CS Competitions

Computer science and/or engineering has been one of the most sought-after college majors. At any given college or university, the computer science and/or engineering major is among the most selective. The selection process has become fiercely competitive, where students need to go to great lengths to demonstrate their passion and problem-solving skills in computing. 

 

Participating in coding competitions is becoming a must to stand out. And these competitions offer tremendous benefits beyond gaining college admissions. Students will not only flex their intellectual muscles in computing, but also have the opportunity to make a difference at a young age, as many computer science competitions are set to solve real world challenges. Many competitions require team participation, which will help students practice teamwork and collaborative problem solving as well as pursue leadership opportunities. Ultimately, all of these hard efforts will culminate into a strong college application. 

 

We shared our selection of the best computer science and engineering competitions in our blog, such as USACO (United States of America Computing Olympiad), IOI (International Olympiad in Informatics), ACSL (American Computer Science League), Microsoft Imagine Cup, Congressional App Challenge, CyberPatriot's National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, VEX Robotics, FIRST Robotics, just to name a few. Some of these competitions are geared towards students with advanced computing knowledge and skills; others welcome students of all backgrounds in computer science, including novices and elementary school students, with the goal to inspire more students to learn coding and computer science. 

 

While some high schools have teams and coaches that help students participate in these competitions, most schools are not equipped with sufficient resources and don’t provide much guidance. This is especially the case at the elementary and middle school level, where students who are interested in exploring coding are left to wonder on their own, or even worse, discouraged to learn. 

 

Our programming tutoring and classes in Python, Java, and C++ aim to fulfil this need. For beginners of all ages and grades, our teachers will help students explore fundamental concepts in programming as well as learn creative problem-solving techniques. Students will have the opportunity to put together everything they have learned by programming the classic board game Battleship. After taking this class, students won’t be afraid of coding and computer science anymore; rather, they will be in a position to embrace it and even pursue advanced study. Students who are interested in non-technical subdisciplines within computer science such as graphic design and web development should also take this class.

 

For students who have already had some coding experience, our class will deepen your understanding of conceptual knowledge and help you improve your coding skills. Students will work on problems from past USACO (United States of America Computing Olympiad) contests as well as other competitions in preparation to participate in various competitions in the future. In addition, our coach will also serve as the mentor or advisor to guide you in participation, as required by some competitions