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ULTIMATE Resources for the USABO from a '24 Finalist
I'll break these down by topic. Different topics are weighted differently (differing amt. of questions). Study the most elementary level first; when you move on to more advanced texts study the most heavily weighted topics first. This is a dynamic list! Let me know if you have any recommended additons. At the end I have a blog post I wrote about exactly what I would do if I had to learn everything all over again, to familiarize yourself with the recommended order of things.
GENERAL BIO (THE HOLY GRAIL!)
GENERAL BIO (THE HOLY GRAIL!)
Campbell Biology, our lord and savior
The FIRST THING you should do ALWAYS is read Campbells Biology COVER TO COVER. Once you've done that, test yourself and read it again. You can be tested on ANYTHING from Campbell on Opens and Semifinals, even one sentence or part of a figure. You should know this book like the back of your hand. People in the past have made finals ("camp") from reading solely this book (which is not very feasible nowadays).
Note on editions: Any edition after ninth or tenth is ideal. I honestly like eleventh more than twelfth. Any further than that and it gets a bit outdated, but largely the edition is inconsequential. Just read one of them.
NOT THESE ONES!!!
AP Edition: Missing some important info. If it's all your school has, that's fine but I recommend getting the normal Campbell
No
NO
NO NO NO NO
Some extra resources to help you get through Campbells:
Patricia Peng on Youtube
She has short videos that are some good overviews of Campbell chapters if you want a refresher. Lack a lot of crucial details so use only as a supplement.
I recommend against using other people's notes to study, you should take your own instead. However you can use these as review sheets. Honestly, just read Campbells or your own notes though.
Similar Campbells Overview Notes
Fairly good summary handouts for a diverse array of topics, some outside of Campbells. Good for rapid review but missing some details. I particularly liked their Biosystematics handouts.
Blogs can be an excellent way to review information or learn about less common topics. Here's my blog and one from a past alumna, which I highly recommend:
Click the link Parasites to Pericytes Blog to follow my Substack blog (make an account) for insider tips and content leading up to USABO season!
One more thing! Join the Biology Olympiad Discord Server (BODS) for resources and help from USABO students and alumni! Link to join!
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
Vanders
The most generally recommended anatphys book. It has a good amount of depth for the USABO, I would recommend reading cover-to-cover. Some topics are not well covered (immunology) and some are not covered at all (embryology).
Pick EITHER Vanders and Fox
Fox
I love this textbook. Reading this or Vanders will be equivalent, mostly, but Fox has a lot of cool connections to disease etc. that go deeper than Vanders. I also like the diagrams more. Some details a little bit superfluous for USABO but can't go wrong.
Pick EITHER Vanders and Fox
Costanzo
Mixed reviews. For me this textbook is very fun to read but it was way too much information. Very boring format. But there are some gems that will save you a lot of time on USABO and are just interesting. Recommend after completing one of Vanders/Fox and reading more on genetics, cell bio, etc.
Recommended Youtube Channels and Other Platforms
Ninja Nerd
Great for understanding complex physiology concepts, as well as medicine. Use as a supplement to Vanders or Fox. Good immunology videos!
Medicosis Perfectionalis
Highly recommend! Good mnemonics for when you just want a little more on a topic. Good to review with. Also has good videos on cell bio and biochem.
Alila Medical Media
OK, pretty good explanations. Use sparingly as a supplement.
Osmosis
Great (some paywalled) content on their website. Make a free trial for videos but they have lecture notes as well. A little more medical oriented.
Kenhub
Great for visualizing anatomy, which is not super necessary for USABO but helpful.
FAQ: More advanced Anatphys topics
Janeway
If you're interested in immunology, maybe read one or two chapters... but mostly this is way overkill for USABO. However, if you want read the appendix for a great overview of some laboratory techniques.
Kandels Neuro (or embryology, or oncology, etc.)
Just... don't. Not helpful for USABO. If you want to read neuroscience books, look to Brain Bee (Kandels is superfluous for Brain Bee too).
Anatomy book
No. Don't.
Histology
People ask about histology. Expect one or two questions to come up, so it's good to know at least a little bit. It's more recognition than anything.
Any of these resources will do:
online Quizlet decks
#histology-of-the-day channel in BiOlympiad Discord
Embryology and Developmental Biology
I really struggled with the Campbells approach to this topic, mainly because that chapter is not very well explained IMO. It's not that important but it's good to understand.
I recommend this course's lecture notes:
CELL BIO and BIOCHEMISTRY
CELL BIO and BIOCHEMISTRY
Alberts (MBOC)
One of my prized possessions. Great content, clear diagrams, often superfluous. Focus more on diagrams than every sentence. Some chapters you should DEFINITELY read are MBOC 8 and 9 (lab techniques). I would also recommend the chapters covering DNA/RNA stuff, the ER/Golgi/intracellular transport. Don't read the whole thing. DO NOT GET CONFUSED WITH THE "ESSENTIAL" VERSION.
Lehninger
The only biochem textbook people really talk about for USABO. I hate biochem so I only read a few chapters. Gets into organic chem stuff. Some cool insights in early chapters! The cell bio chapters at the end are mediocre. You'll do fine without it IMO but read if you're interested.
MBOC Problems Book
Decent problems for more advanced solving practice. A little more advanced than USABO. Fun!
Recommended Youtube Channels and Other Platforms
Patricia Peng (Biochem videos): Honestly I would just watch all of these instead of reading Lehninger. Nice and concise.
Andrey K: Pretty good biochem, also some good anatomy. Reasonably in depth.
Cell Bio Clips: Not many videos, but decent quality for review of cellular processes.
Quick Biochemistry Basics: Really good for quick overviews of cell bio topics and lab techniques.
Henrik's Lab: Good, concise explanations of lab techniques.
Want to memorize the amino acid structures? Have fun!
GENETICS
GENETICS
Brookers
Very good, I would recommend reading the book cover to cover. Well explained and very approachable.
PICK EITHER BROOKER OR GRIFFITH
Griffiths
Like Brookers, slightly more detailed and very good problem sets at the end of the chapter. You really can't go wrong but Griffiths is slightly more information
PICK EITHER BROOKER OR GRIFFITH
Ayala
Some pretty good formulas that I haven't found in other books, but relatively outdated information. Don't recommend.
Recommended Youtube Channels and Other Platforms
Nikolay's Genetics Lessons are good for learning how to problem solve
Pleiotropy has great videos on population genetics! It explains the logic behind the math quite well.
For practice problems, do the end-of-chapter questions of Griffith's Genetics
Small topics
If you're struggling with tetrad analysis, this document explains it all nicely: CMU Tetrad Analysis
More ethology than genetics, but Hamilton's rule method explained here :SFS Hamilton's
Six Foot Science Blog has some good articles about genetics problem solving
PLANTS
PLANTS
Ravens
The most recommended plant book,. Not all chapters are worth reading, just the plant development and physiology ones. (Basically everything past the embryo chapter).
PICK EITHER RAVENS OR TAIZ
Taiz
Like Ravens, but more detailed. Interesting, but most of the details are frivolous for USABO. However, I do think the writing style is more clear and the diagrams slightly better.
PICK EITHER RAVENS OR TAIZ
Recommended Youtube Channels and Other Platforms
EVERYTHING ELSE
EVERYTHING ELSE
Ecology, Biosystematics, Ethology, etc. are sufficiently covered in Campbells. More niche topics like Microbiology, Oncology, Neuroscience will rarely show up without context. Reading anything more than that means you've hit diminishing returns. If you've finished the resources up to this point, congratulations! Time to start applying your knowledge to practice for the test.
If you want, watch Pleiotropy's ecology videos for some nice expansion on Campbells. You can get through them pretty quickly.
If you are into microbiology, Brock's Microbiology is the way to go.
Systema Porifera *cough cough*
I remember exactly what my first weeks--nay, months--of studying for the USABO felt like. I thought I was going too slow, and that everyone knew more than me, and I wasn't retaining any information. It felt like day-to-day I was getting nowhere, and I couldn't see myself doing well any time in the future.
As someone who went from literally not knowing what mitosis was to attending USABO finals in just over the span of a year, I can tell you with conviction: it gets easier. The hardest part is always starting, that is, sliding down the "Peak of Mount Stupid" into the "Valley of Despair". That's why, just a few weeks into starting Biology Olympiad studying, you may be hit by the crushing realization that "oh shoot, this is a lot." It might come from taking your first USABO semis practice test or from hearing people online debating the finer points of some biochemical pathway you've never heard of in your life.
It may suddenly seem impossible to reach your lofty USABO goals in such a short amount of time. However, I will tell you that it does get easier. Once you are immersed in reading, with a note-taking strategy and some discipline, you'll take up information. Day by day, you won't notice, but soon you'll be conversing with fellow students about the N-linked glycosylation of asparagine residues and the molecular mecanisms behind glutamate excitotoxicity. This is in part because the more you know, the easier it is to pick up new information, like a snowball rolling down a sledding hill. If this sounds like you, trust the process! Keep on going and when you look back after a few months, you'll be amazed.
So, how do you get started studying for the USABO? Having put together a list of resources I like, here's everything I would do if I woke up tomorrow with zero knowledge of biology and a determination to make it to USABO finals.
DISCLAIMER: Time points next to the books are by no means expectations. You will go at your own pace, whether it is half or double or quadruple the time I put down as a guess of what it might take me to read these books. Your time will vary depending on a billion factors: external responsibilities, focus, prior knowledge, excitement about material, executive functioning skills, note-taking ability, reading speed, etc. Don't compare and don't det unrealistic expectations.
MAJOR NOTE: This is not the only way to study, nor is it a guaranteed method. So much more goes into succeeding at USABO than books. You should be regularly doing practice tests, review sessions, and learning info in random corners of the internet.
Furthermore, there is no point in this timeline where I can assure you "there, you've completed X amount of books and are thus qualified to make camp". Ultimately, USABO tests so many things. Your knowledge of biology certainly, but also things like problem solving and logic, reading comprehension and test-taking skills, time management, ability to comprehend diagrams, etc. You can stop at any point in this timeline and make camp if, holistically, you are "good" enough at USABO tests. You can also ignore all my advice, take zero notes, and start by reading Ravens and make camp. You can also follow everything I've said to the tee and finish it and still not make camp.
Ultimately, I am sharing this to give a guide as to what I, a single individual with no qualifications to dictate your study habits or USABO journey, would do if I were to start over again. This is not the holy grail, but a template. If you decide to follow it, cool! If you follow it and realize there's a method that works better for you, amazing! All in all, those who succeed in USABO have a lot of grit and a lot of enthusiasm for biology. If you lack this enthusiasm, not only will this feel like torture, but you will also probably have less success. Self reflect a bit, take a breath, and then open your textbooks. Have fun!
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