The YES Competition at a Glance
Did you ever wonder how your school would handle the outbreak of a contagious disease or how the aftermath of a hurricane affects the health of a population?
Each year, 120 high school students just like you are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $50,000-when they research questions about the health problems affecting groups of people today.
About the YES Competition
The YES Competition is a fun and challenging nationwide scholarship competition. Students submit original research projects using the methods that epidemiologists utilize to discover ways to improve the health of the public.
"The YES Competition is more than just an opportunity to present your research-it's a chance to meet some of the brightest leaders in epidemiology and peers with similar interests. A research project in the YES Competition teaches you the process of scientific writing and presentation in a contagiously enthusiastic environment!"
Julie Rechel
Thomas Worthington High School
Worthington, Ohio
2006-07 National Finalist
Explaining Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the scientific method used to investigate, analyze, and prevent or control a health problem in a population. Epidemiological methods are used in a wide variety of public health fields to help understand why a health problem occurs, how to prevent it, and how to keep it from spreading.
Stories that involve the work of epidemiologists appear frequently in the news:
- Outbreaks of illness from contaminated food
- Health effects of second-hand smoke
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence in populations around the world
- Spread of bird flu among Asian countries
Requirements for Participating
You can participate if you are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States and if you are a high school junior or senior currently attending school in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Mariana Islands.
The Kinds of Health Problems You Can Research
You can investigate health issues that matter to you, your family, friends, peers, or people in the world around you. You need to be careful to design your research so that a health condition is the outcome or dependent variable of interest.
For example, you might be interested in researching the effects of sleep deprivation in high school students. Possibly associated health outcomes might include the frequency of injuries, contagious illnesses, or weight changes. In contrast, outcomes such as academic performance or reported ability to concentrate would not be considered health outcomes.
Students have won awards by submitting projects pertaining to:
- Artificial tanning and increased risk of skin cancer
- Motor vehicle fatalities as a result of spring and fall time changes
- HPV and cervical cancer prevention
- Health risks of performance enhancement usage by athletes
After identifying a topic you'll need to gather your own data, or you can use data collected by others. The next step is to perform an in-depth analysis of your research, make conclusions based on the results, and suggest ways in which the health of the population you studied can be improved based upon your findings.
Mentors as Resources
A mentor is not required but can be a valuable resource. A mentor can help you formulate an idea and can act as a consultant; however, you must complete the actual work on the project. You can ask your teacher, parent, or a person with experience in your area of research, to be your mentor.
Entering Your Project
Entering is very easy. All you need to do is complete an online registration form and upload your project online. That's all it takes!
The deadline to register and upload your project is February 2, 2009 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time.
Scholarship Awards Available
You have many chances to win an award:
- First, 120 semifinalists receive scholarship awards and 60 of them receive awards of $1,000.
- Then, 60 semifinalists advance to the regional finals and receive an expense-paid trip to compete at the 2008-09 regional and national competitions on April 17-20, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
- Of these, 48 regional finalists receive scholarship awards of $2,000.
- Next, 12 regional finalists compete in the national finals.
National Finalists Scholarship Awards
There are 12 national finalists selected to receive scholarships awards:
- Six receive $15,000 each
- Two receive $20,000 each
- Two receive $35,000 each
- The top two national winners receive $50,000 each
In addition to meeting other students with your same interests and having an exciting experience, regional finalists are able to meet and talk with some of the nation's most distinguished epidemiologists, public health professionals, and teachers.
Before registering, please read the 2008-09 Competition Information and Research Project Guidelines.
For questions, contact us by email at yes@collegeboard.org or by phone at 800-626-9795 ext. 5932.