Here is the most important part of the Fair: the interviews. Each judge in each panel speaks individually with each student. The display of your competitor may be flashier, or their topic may be closer to the cutting edge of science, but the interview is where judges truly find out what you have personally accomplished. Everyone has the same chance.
Above, Oji Oji (1995: S1117) speaks with Paul Williamson of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
California State Science Fair / Two Days of the Fair: Judging / CalifSF@usc.edu