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The Alpha Alpha Team represented the United States in the 2008 International Chemistry Olympiad competition. The Chemistry Olympiad is a multi-tiered competition designed to stimulate and promote achievement in high school chemistry. The local and U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad competitions are sponsored by the American Chemical Society. Each year, four students are chosen to represent the United States team at the International Chemistry Olympiad competition. The Chemistry Olympiad consists of the following four stages: 1. 1. 1. 1. Local Chemistry Olympiad Competitions U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Competition Study Camp International Chemistry Olympiad
Rules
Local Chemistry Olympiad competitions are open to all high school students. You must be a U.S. citizen to participate in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad competition.
Goals of the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad are set by a subcommittee of the Society Committee on Education. The Chemistry Olympiad program aims to:
Stimulate all young people to achieve excellence in chemistry Recognize outstanding chemistry students and, in doing so, encourage additional learning at a formative time in their intellectual development Recognize the excellent achievement of teachers and the importance of the school environment Provide contact between ACS local sections and area schools, and foster interest among professional chemists in teaching chemistry Challenge the chemical knowledge and skills of young students in an international arena Foster cross-cultural experiences and acquaint students with similarities and differences between themselves and their counterparts from other nations
Sponsors
Since 1984, the ACS Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Chemistry Olympiad Endowment has been the primary sponsor of the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad, with additional support from the:
U.S. Air Force Academy Advanced Chemistry Development Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers Carolina Biological Supply Company Cengage Learning Fisher Scientific Flinn Scientific McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Merck Publishing Group Pearson Prentice Hall Sigma-Aldrich Group
Contact Us
For more information or if you have questions, please email the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad national office at usnco@acs.org or call 202-872-6328 (toll free 800-227-5558 ext. 6328).
How to Participate
To register your school (teachers) or home-schooled student (parents), contact the coordinator of your ACS Local Section. If your school will not be registering for the competition, a parent or guardian can contact the coordinator of your ACS Local Section directly. A list of coordinators and associated local sections will be available soon. If your ACS local section is not participating in the Olympiad, email the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Office.
The Olympiad Coordinators page contains detailed information, including the competition schedule and handbook
The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Local Examination is available (for a fee) through the ACS Division of Chemical Education Examinations Institute. To request an order form, contact Cecilia Hernandez at (800) 227-5558 ext. 6169 or email the national office at usnco@acs.org Be sure to provide additional questions to use as tie-breakers in the event that several students have the same score
Recognizing Participants
Local sections often recognize top students with monetary or other awards. If you are thinking about recognizing students and volunteers, consider:
Awarding framed certificates or plaques to students and teachers *Request recognition certificates (free) Providing monetary scholarships/awards Presenting the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics to students Inviting students, parents, and teachers to a local section awards banquet Purchasing National Chemistry Week t-shirts for students
Eligibility
You must be a U.S. citizen to compete in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad. Green card holders are not eligible to take the exam. Students who received credit for one year of college-level chemistry are also eligible to compete. Students who participated in a past Olympiad study camp are automatically eligible to take the national exam and do not have to take a local exam. If you won a gold medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad, you are not eligible to participate again in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad.
National Examination
Exams for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Competition will be administered April 23-27, 2009. Nearly 1,000 students are expected to participate. The three-part, 4.5-hour exam consists of the following (may be administered in any order): Part I
Part II Multiple Choice 90-minutes 60 multiple choice questions Covers broad chemistry topics
Free Response 105 minutes 8 written questions Multi-step problems requiring in depth knowledge of chemical theories and models
Results
Students will only receive the performance ranking on Part I (multiple choice) of the exam. ACS does not distribute individual scores.
Review past exams to prepare for the competition. Study guides are also available through the ACS Division of Chemical Education Examinations Institute.
The Olympiad Coordinators page contains detailed information, including the competition schedule and handbook The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Local Examination is available (for a fee) through the ACS Division of Chemical Education Examinations Institute (Aimes, IA). To request an order form, call (800) 227-5558 ext. 6169 or email us. Be sure to provide additional questions to use as tie-breakers in the event that several students have the same score
41st International Chemistry Olympiad (Cambridge, UK) International Chemistry Olympiad Information Center
U.S. Involvement
The Alpha Alpha Team represented the United States in the 2008 International Chemistry Olympiad competition. The United States is routinely a strong competitor at the International Chemistry Olympiad. During the past several years, the team won three silver medals and one bronze. In 2002, the four members of the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad team brought home two gold medals, one silver, and a bronze metal. In 1999 and 2000, a member of the American team won the top gold medal. U.S. teams are selected from 20 students with top scores on the national exam. The students attend a comprehensive two-week study camp each June at the U.S. Air Force Academy and based on performance, four students are chosen to represent the United States at the International Chemistry Olympiad. Two mentors accompany the international competitors, translate the language and arbitrate the scoring of the exams. In addition to the competition, students and mentors have opportunities to interact with one another and to experience the host countrys culture through planned educational and social events.
Learn more about the U.S. National Competition See Past U.S. Teams
Competition Process
Top 20 Finalists (2009)
The nations top U.S. chemistry students 18 boys and 2 girls will participate in an intensive study camp this June for a chance to represent the United States at the International Chemistry Olympiad in Cambridge, England, July 18-27, 2009. Meet the top 20 U.S. finalists The Chemistry Olympiad consists of four stages: 1. Local Competitions The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad begins in the spring when ACS Local Sections administer local exams and choose nominees for the national competition. 1. National Competition Approximately 1,000 students sit for the 3-part national exam. No more than two students from any given school can compete in the national competition. The 20 top-scoring students are chosen to attend a study camp where they will try to win a spot on the U.S. team. 1. Study Camp The selected 20 students spend two weeks at study camp to demonstrate their ability. Based on performance, four students are chosen to represent the United States at the International Chemistry Olympiad. 1. International Chemistry Olympiad About 60 nations around the world send a team of four students to test their chemistry knowledge and skills. The 41st International Chemistry Olympiad will be held July 18-27, 2009, in Cambridge, England.
The following rules and information apply to the National Chemistry Olympiad Competition only. See local competitions for information on local exams.
Rules
1. You MUST BE A U.S. CITIZEN to take the U.S. national examination. Green card holders are not eligible. 1. High school students who will graduate no earlier than spring 2009 are eligible. 1. A student's date of birth must fall after July 31, 1989 1. No more than two students per teacher or per high school may be nominated to take the national exam. In the case of magnet programs or split enrollment, a students school is defined as the high school where the student takes science class. 1. Eligible students who have previously attended the study camp automatically qualify for the national exam and do not count against the limit on the number of eligible students from their local section or school. 1. Winners of gold medals at the International Chemistry Olympiad are not eligible to participate in subsequent International Chemistry Olympiad competitions or study camps. 1. Students who have taken advanced placement courses in chemistry are eligible. Likewise, students who have received credit for college level courses (limited to no more than two semesters or three quarters beyond general chemistry) are eligible. 1. A student may participate only in the competition of the section in which the student's high school is located. If the section is not participating, the USNCO national office will assign the student to a section. 1. A student who participates in the Physics Olympiad study camp, the Mathematics Olympiad study camp, or the Biology Olympiad study camp is not eligible to participate in the Chemistry Olympiad study camp during the same summer. * These rules apply to students taking the USNCO national examination. Local sections are encouraged to develop their own procedures for identifying outstanding students at the local level and choosing national examination candidates. The sections are reminded, however, that all students who take the national exam must meet the qualifications outlined above.
Insurance
The American Chemical Society provides an excess insurance coverage during the national examination activities. To ensure proper coverage, the national office must submit a list of all lab practical sites to the insurance company. As a participant, you must submit this information in early March.
Part II Multiple Choice 90-minutes 60 multiple choice questions Covers broad chemistry topics
Free Response 105 minutes 8 written questions Multi-step problems requiring in depth knowledge of chemical theories and models