2025 YHSA USA Regional Oral Final

The oral round competition shall take place on November 15-16 at the Department of Mathematics at Columbia University. You can find the schedule for each subject below, and there are additional details and updates at https://www.yau-science-awards.org/bulletin/bulltin_list-bulltin_show-BULLTIN_Category.html

In addition, everyone (students, guests, etc.) who enters the Columbia campus must have an official ID and make preparations ahead of time to enter campus. Please fill out this form by November 5 so that the YHSA staff may assist you in preparing to enter campus. (Details are below.)

1. Entering the Columbia Campus. Visitors to the Columbia campus must make preparations beforehand to enter campus.  This includes students and their guests, and these preparations are needed for attending the sessions in the Mathematics Building and the banquet at the Faculty House. The process is slightly different for minors (under 18) and adults. 
        a). Adults will be provided with two QR codes, one for each day of November 15 and 16.  Each QR code is good for multiple entries each day.
        b). Minors will not receive any QR codes but will put on a list to be checked at the gate.  
        c). In either case, each visitor must have a government ID (for adults) or school ID (for minors).  Each student should fill out this form by November 5 for the YHSA staff to assist in the process, and WITH THE NAME SPELLED EXACTLY THE SAME AS ON THE ID CARD.

All participants should enter the Columbia campus via the gate at 116th St and Broadway.

2. Registration. An oral round contestant in each subject should show up and register in Mathematics Room 312, at least 1 hour before their oral session starts. They must bring their photo ID such as a passport or a driver's license at the time of registration. A contestant without a valid photo ID, or who shows up late for the event, may be disqualified from the oral round. A contestant must bring a thumb drive with their presentation slides on it, at the time of their registration. The slides will be pre-loaded to the oral exam room’s desktop computer by YHSA staffers.

3. Schedule of Oral Sessions.
        a). Nov. 15 at 1 pm: Computer Science and Chemistry (Mathematics Building)
        b). Nov. 16 at 9 am: Economics and Mathematics (Mathematics Building)
        c). Nov. 16 at 1 pm: Biology and Physics (Mathematics Building)
        d). Nov. 16 at 5-8 pm: Award Ceremony and Banquet (Faculty House)

4. Exam Format. Before an oral session starts, all registered contestants of that session will be asked to wait in a designated room. Members of different contestant groups should not communicate with each other in any way while waiting there. Each group will be called to their exam room when it is their turn to present. Each group will have 12 minutes to present their work using their prepared slides, followed by up to 8 minutes of Q&A. Contestants are advised to bring with them the thumb-drive with their slides, in case it is needed for re-uploading. Contestants shall leave the Mathematics Building right after their oral presentations are over.

5. Awards Banquet. Results of the oral round will be announced at the Sunday award banquet from 5-8 pm at the Columbia Faculty House. In honor of the YHSA winning contestants, an award certificate will be given to them when their name is being announced at the podium. Photos will be taken by YHSA staffers. For logistical convenience, a mock certificate may be used during the award ceremony, in which case the real one with appropriate name on it will be mailed to the contestant later. All registered oral round contestants are invited (free of charge) to attend the award banquet. A contestant who wishes to attend the banquet shall inform YHSA staffers at the time of their registration, by giving us their name and a contact phone number.

6. Other Attendees. If a parent/guardian of a contestant wishes to attend the award banquet, they must inform us at the time of registration, by giving us at the registration desk their name and a contact phone number. All attendees need a QR code to enter the Columbia campus, as above. The cost for each banquet attendee is $100 (cash only please) payable at the time of registration. By NY state law, a staffer is required to ID card check a person before serving them alcoholic drinks.