GENIUS Olympiad Mentorship
Admission Insight mentors students in grades 8 to 12 for the GENIUS Olympiad Science category, an international competition for environmental research with finals in Rochester, New York. The student runs the research; we help sharpen the question, the methods and the presentation.
Projects already entered in other competitions can be submitted without changes, so a county fair or water research project with real results can go here too.
About the GENIUS Olympiad
Who can enter
Grades 8 to 12 from any country, at least 13 years old, who have not started university. Science projects may have one or two students.
What counts
Original experimental results or a tested engineering solution, with a meaningful connection to the environment or sustainability. Proposals and untested ideas are not accepted.
Categories
Environmental Quality, Ecology and Biodiversity, Resources and Energy, Human Ecology and Social Sciences, and Innovation.
How to enter
Apply directly, through a regional STEM fair, or through a National GENIUS Olympiad. Finalists present in person, in English.
Dates
2027 tentative schedule: applications open December 15, the deadline is March 1, finalists are announced March 25, and finals run June 7 to 12 in Rochester.
What we help with
An environmental question
A clear problem, background research and a method that produces measurable results.
Reusing a project
Planning one project for the county fair, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, The Earth Prize and GENIUS.
The presentation
Judges question each finalist in person. We rehearse the questions.
The student does the work
The student owns the question, the data and the writing. We meet one on one, ask the hard questions a judge will ask, and say plainly in any disclosure what help was given.
Who mentors
Dr. Harman Brah, MD
Physician and judge at the California Science & Engineering Fair.
Wesley Hatcher, PhD
Organic chemistry, UC San Diego. NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Directed research mentorship for more than 100 UCSD undergraduates.
Results
Our students have been Regeneron STS and ISEF national semifinalists and category award winners, and have taken 1st place at JSHS and the Alameda County Science & Engineering Fair.
Questions families ask
Do you mentor students for GENIUS Olympiad?
Yes. We mentor students one on one for the Science category. The student does the research and the writing.
Can a project from another competition be entered?
Yes. GENIUS rules say projects submitted to other competitions can be submitted without changes. The same project cannot be entered two years in a row without significant changes.
Start with a consultation
Tell us your student's grade, interests and the competition they are aiming for. We offer a complimentary 20-minute call and will say plainly whether we can help.
Book a Complimentary 20-Minute Consultation
Tell us your student’s grade and the competition they are aiming for. We will say plainly whether we can help.