Stay ahead of learning milestones! Enroll in a class over the summer!

Contests & Programs AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
3 M G
BBookmark  VNew Topic kLocked
Contests & Programs AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
3 M G
BBookmark  VNew Topic kLocked
G
Topic
First Poster
Last Poster
k a May Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
Yesterday at 11:16 PM
May is an exciting month! National MATHCOUNTS is the second week of May in Washington D.C. and our Founder, Richard Rusczyk will be presenting a seminar, Preparing Strong Math Students for College and Careers, on May 11th.

Are you interested in working towards MATHCOUNTS and don’t know where to start? We have you covered! If you have taken Prealgebra, then you are ready for MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Basics. Already aiming for State or National MATHCOUNTS and harder AMC 8 problems? Then our MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Advanced course is for you.

Summer camps are starting next month at the Virtual Campus in math and language arts that are 2 - to 4 - weeks in duration. Spaces are still available - don’t miss your chance to have an enriching summer experience. There are middle and high school competition math camps as well as Math Beasts camps that review key topics coupled with fun explorations covering areas such as graph theory (Math Beasts Camp 6), cryptography (Math Beasts Camp 7-8), and topology (Math Beasts Camp 8-9)!

Be sure to mark your calendars for the following upcoming events:
[list][*]May 9th, 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, Casework 2: Overwhelming Evidence — A Text Adventure, a game where participants will work together to navigate the map, solve puzzles, and win! All are welcome.
[*]May 19th, 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, What's Next After Beast Academy?, designed for students finishing Beast Academy and ready for Prealgebra 1.
[*]May 20th, 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Mathcamp 2025 Qualifying Quiz Part 1 Math Jam, Problems 1 to 4, join the Canada/USA Mathcamp staff for this exciting Math Jam, where they discuss solutions to Problems 1 to 4 of the 2025 Mathcamp Qualifying Quiz!
[*]May 21st, 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Mathcamp 2025 Qualifying Quiz Part 2 Math Jam, Problems 5 and 6, Canada/USA Mathcamp staff will discuss solutions to Problems 5 and 6 of the 2025 Mathcamp Qualifying Quiz![/list]
Our full course list for upcoming classes is below:
All classes run 7:30pm-8:45pm ET/4:30pm - 5:45pm PT unless otherwise noted.

Introductory: Grades 5-10

Prealgebra 1 Self-Paced

Prealgebra 1
Tuesday, May 13 - Aug 26
Thursday, May 29 - Sep 11
Sunday, Jun 15 - Oct 12
Monday, Jun 30 - Oct 20
Wednesday, Jul 16 - Oct 29

Prealgebra 2 Self-Paced

Prealgebra 2
Wednesday, May 7 - Aug 20
Monday, Jun 2 - Sep 22
Sunday, Jun 29 - Oct 26
Friday, Jul 25 - Nov 21

Introduction to Algebra A Self-Paced

Introduction to Algebra A
Sunday, May 11 - Sep 14 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Wednesday, May 14 - Aug 27
Friday, May 30 - Sep 26
Monday, Jun 2 - Sep 22
Sunday, Jun 15 - Oct 12
Thursday, Jun 26 - Oct 9
Tuesday, Jul 15 - Oct 28

Introduction to Counting & Probability Self-Paced

Introduction to Counting & Probability
Thursday, May 15 - Jul 31
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Wednesday, Jul 9 - Sep 24
Sunday, Jul 27 - Oct 19

Introduction to Number Theory
Friday, May 9 - Aug 1
Wednesday, May 21 - Aug 6
Monday, Jun 9 - Aug 25
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14
Tuesday, Jul 15 - Sep 30

Introduction to Algebra B Self-Paced

Introduction to Algebra B
Tuesday, May 6 - Aug 19
Wednesday, Jun 4 - Sep 17
Sunday, Jun 22 - Oct 19
Friday, Jul 18 - Nov 14

Introduction to Geometry
Sunday, May 11 - Nov 9
Tuesday, May 20 - Oct 28
Monday, Jun 16 - Dec 8
Friday, Jun 20 - Jan 9
Sunday, Jun 29 - Jan 11
Monday, Jul 14 - Jan 19

Paradoxes and Infinity
Mon, Tue, Wed, & Thurs, Jul 14 - Jul 16 (meets every day of the week!)

Intermediate: Grades 8-12

Intermediate Algebra
Sunday, Jun 1 - Nov 23
Tuesday, Jun 10 - Nov 18
Wednesday, Jun 25 - Dec 10
Sunday, Jul 13 - Jan 18
Thursday, Jul 24 - Jan 22

Intermediate Counting & Probability
Wednesday, May 21 - Sep 17
Sunday, Jun 22 - Nov 2

Intermediate Number Theory
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Wednesday, Jun 18 - Sep 3

Precalculus
Friday, May 16 - Oct 24
Sunday, Jun 1 - Nov 9
Monday, Jun 30 - Dec 8

Advanced: Grades 9-12

Olympiad Geometry
Tuesday, Jun 10 - Aug 26

Calculus
Tuesday, May 27 - Nov 11
Wednesday, Jun 25 - Dec 17

Group Theory
Thursday, Jun 12 - Sep 11

Contest Preparation: Grades 6-12

MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Basics
Friday, May 23 - Aug 15
Monday, Jun 2 - Aug 18
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Advanced
Sunday, May 11 - Aug 10
Tuesday, May 27 - Aug 12
Wednesday, Jun 11 - Aug 27
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

AMC 10 Problem Series
Friday, May 9 - Aug 1
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Tuesday, Jun 17 - Sep 2
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Monday, Jun 23 - Sep 15
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

AMC 10 Final Fives
Sunday, May 11 - Jun 8
Tuesday, May 27 - Jun 17
Monday, Jun 30 - Jul 21

AMC 12 Problem Series
Tuesday, May 27 - Aug 12
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Wednesday, Aug 6 - Oct 22

AMC 12 Final Fives
Sunday, May 18 - Jun 15

AIME Problem Series A
Thursday, May 22 - Jul 31

AIME Problem Series B
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21

F=ma Problem Series
Wednesday, Jun 11 - Aug 27

WOOT Programs
Visit the pages linked for full schedule details for each of these programs!


MathWOOT Level 1
MathWOOT Level 2
ChemWOOT
CodeWOOT
PhysicsWOOT

Programming

Introduction to Programming with Python
Thursday, May 22 - Aug 7
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Tuesday, Jun 17 - Sep 2
Monday, Jun 30 - Sep 22

Intermediate Programming with Python
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Monday, Jun 30 - Sep 22

USACO Bronze Problem Series
Tuesday, May 13 - Jul 29
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 1

Physics

Introduction to Physics
Wednesday, May 21 - Aug 6
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14
Monday, Jun 23 - Sep 15

Physics 1: Mechanics
Thursday, May 22 - Oct 30
Monday, Jun 23 - Dec 15

Relativity
Mon, Tue, Wed & Thurs, Jun 23 - Jun 26 (meets every day of the week!)
0 replies
jlacosta
Yesterday at 11:16 PM
0 replies
k i Adding contests to the Contest Collections
dcouchman   1
N Apr 5, 2023 by v_Enhance
Want to help AoPS remain a valuable Olympiad resource? Help us add contests to AoPS's Contest Collections.

Find instructions and a list of contests to add here: https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c40244h1064480_contests_to_add
1 reply
dcouchman
Sep 9, 2019
v_Enhance
Apr 5, 2023
k i Zero tolerance
ZetaX   49
N May 4, 2019 by NoDealsHere
Source: Use your common sense! (enough is enough)
Some users don't want to learn, some other simply ignore advises.
But please follow the following guideline:


To make it short: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!
If you don't have common sense, don't post.


More specifically:

For new threads:


a) Good, meaningful title:
The title has to say what the problem is about in best way possible.
If that title occured already, it's definitely bad. And contest names aren't good either.
That's in fact a requirement for being able to search old problems.

Examples:
Bad titles:
- "Hard"/"Medium"/"Easy" (if you find it so cool how hard/easy it is, tell it in the post and use a title that tells us the problem)
- "Number Theory" (hey guy, guess why this forum's named that way¿ and is it the only such problem on earth¿)
- "Fibonacci" (there are millions of Fibonacci problems out there, all posted and named the same...)
- "Chinese TST 2003" (does this say anything about the problem¿)
Good titles:
- "On divisors of a³+2b³+4c³-6abc"
- "Number of solutions to x²+y²=6z²"
- "Fibonacci numbers are never squares"


b) Use search function:
Before posting a "new" problem spend at least two, better five, minutes to look if this problem was posted before. If it was, don't repost it. If you have anything important to say on topic, post it in one of the older threads.
If the thread is locked cause of this, use search function.

Update (by Amir Hossein). The best way to search for two keywords in AoPS is to input
[code]+"first keyword" +"second keyword"[/code]
so that any post containing both strings "first word" and "second form".


c) Good problem statement:
Some recent really bad post was:
[quote]$lim_{n\to 1}^{+\infty}\frac{1}{n}-lnn$[/quote]
It contains no question and no answer.
If you do this, too, you are on the best way to get your thread deleted. Write everything clearly, define where your variables come from (and define the "natural" numbers if used). Additionally read your post at least twice before submitting. After you sent it, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.


For answers to already existing threads:


d) Of any interest and with content:
Don't post things that are more trivial than completely obvious. For example, if the question is to solve $x^{3}+y^{3}=z^{3}$, do not answer with "$x=y=z=0$ is a solution" only. Either you post any kind of proof or at least something unexpected (like "$x=1337, y=481, z=42$ is the smallest solution). Someone that does not see that $x=y=z=0$ is a solution of the above without your post is completely wrong here, this is an IMO-level forum.
Similar, posting "I have solved this problem" but not posting anything else is not welcome; it even looks that you just want to show off what a genius you are.

e) Well written and checked answers:
Like c) for new threads, check your solutions at least twice for mistakes. And after sending, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.



To repeat it: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!


Everything definitely out of range of common sense will be locked or deleted (exept for new users having less than about 42 posts, they are newbies and need/get some time to learn).

The above rules will be applied from next monday (5. march of 2007).
Feel free to discuss on this here.
49 replies
ZetaX
Feb 27, 2007
NoDealsHere
May 4, 2019
Mathcounts state
happymoose666   34
N 4 minutes ago by ZMB038
Hi everyone,
I just have a question. I live in PA and I sadly didn't make it to nationals this year. Is PA a competitive state? I'm new into mathcounts and not sure
34 replies
happymoose666
Mar 24, 2025
ZMB038
4 minutes ago
Math Kangaroo 2025 Thread
FuturePanda   3
N 7 minutes ago by Ashleyandxin
Are we allowed to discuss scores and problems yet? If so, we can start here.
3 replies
FuturePanda
Today at 3:34 AM
Ashleyandxin
7 minutes ago
purple comet discussion
ConfidentKoala4   11
N 23 minutes ago by ConfidentKoala4
when can we discuss purple comet
11 replies
ConfidentKoala4
3 hours ago
ConfidentKoala4
23 minutes ago
Increments and Decrements in Square Grid
ike.chen   23
N an hour ago by Andyexists
Source: ISL 2022/C3
In each square of a garden shaped like a $2022 \times 2022$ board, there is initially a tree of height $0$. A gardener and a lumberjack alternate turns playing the following game, with the gardener taking the first turn:
[list]
[*] The gardener chooses a square in the garden. Each tree on that square and all the surrounding squares (of which there are at most eight) then becomes one unit taller.
[*] The lumberjack then chooses four different squares on the board. Each tree of positive height on those squares then becomes one unit shorter.
[/list]
We say that a tree is majestic if its height is at least $10^6$. Determine the largest $K$ such that the gardener can ensure there are eventually $K$ majestic trees on the board, no matter how the lumberjack plays.
23 replies
ike.chen
Jul 9, 2023
Andyexists
an hour ago
4-var inequality
RainbowNeos   5
N 2 hours ago by RainbowNeos
Given $a,b,c,d>0$, show that
\[\frac{a}{b}+\frac{b}{c}+\frac{c}{d}+\frac{d}{a}\geq 4+\frac{8(a-c)^2}{(a+b+c+d)^2}.\]
5 replies
RainbowNeos
Yesterday at 9:31 AM
RainbowNeos
2 hours ago
Hard diophant equation
MuradSafarli   2
N 2 hours ago by MuradSafarli
Find all positive integers $x, y, z, t$ such that the equation

$$
2017^x + 6^y + 2^z = 2025^t
$$
is satisfied.
2 replies
MuradSafarli
3 hours ago
MuradSafarli
2 hours ago
An almost identity polynomial
nAalniaOMliO   6
N 2 hours ago by Primeniyazidayi
Source: Belarusian National Olympiad 2025
Let $n$ be a positive integer and $P(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients such that $P(1)=1,P(2)=2,\ldots,P(n)=n$.
Prove that $P(0)$ is divisible by $2 \cdot 3 \cdot \ldots \cdot n$.
6 replies
nAalniaOMliO
Mar 28, 2025
Primeniyazidayi
2 hours ago
Euler's function
luutrongphuc   2
N 3 hours ago by KevinYang2.71
Find all real numbers \(\alpha\) such that for every positive real \(c\), there exists an integer \(n>1\) satisfying
\[
\frac{\varphi(n!)}{n^\alpha\,(n-1)!} \;>\; c.
\]
2 replies
luutrongphuc
5 hours ago
KevinYang2.71
3 hours ago
Wot n' Minimization
y-is-the-best-_   25
N 3 hours ago by john0512
Source: IMO SL 2019 A3
Let $n \geqslant 3$ be a positive integer and let $\left(a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n}\right)$ be a strictly increasing sequence of $n$ positive real numbers with sum equal to 2. Let $X$ be a subset of $\{1,2, \ldots, n\}$ such that the value of
\[
\left|1-\sum_{i \in X} a_{i}\right|
\]is minimised. Prove that there exists a strictly increasing sequence of $n$ positive real numbers $\left(b_{1}, b_{2}, \ldots, b_{n}\right)$ with sum equal to 2 such that
\[
\sum_{i \in X} b_{i}=1.
\]
25 replies
y-is-the-best-_
Sep 23, 2020
john0512
3 hours ago
Line AT passes through either S_1 or S_2
v_Enhance   88
N 3 hours ago by bjump
Source: USA December TST for 57th IMO 2016, Problem 2
Let $ABC$ be a scalene triangle with circumcircle $\Omega$, and suppose the incircle of $ABC$ touches $BC$ at $D$. The angle bisector of $\angle A$ meets $BC$ and $\Omega$ at $E$ and $F$. The circumcircle of $\triangle DEF$ intersects the $A$-excircle at $S_1$, $S_2$, and $\Omega$ at $T \neq F$. Prove that line $AT$ passes through either $S_1$ or $S_2$.

Proposed by Evan Chen
88 replies
v_Enhance
Dec 21, 2015
bjump
3 hours ago
Inequality with a,b,c
GeoMorocco   4
N 3 hours ago by Natrium
Source: Morocco Training
Let $   a,b,c   $ be positive real numbers such that : $   ab+bc+ca=3   $ . Prove that : $$\frac{\sqrt{1+a^2}}{1+ab}+\frac{\sqrt{1+b^2}}{1+bc}+\frac{\sqrt{1+c^2}}{1+ca}\ge \sqrt{\frac{3(a+b+c)}{2}}$$
4 replies
GeoMorocco
Apr 11, 2025
Natrium
3 hours ago
Units Digit of Monomial/Exponent
worthawholebean   20
N 3 hours ago by SomeonecoolLovesMaths
Source: AMC 12 2008A Problem 15
Let $ k=2008^2+2^{2008}$. What is the units digit of $ k^2+2^k$?

$ \textbf{(A)}\ 0 \qquad
\textbf{(B)}\ 2 \qquad
\textbf{(C)}\ 4 \qquad
\textbf{(D)}\ 6 \qquad
\textbf{(E)}\ 8$
20 replies
worthawholebean
Feb 17, 2008
SomeonecoolLovesMaths
3 hours ago
China Northern MO 2009 p4 CNMO
parkjungmin   1
N 3 hours ago by WallyWalrus
Source: China Northern MO 2009 p4 CNMO P4
The problem is too difficult.
1 reply
parkjungmin
Apr 30, 2025
WallyWalrus
3 hours ago
Polynomial Squares
zacchro   26
N 3 hours ago by Mathandski
Source: USA December TST for IMO 2017, Problem 3, by Alison Miller
Let $P, Q \in \mathbb{R}[x]$ be relatively prime nonconstant polynomials. Show that there can be at most three real numbers $\lambda$ such that $P + \lambda Q$ is the square of a polynomial.

Alison Miller
26 replies
zacchro
Dec 11, 2016
Mathandski
3 hours ago
Deciding between Ross and HCSSiM
akliu   27
N Apr 21, 2025 by scinderella220
Hey! I got accepted into Ross Indiana, and I think I'll probably also get accepted into HCSSiM. I've been looking between the two camps, and I'm trying to decide which one to go to -- both seem like really fun options.

Instead of trying to explain my personal preferences and thought processes, I thought it might be a good idea to ask the community for their personal opinions on these camps. What are some things that you like or dislike about both camps? (Whether it be through personal experience or by word-of-mouth, but please specify if it's just something you've heard)

This will probably help me be more informed on making a final decision, so I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance!
27 replies
akliu
Apr 18, 2025
scinderella220
Apr 21, 2025
Deciding between Ross and HCSSiM
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
akliu
1800 posts
#1 • 12 Y
Y by Cattus1221, lpieleanu, jkim0656, Alex-131, justJen, EpicBird08, littlefox_amc, blueprimes, deduck, Exponent11, alan9535, aidan0626
Hey! I got accepted into Ross Indiana, and I think I'll probably also get accepted into HCSSiM. I've been looking between the two camps, and I'm trying to decide which one to go to -- both seem like really fun options.

Instead of trying to explain my personal preferences and thought processes, I thought it might be a good idea to ask the community for their personal opinions on these camps. What are some things that you like or dislike about both camps? (Whether it be through personal experience or by word-of-mouth, but please specify if it's just something you've heard)

This will probably help me be more informed on making a final decision, so I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance!
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by akliu, Apr 18, 2025, 6:20 PM
Reason: probably definitely
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Inaaya
307 posts
#2 • 3 Y
Y by pi-ay, Exponent11, RocketScientist
Imagine being so orz you have to choose between two extremely prestigious math camps to attend
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
boaway123
18 posts
#3 • 7 Y
Y by Danielzh, lpieleanu, Alex-131, akliu, Exponent11, alan9535, palindrome868
Luckily I attended both of these programs, so I can give you some insight. However, things might have changed since I attended these programs a while back, but for the most part it seems accurate from what I've heard recently about them both.

HCSSiM starts off with three-week “workshops,” where you learn the core curriculum — first semester undergraduate courses in number theory, abstract algebra, combinatorics/graph theory, and set theory. These courses are quite comprehensive and will leave you with a solid background for more advanced mathematics and the second half of the program. Although the workshop will start off easy and things will seem familiar to you (for example, most of workshop was familiar to my friends and I), the problem sets are quite fun and do get very challenging. In addition, HCSSiM is very intensive — four hours of workshop in the morning, one hour of Prime Time Theorem (which are daily talks given on advanced math topics. Some examples I remember are knot invariants, Minkowski’s theorem, math behind machine learning, and many graph theory/combinatorics ones ), three hours of problem set solving in the evening. In addition, during the first three weeks, there’s usually a quasi (i.e, course) on another core math subject, I believe complex analysis or point-set topology.

The next three weeks of HCSSiM are when you split into Maxis and Minis. You choose one Maxi course and two Mini courses. The Maxi course usually corresponds to a one semester course in the given subject, while the Minis are shorter and hence mainly for exposure. It’s basically guaranteed that you will find something (if not everything!) completely new to you, so there should be no worries about being bored or not challenged enough. Some examples of Maxi courses from recent years (IIRC) are information theory, combinatorial geometry, algebraic topology, topological graph theory, an axiomatic approach to probability, dynamical systems, and many more. Maxi is a lot of fun, and again both the lectures and problem sets are super engaging. The minis are also fun, short courses (very similar to the format of Mathcamp classes). Again there’s a ton of variety, off the top of my head, Galois theory, algebraic geometry, algebraic combinatorics, peg solitaire, category theory, and many more.

I also attended Ross, which I personally didn’t enjoy as much as HCSSiM. I do believe, however, that Ross is a very solid introduction to proof-based mathematics and introductory number theory. I did have a lot of background coming into Ross/HCSSiM, and so I honestly didn’t learn much from Ross. Also, Ross only has one 1 hour daily lecture on number theory, and the entire rest of the day is left to work on the problem sets, which start from the very axioms. There’s also some advanced courses, colloquia, dorm lectures, etc, but tbh the psets consume most of your time, and the focus most definitely isn’t on advanced courses.

So, I’d recommend you to attend HCSSiM if you are looking to learn A LOT of super cool math while also becoming very comfortable with the core (intro number theory, abs alg, set theory, graph theory). However, I’d recommend you to attend Ross if you want to solely hone your proof-writing background and have a very axiomatic approach to number theory.
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by boaway123, Apr 18, 2025, 6:46 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
akliu
1800 posts
#4
Y by
I've heard that HCSSiM was more "chill" than Ross was, and that it serves as a really good camp for Junior/Senior year when you're transitioning into the college application grind and you have a lot less time for stuff. How true would you say that is -- do you think any camp of the two is particularly more suited to my grade level (10th), or not really?
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
boaway123
18 posts
#5 • 4 Y
Y by akliu, lpieleanu, Alex-131, alan9535
Definitely not, as I mentioned, HCSSiM is very intensive. Ross is probably the most chill camp in my opinion, since you don't really have to do anything. There were many unmotivated people who solely came for college apps in my year, and I know several people in my year at Ross who did less than 4 problem sets through out the entire program (however, there are many good and passionate people also lol). In my year of HCSSiM, everyone was very passionate, motivated, and friendly.

Again, grade doesn't really mean much, moreso your mathematical maturity. If you are comfortable with proofs then I'd highly recommend going to HCSSiM, but if you are looking to gain more exposure to proof-based mathematics then go to Ross.

Also, wrt social activities, HCSSiM has a lot more fun activities going on. Ross you can basically always hang out with your friends, but theres not really any "organized" fun stuff going on outside of Ultimate and card games. At HCSSiM, we had things like a Boston trip, hiking, a lot of activities at the director's house, nail painting, contra dancing, crochet, t-shirt painting, ice cream, movie nights, Ultimate games, Yellow Pigs day, etc. This might be highly dependent on my year also, but HCSSiM seemed a lot more open and friendly (everybody talked to everybody), while Ross seemed to dissolve into cliques very quickly.
This post has been edited 3 times. Last edited by boaway123, Apr 18, 2025, 4:38 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
akliu
1800 posts
#6
Y by
By being comfortable with proofs, would you say having exposure to olympiad math would be sufficient? Stuff like proof techniques, but not that much work doing research or stuff like that.
Quote:
Ross is probably the most chill camp in my opinion, since you don't really have to do anything. There were many unmotivated people who solely came for college apps in my year, and I know several people in my year at Ross who did less than 4 problem sets through out the entire program (however, there are many good and passionate people also lol).

That's great to know; this is making me want to go to HCSSiM a ton lol
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
jkim0656
1009 posts
#7
Y by
how are these ppl so orz that they cant choose which math camp to go to :omighty:
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
boaway123
18 posts
#8 • 2 Y
Y by akliu, Danielzh
akliu wrote:
By being comfortable with proofs, would you say having exposure to olympiad math would be sufficient? Stuff like proof techniques, but not that much work doing research or stuff like that.
Quote:
Ross is probably the most chill camp in my opinion, since you don't really have to do anything. There were many unmotivated people who solely came for college apps in my year, and I know several people in my year at Ross who did less than 4 problem sets through out the entire program (however, there are many good and passionate people also lol).

That's great to know; this is making me want to go to HCSSiM a ton lol

Yea, essentially (definitely not research lol). Just exposure and a solid level of comfort with things you'd find in a standard "Discrete Math" course. Like basics of set theory (union, intersection, subset, power set, etc), functions (injective/bijective/surjective, composition, inverses), proof techniques (direct proof, contrapositive proof, contradiction, casework, induction, disproof), basic number theory (divisibility, primes, Euclidean algorithm, modular arithmetic), and basic combinatorics (php, counting arguments).

You definitely don't need to know all of these, but the point just was that if you are even somewhat comfortable with these, then HCSSiM is a better option than Ross. I thought myself that I was quite familiar with these topics (as I was well-versed with Olympiads and also took a college-level Discrete Math course), but even then, HCSSiM's workshop was still a lot of fun and quite challenging.
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by boaway123, Apr 18, 2025, 4:43 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
akliu
1800 posts
#9
Y by
That sounds really fun, thanks for all the help c:

I'd definitely like to also hear a different opinion though, did anyone like Ross more than HCSSiM?
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Danielzh
492 posts
#10
Y by
In terms of fun-ness, I looked over the HCSSiM program last year, and it seemed very fun! Plus I also visited the campus in person (i was accepted but couldn't go) and it's really, really peaceful, open, and honestly perfect for a math camp. The only downside from a first impression I got was that it seemed like there were few buildings you can actually study/do math in — I'm sure there's more, it's just what I saw in one hour or so.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
boaway123
18 posts
#11 • 1 Y
Y by Danielzh
Danielzh wrote:
In terms of fun-ness, I looked over the HCSSiM program last year, and it seemed very fun! Plus I also visited the campus in person (i was accepted but couldn't go) and it's really, really peaceful, open, and honestly perfect for a math camp. The only downside from a first impression I got was that it seemed like there were few buildings you can actually study/do math in — I'm sure there's more, it's just what I saw in one hour or so.

Yea, campus is also very beautiful. The dorms are singles too and bathrooms are just singles that you share with only three other people.

Most people used the Student Center (Kern) to study, which is a new, air-conditioned building with food, tables, bean bags, whiteboards, etc. There's also a couple other nooks that you can study or meet up with your friends in, I don't really remember the names lol but usually it's easy to discover them :P.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
MathWinner121
472 posts
#12
Y by
akliu wrote:
Hey! I got accepted into Ross Indiana, and I think I'll probably also get accepted into HCSSiM. I've been looking between the two camps, and I'm trying to decide which one to go to -- both seem like really fun options.

Instead of trying to explain my personal preferences and thought processes, I thought it might be a good idea to ask the community for their personal opinions on these camps. What are some things that you like or dislike about both camps? (Whether it be through personal experience or by word-of-mouth, but please specify if it's just something you've heard)

This will probably help me be more informed on making a final decision, so I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance!

Imagine being so orz.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
rushingriver
112 posts
#13 • 4 Y
Y by akliu, boaway123, alan9535, mathfan2020
hello! i'm seconding everything that the other poster has mentioned as a participant of both of these programs. i personally, also enjoyed HCSSiM a good deal more, both the math and the environment/people. more on that, i'd say that the structure (and lack of) of HCSSiM/Ross were a big factor in my experiences. this isn't inherently a good/bad thing, but just because HCSSiM has 8+ hours of collaborative math time/classes built into its schedule, you'll spend so much more time with other students in the program. i feel like the people at Ross weren't as connected, just because we were only spending like an together in morning lecture. i also 100% agree with the "everyone talks to everyone" nature of HCSSiM vs the more disjointed social scene at Ross, this was noticeable in my years as well. i also feel like my friendships at HCSSiM were a lot stronger, even two years out i'm still in touch with those friends. that said, at the end of the day, both programs will surround you with amazing, like-minded peers, but the flavor of the interactions and communities were definitely different.

math-wise, i'd agree that HCSSiM offers a lot more breadth, i learned so much math that i had previously never even heard of. Ross is more "traditional", if that's the right word; you get a really in-depth look at number theory from the axioms up. the problem sets do a great job of this, and it really helped me appreciate number theory more in general - instead of seeing the polished final results of theorems or formulas, you get to "get your hands dirty" in proving them, which is really awesome.

and just a bit on the campuses: Rose Hulman and Hampshire College are both really nice, open, walkable places. RHIT has a ton of study areas, you can basically go anywhere in the lecture hall building to pset and work, and a beautiful building called the Union (with a foosball and pool table!!) Hampshire College is also really close to Atkins, this really awesome farm market with an ice cream store attached.

lastly, big congrats on this achievement - rest assured that you really can't go wrong with either of them, both are wonderful programs!
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
akliu
1800 posts
#14
Y by
Thank you so much for your input!!! This is getting me super excited for this summer C:
As another final question:

I discussed my ideas with my parents; I'm completely for going to HCSSiM over Ross, and I have been for a couple weeks ever since I got that really nice admissions email. However, they keep bringing up the idea that Ross is more prestigious than HCSSiM, and that I should go to Ross instead.

Don't worry, I don't need that character development talk :P I personally don't value going to a more prestigious place over something that I find more valuable, so they can complain all they want. However, are these claims about prestige even true at all in the first place? I did some Googling just so they could stop making this point, but I couldn't find any actual source that supported this, aside from the general personal memory that I knew of Ross before HCSSiM.
This post has been edited 5 times. Last edited by akliu, Apr 18, 2025, 6:33 PM
Reason: wow i suck at writing
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
KevinChen_Yay
236 posts
#15 • 1 Y
Y by akliu
@above good decision bro, have fun! and maybe see u at HCSSiM if i make it and decide to go :)
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
boaway123
18 posts
#16 • 1 Y
Y by akliu
akliu wrote:
Thank you so much for your input!!! This is getting me super excited for this summer C:
As another final question:

I discussed my ideas with my parents; I'm completely for going to HCSSiM over Ross, and I have been for a couple weeks ever since I got that really nice admissions email. However, they keep bringing up the idea that Ross is more prestigious than HCSSiM, and that I should go to Ross instead.

Don't worry, I don't need that character development talk :P I personally don't value going to a more prestigious place over something that I find more valuable, so they can complain all they want. However, are these claims about prestige even true at all in the first place? I did some Googling just so they could stop making this point, but I couldn't find any actual source that supported this, aside from the general personal memory that I knew of Ross before HCSSiM.

I don't think so at all. I'm not sure how "prestige" is defined exactly, but if it's college acceptances, then based on the last four years of the programs, the placement for Ross and HCSSiM are near identical (I think HCSSiM's placements are better overall). In addition, Ross is a bigger program and has a higher acceptance rate, while HCSSiM's acceptance rate is quite low. Generally, {HCSSiM, Canada/USA Mathcamp, SUMaC, PROMYS, Ross} are all on the same level of "prestige" with respect to college apps -- all are well-recognized as very good math programs.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
clearcrystal1900
5 posts
#17 • 1 Y
Y by akliu
Just a short response from me since I think boaway123 gives a lot of helpful context already.

I went to both, HCSSiM in 2022 and Ross in 2023. For me personally, I think if you're not sure what you want to do with math yet, go to HCSSiM. You will meet those in a similar situation -- curious and eager to learn, but perhaps unsure if you want to seriously research math or maybe explore some adjacent field. HCSSiM is great in that it's very well- structured for this purpose. They sit you down and walk through so much cool math, making sure you're always engaged. There are also lots of well-organized bonding activities which I wish Ross had more of.

Ross is for the serious and disciplined math student. The entire program is centered around problem sets, which they don't force you to do -- what you put in is exactly what you get out. There's only one hour of lecture everyday (most of which is trivial if you're relatively fast with the problem sets). The people here are more serious as well, and most will come from either an extensive research or competition background (neither of which are particularly helpful by the way, you won't be disadvantaged if you don't have either). Frisbee every night is so fun, please go.

Hope that helps a bit, you'll have fun wherever you go!
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
mathnerd_101
1496 posts
#18
Y by
Quote:
Ross is probably the most chill camp in my opinion, since you don't really have to do anything.

I have heard people have literally cried from doing too many problems at Ross... but ok I mean you've gone before so I'll take your word for it lol
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Alpaca31415
12 posts
#19
Y by
I got rejected from both HCSSiM and Ross:(
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
akliu
1800 posts
#20
Y by
Alpaca31415 wrote:
I got rejected from both HCSSiM and Ross:(

:c its okay there's always next year
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
rejuvenate
86 posts
#21
Y by
akliu wrote:
Alpaca31415 wrote:
I got rejected from both HCSSiM and Ross:(

:c its okay there's always next year

not if you are a senior?? can you think before u comment
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by rejuvenate, Apr 18, 2025, 11:27 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
mathnerd_101
1496 posts
#22 • 2 Y
Y by dppvlit123, elasticwealth
Bro can you calm down before you comment? Do note that akliu has NO idea who this Alpaca31415 kid is, and there's NO mention of it either.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Alpaca31415
12 posts
#23
Y by
Its okay im in 9th chill out
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
HowYou
2 posts
#24 • 4 Y
Y by boaway123, Danielzh, akliu, scinderella220
akliu wrote:
I've heard that HCSSiM was more "chill" than Ross was, and that it serves as a really good camp for Junior/Senior year when you're transitioning into the college application grind and you have a lot less time for stuff. How true would you say that is -- do you think any camp of the two is particularly more suited to my grade level (10th), or not really?

Hi, I attended HCSSiM 2024 though I haven't attended Ross before, but I'd still like to provide my personal opinions of the program because I really enjoyed my 6 weeks there.
My answer to the question above is that you'll most certainly never run out of mathematical material to ponder. Workshop sessions/maxi's leave with lots of open-ended questions/rabbit holes to explore so that anyone burning to learn more can discover cool things for themselves outside of class. Moreover, you aren't ever expected to finish every problem on the daily problem sets (because it would be pretty boring if you ran out of math). However, you are allowed and encouraged to keep thinking about the problems you didn't solve and did solve outside of problem sessions. There's also a math library filled with so many books on interesting topics that I spent a lot of time in. Speaking personally, one of my most exciting moments throughout the program was when I stumbled into something super cool in my dorm after quiet hour. Ultimately, the amount that you get out of the program is a function of how much effort you put in, so I wouldn't worry about the program being too mathematically "chill." That being said, you also don't have to worry about the program being not chill enough as long as you're willing to do lots of exciting math (which you presumably are?).
Hopefully this helps!
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by HowYou, Apr 19, 2025, 1:47 AM
Reason: im bad at writing
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
boaway123
18 posts
#25 • 1 Y
Y by akliu
clearcrystal1900 wrote:
Just a short response from me since I think boaway123 gives a lot of helpful context already.

I went to both, HCSSiM in 2022 and Ross in 2023. For me personally, I think if you're not sure what you want to do with math yet, go to HCSSiM. You will meet those in a similar situation -- curious and eager to learn, but perhaps unsure if you want to seriously research math or maybe explore some adjacent field. HCSSiM is great in that it's very well- structured for this purpose. They sit you down and walk through so much cool math, making sure you're always engaged. There are also lots of well-organized bonding activities which I wish Ross had more of.

Ross is for the serious and disciplined math student. The entire program is centered around problem sets, which they don't force you to do -- what you put in is exactly what you get out. There's only one hour of lecture everyday (most of which is trivial if you're relatively fast with the problem sets). The people here are more serious as well, and most will come from either an extensive research or competition background (neither of which are particularly helpful by the way, you won't be disadvantaged if you don't have either). Frisbee every night is so fun, please go.

Hope that helps a bit, you'll have fun wherever you go!

Hm, I feel kind of opposite. At least for me, no one in my year at Ross had legitimate math research experience (aside from paid programs, which are no good and just filler) or much experience with higher math (asides from the basics, like discrete math). But in general, it's very hard for high schoolers to do math research, so this is kind of an aside. Most people were also at the AIME level competition wise, and there were a few Olympiad qualifiers (again not that this matters). I also felt the students at Ross were on average not as dedicated and passionate as the ones at HCSSiM (of course, not trying to generalize, as there were many students who worked very hard and were very passionate). A lot of the people seemed to just want to chill and hang out lol, and math was a second. But at HCSSiM, everyone was dedicated during all 8 hours of math daily, and even wanted to discuss math and problems after problem hours, during lunch, and during breaks.

But yea, I very much agree that what you put in is exactly what you get out of Ross.
mathnerd_101 wrote:
Quote:
Ross is probably the most chill camp in my opinion, since you don't really have to do anything.

I have heard people have literally cried from doing too many problems at Ross... but ok I mean you've gone before so I'll take your word for it lol

I've never heard of this frankly, but it seems like something of the past (back when Ross was super strict).
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by boaway123, Apr 19, 2025, 2:19 AM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
akliu
1800 posts
#26 • 6 Y
Y by Danielzh, HowYou, lpieleanu, Alex-131, scinderella220, aidan0626
Thanks so much for the advice everyone!

I was finally able to convince my parents to let me attend HCSSiM if I get accepted, which I'm hoping will happen based on the additional information email.

Super excited for this summer! c:
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by akliu, Apr 19, 2025, 6:45 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Borisaurus
8 posts
#27 • 1 Y
Y by akliu
akliu wrote:
Thanks so much for the advice everyone!

I was finally able to convince my parents to let me attend HCSSiM if I get accepted, which I'm hoping will happen based on the additional information email.

Super excited for this summer! c:

Congrats! I sadly got rejected this year but have fun!!!
I wish you the best!
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Borisaurus, Apr 19, 2025, 6:51 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
scinderella220
1198 posts
#28 • 2 Y
Y by akliu, boaway123
akliu wrote:
Thanks so much for the advice everyone!

I was finally able to convince my parents to let me attend HCSSiM if I get accepted, which I'm hoping will happen based on the additional information email.

Super excited for this summer! c:

yayyy welcome to the yellow pig community! :-D
Z K Y
N Quick Reply
G
H
=
a