Notes from the desk and the judging chair.
A blog of my own writing — competition and admissions field notes, essays on method and teaching, and diaries kept from inside the judging room. Written first for the students and parents I work with; kept here, in full, for anyone.
Judging & Field Notes
评委日记 · 现场手记 15 postsDiaries and dispatches written from inside the room — as a judge at ISEF, IYPT, iGEM, and LACSEF. What the work looks like from the other side of the table.
ISEF 2026 Grand Award — A Full Account
2026-ISEF-终极大奖详细解析A first-hand account of the 2026 ISEF grand award: the origami-and-ladybug project that won, why I scored it highest, and what it teaches about what judges actually look for.
Read the postISEF 2026 Physics Track — Field Notes
2026-ISEF物理赛道记Field notes from judging the ISEF 2026 physics category — projects seen, judging patterns observed, and what separated the top tier from the rest.
Read the postISEF 2025 — Physics Judge Dispatch
2025-ISEF物理评委记录Dispatch from the judging floor at ISEF 2025 physics: the projects, the questions, the ones that stayed with me, and what made the difference.
Read the postLACSEF Regional — Notes from the Physics Judging Track
LACSEF区域赛的评审工作小结A summary of judging the physics track at the LACSEF regional fair — what the projects looked like, what the criteria rewarded, and patterns across the board.
Read the postISEF 2024 Physics Grand Award — Full Record
2024-ISEF物理金奖复盘Inside account of the 2024 ISEF physics grand award. The project, the judging, the deliberation, and what it actually took to come out on top.
Read the postISEF 2024 ENEV081: The Misconduct Case Explained
2024-ISEF-ENEV081学术不端简单解释What happened, what the rules say, and what it means for the students and competition community. A plain-language breakdown of the most-discussed ISEF case of 2024.
Read the postISEF Finals: How Judges Ask Questions
ISEF总决赛评委问题汇总与提问逻辑A summary of the question patterns at ISEF finals — what judges actually ask and why, from inside the room. The logic behind the casual-sounding question.
Read the postIYPT 2024 Day 6 — The Final and Awards
2024-IYPT-Day 6决赛和颁奖典礼The final round in Budapest — who made it, how they performed, and what the judging looked like from inside the room.
Read the postIYPT 2024 Day 5 — Round Five and the Final Four
2024-IYPY-Day 5第五轮比赛和最终决赛名单The last elimination round: the final four teams announced and what separated the teams that got there from the ones that didn't.
Read the postIYPT 2024 Day 2 — Round Two and a Nobel Lecture
2024-IYPT-Day 2第二轮比赛和诺贝尔奖讲座The second physics fight round — and a lecture by a Nobel laureate in the evening that reframed how I was thinking about the competition problems.
Read the postIYPT 2024 Days 3–4 — Rounds and a Visegrad Day Trip
2024-IYPY-Day 3-4第三四轮比赛和出门郊游Competition rounds three and four, a day trip to Visegrad, and what the physics problems taught me about how top teams read questions under pressure.
Read the postIYPT 2024 Day 1 — Opening and the First Round
2024-IYPT-Day 1开幕式和第一轮比赛Arrival day in Budapest — the venue, the teams, the opening ceremony, and the first physics fight round. First impressions of the field.
Read the postIYPT 2024 Day 0 — Arriving in Budapest
2024-IYPT-Day 0抵达前夕The day before it all starts — logistics, first impressions of the venue, and the problems on the table for the week ahead.
Read the postiGEM Paris Day 3 — Leading a Judging Panel
IGEM-Paris-Day3-当评委小组长What running a judging panel at iGEM Paris looks like from the inside: criteria, deliberation, and the decisions that are harder than they look.
Read the postiGEM Judging Begins — Off to Paris
iGEM评委工作开始以及准备出发去巴黎Pre-departure notes on preparing to judge iGEM for the first time: what to read, what to expect, and the mental shift required to switch sides of the table.
Read the postCompetitions
竞赛 · 物理 · 科研 32 postsBPhO, Physics Bowl, PUPC, PUEC, HiMCM, ISEF, STS, Yau Award — preparation guides, results, team recruitment, and strategy from someone who has judged and coached all of them.
STS — The Most Complete Deep-Dive
STS竞赛全网最完全深层解读Three years on the STS judging panel: what the competition really rewards, how selection works, and what actually matters for a competitive submission.
Read the postBPhO Round 1 Problem Sets — Updated Through 2025
BPHO Round1 习题分类更新至2025The full classified BPhO Round 1 problem set, updated through 2025. Topic breakdown, difficulty distribution, and what to drill first.
Read the postSPC Physics — A Speed Guide to Gold
SPC物理竞赛攻略——如何拿金How to approach the SPC Physics competition to maximise your chance of Gold. Topic priorities, exam strategy, and what distinguishes the top scorers.
Read the postIPC Physics Competition — A Complete Guide
超详细IPC考点分析（Section A/B/C）A complete breakdown of the IPC Physics Competition: Section A/B/C syllabus, topic weighting, past paper patterns, and how to prepare systematically.
Read the postBPhO Self-Study Hub
BPHO学习空间A curated self-study resource hub for BPhO Round 1 and Round 2 — problem sets, guides, and worked solutions in one place.
Read the postPUPC 2025 — Opening a Small Study Group
2025-PUPC-来个小班课Launching a small PUPC prep group for 2025. What the course covers, how to apply, and what level of preparation is realistic for first-time participants.
Read the postPUEC 2025 — Team Recruiting
2025-PUEC-组队加摇人Team recruitment for PUEC 2025 and a pre-contest preparation course. What to expect from the competition and how to build a competitive team.
Read the postPhysics Bowl — Six Tricks for Finding Answers Fast
物理碗"变态"快速做题找答案的一些小技巧Six concrete techniques for working through Physics Bowl problems at speed — the kind of tricks that make the difference between a good score and a great one.
Read the post2025 ISEF Regional — 100% Advancement Rate
2025年ISEF区域赛截止目前晋级率100%All students I coached this year advanced to ISEF finals. What they did differently and what that tells us about what actually works in regional preparation.
Read the postComparing LLMs for Physics Bowl Prep
各个大语言模型整理物理碗题集精简版比较Putting several major LLMs head-to-head on condensing a 757-page Physics Bowl problem set. Which ones are actually useful and which ones fail quietly.
Read the postPhysics Bowl Complete Knowledge Mind Map
物理碗全考察内容知识思维导图系列A complete mind-map series covering every tested topic in Physics Bowl — mechanics, E&M, thermodynamics, waves, modern physics, and more.
Read the postA Workbook for IPC Online
一本关于IPC Online的习题解A full workbook of worked solutions for IPC Online — each problem annotated with method notes, not just answers.
Read the postPhysics Bowl — The Complete Problem Guide
全网最强物理碗PhysicsBowl习题分类详解The most complete Physics Bowl problem classification guide available — 750 pages, every topic, ranked by difficulty and frequency.
Read the postYau Award Desk Review — What to Know and Prepare
丘成桐中学生科学奖桌评阶段注意事项What happens at the desk review stage of the S.-T. Yau Award, what reviewers are looking for, and how to prepare your paper submission.
Read the postHow Much Does BPhO Actually Help US Admissions?
BPHO考多少才能帮到美本申请？A data-backed look at what BPhO scores actually signal to US college admissions offices — and what level you need to reach for it to move the needle.
Read the postBPhO Round 1 Section 2 — 2017–2022 Full Solutions
BPHO R1 S2-2017-2022真题详解Full worked solutions for BPhO Round 1 Section 2 from 2017 to 2022 — every problem, every step, with method notes explaining why each approach was chosen.
Read the postQualifying for ISEF Finals via the US Pathway
美国参加ISEF晋级总决赛关键节点和注意事项Key stages and timelines for qualifying for ISEF finals through the US regional pathway — what to know and where most students get tripped up.
Read the postCornell RCPRS — Research From Day One
康奈尔RCPRS——从第一天开始做研究A look at Cornell's RCPRS program — what it is, who it's for, how to apply, and what "research from day one of undergraduate study" actually means in practice.
Read the postBPhO Section 1 — Annotated Solutions & Topic Breakdown
BPHO-Section1-题目精解与专项突破Annotated solutions for BPhO Round 1 Section 1 with topic-by-topic breakdown — where the marks come from and where most students lose them.
Read the postPUEC 2024 Results Are Out
2024年PUEC出分，准备看邮箱查成绩了！PUEC 2024 results have been released. How to check your score, what the distribution looks like this year, and what comes next.
Read the postBPhO Super Gold — The Most Comprehensive Guide
BPHO全网最详尽的超金攻略The most detailed BPhO Super Gold preparation guide available: what to study, in what order, which past papers to prioritise, and what to do in the final four weeks.
Read the postHiMCM 2024 — Team Recruitment & New AI Modelling Course
2024HiMCM摇人~以及AI建模新课程Team recruitment for HiMCM 2024, plus the launch of a new AI-assisted mathematical modelling course. What the course covers and who it's for.
Read the postHow to Browse Every ISEF Project Ever Submitted
ISEF历届作品收集及查看办法A guide to finding and browsing the ISEF project archive — how to search by category, year, and award level, and why every serious competitor should be using it.
Read the postWhy I No Longer Recommend the S.-T. Yau Award
为什么我不再推荐丘成桐科学奖An honest reassessment of the S.-T. Yau Award: what changed, what the competition now rewards in practice, and what I'd recommend instead.
Read the postPhysics Bowl — Notes from the 60-Hour Course
物理碗(Physics Bowl)60小时长期班课资源分享Resource notes and key takeaways from the 60-hour Physics Bowl long course — what we covered, what worked, and what to steal for self-study.
Read the postPUPC 2023 — Post-Exam Debrief
2023年PUPC考后小结A post-exam debrief on the 2023 PUPC: what was on the paper, which topics surprised people, and how to prepare differently for next year.
Read the postThe Yau Award Student Who Lost, Then Raised $10 Million
关于自己丘奖学生比赛失败却融资千万刀的事One of my students didn't win the Yau Award. Then they raised $10 million. What that says about what competitions are actually for — and what they're not for.
Read the postRecruiting the Strongest HiMCM Team
全网寻找HiMCM最强力队友组队！Team recruitment for HiMCM — what the competition demands, what we've learned from previous years, and how to build a team that can go all the way.
Read the post2023 ISEF Regional Data — California and Beyond
2023美国ISEF区域赛加州赛数据汇总Data from the 2023 ISEF US regional cycle with a focus on California: advancement rates by category and what the numbers say about pathway strategy.
Read the postS.-T. Yau Award — Paper Evaluation and Revision
丘成桐中学生科学奖作品评估与修改提升！What we look for when evaluating a Yau Award submission, and the most common places where papers lose marks — with concrete advice on how to revise.
Read the post60-Hour Physics Bowl + AI Research Hybrid Course
即将开课-60H-物理碗D1-AI科研混合班Opening a 60-hour Physics Bowl D1 preparation course combined with AI research methods. Course structure, syllabus, and how to enrol.
Read the postPUEC 2024 — Registration Open, Recruiting Teammates
PUEC2024报名加摇人！PUEC 2024 registration is open. Looking for teammates and sharing what the competition format demands from a strong team this year.
Read the postAdmissions
美本申请 · 升学 13 postsUS college admissions: application essays, AI detection, research profile-building, summer programs, and the game theory of a very expensive decision.
The Simplest Personal Website for US Applications
美本/美研/找工作个人网站最最简单的解决方法The simplest possible personal website setup for US college, grad school, and job applications — what you actually need, what you don't, and how long it takes to build.
Read the postFall 2025: AI Detection Rates in College Essays
Fall 2025申请季美本文书AI率的数据参考Data on AI detection rates in Common App essays during the Fall 2025 cycle — what percentage of essays are flagging and what it means for applicants who aren't using AI.
Read the postScore Your Common App Essay Out of 40
哈佛录取文书满分40分，你的能打多少？Using the Harvard essay evaluation framework to score Common App essays on a 40-point rubric. Walk through the criteria and benchmark your own writing.
Read the postUChicago Early Admission — Finally Giving Summer School Its Due
芝加哥大学超提前批录取-终于给美国夏校正名UChicago's early admission cycle and what it reveals about how top universities actually value summer academic programs — not just as resume items.
Read the postThe Game Theory of a $500,000 US College Application
关于50万美金的美本申请的一点博弈When you frame US college admissions as a strategic game with asymmetric information and irrational players, some counterintuitive things become obvious.
Read the postResearch Profile-Building — The Different Levels Explained
英美本科申请背提科研的不同层次项目及意义A clear breakdown of the different levels of research profile-building for UK and US admissions — what each tier means, what it signals, and what is worth doing.
Read the post2023 Admissions — The Year AI Entered the Room
2023申请季-AI申请元年简单总结A summary of the 2023 US college admissions cycle — the first year where AI-written essays became a real systemic question. What changed and what didn't.
Read the postProfile-Building and the "Migration" Fix
关于本科升学"背提移民"的一些想法On the trend of students "migrating" their profiles into a stronger narrative after early profile-building choices didn't work out — and whether it actually helps.
Read the postFrom the AMC Leak to Writing the NYU Supplement
由AMC泄题到NYU小文书怎么写How to write the NYU supplement essay about an ethical dilemma — using the 2023 AMC leak as a case study in what the question is really asking.
Read the postDoes Your College Essay Have Visual Specificity?
美本文书如何确保其具有画面感？A test for visual specificity in college essays — how to check whether your writing creates images in the reader's mind, and what to do when it doesn't.
Read the postIs Your College Essay an I or an E?
如何判断你的申请文书之是i还是eMBTI meets college admissions: a framework for diagnosing whether your essay is too internal (just in your head) or too external (just listing things you did).
Read the postSpot the AI Essay — A Glossary of GPT Tells
"一眼GPT"文书的标志性单词总结A compiled list of the words and phrases that mark an essay as AI-generated — the vocabulary GPT reaches for that human applicants almost never use.
Read the postCaltech Class of 2028 — Answering the AI Question
加州理工Class2028关于是否应用AI申请怎么回答？How to answer Caltech's question about whether you used AI in your application — and what the question reveals about how Caltech thinks about academic honesty.
Read the postAI Tools
AI工具 9 postsPractical AI workflows for students, educators, and independent teachers — from CV generation to competition prep to admissions planning.
The Claude Founders' Handbook — International Education Edition
Claude创始人手册-国际教育版An international education adaptation of the Claude guidance — how to use Claude effectively as a student, coach, or independent educator in the competition and admissions space.
Read the postIntroducing science-fair-judge: An AI Panel for ISEF Prep
助力总决赛：ISEF Judge Skill上线A new AI skill that simulates an ISEF judging panel for final-round preparation. How it works, what it asks, and how to use it to stress-test your presentation.
Read the postIn the AI Era, an Independent Teacher Equals a Traditional Agency
AI时代的独立老师=传统机构How AI has changed the comparative advantage of independent teachers versus large admissions agencies — and what that means for parents choosing between them.
Read the postYour Admissions Counselor May Not Beat My AI Workflow
可能，你的美本规划老师还不如我的AIAn honest comparison of what a well-designed AI planning workflow can do versus what a traditional admissions counselor typically delivers — and where the gap is widening.
Read the postGenerate a Professional Study-Abroad CV in One Minute
一分钟根据已有信息生成专业留学简历A step-by-step workflow for generating a professional study-abroad CV from your existing information in under one minute. Template, prompts, and examples included.
Read the postGenerate Your UC Honors Table in One Minute
ChatGPT 1min生成加州UC申请荣誉活动表格！How to use ChatGPT to generate the UC application honors and activities table from your raw information in under a minute. Exact prompts and a worked example.
Read the postChatGPT Canvas — CA Honours Table in One Minute
ChatGPT Canvas 1分钟生成CA荣誉活动表格Using ChatGPT Canvas to generate a complete Common App honours and activities section from a bullet list in under a minute. Walk-through with screenshots.
Read the postAI Roasts the QS Rankings
AI吐槽QS大学排名：全球学术界的搞笑大戏What happens when you ask an AI to critique the QS World University Rankings — a comedy in several acts, with some genuinely useful observations hidden inside the jokes.
Read the postChatGPT — From Webpage to Slides
ChatGPT从网页到幻灯片思路分享A workflow for turning any webpage or article into a clean slide deck using ChatGPT — the prompts, the structure decisions, and the places where you still need to intervene.
Read the postIndustry & Diary
行业观察 · 日记 5 postsObservations on the international education industry, its pricing, its practices, and the occasional diary entry when something is too strange not to write down.
On the Foreign Forces That Made Me Lie Flat
关于导致我躺平的几个境外敌对势力A diary entry about the forces — not all hostile, some just chaotic — that pushed toward a productive period of not doing very much at all.
Read the postCan a School That Organized Exam Cheating Produce a Princeton Student?
一个考场作弊的学校真的能培养出普林斯顿学生吗？An investigation into a case that kept coming up in parent conversations — a school with organized exam misconduct that nonetheless sends students to top US universities.
Read the postA Meticulous Agency? Actually, Just a 97% AI Report
表面宝子背后龟毛的留学机构你有见过吗Behind the polished surface of a "meticulous" admissions agency: a report that turned out to be 97% AI-generated. What this says about quality control in the industry.
Read the postHow Outrageous Are ASDAN Registration Fees?
阿斯丹（Asdan）报名费高到多离谱？A data comparison of ASDAN registration fees versus equivalent competition entry costs — the numbers are striking, and the comparison illuminates something about the market.
Read the postKeep a Low Profile Before Going to the US
去美国前要低调，千万别乱跑A diary note on the practical advice I give every student heading to the US for the first time — not academic, just the things nobody tells you until it's too late.
Read the postEssays
随笔 · 方法论 6 postsLonger essays on method, teaching, and the practice of research and competition — written for anyone who wants to think carefully about how this work is actually done.
On Framing a Research Question
如何把问题问对The difference between a topic and a question — and why the second is the whole game. How to convert a glamorous subject into something a student can actually answer.
Read the essayWhat the Judges Actually Ask
评委到底在问什么Notes from the judging chair: the questions behind the questions at a science fair board — and the most powerful sentence a student can say to a judge.
Read the essayThe Long Way, Shown
把长路摊开Why a worked solution should never abbreviate the step a student most needs to see — and what "it can be shown that" costs the reader who doesn't already know.
Read the essayA Vault That Holds
能托住东西的知识库Seven principles for a personal knowledge system an educator can actually live in — few and stable beats many and clever, and the desk is not the archive.
Read the essayReading a Competition Like a Manuscript
把竞赛当稿件读Every serious contest has an argument underneath its rubric. Find it, and the rubric stops being a checklist and becomes a key — to what the committee actually wants to reward.
Read the essayNotes Toward an Olympiad Reader
一本题解书的诞生What it takes to typeset a solution volume that reads like prose, not an answer key — sort by idea, not by year, and never write "it can be shown."
Read the essay