All high school students in Allegan, Kalamazoo and Van Buren Counties are eligible to participate in the Kalamazoo Local Section Scholarship Exam and the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) competition. The primary goals of the competitive exams are to stimulate interest and achievement in chemistry among high school students and to provide recognition of outstanding young chemistry students and teachers.
The top three scoring students on the scholarship exam will be selected to receive a Kalamazoo Section of the American Chemical Society scholarship. The local section exam will be administered by participating high school teachers in March, 2025.
The Kalamazoo Local Section will select 12 students from the scholarship exam, with a maximum of 2 students per home high school, to participate in the national USNCO exam. The national exam involves three parts and will be administered by the Kalamazoo ACS and Kalamazoo College faculty on the Kalamazoo College campus in April, 2025.
All students who participate in the local exam will be recognized with a certificate to include in their academic portfolio. Students who sit for the national level of the competition will receive an additional certificate and a commemorative lapel pin. Teachers will also be recognized for their support of these outstanding scholars.
All students must be registered with ACS to participate. Register by January 17, 2025 using this link: https://fs10.formsite.com/ACS_Outreach/2025USNCO/index
Students should designate their registration for the Kalamzoo Local Section under their home high school even if their chemistry instructor is elsewhere (KAMSC, for example).
Timeline
March 1 – 23, 2025, Kalamazoo Local Section Scholarship Exam
April 12, 2025, USNCO National Exam
To learn more about the USNCO competition, including access to past exams, visit https://www.acs.org/education/olympiad.html
Resources
The 2024 Kalamazoo Local Section Scholarship exam and answer key are available for practice.
Example and Past Competition Exams
2024 Competitive Scholarships in Chemistry Final Examination
2024 Competitive Scholarships in Chemistry Final Examination with Answers
Kalamazoo Local Section Contacts
Dr. Carol Guerrero Kalamazoo Local Section USNCO co-coordinator
Dr. Doug Williams Kalamazoo Local Section USNCO co-coordinator