American Computer Science League (ACSL)

About ACSL

• ACSL is an international computer science competition for students in grades 3-12. There are 5 divisions: Senior, Intermediate, Junior, Classroom, and Elementary, providing an appropriate challenge for students of varying ages and abilities. For a detailed description of the ACSL divisions, please visit the ACSL Division page: https://www.acsl.org/get-started/divisions.

• At Hopkins, the Junior and Intermediate teams are open to students in grades 6, 7, and 8. We recommend that Hopkins students join the Junior division. However, students with exceptional experience may choose to challenge themselves in the Intermediate division. The Elementary division is available for 6th-grade students who are new to ACSL. 

• There are 4 local contests given throughout the school year. 6-question test (it used to be 5 questions) and one coding test for each contest, but no coding test for Elementary Division. The contest topics are listed in https://www.acsl.org/get-started/study-materials 

• All contests will be given through an online platform, HackerRank. Top-scoring students will be invited to ACSL Final in May. For further information, visit https://www.acsl.org, check out FAQ at https://www.acsl.org/about/faq or watch this video "All About the ACSL."

• If you have any questions, please contact the Hopkins ACSL advisor at acsl@hopkinspfa.org.

Hopkins ACSL (2023-2024)

• There were 94 Hopkins students participated in 2 Intermediate, 6 Junior and 1 Elementary teams. https://www.scores.acsl.org/legacy/finals/2024/j/ 

• Several of the students made it to the finals. Aditya Ghate (G6) and Eashan Parekh (G7) won bronze medal in Junior Division. 

• The previous ACSL team advisor is no longer leading the team as her son has graduated from Hopkins, so the ACSL coordination has been transferred to a new team advisor.

Hopkins ACSL (2024-2025)

• Liga Chen is the Hopkins ACSL team advisor this year, recognized by Hopkins PFA. 

• There are 3 divisions available for sign-up: Intermediate, Junior, and Elementary. The team advisor will handle student registration and send reminders for each contest. However, students are expected to study independently, as the team advisor will not provide instruction. 

• The local contest fee is $15 per student. Students will take all of contests online so there is no transportation needs. No other hidden fee shall be collected.

• The collected fees will be used to register the teams, and any remaining funds will be used to purchase past contest materials to share with registered students. The materials will be watermarked for use by those Hopkins students.

• Each team will have 12 students and will be registered in the order that enrollment and payment are confirmed. Team scores don’t affect a student’s individual performance or their chances into the ACSL Final contest, which is the most important part for participants.

• We may not form a team in a division (such as intermediate division) if we don't have enough students to sign up in that division. To form a team in a division, we need at least 3 students.

• Study resource for the contest is available at https://www.acsl.org/get-started/study-materials. Additionally, here is a good free online course: https://www.richcode.org/contests/acsl/lesson.

Registration

• Registration Form: https://forms.gle/5o1MNhEPxppLj5Tz9. Enrollment deadline is September 30, 2024. (Closed Now)

• This year, 114 Hopkins students have enrolled, forming 7 Junior teams and 3 Elementary teams.

• Fee: $15 per student. Payment via Zelle with a memo including the student’s name and grade. If parents are unable to use Zelle, please contact the team advisor. Fee is non-refundable.

• Each student can only sign up once and choose a team in either the Intermediate, Junior, or Elementary division. The Elementary division is for Grade 6 students only.

• The team advisor will register the student after payment is confirmed. The purchased materials will be shared after the enrollment closes.

Schedule

The tests will be conducted at home under parent supervision at any time within the following 2-week schedule. If students are unable to meet a specific date, please contact the advisor.

• Contest #1: Fri., Dec. 6, 2024 - Fri., Dec. 20, 2024

• Contest #2: Fri., Jan. 24, 2025 - Fri., Feb. 7, 2025

• Contest #3: Fri., Mar. 14, 2025 - Fri., Mar. 28, 2025

• Contest #4: Fri., Apr. 25, 2025 - Fri., May 9, 2025

The above schedule windows are based on the team advisor's experience that it’s better to complete the contest in the middle of the original ACSL's schedule, so students have time to prepare for the next contest, especially for the final contest.

Appendix: ACSL Final

• It’s an invited contest. To be invited, students must score in local tests at least 28 points (Junior and Intermediate Divisions); 14 points (Elementary Division). 

• Final Contest: Sat., May 24, 2025. The date and time are fixed. The final contest fee is $30 per student. Students will pay the fee to ACSL directly.

• The ACSL Finals will be online, using HackerRank that students have used during the regular season.  All students worldwide will start and finish at the same time. 

• This is an individual competition.  Students must not consult external sources. If collaboration of any form is detected, the student will be disqualified. 

• Visit https://www.acsl.org/finals for further information.