10 Olympiads that will help you enter a university without a competition

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You can take a place in the coveted lists even before the start of the admissions campaign.

In addition to successfully passing the exam and entrance examinations, there is another way to enter the dream university on a budget - to take a prize at the first level Olympiad. These Olympiads are the most ambitious, and the victory and prize-winning give preferences for admission and advantages - you can go to universities without entrance exams or get 100 USE points in a specialized subject.

You can enter a top university by becoming a prize-winner of the All-Russian Olympiad for schoolchildren or one of the olympiads from the list of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (they are called brown ones): "Conquer the Sparrow Hills!" ", Olympiads of St. Petersburg State University, MOS, VOOSH. Please note that the list is updated every year.

Olympiads are divided into levels depending on the number of participants, coverage and timing. The level is determined for each specific profile - and items of the first level give the maximum advantage upon admission.

Each university has its own benefits for winning and prizes - they are written about on the websites of admissions committees. If you have already chosen universities for admission, you should take part in their Olympiads. Even if you don’t become a prize-winner, participating in the competition will be a plus for your portfolio.

Dream university admission scheme

1. Select the university and faculty where you want to apply.
2. See what specialized subjects are needed for admission to the university of your choice, study the Olympiads that are counted there.
3. Register to participate in several Olympiads.
4. Explore olympiad assignments from past years.
5. Prioritize. Perhaps the preparation for the exam should be postponed and all forces should be thrown into the Olympiad.

6. Get support. Find a good tutor or olympiad training courses, tell your parents about your plans and move towards your goal!

   1. All-Russian Olympiad for schoolchildren (Vseros, VsOSh)

   or VOSH, is the oldest and most prestigious Olympiad for schoolchildren in Russia; it has been held since 1886 under the auspices of the Ministry of Education.

   Items

   The All-Union School is held in 24 subjects. The most popular are the Olympiads in Russian, mathematics, English, biology, literature and social studies.

   Stages

   The Olympiad is held in four stages: school, city, regional and all-Russian. The final stage is held annually in different cities, so to participate in the final, you will have to go to another region.

   Preparation

   Study assignments from past years, get your hands on other olympiads, look for specialized courses or take individual lessons. Some of them are led by the winners themselves or members of the jury of the Olympiads.

   The main thing that is required to participate in the All-Union School is consistency in preparation and the ability to stay away from extremes. You cannot devote a month or two to intensive preparation and then put the subject aside. Conversely, it is very bad to "burn out" preparing for the competition throughout the year. Both of these mistakes can be avoided by developing a detailed preparation plan for the year.

   Dmitry Balashov organizer of the "Highest Test" Olympiad and lecturer at the Department of Theory and History of Law at the Higher School of Economics

   Benefits in Winning

   Opportunity to enter any Russian university without exams. Another nice bonus: a victory in the All-School School does not need to be confirmed with 75 points for the Unified State Exam, in contrast to the brown olympiads. It remains to pass the basic mathematics and cross the threshold of points in the Russian language.

   2. "Conquer Sparrow Hills!"

   has been held by Moscow State University together with Moskovsky Komsomolets since 2005.

   First level subjects and specialties:

   • literature;
   • foreign language;
   • maths;
   • physics;
   • journalism;
   • biology;
   • Social Studies.

   Stages

   There are two of them - qualifying and final. The selection round is in absentia - it is conducted in an online format, and the final stage takes place at Moscow State University and the regions for those who cannot come to the capital: in Kemerovo, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Saratov or Stavropol. The organizers pay for travel and accommodation for those who need to get to the regional sites, and the date, place and time of the final stage are communicated to the participants individually.

   Preparation

   Check out the Olympiads and see the assignments from past years.

   Tasks are given in a playful way, but at the same time they are of an increased level of complexity, you have to think carefully. First of all, "Conquer the Sparrow Hills!" is intended for children from the regions to identify talents among them.

   Svetlana Shleitere Ph. D. Sci., Associate Professor of the Department of History of Russian Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov

   Benefits in Winning

   Ticket to Moscow State University, Higher School of Economics, Moscow State Medical University. I. M. Sechenov and other top universities, but it will have to be confirmed with 75 points for the Unified State Exam in a specialized subject. For more information, see the websites of universities.

   3. "Lomonosov"

   The Olympiad "" has been held since 2005. It seeks to bring out the creativity of schoolchildren and increase their interest in research activities.

   First level subjects and specialties:

   • biology;
   • chemistry;
   • geography;
   • foreign language;
   • computer science;
   • history;
   • history of the Russian state;
   • international relations and global studies;
   • literature;
   • maths;
   • Social Studies;
   • philosophy;
   • psychology;
   • Russian language;
   • journalism;
   • right;
   • jurisprudence.

   Stages

   Correspondence and full-time. For example, this is how the stages of the Olympiad in social studies look like:

   In the correspondence part, you need to write an essay on the proposed topic. In person, a situation or a quote is given that must be analyzed in order to then express your point of view. For an additional entrance test in social studies, Olympiads in law, philosophy, economics are also counted, you can take part in them.

   Svetlana Shleitere

   Preparation

   Listen to the Olympiad website, study it, look into the unofficial VKontakte social network.

   Benefits in Winning

   Benefits for admission to Moscow State University, MGIMO, PRUE. G. V. Plekhanov, Moscow State Medical University I. M. Sechenova, Higher School of Economics. Universities have different rules for granting benefits, check them out on the universities' websites.

   The main thing that is taken into account when checking is non-standard thinking, the ability to prove, give arguments, knowledge of both scientific and artistic language. Creativity is important. There is no life hack for preparation, I advise you to read a lot and improve your erudition.

   Svetlana Shleitere

   4. "Phystech"

   The Olympiad "" has been held by the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology for over 30 years.

   Level 1 item

   He is only one - physics.

   Stages

   The selection round is held online, the final round is offline. At the same time, the Moscow Physics and Mathematics Olympiad of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the LETI qualifying round, the MIPT Away Physics and Mathematics Olympiad, the Phystech. International online stage, and the MIET Physics and Mathematics Olympiad are also counted as the qualifying round.

   Preparation

   The Olympiad is similar to a difficult exam in physics. It can be said that while preparing for the Unified State Exam, you are preparing for Phystech, and vice versa.

   Benefits in Winning

   The opportunity to enroll without additional tests at the Higher School of Economics, Moscow State Medical University. I. M. Sechenov and MIPT. To enter the Phystech School of Biological and Medical Physics (FBMF), you need to confirm your results with high scores for the Unified State Exam. You will only have an interview, but it will be purely formal - it is likely that you will be congratulated on your admission and released. For those with marginal results, the interview will give a chance to prove themselves: answer the questions, and then you can receive grant support for training.

   5. Rosatom

   conducted by NRNU MEPhI together with the Rosatom corporation. It is slightly less complicated than Phystech and is intended for schoolchildren aiming at engineering and technical specialties.

   Level 1 item

   Physics.

   Stages

   The qualifying stage is held in person for residents of Moscow. For schoolchildren from the regions - online or offline at special sites. The final stage is full-time for everyone.

   In my opinion, it is at Phystech and Rosatom that the most adequate and balanced tasks from year to year. They correspond to the school curriculum, so a developed and motivated student can cope with them. As practice shows, those guys who study hard receive diplomas in these Olympiads.

   Mikhail Penkin is the author of Olympiad problems and lecturer at the Department of General Physics of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

   Preparation

   The website of the Olympiad is there for preparation, you can also familiarize yourself with past years.

   Benefits in Winning

   Preferential admission to MEPhI, MGMU im. IM Sechenov, HSE and other universities with specialized physics.

   6. "Highest test"

   which has become an all-Russian one since 2019, is being held by the HSE. "The highest test" is at the top of the university ranking in terms of the number of winners and prize-winners of the Olympiads admitted to the university - about a thousand successful participants in the Olympiad annually.

   First level subjects and specialties:

   • maths;
   • computer science;
   • foreign language;
   • history;
   • philology;
   • philosophy;
   • Social Studies;
   • political science;
   • sociology;
   • philosophy;
   • right;
   • Russian language;
   • economy;
   • design;
   • journalism;
   • cultural studies;
   • political science;
   • sociology.

   Stages

   Distance qualifying and full-time final. The selection round is held online in a test format for everyone except designers - their portfolio uploaded to the personal account on the Olympiad website is evaluated. The final round is conducted in person - you need to go to one of the regional sites. Usually about 20% of the participants make it to the final stage.

   Preparation

   At the Olympiads, you can familiarize yourself with the topics for each profile, as well as receive demo assignments and see the work of prize-winners and winners of previous years.

   Benefits in Winning

   Admission to the Higher School of Economics, PRUE G. V. Plekhanov, Moscow State Medical University IM Sechenov and other universities, bypassing the general competition. To confirm, you will need to pass the profile exam for at least 75 points. On a pleasant note, upon admission to the HSE, all participants of the "Highest Standard" will receive a bonus in the form of additional points to their portfolio, and the winners and awardees have a chance to win a presidential grant.

   There are only two first-level brown olympiads in the Russian language - "Highest test" and "Lomonosov". There is also Russian at the All-Union School of Education. I advise you to participate in all three Olympiads in order to increase your chances and develop your erudition.

   Nikita Zmanovsky is a teacher of courses for preparation for olympiads in the Russian language and two-time winner of the All-Union School of Education

   7. SPbSU Olympiad

   Annually, about 400 students are admitted to St. Petersburg State University on benefits.

   First level subjects and specialties:

   • biology;
   • chemistry;
   • physics;
   • geography;
   • foreign language;
   • maths;
   • computer science;
   • history;
   • sociology;
   • philology;
   • journalism;
   • Social Studies;
   • sociology;
   • right;
   • medicine.

   Stages

   Online qualifying round and final at St. Petersburg State University or at venues in Moscow, Kaliningrad, Novorossiysk, Rostov-on-Don and other cities.

   Preparation

   To win, you will need a wide range of knowledge - the level of complexity is high, subject Olympiads cover many topics and areas.

   In the social network "VKontakte" lectures are posted by the teachers of St. Petersburg State University, in which they talk about their Olympiads. Check out past years. It can also be interesting to examine last year's winners and runners-up.

   Benefits in Winning

   Preferential admission to St. Petersburg State University, Moscow State Medical University. I. M. Sechenov, Higher School of Economics and other universities.

   8. Moscow Olympiad for Schoolchildren (MOS)

   Despite the name, this is for schoolchildren from all over Russia. Tasks are drawn up on the basis of the school curriculum, but are submitted in a non-standard format, which is why the MOS refers to difficult Olympiads.

   First level subjects and specialties:

   • history;
   • art history;
   • maths;
   • computer science;
   • physics;
   • chemistry;
   • linguistics;
   • astronomy;
   • geography.

   Stages

   The selection round is most often conducted online. The final is held in person in Moscow.

   Preparation

   To practice, assignments are available on the MOS website.

   Benefits in Winning

   Like prizes in other peer-to-peer olympiads, a victory in the MOS gives preferences for admission to prestigious universities, such as Moscow State Medical University. I. M. Sechenov, Higher School of Economics, Moscow State University. Victory must be confirmed with 75 USE points in a specialized subject.

   9. All-Siberian Open Olympiad for Schoolchildren (VOOSH)

   A good option for those who want to take computer science or chemistry. If these profiles on Vseros and MOS are rather complicated, then on this one it will be a little easier for schoolchildren.

   First level subjects and specialties:

   • computer science;
   • chemistry.

   Stages

   Qualifying online and final offline.

   Preparation

   On the site you can study the winners and prize-winners of the Olympiad of past years.

   Benefits in Winning

   The VOOS winners have no less privileges than the winners of more complex and large Olympiads. You can enter without competition at Moscow State University, HSE, RANEPA, PRUE. G. V. Plekhanov, Moscow State Medical University IM Sechenov, MISiS and other universities - check the university websites.

   10. "Nanotechnology - a breakthrough into the future!"

   It is a combination of chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology in one.

   Level 1 item

   Nanotechnology.

   Stages

   As elsewhere, there are two rounds: extramural and final full-time, which takes place on the territory of Moscow State University. In addition to the points received during the correspondence stage at the Olympiad itself, additional points can be collected to pass the intramural round. For this it is necessary to take part in and in the competition of design works "Brilliant Thoughts".

   Preparation

   You can familiarize yourself with assignments and study theoretical ones.

   Benefits in Winning

   Preferential admission to universities with profiles in chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology - Moscow State Medical University named after I. M. Sechenov, Higher School of Economics and others.

   Peer-to-peer Olympiads and All-Russia are the right path to the best universities. Do not be afraid of them.

   If you are well versed in the subject, then it will not take a lot of time to level up for the Olympiad. Usually a list Olympiad is like a difficult test. Not something entirely outside the school curriculum.

   Boris Trushin Ph. D. D., member of the jury of the All-Russian Olympiad for schoolchildren in mathematics

   Solve the problems of the past, participate in olympiads of different levels to get used to and stop being afraid of them. Do not be upset in case of defeat, believe in yourself and go to the end. You can't guess in advance which Olympiad will be your ticket to the university of your dreams.