What is the South Asian Spelling Bee?
The South Asian Spelling Bee is the national search for the best speller of English words in the South Asian-American community. South Asian students 14 years of age or younger can participate at 1 of 11 regional spelling contests, where the contestants are asked to spell English words orally on a miss-and-out basis to find out who will move forward to compete in the Finals.
What are the requirements to participate in the Bee?
All South Asian children 14 years of age or younger will be eligible for the 2012 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee. Please refer to eligibility criteria in the RULES section for more details.
When and where will the Spelling Bee be held?
The 2012 regional competition schedule is as follows:
June 16th 2012 – Cerritos, CA (LA Area)
June 17th 2012 – San Jose, CA (Bay Area)
June 23rd 2012 – Plano TX (Dallas Area)
June 24th 2012 – Houston, TX (Houston Area)
July 7th 2012 – Palatine, IL (Chicago Area)
July 8th 2012 – Norcross, GA (Atlanta Area)
July 14th 2012 – Seattle, WA
July 21st 2012 – New Brunswick, NJ
July 22nd 2012 – Rockville, MD (DC Metro Area)
July 28th 2012 – Hempstead, NY
July 29th 2012- Worcester, MA (Boston Area)
August 17th 2012 – NATIONAL SOUTH ASIAN SPELLING BEE FINALS – New Brunswick, NJ
How is the contest conducted?
Step 1: Registration
Students who meet the spelling contest requirements and wish to participate MUST have a legal guardian visit locations page to choose a convenient regional center and register for participation.
Step 2: The Preliminary & Regional Oral Rounds:
Participants will arrive at their chosen regional contest on the designated date, at which time a 25-word, written spelling test will be administered to ALL spellers. 15 or more of these words must be spelled correctly in order to qualify for the regional oral round of the bee.
The same afternoon, qualifying spellers move on to the oral round, which is conducted on a miss-and-out basis until the Regional Champion and runners-up are found. The top 3 spellers from each regional center receive cash prizes, and the top 2 will advance to the National Finals in NJ.
How do I register for the contests?
Signing up is easy! Click here to sign up for 2012.
If my child is unable participate in the contest, can I get a refund of the registration fees paid?
No. The registration fee is non-refundable.
When is the deadline to register?
The deadline to register is 48 hours prior to the Regional spelling contest you wish to participate in. For example, if you chose for your speller to participate in the Chicago area regionals on July 7th, registration should be completed no later than 12 noon on July 5th 2012.
What are the payment options for the registration fee?
The payments will be made online through your VISA, Master Card or American Express Card.
How do I know my registration status?
Once the registration process is complete, you will receive an automated email confirming the receipt of payment, details for your chosen regional contest, and a link to download the study lists. If you do not receive this email within a few minutes, please check your spam filter or contact a member of the team here >
What if I get an error in using Online Registration?
In case of errors, please call Arielle at (848) 248-4139 for customer service.
I do not live in the same city where the South Asian Spelling Bee is held – What do I do?
We have taken into account the major South Asian hubs across the US and narrowed down to 10 centers nationwide. You can choose any regional spelling contest as per your convenience. Any speller can be registered to any ONE of the regional centers, even if the speller does not reside in that area. However, each speller can ONLY participate in ONE center for the duration of the 2012 contest.
Are there categories for different age groups?
There are no different categories and all children will participate together in the spelling bee.
What is the agenda for the day?
10:30 am – Registration
12:00 noon – Written test starts
1:00 pm – Written test concludes
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm- Tests are evaluated. It is recommended that everyone stay on-site during this time. Cafeteria services will be available.
3:00 pm – Results are announced and the oral round starts. Family, friends and well wishers are encouraged to attend.
How can I help my child prepare for the bee?
Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email that contains a link to download the study word lists. You can also check out some of the websites listed at the Study Source section. All words will come from Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.
