MATHCOUNTS - 10 Reasons Why It's a Solid Experience
If you are a middle school student with strong mathematics skills and enjoy testing your analytical and problem-solving skills against your peers, then you would likely do well if you participated in a math competition. Such competitions are a great opportunity to see how well you can solve problems under pressure in a timed environment. Doing well — and even winning — would earn you accolades and provide proof of your analytical abilities, which will benefit you in high school and beyond!
If this sounds like you, we recommend you check out the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series, which tests some of the brightest young mathematical minds across the U.S.
What is Mathcounts all about?
Mathcounts is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that conducts nationwide mathematics competitions for middle school students in grades 6-8. The organization has two programs, the annual Competition Series and the National Math Club. In the Mathcounts Competition Series (which this blog focuses on), students participate in in-person competition rounds at a school, chapter, state, and national level. The competition has different rounds to test your mathematical abilities, and the national winner wins a scholarship worth $20,000.
Who is eligible for the competition?
All U.S. middle school students in grades 6-8 can apply. You must be enrolled in a school to participate (home-schooled students are also eligible).
Is the program prestigious?
Yes, the Mathcounts Competition Series is highly competitive and prestigious. Thousands of students participate annually from across the country, with only 200+ making it to the finals. The national winner receives a $20,000 scholarship. Winning this competition would add great value to your profile and make your mathematical abilities stand out.
What are the program dates?
The 2024 edition of the Mathcounts Competition Series has ended. Dates for the 2025 edition will likely follow previous years’ deadlines and be as follows:
August 15: Applications open
November 1 to late January: School competition rounds are held. The exact date varies depending on your school and the program’s coordinator
January 8: Registration deadline
February 1 to February 29: Chapter (local) competitions are held across the country
March 1 to March 31: State competitions
May 14-15: The Mathcounts National Competition is held in Washington, D.C.
What are the program costs?
You can avail of a special rate depending on when you apply:
Early bird rate: $30 per student if you apply by November 1
Regular rate: $35 per student if you apply by December 15
Late rate: $40 per student if you apply by January 8
How do I prepare for the competition?
Mathcounts offers several resources available on its website. These include a textbook for schools, a “problem of the week,” detailed explanations of Mathcounts problems, access to previous years’ problems, practice plans to help you prepare for the competition, and much more!
How does the competition work?
The competition has four levels: school, chapter, state, and national. Each level has four rounds — sprint, target, team, and countdown — that take three hours to complete. Each round focuses on the following:
The Sprint round focuses on speed and accuracy. You will have 40 minutes to answer 30 questions without the help of a calculator.
The Target round focuses on your ability to problem-solve and reason mathematically. Here, you can use a calculator to solve four pairs of problems, with six minutes allotted for each pair.
The Team round places emphasis on problem-solving and collaboration. You can attempt this round only if you are part of a school team. Your team will have 20 minutes to solve 10 questions. Calculators are permitted.
The final Countdown round tests your speed and accuracy by giving you 45 seconds to solve a problem without using a calculator. This is an optional round at the school, chapter, and state levels.
To participate, you must register via your school. Each school can send a maximum of one team of up to four students and eight individual students (in all, 12 students). You can participate in the competition for up to three years.
In the school competition, the school’s Mathcounts coach decides which students will progress to the chapter (local) level. These are usually held in January at the coach’s discretion.
Chapter competitions, held in February, see teams and individuals battle it out. Here, the winning team and the two highest-ranking individual competitors progress to the state level. A minimum of six competitors progress (four in a team and two individual) but the chapter coordinator can nominate more at their discretion.
At the state level, the chapter winners compete and the four highest-scoring individuals and the best team qualify for the National, held in Washington, D.C.
At the National competition, individuals and teams compete for medals, trophies, and college scholarships. The individual winner receives $20,000 and the runner-up $7,500. The two semifinalists get $3,000 each, and the winning team receives $2,000 per member.
Interested in applying? Here are six reasons why Mathcounts can be a solid option for you:
1. You can gain valuable experience that will help you in future competitions
As a middle school student, Mathcounts will likely be one of the first competitions you participate in. You can use this opportunity to experience timed competitions and solve problems under pressure. Moreover, Mathcounts can be the stepping stone for future competitions, especially if you want to participate in Olympiads and other national and international events.
2. You can win a scholarship
If you make it through the school, chapter, and state levels, you can win a scholarship worth $20,000 for your college education. There are also separate prizes for the runner-up, semifinalists, and team winners.
3. You can improve your problem-solving skills
Many questions are word problems that test your mathematical reasoning and word problem skills. Whether you win or not, training for the competition will improve these skills that will come into use in high school, college, and beyond. Mathcounts does not permit the use of a calculator for some of its rounds, which will test your mental arithmetic ability.
4. You deepen your knowledge of mathematics
Some of the mathematical concepts you will need to master to succeed in Mathcounts include addition and subtraction logic, averages, bases, combinatorics, statistics, geometry, and more.
5. You can make use of networking opportunities
As you progress through the levels, you will meet other students from your area, state, and from across the country. These like-minded peers can inspire and motivate you to do better. You will also get to meet coaches from other schools and professionals who can speak about careers in mathematics.
6. You can use the competition to build your college profile
Competitions like Mathcounts can enhance your resume and increase your chances of getting into colleges that offer highly ranked STEM courses. They demonstrate your ability to work well under pressure, think analytically, and problem-solve, as well as prove a high level of mathematical reasoning.
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs!
This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.
You can find the application link here
One more option - The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
The Lumiere Junior Explorer Program is a program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about. Our mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke and LSE.
The program was founded by a Harvard & Oxford PhD who met as undergraduates at Harvard. The program is rigorous and fully virtual. We offer need based financial aid for students who qualify. You can find the application in the brochure!
To learn more, you can reach out to our Head of Partnerships, Maya, at maya.novak-herzog@lumiere.education or go to our website.
Multiple rolling deadlines for JEP cohorts across the year, you can apply using this application link! If you'd like to take a look at the cohorts + deadlines for 2024, you can refer to this page!
Kieran Lobo is a freelance writer from India.
Image Source: MATHCOUNTS Competition Series logo