Our Science Olympiad Programs are designed to improve the quality of science education (Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and General Science) students receive — building upon and extending what they learn at school.

Our approach aims to increase student interest in science and provide recognition for outstanding achievement by participating in regional, national, and international contests.

We integrate AP class contents into our basic Olympiad curriculum so that our students preparing for Olympiad contests can also achieve excellent results on their high school AP exams.

Our in-class teaching and activities accomplish these goals, including research, training workshops, and encouraging school, district, regional, state, and national tournaments.

Physics Olympiad

This program is strongly recommended for anyone interested in pursuing research in physics, electrical engineering, or a career in other engineering fields.

USA Physics Olympiad Team Selection Process

1. American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) recruits, selects, and trains teams yearly to compete in the International Physics Olympiad Competition.

2. This selection process begins in early January when high schools register their students to participate in the F=ma exam. Each year approximately 400 top scorers on this first test advance to the semi-final round of competition.

3. A second test (semi-final), student transcripts, and letters of recommendation are used to select the 24 members of the U.S. Physics Team. These students, from schools all over the United States, travel to the University of Maryland-College Park at the end of May for the annual U.S. Physics Team Training Camp. They engage in nine days of intense studying, testing, and problem-solving.

4. At the end of that training camp, five students will be selected for the “Traveling Team.” The Traveling Team will return for three additional days of intense laboratory work before they are ready for the International Event.

Biology Olympiad

This program is strongly recommended for anyone interested in pursuing biological and medical science research or a career in medicine.

Biology Olympiad Selection Process

1. Open Exam is a 50-minutes, multiple-choice exam available to any high school biology student (grades 9 to 12). The exam is structured like the multiple-choice portion of the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) Theoretical Exam.

2. Semifinal Exam is a 2-hour exam containing three parts. Part A is a multiple-choice, single-answer exam; Part B is a more complex, sequenced multiple-choice exam; and part C is a free-response exam on all areas of biology. The top 20 scorers form the U.S. Biology Team.

3. USA Biology Olympiad National Finals: The USA Biology National Finalists will participate in the 12-day, all-expense-paid U.S. Biology Team Training Camp to form Team USA.

Chemistry Olympiad

This program is strongly recommended for anyone interested in pursuing college studies in chemistry, pre-med, health, and advanced study in biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and medicine.

Chemistry Olympiad Selection Process

1. Local Chemistry Olympiad Competitions

The local competition is open to all high school students. ACS Local Sections administer exams and choose nominees for the national competition.

2. U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Competition

The national competition involves a 3-part exam administered to approximately 1,000 students. The 20 top-scoring students are chosen to attend a study camp to advance to the International Chemistry Olympiad.

3. Study Camp

The nation’s top 20 students from the national competition spend two weeks at a study camp to demonstrate their abilities. Based on performance, four students are chosen to represent the United States at the International Chemistry Olympiad.

4. International Chemistry Olympiad

The International Chemistry Olympiad is an annual competition for the world’s most talented chemistry students at the secondary school level. Nations worldwide send a team of four students to test their chemistry knowledge and skills in a five-hour laboratory practical and written theoretical examination.

We provide after-school and weekend elementary, middle, and high school academic enrichment programs for
gifted students and students who love challenging subjects. Our programs help students compete successfully in regional and national contests.