This is the true story of two high-school students. Let’s call them Jamie and Jackie. Both had GPAs approaching 4.0, SAT scores nearing 1600, excellent extracurriculars, and glowing recommendations. Both were aspiring engineers seeking admission to MIT, yet only Jamie won admission. Many observers would wonder why Jackie was turned down. But I prefer to view this from a different perspective: What set Jamie apart?
Jamie was a finalist at the National Chemistry Olympiad, ranking among the top 20 in the United States. He scored among the top 100 in the AMC Math competition and was a finalist in the AAPT Physics Olympiad. Being among the top 50 science scholars nationwide is a very conspicuous, quantifiable accomplishment—far rarer than stellar test scores and GPAs. Top schools like MIT and Caltech want future scientific leaders. Simply declaring your passion for science or engineering in your personal statement isn't enough. You have to show it.
Succeeding in science Olympiads is a way to do just that. There’s the MAA math competition, the AAPT Physics Olympiad, the ACS Chemistry Olympiad, and the IOL Linguistics Olympiad, among others. All are administered as tests and start regionally. Those who make the cutoff progress to the national level. The top 20 or so nationwide (the number is different for each competition) gather in a camp where they compete among themselves. The top five or so will represent the U.S. in the respective international Olympiad. Just like varsity athletes, academic athletes must train for years to perform well.