Will/Did you make it to nationals?

[Frogger4907]

No confirmed second bid for Minnesota...

No second bid for Kansas ever... gonna be a blood battle for that spot

[Kokonilly]

We're the biggest state without a second bid. *sigh*

[JKrafsur]

We're the biggest state without a second bid. *sigh*

Ya I know what you mean. we are one of the big states without a second bid.

[paleonaps]

We're the biggest state without a second bid. *sigh*

Second bid meaning...second team at Nationals?

[personasaurus rex]

how does that work exactly? Who gets the second spots and who doesn't?

[prelude to death]

We're the biggest state without a second bid. *sigh*

Well, Koko, look at it this way: California sends two teams each year. One from SoCal and one from NorCal. (We have two separate competitions with a sort of line/border that separates which competition you belong to. I am from SoCal. Even if (and notice that I said IF) my team places 2nd in the SoCal tournament and even better than the NorCal first placers, my team will still be unable to attend Nationals unless the first place team from SoCal decides not to attend. Yes, this is true. And it sucks a lot for the runner-ups in both NorCal and SoCal.

[personasaurus rex]

We're the biggest state without a second bid. *sigh*

Well, Koko, look at it this way: California sends two teams each year. One from SoCal and one from NorCal. (We have two separate competitions with a sort of line/border that separates which competition you belong to. I am from SoCal. Even if (and notice that I said IF) my team places 2nd in the SoCal tournament and even better than the NorCal first placers, my team will still be unable to attend Nationals unless the first place team from SoCal decides not to attend. Yes, this is true. And it sucks a lot for the runner-ups in both NorCal and SoCal.

that's the situation with every runner-up team. Trust me I know how much it sucks...

[3slh9]

how does that work exactly? Who gets the second spots and who doesn't?

Since there are always 60 teams at nationals, the ten states with the highest percentage of participating schools in each division get a second team. Any additional second bids after that are determined by states who either don't have their own state tournament or smaller states who decide not to send a team to nationals. This creates the sometimes 12 - 14 states that have second bids and those additional openings go to the next states in line with the highest percentage of participation out of all their high schools.

[aubrey048]

I guess no one here is a supporter of the "All-Star Team" idea, then?

I AM! *raises hand for all underrepresented Science Olympians and their states*

[paleonaps]

I guess no one here is a supporter of the "All-Star Team" idea, then?

I AM! *raises hand for all underrepresented Science Olympians and their states*

See, I used to like it. But this year I didn't get a first at States, and now I don't like it.