| Contest Name | Grades | Prizes | Fee | Registration Deadline | Description |
The American Statistical Association
Poster Competition | Kindergarten-3rd, 4th-6th, 7th-9th, 10th-12th | $50, $100, $200 (and graphing calculators for 4th-12th grade winners) | Free | Due date April 1 each year | One or more students create a poster displaying two or more related graphics that summarize a set of data/examine the data from different points of view/ answer specific questions about the data. Many helps available on website. |
| Davidson Young Scholars | Ages 5-16 | Students and their parents are given free services for educational advocacy, social and emotional development, talent development and peer connections. Grants available for for Young Scholars for academic materials, tutorials, and other educational needs | Free | 15th of every month | This free program offers a set of services designed to nurture the intellectual development of profoundly intelligent young people. |
| North South Foundation Math Bee | K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, 9th-10th | Certificates and trophies | $25 | Depends on your state; generally March/April | For Indian-Americans only. Has regional and national levels |
| Crazy 4 Math Contest | Under age eighteen | Books, CD's, magazine subscriptions, and gift certificates | Free | July? | Describe how you use math in any activity you love to do — a sport, game, craft, hobby, or anything else. Send in a description of the activity and it how it uses math, as well as any drawings or diagrams. Individuals or teams may enter. |
| The Wright Challenge | All | "Certificates, eternal popularity, and over $100 in cash" | Free | Every other week | Submit solutions every other week to interesting puzzles posted on the website. Points are tallied throughout the year for end-of-year prizes. |
| Columbus State University's Problem of the Week | All | Names of those with correct answers immediately posted on website, and entered in drawing to win a Problem of the Week Contest T-shirt (one awarded for each level each week). | Free | New problems will be placed on the contest pages each Monday | Weekly online problems at four levels: Elementary Brain Teaser, Middle School Madness Algebra in Action and Problem of the Week. Enter your answers online. |
| World of Escher | All | From online Escher store | Free | June 15, 2008 | Create 8 1/2 x 11" symmetry art work using tesselations, after the pattern of M.C. Escher. |
| Math wiz | All | $25/monthly winner, $50/annual high score | Free | Runs monthly January-December | Points awarded for correct answers to three categories of questions: elementary, middle and senior. Bonus points for submitting new contest problems. |
| Math Kangaroo | 2nd-12th | All participants receive T-shirts, pen keychains, and stuffed kangaroos; High scorers receive books, $25/$50/$100 Best Buy gift cards and $500 college grants | $20 | Test 3/19/09, registration starts in September '09 | 75-minute, multiple-choice test at individual grade levels. Testing done at schools/homeschools in March and mailed back in. |
| Academic Leagues | 2nd-12th | Medals for all individual entrants | $30 per year (includes three contests) | Nov/Dec | Three math contests at each grade level. Fifteen challenging multiple-choice questions. 30-minute closed book quiz. Teams may compete. Can be taken online or by hand.
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| Talent Search Programs hosted by Johns Hopkins, Duke, Northwestern, and University of Denver | 2nd through 9th (or more narrow ranges) with high scores on standardized testing (typically top 5%) | Above-level ACT/SAT testing experience to gain more accurate information about a gifted student's abilities. Award ceremonies, assistance coordinating educational planning, newsletters, specialized enrichment programs for gifted youth. | $56-$78 including test fee; financial aid available | Vary (some are quite limited, such as fall of the 7th grade year) | In addition to testing, many educational enrichment programs available for preK-12th graders: challenging weekend, after-school, and summer classes, independent study and online courses, college guides, and more. |
| ABACUS International Math Challenge | 3rd and 4th graders (ages 9-10), 5th and 6th graders (ages 11-12), 7th and 8th graders (ages 13-14) | Cumulative high scorers are posted on website. | Free | Problems sent out monthly from Sept. through March. All answers due by April 30, 2008. | Eight problems a month posted in each age group. Students must present their reasoning with their solutions. If a student submits an incorrect solution, a teacher will e-mail hints, giving students multiple chances to succeed. Points awarded for solutions, and also for submitting new contest problems. |
The American Statistical Association
Project Competition | 4th-6th, 7th-9th, 10th-12th | $50, $100, $200 and graphing calculators | Free | Due date April 1 each year | One or more students create a statistical project answering a research question using statistical techniques and present the work in a written report. Many helps available on website. |
| MATHCOUNTS | 6th - 8th grades | Top two individuals at each local meet move on to state/ national finals. Top state teams win free trip to nationals and compete for trophies and scholarships. | $20 | December | Extensive free materials sent to participants for coaching to strengthen students' analytical skills. Teams may also participate at meets. |
| Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program | 7th grade and up | Individualized scholarships and support to pursue educational opportunities | Free | First Monday in May of 7th grade year | Approximately 70 high-achieving youth with financial need each year receive scholarships to help them develop their talents and abilities. |
| National Financial Literacy Challenge | Age 13 through high school | Top 25% will be recognized by the U.S. Treasury Department. Top-scoring students may receive college scholarships. | Free | May 16, 2008 | A one-hour, online test with 35 questions on basic personal finance. Sponsored by the U.S. Treasury Department in efforts to encourage high school financial literacy. |
| Casio's Problem of the Month Education Contest | Middle School, High School, College | Digital cameras, watches, calculators and/or t-shirts and range in value from $10 to $350 | Free | Monthly | Month problems posted online. Email in answers. Monthly winners for each level will be randomly selected. |
| Rocket City Math League | Middle school and high school (Pre-Algebra and up) | Trophies, plaques, and other prizes such as TI-89's and an Apple iPod | Free | November | Three 45-minute tests for each of four divisions, each consisting of 12 questions. Individual and team awards. |
| Davidson Fellows Scholarship | Under age 18; no minimum age | $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, and scholarships | Free | March | Scholarships for extraordinary young people who have completed a significant piece of work in Mathematics, Science, Literature, Music, Technology, Philosophy and Outside the Box. |
| Wisconsin Mathematics, Engineering and Science Talent Search | All (high school level problems) | Invitation to Honors Day at University of Wisconsin, Madison with luncheon, lectures, and awards. Eligibility for $6,000/yr Van Vleck Scholarship at the University of Wisconsin. | Free | First set posted October 1, due November 1 | Five sets of unusual, challenging, and enjoyable problems each school year. Mail in full solutions to as many as you can solve. |
| Pomona College Mathematical Talent Search | All (high school level problems) | Invitation to Honors Day at Pomona College, CA with luncheon, lectures, and some simple prizes. | Free | First set posted October 1, due November 1 | Five sets of unusual, challenging, and enjoyable problems each school year. Mail in full solutions to as many as you can solve. Enter as individual or team. |
| USA Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS) | High school (and advanced younger students) | Certificates, books, software, subscriptions, scholarships to Mathcamp, qualification to take the AIME.
| Free | Problems due in early October, November, January, and March | Four rounds of five problems each, to be mailed in a month after posted on website. Carefully written justifications are required for each problem.
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| American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) | 6th-8th (or advanced 4th & 5th); age 14.5 or younger | Certificates and recognition.
High scoring students may participate in the AMC 10.
| $44 per school/ group
| Test date 11/18/08
Discount registration by 10/20; Late registration by 11/13 | Materials mailed for group to take 25 question, 40 minute multiple choice test |
| American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) | 10th and below; age 17.5 or younger | Certificates and recognition.
Students scoring in top 1% may participate in the AIME.
| $40 per group + $14 per 10 tests | Test date 2/10/08 or 2/25/09
Discount registration by 12/15/08; late registration by 2/3/09 | Materials mailed for group to take 25 question, 75 minute multiple choice test |
| American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) | 12th and below; age 19.5 or younger | Certificates and recognition.
Students scoring in top 5% may participate in the AIME. | $40 per group + $16 per 10 tests | 12/15/07; or 2/13/08 for $20 more | Materials mailed for group to take 25 question, 75 minute multiple choice test on non-calculus concepts |
American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME)
| High scorers of AMC 10/12 or USAMTS (see above) | Top scoring students are invited to take the USAMO to qualify for the US Mathematics Olympiad team for international competition. | Free | High scorers on AMC 10/12 are automatically registered. Test date March/April | 15 question, 3 hour examination |
| Siemens Competition | High school students | $1,000-$100,000 scholarships for regional and national winners. | Free | October 1, 2008 | The leading science and mathematics research-based competition for high school students in the United States. Enter as individuals or teams (up to 3 students). See also the Siemens Foundation website. |
| Mandelbrot Competition | Under age 20 | Award ribbons | $32 for four students; $8 for each additional four | Round 1 of testing begins 11/3/08.
Registration opens 6/1/08 and closes 9/30/08; Late registration deadline 10/31/08 | Five rounds of 40 minute, 7 question tests on non-calculus topics |
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