What is SciOly?

If you are on this page, chances are you don’t know much about Science Olympiad but are interested in knowing more.

So, what is Science Olympiad? Science Olympiad is a team-based science competition where members partake in 23 events with focuses on engineering, laboratory, or pure scientific fields of study. There are 15 members per team who take on anywhere from 3-4 events each, which can be a mix or a more specific set depending on the member’s strengths and abilities. Partners for each event work together throughout the year, preparing for competition.

If you harbor a passion for the sciences, there are events for you. For more information, head to the Tryouts page.

Paly participates in the Division C (high school) competition at both the Regional and States level. Our two teams, Green and White, both attend the Regional competition, and, historically, our Green team has consistently placed in the top 2 and progressed to the NorCal State competition. If you are looking at the scioly.org wiki (which we highly recommend), make sure to click on Division C!

What is the difference between Green team and White team? Green team is akin to a Varsity level team; it is the more competitive team and the team that has advanced to States every year. Our White team is similar to a Junior Varsity team. Both teams work closely together throughout the year, collaborating on events.

Do note that Paly SciOly is highly competitive and a very large time investment. While the required hours of work per week is slightly lower for White team, it still is a hefty amount and non-negotiable. If you have a busy schedule that cannot account for weekend study meetings and additional time throughout the week, think wisely about trying out.

Hopefully this has not scared you away! We love to see anyone with an interest in science try out and view every member as a very important asset to the team. Paly SciOly would not be where it is today without its dedicated and hardworking members.