The competition is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents of the United States, and international full-time students with valid student visas; all entrants must be between 16 and 22 years of age.
Contestants prepare a program of 60 to 75 minutes encompassing a selection of works by Chopin, a mazurka by Szymanowski, a major works by J.S. Bach, a complete classical (Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart or Schubert) sonata, a major 19th-century work by a composer other than Chopin, and a contemporary work by an American, Polish, or Polish American composer; jurors choose work from the program for the auditions.
Preliminary competitions take place in Chicago, Houston, and New York; winners advance to the national competitions, in New York.