Math Prize for Girls: 6 Reasons to Compete
Math Prize for Girls is one of the most popular math competitions for women in the country. Every fall, 250-300 young female mathematicians will gather at MIT to complete the challenging test to win cash prizes.
Math Prize for Girls is the largest math prize for girls in the world. The objective of organizing the Math Prize is to promote gender equity in STEM professions and to encourage academically strong young women to become mathematical and scientific leaders.
In this article, we will outline 6 reasons to apply to this competition and why it will benefit you, alongside information about the Math Prize for Girls, including eligibility, location, dates, and deadlines.
About Math Prize for Girls
Where is Math Prize held every year?
While the competition was first held at NYU in 2012, the competition is usually held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge.
What is the cost of attending the Math Prize?
While there is no application or participation fee, you are responsible for travel, hotel, and food costs for the weekend.
MIT provides a list of possible places to stay, which you can refer to here!
Who is eligible to participate in Math Prize?
To qualify for Math Prize 2023, students must be in 11th grade or below (as of February 2023), identify as female in gender identity, live in the United States or Canada, and have taken an official administration of the AMC 10 or AMC 12 exam.
Math Prize uses your scores from the AMC exams to determine the top 300 participants. Therefore, in order to apply, you’d either have to take the AMC 10A or 10B (for 10th graders and below) or the AMC 12 (for 12th graders and below). For the 2023 competition, you must take the November 2022 session of the AMC Math Exam.
Note: If you hold US citizenship or have permanent resident status but don’t currently reside in America or Canada, you can still apply to Math Prize for Girls. However, the program may require additional documentation, which you must inquire about.
When is the deadline to apply for Math Prize?
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can complete the online application, which will open in February 2023 (for the Summer 2023 competition).
The deadline for the application is May 31, 2023, and you will be informed of the result by July 1st. The competition dates vary, but in 2022, Math Prize was held on October 8th and 9th.
6 Reasons to Compete in Math Prize for Girls
1. You will gain recognition at a national level
Math Prize for Girls has gained prestige over the years due to its rigorous selection process, the involvement of prominent mathematicians, and the collaboration with Harvard University’s Department of Mathematics. Math Prize for Girls is sponsored by MIT, Wolfram, and Math Camp (another prestigious math program!). Each sponsor is renowned, which only furthers the value of the Math Prize.
The value associated with Math Prize showcases the tough competition. Therefore, getting an award (or even participating) in Math Prize shows your academic talent, especially since it is a national competition. This is an excellent indicator to universities that you have the dedication to cope with the academic rigor of university!
2. You will receive multiple opportunities to showcase your math skills
The competition presents a set of challenging math problems that aim to test your problem-solving skills. Through participating, you’ll be testing your mathematical abilities and pushing your boundaries.
This would be a unique opportunity to write about in college applications as it outlines a time when you have gone past traditional classroom opportunities to challenge yourself among other talented young women. Moreover, it signals your deep interest in your subject and your willingness to expand your knowledge by delving into complex mathematical concepts presented in the test.
3. You will meet other women in STEM and have the chance to network with them
Due to its rigorous selection process, Math Camp for Girls will only have the leading minds in mathematics, and you can interact with them for a weekend! Moreover, the panel of judges or previous alumni invited to talk are also respected in their industries. Networking at Math Prize for Girls is helpful for letters of recommendation and future job prospects.
Math Prize to Girls aims to foster interest in math and science by providing a community for women to connect over shared interests. Emma Kerwin, a previous participant in Math Prize, talks about how the event's main focus was finding other girls with similar interests. With STEM being a male-dominated field, Math Prize is an opportunity for you to create a supportive community of like-minded individuals!
4. Interact with prominent mathematicians and receive mentorship
Apart from the exam itself, Math Prize hosts alum talks and guest lectures by eminent mathematicians. Moreover, the board of advisors for the event are professors at universities such as MIT, Harvard, and UC San Diego.
Participating in an event connected to high-profile individuals is beneficial as their insights and perspectives can deepen your understanding of mathematics and expose you to interesting areas of research and study that you might be inclined to study in the future. Moreover, you can reach out for mentorship opportunities which can be valuable for future opportunities, not only for college but for pursuing a career in math.
5. Cash prizes of $100,000 are up for grabs
At Math Prize, you will have to attempt a challenging test of 20 numerical questions in 2.5 hours. However, to qualify for Math Prize, you will have to have written the AMC Math exams. Only the top 300 girls get selected to compete in Math Prize.
If you compete, an added bonus for this test are the Cash Prizes, which Math Prize awards $100,000 in. 1st Prize winners can expect cash prizes of up to $50,000. The financial rewards can be valuable to put away for college tuition or other future endeavors.
Moreover, the large cash prizes will attract top talent in the country, making your achievement more valuable. Being the recipient of this award can showcase your dedication and enhance your college application, increasing your chances of availing of financial aid or merit scholarships!
6. You will explore diverse topics in mathematics
Participating in Math Prize for Girls can hint at your interest in Math outside of the classroom, as the test covers a wide range of topics from number theory and combinatorics to advanced algebraic structures and the use of probability and statistics.
Exposure to these topics can help you identify a potential research area and introduce you to advanced mathematical concepts, which will prepare you for your future studies and career paths in STEM fields.
Bonus: Math Prize Olympiad
The top 35 performers in Math Prize are invited to participate in the Advantage Testing Foundation/ Jane Street Math Prize Olympiad. The Olympiad is a proof-based contest administered at the student’s school and will be set in November or December of the test year.
Participating and getting an award in the Math Prize Olympiad distinguishes you from other academically talented students, showing your dedication and ability to cope with academically rigorous content.
Extra Resources
Here are a few resources that can help your search and application in the program -
If you're looking for a real-world internship that can help boost your resume while applying to college, we recommend Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective program equipping students with virtual internship experiences at startups and nonprofits around the world!
The startups range across a variety of industries, and each student can select which field they would most love to deep dive into. This is also a great opportunity for students to explore areas they think they might be interested in, and better understand professional career opportunities in those areas.
The startups are based all across the world, with the majority being in the United States, Asia and then Europe and the UK.
The fields include technology, machine learning and AI, finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, media and journalism and more.
You can explore all the options here on their application form. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship - the Ladder Coach serves as a second mentor and a sounding board, guiding you through the internship and helping you navigate the startup environment.
Cost: $1490 (Financial Aid Available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: April 16 and May 14
Program dates: 8 weeks, June to August
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates and gap year students!
Additionally, you can also work on independent research in AI, through Veritas AI's Fellowship Program!
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI a suitable environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship.
These programs are designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni and you can expect a great, fulfilling educational experience. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship.
The AI Fellowship program will have students pursue their own independent AI research project.
Students work on their own individual research projects over a period of 12-15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. In the past, students have worked on research papers in the field of AI & medicine, AI & finance, AI & environmental science, AI & education, and more! You can find examples of previous projects here.
Location: Virtual
Cost:
$1,790 for the 10-week AI Scholars program
$4,900 for the 12-15 week AI Fellowship
$4,700 for both
Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Applications for fall cohort have closed September 3, 2023.
Program dates: Various according to the cohort
Program selectivity: Moderately selective
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit past experience with AI concepts or Python.
Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions pertaining to the students background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest.
Bonus - Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are interested in doing university-level research in math, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students that I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 2100 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.