Math Extracurriculars in the DMV
Explore a curated short list of math extracurricular activities in the DMV made with the help of alumni of these programs.
Quick Info
Who
High school juniors or seniors
What
From a former student:
"A team competition in which you try to create a mathematical model in order to visualize a given concept in the real world."
Teams consist of 3-5 students and 1 coach. Teams aim to complete their mathematical model within their specific 14-hour timeframe on competition weekend.
Where
Remote competition, teams often choose to work together in person during the 14 hours
When
Competition weekend is generally in late February or early March
Cost
Free
Ratings
Cost
1 being the most expensive, 10 being free with stipends
Value
1 being not valuable at all, 10 being extremely valuable
Difficulty
1 being very easy, 10 being extremely difficult
(Time spent, transportation, break time, etc.)
W.M., '25
W.M., '25
"I feel like it was good practice of time management within a group, as well as an interesting way to think about problems within a group. However, it was all skills I’ve used in the classroom many times."
W.M., '25
"14 hours is a very long time to sit and answer one question. It also took a lot of learning how to manipulate different software, like Excel."
Program Qualities
According to Alumni
Peer-based collaborative work
Research
Rigid scheduling
Self-paced
High-commitment
Project building
Independent work
Mentorship
Hands-on learning
Lecture-styled learning
Open-ended (freedom of creativity on work)
Flexible scheduling
Instructor-led
Low-commitment
Fun
Skill learning
Alumni Testimonials
​
Quick Info
Who
High school juniors or seniors living in the United States outside the Greater Boston area
What
From a former student:
"A rigorous research program in which one conducts actual research on a topic in higher math. Possible topics may include but are not limited to: Graph Theory, Combinatorics, Number Theory, Physics, and Abstract Algebra. Students participate in a reading period, then conduct research under a mentor. They write their findings up in a research paper and present it at the PRIMES Conference."
Where
Remote, meetings with mentors are often over video conference
When
Full calendar year, January 1st to December 31st
Cost
Free
Ratings
Cost
1 being the most expensive, 10 being free with stipends
Value
1 being not valuable at all, 10 being extremely valuable
Difficulty
1 being very easy, 10 being extremely difficult
(Time spent, transportation, break time, etc.)
A.A., '25
A.A., '25
"I learned many research skills from the program, and it heavily boosted my problem-solving in the field I was working in. I also really enjoyed the research that I was conducting."
A.A., 25
"It requires 10 hours of work per week, and the research being done is not easy at all. At one point, I spent more than10 weeks solving a single problem. It also requires high levels of skill and intuition."
Program Qualities
According to Alumni
Mentorship
Research
Hands-on learning
Open-ended (freedom of creativity on work)
Flexible scheduling
Self-paced
High-commitment
Fun
Independent work
Peer-based collaborative work
Lecture-styled learning
Rigid scheduling
Instructor-led
Low-commitment
Project building
Skill learning
Alumni Testimonials
​
American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) 10/12
+ American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME)
Nationwide
National math competitions aimed towards selecting the participants for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). The best performers on the AMC 10 or AMC 12 tests are selected to participate in AIME.
Quick Info
Who
For AMC 10: High school students in 10th grade and below and also under the age of 17.5 on the day of the competition.
For AMC 12: High school students in 12th grade and below and also under the age of 19.5 on the day of the competition.
The top 2.5% of scorers on AMC 10 qualify for AIME, and the top 5% of scorers on AMC 12 qualify for AIME.
What
From a former student:
"It is a set of math competitions that are back to back that need qualifications for the next level/test."
Where
Various hosting locations
When
AMC 10/12: November
AIME: February (invite-only)
Cost
Free for students, host sites for AMC 10/12 pay a fee for registering each student, both of which can be passed down to the student, depending on the hosting organization
Ratings
Cost
1 being the most expensive, 10 being free with stipends
Value
1 being not valuable at all, 10 being extremely valuable
Difficulty
1 being very easy, 10 being extremely difficult
(Time spent, transportation, break time, etc.)
P.B., '21-Present
P.B., '21-Present
"I learnt lots of tips and tricks that helped me on the SAT and other things like class and for day to day situations. But I did not get far in the tests with lots of practice and this made it less valuable for me."
P.B., '21-Present
"Though it does take time, it's not that hard if you are good at math and critical thinking with time to study. Starting early can be helpful when studying."
Program Qualities
According to Alumni
Independent work
Rigid scheduling
Self-paced
High-commitment
Skill learning
Peer-based collaborative work
Mentorship
Research
Hands-on learning
Lecture-styled learning
Open-ended (freedom of creativity on work)
Flexible scheduling
Instructor-led
Low-commitment
Fun
Project building