Linguistics Olympiad

Lately I’ve been researching the North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO), but I don’t quite understand how it works. I know there’s an open round, followed by an invitational round. Is the competition for individuals or groups? Do I need a teacher/advisor if I want to participate?

Also, if anyone on here has been in it before, how was the experience? I’m interested in computational linguistics, but I don’t think I will major in or work in a related field. Would it still be worth it, in your opinion?