The International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC)

What is ICPC?

The International Collegiate Programming Contest is an annual competitive programming competition for college students all around the world.

Teams of three represent their university and compete in a timed competition, where they are tasked with coding up algorithmic solutions to a variety of different problems. Teams who make it past the regional rounds are given the opportunity to compete (all expenses paid!) in the ICPC World Finals.

ICPC features 46,000+ students. 2,900+ universities. 100+ countries. 46,000+ students. 2,900+ universities. 100+ countries.

We typically perform very well. Some of Princeton's recent placings at the ACM Regional Collegiate Programming Contest (Greater NY Region):

2020: 1st place, plus another all-North America
competition qualifier
2019: 4th place, plus 2nd best underclassman team
2018: 2nd place
2017: 3rd place
2016: 1st place

2015: 2nd and 3rd place
2014: 1st and 3rd place
2013: 2nd place, plus top underclassman team
2010: 1st and 2nd place, plus top underclassman team
2007: 2nd and 3rd place
2005: 2nd place

For more information, see the ICPC website found here. For updates on the New York Regional, see here. To receive updates regarding the contest, make sure you fill out this form!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people are on a team?

You can form a team with up to three members, each of whom must be a Princeton student.

How many teams does Princeton send to the New York Regionals?

This depends on the organizers. Typically, Princeton has sent three teams, although last year Princeton was able to send more teams due to the virtual setting.

Is there a selection process?

If Princeton is only able to send a limited number of teams, then a selection contest will be held. Stay tuned for more information about this by filling out this form.

Do I need to have had competitive programming experience beforehand to compete?

No, you don't at all! It certainly helps to have had a year or two under your belt, but to participate in the preliminary/qualifying competitions, you need no past experience. All you need to do is form a team.

What resources are there to prepare for the competition?

Some places to start could be TopCoder, LeetCode, CodeForces, the ACM-ICPC live archive, and Project Euler. And stay tuned for preparation events that we will host this coming semester — we're planning to bring some of our most successful former competitors in as mentors!