Competitive programming is an intellectual sport where participants compete individually or in teams to solve algorithmic problems within a specified time frame. Solving these problems often require a combination of mathematics, computer science and logic.
Why Study Competitive Programming?
Fun and Engaging Learning
Competitive programming offers a unique way of learning computer science that is focused around solving small puzzle-like problems rather than traditional classroom methods. Competing with other students from around the globe and seeing one’s own progress gives a sense of accomplishment and makes the learning process more exciting.
Strong foundation in fundamentals
Competitive programming helps students develop a strong foundation in algorithmic thinking. It encourages them to delve deeper into data structures, algorithms, logic, and problem-solving techniques. These skills are not only vital for excelling in programming competitions but also form the core of computer science education.
Time Management and Focus
Competitive programming requires discipline and effective time management. The time-bound nature of contests teaches students to concentrate and think critically under pressure, skills that are transferable to various aspects of their academic and personal lives.
College admissions advantage
Competitive programming experience can set middle and high school students apart during college admissions. Many prestigious universities value applicants with a proven track record in problem-solving and critical thinking. For example, more than 90% of International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) finalists from the US get into top universities (specifically, 2017-2021 finalists primarily go to MIT, Yale, Harvard, Stanford).
Path to Internships and Tech Jobs
Many of the tech companies use similar style of questions during technical interviews for software engineer positions. E.g. Interview Prep questions by Google often resemble problems encountered in competitive programming.
Some companies even host their own programming competitions to recruit promising students for internships or full-time positions, e.g. Meta Hacker Cup. This is how I got the internship and moved to the US 🙂
Are there any competitions for middle and high school students?
Yes, lots of them! The major ones are USA Computing Olympiad (usaco.org) and American Computer Science League (acsl.org) but there are some local competitions like Stanford ProCo (https://www.stanfordacm.org/proco) and Berkeley Programming Contest (calico.cs.berkeley.edu).