Use the links at the top of this page to add your team to Participating Schools list, update an existing School/Team registration, or pay your registration fees.  If you are just starting with registration, click the "Participating Schools" link and hit "Register School". You will be prompted to create an account on the site if you haven't already.

What this Registration Covers

• Elementary school (Div. A) registration will also be done through a separate site. Further information about MSO Division A can be found at https://sites.google.com/hcpss.org/msodivisiona/home .

Registering here also enables teams to sign up for Invitational (Practice) Tournaments inside and outside of Maryland (see https://www.soinc.org/play/invitationals for an incomplete list of Invitationals). Neither registration for Invitationals nor registration fees for Invitationals are covered here. Teams must register with and pay the Invitational host directly.

Membership Fees

(Division B and C Teams)

First Team Fees: $375/season

Additional Teams: $265/season

Optional "Invitational Only" Team Fees (@ 4th Team or more): $75/season

Notes:

• A school's 1st through 3rd teams are required to pay $375/$265 under all circumstances.
• For the purposes of participation in Invitationals, teams seeking to register 4 or more teams may register "Invitational Only" teams where State fees are waived, and teams only pay the National fee of $75/team. If these teams become accepted to Regional event, they must paying the remainder of the cost to become an "Additional Team".

Fees are due within 30 days of registration or by December 19, 2025, whichever is earlier. Failure to adhere to this deadline will result in a removal from competition.

(Division A Teams)

Team Fees: $100

Fees are due TBA. Registration for Division A will go past the Div B/C deadline and will be somewhere in February/March 2025.

Limit on Number of Teams per School

Each school may register up to three (3) teams for official Maryland Science Olympiad competition: a "Varsity" Team, and up to 2 "Junior Varsity (JV)" Teams. 

Registered schools by default have a Varsity (primary) Team, which is the ONLY team that influences overall school ranking and advancement. JV (secondary) Teams only compete at Regional Tournaments* and are eligible for medals and individual awards at MSO tournaments but do NOT influence overall school ranking. For clarity's sake during Regional competition, please name your teams with a short name for your school plus "A" for your first, varsity team, then "B" and "C" for additional junior varsity teams. (For example, RMHS Team A, RMHS Team B, RMHS Team C).

Only Varsity Teams will compete at the State Tournament if the team advances. Schools are NOT required to use the same rosters at each tournament; they must submit a new roster (with fresh signatures) for each tournament, and students may be moved from JV to Varsity Team for the State Tournament, or new students may be included.

*Or Invitational tournaments, if eligible and the school chooses. Invitational registration falls outside the scope of this registration.

Payment Methods – Paypal or Checks

Upon completion of the registration process, payment must be submitted online via PayPal ("Pay Now") or by check ("Pay by Check").

To pay online via PayPal:

1. Click on the Pay membership fees button above.
2. Select PayPal for immediate processing and follow prompts.

To pay by check:

1. Click on the Pay membership fees button above.
2. Select "Pay by Check" option on the Team Registration Payment page.

Make check payable to "Maryland Science Olympiad", note school name on memo line and mail to:

Note, mailing address is new for 2025-26 season. New W9 forms are available upon request.

All payments, regardless of method, are due at the stated deadline above.

Volunteer Participation in Regional Tournament

Each of our tournaments requires dozens of volunteers in order to provide a high quality, positive experience for our students. We have removed many of our team supervising requirements, however we still need the same number of people in order to run each tournament. We ask that you PLEASE consider volunteering at a tournament, and reach out to your team and school community to ask for support. Volunteers at all levels (experienced or not) are needed!

Volunteering at a tournament is a great way for coaches AND competitors to learn about Science Olympiad**. Volunteering to run events often helps coaches and team leaders network within the community (both fellow coaches and content experts), see how tournaments are run, and deepen their experience with SO by doing so.

Please complete this Google interest form (2025-26 MSO Tournament Volunteer form) to indicate which tournament(s) and events you are interested in helping with. The Tournament Director will follow-up closer to tournament time to confirm volunteer assignments.

**Volunteers must be 16 or older; volunteers under 18 must have parental consent to volunteer and must be under adult supervision at all times.

Rules Manuals

Digital manuals are provided free of cost by the National Science Olympiad beginning in early September. Go to https://www.soinc.org/rules-2026 to download a copy***. Physical copies of manuals will NOT be provided by MSO.

***Rules manuals for Division B and C are free, however they are copyright of Science Olympiad and may NOT be publicly posted or otherwise disseminated. Anyone desiring a copy of the rules should go to the site, complete the info form, and download directly from SO.

***Rules manual for Division A can be purchased for a one time fee from the SOINC store.   There is a paper option ($20) and a digital option ($15).  Rules are not distributed for Division A in another manner. 

Image from https://xkcd.com/2511/