Y by BS2012, Exponent11, hsuya1, KevinYang2.71, llddmmtt1, aidan0626, Andyluo, resources, jkim0656, blueprimes, DhruvJha, lpieleanu, MathPerson12321, Jack_w, DarintheBoy, elasticwealth, eg4334, nguyenducmanh2705
Yeah. I missed USAJMO. And after today, I’m not even surprised anymore. Just disappointed. Because the rumors were true: USAMTS did raise the bar, even though we were told it wouldn’t.
Look at the numbers—292 qualifiers this year, nearly identical to last year’s count. But wait, wasn’t there a new batch of ~50 USAMTS qualifiers added to the pool this year.
That means that ~40-50 people more people would have made USA(J)MO if USMATS didn't lie to us.
That did not age well.
Whether it was intentional misdirection or just poor communication, the outcome’s the same: a bunch of us got blindsided. Those extra USAMTS spots didn’t expand the pool—they just squeezed the rest of us out. And the worst part? No transparency. No real explanation. Just a silent shift and a cutoff that doesn’t add up.
It’s frustrating. I worked hard. I hit a score that, any other year, would’ve cleared the bar. But this year? The bar moved. And we were told it wouldn’t.
So yeah, I’m calling it what it is: misleading.
And for everyone who feels robbed right now: you’re not alone.
Look at the numbers—292 qualifiers this year, nearly identical to last year’s count. But wait, wasn’t there a new batch of ~50 USAMTS qualifiers added to the pool this year.
That means that ~40-50 people more people would have made USA(J)MO if USMATS didn't lie to us.
bedwards wrote:
I reached out to the MAA and they said that the AMC + AIME index will be determined normally, and then the additional students who qualify via the USAMTS -specific pathway will be added later.
That did not age well.
Whether it was intentional misdirection or just poor communication, the outcome’s the same: a bunch of us got blindsided. Those extra USAMTS spots didn’t expand the pool—they just squeezed the rest of us out. And the worst part? No transparency. No real explanation. Just a silent shift and a cutoff that doesn’t add up.
It’s frustrating. I worked hard. I hit a score that, any other year, would’ve cleared the bar. But this year? The bar moved. And we were told it wouldn’t.
So yeah, I’m calling it what it is: misleading.
And for everyone who feels robbed right now: you’re not alone.