Scioly.org

Magikarpmaster629 wrote:

sluelway1973 wrote:Ed W. Clark High School. We are really upping our game and we need a higher level of competition so we are planning on Golden Gate and MIT for next year.

Do they open a website with information beforehand?

Thanks again

I'd recommend against going to MIT. Looking at the top 11 teams at nationals this year, 5 did not go to MIT. The resources spent going to MIT could probably be spent going to two closer, slightly less competitive invitationals such as Rice, Troy, Mira Loma, and probably others I can't think of right now, or on materials for events. My team, Ladue, only went to one very noncompetitive invitational this year (Northland in Missouri) and placed 11th at nationals, so invitationals are by no means necessary to do well in the first place, let alone invitationals on the opposite side of the country.

MIT is still by far the most competitive invitational in the country, especially next year since Wright State will not be hosting a "pre-nationals" practice run.

nicholasmaurer wrote:

Magikarpmaster629 wrote:

sluelway1973 wrote:Ed W. Clark High School. We are really upping our game and we need a higher level of competition so we are planning on Golden Gate and MIT for next year.

Do they open a website with information beforehand?

Thanks again

I'd recommend against going to MIT. Looking at the top 11 teams at nationals this year, 5 did not go to MIT. The resources spent going to MIT could probably be spent going to two closer, slightly less competitive invitationals such as Rice, Troy, Mira Loma, and probably others I can't think of right now, or on materials for events. My team, Ladue, only went to one very noncompetitive invitational this year (Northland in Missouri) and placed 11th at nationals, so invitationals are by no means necessary to do well in the first place, let alone invitationals on the opposite side of the country.

MIT is still by far the most competitive invitational in the country, especially next year since Wright State will not be hosting a "pre-nationals" practice run.

MIT is, has always been, and probably will always be the best invitational in the country. I don't think Wright State will lose many teams from last year, though, since most of the teams that go there are from the Midwest anyway. All the top teams that went there last year probably will again.

MIScioly1 wrote:

nicholasmaurer wrote:

Magikarpmaster629 wrote: I'd recommend against going to MIT. Looking at the top 11 teams at nationals this year, 5 did not go to MIT. The resources spent going to MIT could probably be spent going to two closer, slightly less competitive invitationals such as Rice, Troy, Mira Loma, and probably others I can't think of right now, or on materials for events. My team, Ladue, only went to one very noncompetitive invitational this year (Northland in Missouri) and placed 11th at nationals, so invitationals are by no means necessary to do well in the first place, let alone invitationals on the opposite side of the country.

MIT is still by far the most competitive invitational in the country, especially next year since Wright State will not be hosting a "pre-nationals" practice run.

MIT is, has always been, and probably will always be the best invitational in the country. I don't think Wright State will lose many teams from last year, though, since most of the teams that go there are from the Midwest anyway. All the top teams that went there last year probably will again.

While I agree that MIT is currently far and away the most competitive, and probably equal with Golden Gate in quality, I wouldn't make any judgements as to "always". Several tournaments have rose and fell in popularity (relatively speaking) since the dawn of long-distance invitational travel.

So this isn't anything official (yet, at least) but I'd like to get the word out that the Five College Science Olympiad Invitational is in the early planning stage! The tournament will be hosted at UMass Amherst, and the date we're going for is January 27th or February 3rd. Considering the number of division C tournaments popping up in the region, we've decided to make this a division B only tournament, and we plan on having 20-30 teams attend.

If your team is interested in attending, please send me a PM.

Magikarpmaster629 wrote:So this isn't anything official (yet, at least) but I'd like to get the word out that the Five College Science Olympiad Invitational is in the early planning stage! The tournament will be hosted at UMass Amherst, and the date we're going for is January 27th or February 3rd. Considering the number of division C tournaments popping up in the region, we've decided to make this a division B only tournament, and we plan on having 20-30 teams attend.

If your team is interested in attending, please send me a PM.

You've got people involved from the other four as well? (or is it in preparation?)

Unome wrote:

MIScioly1 wrote:

nicholasmaurer wrote:
MIT is still by far the most competitive invitational in the country, especially next year since Wright State will not be hosting a "pre-nationals" practice run.

MIT is, has always been, and probably will always be the best invitational in the country. I don't think Wright State will lose many teams from last year, though, since most of the teams that go there are from the Midwest anyway. All the top teams that went there last year probably will again.

While I agree that MIT is currently far and away the most competitive, and probably equal with Golden Gate in quality, I wouldn't make any judgements as to "always". Several tournaments have rose and fell in popularity (relatively speaking) since the dawn of long-distance invitational travel.

I would disagree and say Golden Gate was superior in quality. The tests are reviewed EXTREMELY extensively by their test committee and nearly all if not all events are run by alumni. Golden Gate didnt quite have the nationals turnout that MIT did last year, but GG was new and I would expect that to level out after a year or two

windu34 wrote:

Unome wrote:

MIScioly1 wrote:
MIT is, has always been, and probably will always be the best invitational in the country. I don't think Wright State will lose many teams from last year, though, since most of the teams that go there are from the Midwest anyway. All the top teams that went there last year probably will again.

While I agree that MIT is currently far and away the most competitive, and probably equal with Golden Gate in quality, I wouldn't make any judgements as to "always". Several tournaments have rose and fell in popularity (relatively speaking) since the dawn of long-distance invitational travel.

I would disagree and say Golden Gate was superior in quality. The tests are reviewed EXTREMELY extensively by their test committee and nearly all if not all events are run by alumni. Golden Gate didnt quite have the nationals turnout that MIT did last year, but GG was new and I would expect that to level out after a year or two

I definitely second what windu says about GGSO. To me, it was at the very least on par with MIT in terms of quality, if not better. Competing at GGSO was an amazing experience

MIT is still much better in terms of the competitiveness of the teams going. However, this is something I don't think GGSO (or any other invitational) will be able to overtake anytime soon, as MIT is such an established tournament.

Honestly, the only other thing I think GGSO is worse at than MIT is the cost - travelling to the Bay Area is much more expensive. Simple things like water bottles are like $4 each while at a Costco in Texas I can get a pack of 40 for the same price. There's nothing GGSO can do about something like that though

Overall, GGSO was one of the best tournaments I've ever been to in terms of quality. I'd love to go back next year if we were allowed to

Adi1008 wrote:

windu34 wrote:

Unome wrote: While I agree that MIT is currently far and away the most competitive, and probably equal with Golden Gate in quality, I wouldn't make any judgements as to "always". Several tournaments have rose and fell in popularity (relatively speaking) since the dawn of long-distance invitational travel.

I would disagree and say Golden Gate was superior in quality. The tests are reviewed EXTREMELY extensively by their test committee and nearly all if not all events are run by alumni. Golden Gate didnt quite have the nationals turnout that MIT did last year, but GG was new and I would expect that to level out after a year or two

I definitely second what windu says about GGSO. To me, it was at the very least on par with MIT in terms of quality, if not better. Competing at GGSO was an amazing experience

MIT is still much better in terms of the competitiveness of the teams going. However, this is something I don't think GGSO (or any other invitational) will be able to overtake anytime soon, as MIT is such an established tournament.

Honestly, the only other thing I think GGSO is worse at than MIT is the cost - travelling to the Bay Area is much more expensive. Simple things like water bottles are like $4 each while at a Costco in Texas I can get a pack of 40 for the same price. There's nothing GGSO can do about something like that though

Overall, GGSO was one of the best tournaments I've ever been to in terms of quality. I'd love to go back next year if we were allowed to

Golden Gate would be my preferred second long-distance invitational except for cost. I did the calculation last summer: per person, MIT is ~$370 for us, Golden Gate is ~$700, Ohio invitationals are ~$300 (because the bus is cheaper than a plane).

I suspect windu's opinion of MIT is colored a bit by the events he did (e.g. Remote and Invasives, plus builds which I've heard weren't as well run as the tests at MIT).

Alright, so I contacted the Blue Dragon tournament director and it turns out he said our tournament dates don't conflict, although he didn't have his own date set yet. Cornell is already on a different date than the ones we've planned for. Are there any other invitationals (or I guess regionals too) that I should be aware of for potential NY and CT teams that might want to attend the Five College invitational?

Unome wrote:You've got people involved from the other four as well? (or is it in preparation?)

It's in preparation. I know there are a lot of really smart people at Amherst and Smith College (I don't know much about the other two), and there are bound to be Scioly alumni.