As the Club Advisor for the Academic Pentathlon club here at Ranchero Middle School, I am excited to welcome perspective contestants for the upcoming school year!

What is Academic Pentathlon?

United States Academic Pentathlon® is a five-event scholastic competition for middle school students with the challenges of rigorous team and individual competition. We spend the school year preparing our team for competition in the following subjects: Literature, Mathematics, Fine Arts, Science, and Social Science. Our club will meet after school to prep and prepare for competitions.

How do these competitions work?

Teams advance through local, regional, and state levels of competition. The state champions compete in the national finals. MOST Academic Pentathlon competitions take place online in a virtual testing environment, so there is no travel required for teams! The National Academic Pentathlon competition is held in a physical location (this location is currently set for Mesa, Arizona in May 2022).

What are the requirements to be a part of the Academic Pentathlon?

Any student can join the club. However, you are placed into three different teams based on your current GPA at the time (meaning your 8th grade GPA).                                          

Honor:                 3.80 – 4.00 GPA

Scholastic:          3.20 – 3.799 GPA

Varsity:                0.00 – 3.199 GPA

Contestants may compete in a higher division than their own grade point average category but not in a lower division.

How are teams recognized?

Individual Awards

Students compete against their own grade level and within their respective GPA category. For each GPA category, medals are presented to the top individuals in each subject area as well as the highest scoring individuals overall.

Team Awards

Medals and plaques are presented to the top Super Quiz teams and highest scoring teams overall.

Where can I learn more about the Academic Pentathlon?

Check out their website here: https://www.usad.org/

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin USAD will be offering the trade paperback edition of The Lathe of Heaven, published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. USAD has arranged for a special discount from the publisher. A free digital version of the book can be found here (must sign up for a free account).