deadline. Make sure to save each section after you have edited it.  You will NOT need to resubmit once you are done. *A helpful tip: Download your application for review to confirm that all your changes were successfully updated.

Good luck as you complete the application process! All nominees who submit applications will receive a Broadcom MASTERS t-shirt and will have the chance to win swag packages and other cool prizes like Raspberry Pis. 

Remember, you have nothing to lose by entering, so apply today! For more information, please visit our Nominee and Eligibility and Important Information pages. Email masters@societyforscience.org with any questions about the application or competition. Reminder again, that the deadline for the 2022 Broadcom MASTERS application is June 15, 2022 at 8pm ET.