which course should I take

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#1 h Mar 10, 2025, 7:03 PM • 1 Y

Y by littlebigbull

Hello AOPS community,
Should I take the Mathcounts/AMC8 Advanced course over the summer or the AMC 10 Intermediate course?
I'm a 7th grader who is aiming for DHR AMC 8 and AIME qual next year as well as nats mathcounts, but sillies a lot on some stuff.
Scores:
6th grade (2023-2024 year)
Mathcounts Chapter: 33 (21/12)
Mathcounts State: 19 (11/8)
AMC 8: 12 (idk how this happened)
didn't take AMC 10
7th grade (2024-2025 year, so right now)
Mathcounts Chapter: 28 (36 w/o sillies)
Mathcounts State: a score higher than my chapter score (I cant reveal exact until April)
AMC 8: 16 (the problems were randomized cuz online)
AMC 10A: 42 (guessed too much)
AMC 10B: 58.5 (:facepalm:)
In practice AMC 8's I consistently get around 20-22, and on mock AMC 10's I get around 9-12 problems correct (so about low-mid 80s). In mock state Mathcounts I get 26-28s. Several people in my state have said I have a free nats qual next year due to all the competition graduating, but I am aiming for 34+ on state next year for insurance and to see how far I can go. I also hope to get DHR AMC 8 in 2026 and AIME, but not sure whether to take the AMC 8 advanced or AMC 10 course. Should I retake AMC 8 advanced (i took it last summer) to get really good basics or take AMC 10 course, and will the AMC 10 course help me get DHR amc8?
Thank you for your help, its greatly appreciated
please respond I'm begging.

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#2 h Mar 10, 2025, 7:12 PM

Y by

PLEASE RESPOND

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Alex-131

5293 posts

Alex-131

#3 h Mar 10, 2025, 7:31 PM

Y by

GlitchyBoy wrote:

Hello AOPS community,
Should I take the Mathcounts/AMC8 Advanced course over the summer or the AMC 10 Intermediate course?
I'm a 7th grader who is aiming for DHR AMC 8 and AIME qual next year as well as nats mathcounts, but sillies a lot on some stuff.
Scores:
6th grade (2023-2024 year)
Mathcounts Chapter: 33 (21/12)
Mathcounts State: 19 (11/8)
AMC 8: 12 (idk how this happened)
didn't take AMC 10
7th grade (2024-2025 year, so right now)
Mathcounts Chapter: 28 (36 w/o sillies)
Mathcounts State: a score higher than my chapter score (I cant reveal exact until April)
AMC 8: 16 (the problems were randomized cuz online)
AMC 10A: 42 (guessed too much)
AMC 10B: 58.5 (:facepalm:)
In practice AMC 8's I consistently get around 20-22, and on mock AMC 10's I get around 9-12 problems correct (so about low-mid 80s). In mock state Mathcounts I get 26-28s. Several people in my state have said I have a free nats qual next year due to all the competition graduating, but I am aiming for 34+ on state next year for insurance and to see how far I can go. I also hope to get DHR AMC 8 in 2026 and AIME, but not sure whether to take the AMC 8 advanced or AMC 10 course. Should I retake AMC 8 advanced (i took it last summer) to get really good basics or take AMC 10 course, and will the AMC 10 course help me get DHR amc8?
Thank you for your help, its greatly appreciated
please respond I'm begging.

I would recommend doing intro series and the books from intro to alg a. Imo, they are far more useful than the amc10/amc8/mathcounts prep courses.

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MathLoverYeah

68 posts

MathLoverYeah

#4 h Mar 10, 2025, 8:40 PM

Y by

GlitchyBoy wrote:

Hello AOPS community,
Should I take the Mathcounts/AMC8 Advanced course over the summer or the AMC 10 Intermediate course?
I'm a 7th grader who is aiming for DHR AMC 8 and AIME qual next year as well as nats mathcounts, but sillies a lot on some stuff.
Scores:
6th grade (2023-2024 year)
Mathcounts Chapter: 33 (21/12)
Mathcounts State: 19 (11/8)
AMC 8: 12 (idk how this happened)
didn't take AMC 10
7th grade (2024-2025 year, so right now)
Mathcounts Chapter: 28 (36 w/o sillies)
Mathcounts State: a score higher than my chapter score (I cant reveal exact until April)
AMC 8: 16 (the problems were randomized cuz online)
AMC 10A: 42 (guessed too much)
AMC 10B: 58.5 (:facepalm:)
In practice AMC 8's I consistently get around 20-22, and on mock AMC 10's I get around 9-12 problems correct (so about low-mid 80s). In mock state Mathcounts I get 26-28s. Several people in my state have said I have a free nats qual next year due to all the competition graduating, but I am aiming for 34+ on state next year for insurance and to see how far I can go. I also hope to get DHR AMC 8 in 2026 and AIME, but not sure whether to take the AMC 8 advanced or AMC 10 course. Should I retake AMC 8 advanced (i took it last summer) to get really good basics or take AMC 10 course, and will the AMC 10 course help me get DHR amc8?
Thank you for your help, its greatly appreciated
please respond I'm begging.

Mathcounts/AMC 8 Adv is helpful (for AMC 8 13-16 or MC Chapter 25-30), but for HR/DHR and AMC 10 AR and Mathcounts Chapter/State boost I would recommend AMC 10 Problem Series (and maybe AMC 12 series if you're willing to struggle a lot in the class)
(Credentials: AMC 8 HR, MC Chapter 37 (somehow didnt make states in MA Metronorth), AMC 10A: 81, AMC 10B: 94.5)

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#5 h Mar 11, 2025, 3:20 AM • 1 Y

Y by MathPerson12321

dude 37 not making state is just brutal, in our chapter cutoff for state was 29 and the 9th place finisher got a 37.

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#6 h Mar 11, 2025, 4:46 AM

Y by

so should i take self-paced intro to c&p, and also self-paced intro to algebra b, then an intro to number theory class plus amc10 class?
or is that way too much for one summer

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math_cool123

219 posts

math_cool123

#7 h Mar 11, 2025, 5:09 AM

Y by

GlitchyBoy wrote:

Hello AOPS community,
Should I take the Mathcounts/AMC8 Advanced course over the summer or the AMC 10 Intermediate course?
I'm a 7th grader who is aiming for DHR AMC 8 and AIME qual next year as well as nats mathcounts, but sillies a lot on some stuff.
Scores:
6th grade (2023-2024 year)
Mathcounts Chapter: 33 (21/12)
Mathcounts State: 19 (11/8)
AMC 8: 12 (idk how this happened)
didn't take AMC 10
7th grade (2024-2025 year, so right now)
Mathcounts Chapter: 28 (36 w/o sillies)
Mathcounts State: a score higher than my chapter score (I cant reveal exact until April)
AMC 8: 16 (the problems were randomized cuz online)
AMC 10A: 42 (guessed too much)
AMC 10B: 58.5 (:facepalm:)
In practice AMC 8's I consistently get around 20-22, and on mock AMC 10's I get around 9-12 problems correct (so about low-mid 80s). In mock state Mathcounts I get 26-28s. Several people in my state have said I have a free nats qual next year due to all the competition graduating, but I am aiming for 34+ on state next year for insurance and to see how far I can go. I also hope to get DHR AMC 8 in 2026 and AIME, but not sure whether to take the AMC 8 advanced or AMC 10 course. Should I retake AMC 8 advanced (i took it last summer) to get really good basics or take AMC 10 course, and will the AMC 10 course help me get DHR amc8?
Thank you for your help, its greatly appreciated
please respond I'm begging.

depends on state

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#8 h Mar 11, 2025, 6:24 PM

Y by

nevada
that's my state

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#9 h Mar 11, 2025, 7:14 PM

Y by

so should I take intro to c&p, intro to number theory, and intro to algebra b?
will those topics show up often on mathcounts/amc8/10?
and should I take the amc10 course or not?

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#10 h Mar 11, 2025, 8:39 PM

Y by

GlitchyBoy wrote:

Hello AOPS community,
Should I take the Mathcounts/AMC8 Advanced course over the summer or the AMC 10 Intermediate course?
I'm a 7th grader who is aiming for DHR AMC 8 and AIME qual next year as well as nats mathcounts, but sillies a lot on some stuff.
Scores:
6th grade (2023-2024 year)
Mathcounts Chapter: 33 (21/12)
Mathcounts State: 19 (11/8)
AMC 8: 12 (idk how this happened)
didn't take AMC 10
7th grade (2024-2025 year, so right now)
Mathcounts Chapter: 28 (37 w/o sillies)
Mathcounts State: a score higher than my chapter score (I cant reveal exact until April)
AMC 8: 16 (the problems were randomized cuz online)
AMC 10A: 42 (guessed too much)
AMC 10B: 58.5 (:facepalm:)
In practice AMC 8's I consistently get around 20-22, and on mock AMC 10's I get around 9-12 problems correct (so about low-mid 80s). In mock state Mathcounts I get 26-28s. Several people in my state have said I have a free nats qual next year due to all the competition graduating, but I am aiming for 34+ on state next year for insurance and to see how far I can go. I also hope to get DHR AMC 8 in 2026 and AIME, but not sure whether to take the AMC 8 advanced or AMC 10 course. Should I retake AMC 8 advanced (i took it last summer) to get really good basics or take AMC 10 course, and will the AMC 10 course help me get DHR amc8?
Thank you for your help, its greatly appreciated
please respond I'm begging.

Z K Y

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sadas123

1003 posts

sadas123

#11 h Mar 11, 2025, 9:35 PM

Y by

I used to get the same scores, but here is the things that I did:

1.) I spammed mathcount state mocks then the questions I got wrong I watched vide or did Alcumus on it.
2.)I always tried to set a goal for my score for the mock test then if I didn't reach it I redid the test and each time I tried to get a higher score, if I couldn't do that then I would just read the solutions and then learn the theorem/topics.
3.)I think that you should learn all of the AMC 10 course first because that will help you, I used Volume 1 of AOPS and along with that I used Math Competition for Middle School which gave me a borderline AIME score but I probably forgot but I think that I got a 118.5 or a 114 or something because it was a long time ago on the A
4.)Spam AMC 10 mocks and then learn the topics behind all of the questions, I would say try to answer 15 questions each test and if you can't do that then watch youtube videos on those topics, if you can do that start to answer first 18 questions/ 20 questions.
5.) Practice 1h-2h a day because I used to practice for 5 hours and it got me nowhere so study less but lock in during that time.
6.)Always make sure to do AMC 8 Final 5 to sharpen your Problem Solving skills.
Mathcounts:
I started the year of getting a 20-30 on school round but then improved all the way to 30-40 to state round:

1.) I did Mathcounts trainer STATE past level 30+
2.) I spammed mocks and did the same strategy as the amcs
3.) At Mathcounts Chapter I horribly failed so make sure not to stress and make silly mistakes
4.) Thats all

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#12 h Mar 13, 2025, 3:41 AM

Y by

should i grind mathcounts trainer all the way to nats 46

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Leeoz

135 posts

Leeoz

#13 h Mar 13, 2025, 3:43 AM

Y by

GlitchyBoy wrote:

should i grind mathcounts trainer all the way to nats 46

i tried that, its almost impossible to go past 40 ._.
mc trainer is not that great

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GlitchyBoy

86 posts

GlitchyBoy

#14 h Mar 13, 2025, 4:02 AM

Y by

then what should i do besides amc 10 prep course + int to algebra b + int to c&p

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Leeoz

135 posts

Leeoz

#15 h Mar 13, 2025, 4:05 AM

Y by

mock and past tests and alcumus

i dont use the aops courses tho so idk what they are

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parnikap

290 posts

parnikap

#16 h Mar 13, 2025, 7:39 PM

Y by

sadas123 wrote:

I used to get the same scores, but here is the things that I did:

1.) I spammed mathcount state mocks then the questions I got wrong I watched vide or did Alcumus on it.
2.)I always tried to set a goal for my score for the mock test then if I didn't reach it I redid the test and each time I tried to get a higher score, if I couldn't do that then I would just read the solutions and then learn the theorem/topics.
3.)I think that you should learn all of the AMC 10 course first because that will help you, I used Volume 1 of AOPS and along with that I used Math Competition for Middle School which gave me a borderline AIME score but I probably forgot but I think that I got a 118.5 or a 114 or something because it was a long time ago on the A
4.)Spam AMC 10 mocks and then learn the topics behind all of the questions, I would say try to answer 15 questions each test and if you can't do that then watch youtube videos on those topics, if you can do that start to answer first 18 questions/ 20 questions.
5.) Practice 1h-2h a day because I used to practice for 5 hours and it got me nowhere so study less but lock in during that time.
6.)Always make sure to do AMC 8 Final 5 to sharpen your Problem Solving skills.
Mathcounts:
I started the year of getting a 20-30 on school round but then improved all the way to 30-40 to state round:

1.) I did Mathcounts trainer STATE past level 30+
2.) I spammed mocks and did the same strategy as the amcs
3.) At Mathcounts Chapter I horribly failed so make sure not to stress and make silly mistakes
4.) Thats all

feels like we all failed chapter but michael and evan clutched up for team score

however, as a reply to the original post, if there's an AMC 10 basics course, i recommend starting with that because typically the intermediate classes are pretty hard especially for people who haven't done the basics course. i actually took the mathcounts/amc8 advanced course, it was actually challenging but with help from the mods i got to finish all my homework on time and it turned out i learned a lot from that one
it really depends on your own skill level though, you might be better than me and could go ahead with amc10 courses

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