<p>^What??? Combinatorics and number theory are offered as high school classes these days? I highly doubt that’s true at the average or above average school. Also, speaking from experience about higher level AIME problems, knowledge of parts of complex analysis is required. The truth is, the math you learn in school by itself will not get you to the USAMO. I agree that you don’t need to know calculus but it definitely does help when using Lagrange multipliers instead of AM-GM to solve problems (and I believe one person on our IMO team did try to use it to solve a problem), and this technique is able to be used at the lower levels of competition as well. Also, I’m sure the vast majority of the people qualifying for AIME and above are aware of what is commonly known as “shoelace theorem”, but very few know that is derived from line integrals and application of Greens theorem. </p>
<p>From experience, it’s better to just self-study Campbell eighth edition thoroughly and expand on that with A+P and plant biology. Courses have their own pace, while just studying the textbook yourself at home allows you to do the same thing much more quickly. </p>
<p>Regarding the comment about USNCO–same thing; studying ochem without a course guarantees you the knowledge without the superfluous facts that you’ll need.</p>
<p>The majority of people do not have the dedication and perseverance to successfully get through a course like organic Chem by themselves . If the OP can manage himself to study appropriately to master the material, then , of course, he would not need to take a course </p>
<p>I think that I can adequately get through Campbell’s several times and be fine. However, I think that taking the class would be able to supplement the material in Campbells and expand on it. Also I would enjoy doing this.</p>
<p>A simple google search will get you some of the USABO exams: I believe that either 2004 or 2006 is readily available on-line and will be a good place to start.</p>
<p>For other exams, you’ll probably have ask around and trade to get them all. There’s quite a market for USABO tests.</p>
<p>The USABO website says which edition they are currently using. My daughter just got hers on Amazon. It is not cheap… you could look for a used version out there, though. Campbells is a hefty book. She did not purchase the supplemental books discussed on the USABO website yet (will probably look into purchasing them midway through the summer after she has spent more time with Campbells).</p>
<p>@intparent
I appreciate your comment. I will look on the website to get the edition they are currently using. Do you know how much the book is and if I can buy it cheaper at borders or another book store?</p>
<p>Sorry, I don’t know. Amazon will compare across a lot of their vendors for you, though, including used copies. Just be sure to buy from a vendor who has a reasonable number of sales and good scores from purchasers (easy to tell as you look at each vendor). You could search other bookstore sites, too, I guess.</p>
<p>The most recent edition technically has the most recent information, but I think it will be worth the money if you downgrade an edition or two to save the extra money for whatever classes you want to take.</p>
<p>Can some of the veteran USABOers give the newbies some advice? What’s on the test? Is it extremely in depth? How much physiology and chem is on the test? Any thoughts?</p>
<p>There’s a relatively high amount of biochemistry on the test, relating to molecular and cell biology. I was surprised as to how many questions dealt with random facts that I didn’t expect to know, but somehow did. Some questions are really contrived, however, and one of them was a pH question for this year on the run-off exam, which lots of people over-thought and got wrong. </p>
<p>If you know the Campbells book, you should be all set for the run-off exam. Once you get to semi-finals, the killer part are the labs, so ask your bio teacher if she can set up <em>legit</em> labs, and let you do them </p>
<p>Also, if you make it to the semi-final, make sure you study from the Raven’s book, because it goes into much more depth and becomes necessary.</p>
<p>hey can a student take a USABO at another school that offers it if his or her own school doesnt do so? i dont want to deal with the inefficiency of my school administration in having to set up a USABO exam (of which I will be the only one taking it)</p>
<p>Are there any specific books other than Campbells, raven that would help for studying for the semifinal exam?( a biochem book?) I look at the open exam, and that looks feasible but when I see the semifinal exam (at least the pracitce example ones) sometimes I get confused. Can you elaborate please? Thank you</p>