A college-level science project should aim to be relevant to both the experimenter and the judges. It is important for the experimenter to choose a topic that interests him or her because college-level science fair projects take a long time to research, prepare for and conduct. Experimenters will find the long hours spent on their projects much more rewarding if the hours are spent on a topic the experimenter has a strong passion for investigating. Search the world for things in need of improvement when trying to find subject matter for a college-level science fair experiment. Projects with obvious real-world application are more likely to seem relevant to judges than projects that have less apparent realistic purpose. Similarly, judges are looking for something new. They likely have attended many science fairs in the past, so experiments at the college level should be as creative as possible.
It is important to start with a well-defined objective. The more precise your objective is, the more precise your execution can be. Take detailed notes and exact measurements. Inconsistencies in experimentation, information or calculations are unacceptable at the college level. A change in one variable -- like temperature, time of day, setting or equipment used -- can render an experiment invalid and shows judges the experimenter paid poor attention to details when executing the experiment.
When thinking about presentation, it is important to be able to explain the application of your results and to draw valid conclusions from your data. Judges look for projects that combine solid experimental results with deep research to come to reliable conclusions. The conclusion of a college-level science experiment should be backed by strong and accurate evidence. The more times an experimenter tests her work, the more accurate the results should be.
Students should select science fair experiments that match their major -- and their passion -- but it might help to see examples of the complexity involved in any given topic. For instance, the Louisiana Region 5 Science & Engineering Fair stated that ideal science fair projects include calculating the depth of earthquakes taking place at a given mile level; determining whether taste mostly occurs on the palate or tongue as people age; and determining whether perceptual blindness is more prevalent in men or women and children or the elderly.