USA BIO OLYMPIAD AND INTERNATIONAL BIO OLYMPIAD

USABO is part of the major US high-school-level Olympiads. Other US Olympiads include USAMO (USA Math Olympiad), USAPhO (USA Physics Olympiad), USNCO (US National Chemistry Olympiad), and USACO (USA Computing Olympiad), and more

Each USAXO (this is the shorthand for all the major olympiads as they mainly differ in one letter depending on what subject they are) competition's job is to select Team USA to compete at the international olympiad counterpart. USABO is responsible for choosing Team USA for the IBO (International Bio Olympiad). Similarly, USNCO chooses Team USA for ICO (Chemistry) and USAPhO chooses Team USA for IPO (Physics).

Each USAXO has its own way of qualifying. For USABO there are three stages of testing before you can have the honor of being a Team USA member (a very very prestigious achievement that will practically guarantee you admission into top STEM schools like MIT and other Ivy League Schools).

Usually around over 10,000 students register for the Open Exam. The top 500 of the Open exam students move to the Semifinals stage. From there, 20 students are chosen to go to a 2-week-long intense training "summer camp" at the end of which they take a theoretical exam and a practical (meaning actual lab techniques etc) to compete for one of the four coveted spots on Team USA. The four chosen Team USA members will then fly internationally to compete in the IBO. Past international IBO host countries include Hungary, UK, Iran, Vietnam, etc.

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Our club aims to not only prepare passionate students for this prestigious competition in a fun way, but to interest them in the field of biology for future careers or pathways as well.