IChO 2026: 3 of the 4 U.S. team members were our students — Ethan Cho and Alex Dong won gold, and Enzhi Chen won silver.
USNCO 2026: 43 national awards — 17 High Honors (including 9 selected for Study Camp) and 26 Honors.
In our 2025–26 Level 4 class (Module 3), 13 of 16 live students won a national award, and 6 advanced to Study Camp. All 4 Team USA members joined us live on July 25, 2026, and the full session recording is available to watch.
Join the program behind 10+ IChO Medalists — where every student gets personal attention and knows exactly where they stand.
Counted over 15+ years of coaching, including students who represented China and other countries.
Your Teacher
Founder of Dr. Chen's Academy, PhD in Chemistry, 15+ years coaching USNCO and IChO. He teaches every weekly class himself, alongside AP Chemistry at a U.S. private high school, and leads the ACS USNCO Exam Annotation Project.
More about Dr. Chen →Programs
Programs designed for every level of chemistry olympiad preparation
Level 2
Who it is for
Price
$449 / live module
$299 / recording packet
Every week
Class with Dr. Chen: Fridays, 8:30–10 pm ET5:30–7 pm PT
Staff session: Saturdays, 7:30–8:30 pm ET4:30–5:30 pm PT
Level 3
Who it is for
Price
$499 / live module
$349 / recording packet
Every week
Class with Dr. Chen: Saturdays, 8:30–10 pm ET5:30–7 pm PT
Staff session: Sundays, 7:30–8:30 pm ET4:30–5:30 pm PT
Level 4
Who it is for
Price
$549 / live module
$399 / recording packet
Every week
Class with Dr. Chen: Sundays, 8:00–10 pm ET5–7 pm PT
Staff session: Fridays, 7:30–8:30 pm ET4:30–5:30 pm PT
A staff session is a weekly 60-minute problem-solving session with our staff.
Not included: attending live and asking questions in class.
2 Live Modules
3 Live Modules
Returning students also save $25 on an order that brings them to 2 modules in total, or $50 at 3 or more, when the order includes a live module. It adds to the bundle saving.
View all pricing options, timing, & module detailsLive-class refunds count your classes with Dr. Chen from your first one after joining: a full refund (minus the $15 fee) until your 2nd class. View full refund policy
Student Reviews
Surveys go to every enrolled student at the end of each program, ask for criticism explicitly, and are published whole. So far they cover the 2026 summer intensives.
average recommendation, by program
post-class survey responses
I can sit a test and finish it in 50 minutes.When Dr. Chen covered how to recognize when to use the Clausius–Clapeyron equation, afterwards every time I saw two temperatures and two pressures, or a mention of the enthalpy of vaporization, the equation immediately came to mind.Doing the exams forced you to think accurately and quickly. It left almost no time to wander and overthink. Sitting down and reviewing the questions I got wrong really benefited me because it allowed me to connect ideas between topics.Two complementary ways to find your right starting point — start with the Find Your Level wizard for a personalized recommendation and study plan, then confirm with the official Placement Test.
Answer a few short questions (~2 min) and get a personalized level recommendation plus full study plan for the 2026-27 USNCO cycle. Bilingual: English / 中文.
Take the wizardTimed online tests, one per level, to confirm you are ready for the recommended level. Passcode: DChO2026
Still unsure? Contact Dr. Chen directly.
Why We're Different
One lesson for everyone leaves gaps. We place students by level and check their work every week.
Placed by level, plus a staff session (a weekly 60-minute problem-solving session with our staff) and scored problem sets — so your study plan targets your gaps.
10+ authentic exams with detailed analytics: topic breakdown, percentile ranking, and time analysis.
Real-time tracking of attendance, homework, and test scores. See gaps instantly — not after competition.
Every feature converges on one goal: helping you reach your potential.
See How It WorksEvery feature converges on one goal: helping you reach your potential.
See How It WorksYour Journey
From your first class to the international stage — we guide every step
Top ~1000 advance
Late Feb – early Mar
Intensive mocks & review
Mar - Apr
Sign-up opens after the Local Exam
Top ~200 awarded
Mid April
Top 20 nationally
June
Whether you're aiming for Local, National, or Study Camp — every milestone is an achievement, and we'll help you reach yours.
Common Questions
Students are placed by level, so every class is pitched at what they are ready for, and every week they work problems, not just listen. Dr. Chen's weekly class on core USNCO topics runs 90 min (Level 4: 120 min), and a staff session (a weekly 60-minute problem-solving session with our staff) follows it. Live classes have 20+ students, varying a little by level and year; staff sessions have about 10 students live. Classes are on Zoom, and every session is recorded for review. Live classes run late Aug – late Feb in 3 modules of 8 weeks, followed by the Nat'l Exam Bootcamp (early Mar – mid Apr).
A live module is the full class: you attend Dr. Chen's weekly class and the staff session on Zoom, ask questions as they come up, and get the recordings too. Recording packet: the same module as the live class, with 1-year access. Every recorded lecture and staff session, lecture notes, problem sets with solutions, and the module exam (including the proctored sittings). Questions by email or WeChat are answered within 48 hours. Not included: attending live and asking questions in class. A recording packet costs $150 less than the live module.
All recording packets come with 1-year access from the date of purchase. You can watch the lectures as many times as you want during that period. This gives you plenty of time to work through the material at your own pace, even if you're balancing a busy school schedule.
Absolutely. Our recording packets are specifically designed for self-paced study. You choose which modules to purchase, watch lectures on your own schedule, and work through problem sets at whatever speed works best for you. Many of our students combine recordings with our mock exam platform to track their progress independently.
Students are placed by level instead of sitting one-size-fits-all lectures, and every week adds a staff session on that week's problem set. Our dashboard tracks each student's progress weekly, and we offer 10+ authentic mock exams a year. If your child benefits from personalized attention and clear progress tracking, we're likely a good fit.
We do not offer one-on-one tutoring. Every level has a weekly staff session for working problems, and questions by email or WeChat are answered within 48 hours.
Level 2 (Local Prep) is our first class level, and it is not a zero-prerequisite course: it assumes 1+ year of solid chemistry, from a class or self-study. A student with no chemistry yet builds that foundation first with Level 1: Chemistry Foundations, our self-study path with a recommended textbook, and then joins Level 2.
No. Most of our students see significant improvement in just one year — many qualify for and win Nationals in their first year with us. That said, students who stay for 2 years often achieve High Honors or qualify for Study Camp. Our structured curriculum works for both quick wins and long-term goals.
Absolutely not! Many of our most successful students started in 10th or 11th grade. Unlike programs that require years of preparation from middle school, our curriculum is designed for efficient, focused learning. We've had students join in October of their junior year and still win Nationals. It's never too late to start — what matters is your dedication and the right guidance.
Choose your level, pick your modules, and begin your path to USNCO excellence.
Enroll Now