Gaining a Competitive Edge: How Students Can Leverage Online USABO Prep Courses to Succeed

The USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) is one of the premier biology competitions for high schoolers in the U.S. Nearly 10,000-12,000 students take the extremely competitive Open Exam each year, and only the top ~10% advance to semifinals. From there, a smaller group reaches the national finals, and the very best get to join Team USA to represent us in the International Biology Olympiad.

Students today juggle academics, extracurriculars, and busy schedules. Parents of high-achieving students know this struggle all too well. Online prep helps to ease the burden by offering flexible live sessions, access to top instructors, and a supportive learning community. At Teach Success Academy, we have been training students for the USABO for over 15 years. We follow a carefully structured curriculum that starts from the basics and systematically covers a broad range of topics in the biological sciences including Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology Genetics and Bioinformatics. We focus on developing a clear understanding of the underlying science with highly personalized one on one or small group classes, coupled with exercises designed to help anchor the student’s understanding and develop familiarity with the material as well as the exam. This approach builds the student’s confidence in their knowledge and ability. Students have found that preparing for the USABO has also helped them score well in AP Biology and AP Chemistry.

Doing well in USABO isn’t just about winning the finals. Even being a semi-finalist strengthens applications to competitive colleges in the US. Equally important, the process of preparing for the USABO helps builds advanced reasoning skills that transfer well beyond biological sciences, that can set students up for success in their careers years down the line. In depth coverage of topics in the USABO also prepares interested students for high school research and other exciting STEM opportunities.