1993). All finalists receive awards of at least $25,000. Demography The Science Talent Search is open to high school seniors living in the United States. Since the beginning of the competition, a large number of winners have come from New York, representing nearly one-third of the finalists in the years that Westinghouse sponsored the competition. New York has continued to lead the states in finalists in more recent years, more closely followed by California, and with significant numbers of finalists from Maryland, Texas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, and Illinois. Certain high schools have been particularly successful at placing semifinalists and finalists in the Science Talent Search. From the early years of the competition, two specialized high schools in New York City dominated the competition: Bronx High School of Science and Stuyvesant High School. In the 1980s and 1990s, other specialized STEM schools, including Virginia's Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and Maryland's Montgomery Blair High School, began to produce large numbers of finalists to rival the New York City schools. Other New York schools, including Ward Melville High School in East Setauket and Byram Hills High School in Armonk, have also had notable success in the competition. List of prominent individuals who were past winners See also International Science and Engineering Fair Broadcom MASTERS References External links STS online entry system STS historical background Science competitions Society for Science & the Public Awards established in 1942 Science Talent Search 1942 establishments in the United States Student awards