Stanford Math Tournament 2024

Overview

DATE: April 12-13, 2024
LOCATION: Stanford University
WHO: High School students residing within the United States
TEAM SIZE: 5-6
COST: $20 per student (Financial aid available upon request!)

Applications for SMT 2024 are now closed. We encourage you to participate in SMT 2024 Online !


Registration Information

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Questions or issues? Reach out to stanford.math.tournament@gmail.com


Registration Timeline

November 19, 2023: In-person application form opens here
March 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT: Application deadline
March 6, 2024: Announcement of teams selected for in-person competition
March 13, 2024: Deadline for selected teams to register
April 12, 2024: Optional Social Activities
April 13, 2024: SMT tournament day

Contest Schedule

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*Schedule and activities subject to change. Note that there is built-in buffer time to explain instructions and assist with technical difficulties.


Test Information

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The Power Round is a 80-minute exam focused on proof-writing. The content of the test focuses on a single subject matter that is usually significantly different from traditional competitive math problems.

The Team Round is a 50-minute exam consisting of 15 short answer questions.

The General Test is a 110-minute individual exam consisting of 25 short answer questions that is designed for students that have less specialized mathematical background.
The General Test is worth 60% of the Subject Tests.

The Subject Tests are two 50-minute individual exams consisting of 10 short answer questions. The subjects offered are Algebra, Calculus, Discrete (Number Theory & Combinatorics), and Geometry

The Guts Round is an 80 minute live-scored team exam consisting of 9 series of 3 questions each, whereby teams must submit answers to a previous round in order to gain access to the next. Subsequent rounds are both harder and worth more points than previous rounds.

Application Information

For SMT 2024, we will be inviting 400 students (~65-80 teams) from around the United States to compete in-person on Stanford’s campus. We are now accepting applications for in-person participation from schools and local established mathematical organizations in the United States. We will not be accepting applications from individuals or teams with less than 5 participants. Teams that are unable to participate in our in-person tournament are invited to participate in our online tournaments.

Students are highly encouraged to participate in SMT 2024 as part of their school. Homeschooled students are considered to be a part of their local public school. Students who do not have the opportunity to participate in SMT as part of their school may participate as part of a local established mathematical organization. An organization is considered local if its students are within a roughly 50 mile radius of the organization’s headquarters. An organization is considered established if it conducts activities for the mathematical enrichment of students beyond participating in competitions, and provides clear avenues for any student to get involved. Students may not participate as part of a local established mathematical organization if their school is sending a team to SMT 2024 in-person.

A certain number of spots will be reserved for students from within the Bay Area (defined as within 150 miles of Stanford University) with the rest reserved for students from outside the Bay. For each of these categories, we will reserve spots for top school teams (non-orgs) from SMT 2023 and for teams that are low-income and/or historically underrepresented in mathematics. The rest of the spots will be assigned via a lottery, with preference given to school-based teams.

These criteria only apply for SMT 2024 at Stanford, not for SMT 2024 Online. These selection criteria are not final and may change as we look for a set of criteria that make sense to promote both diversity and competition for this year and future ones. Decisions made by SMT are final and non-negotiable.

Updated on 3/5/2024

FAQ

Q: How many students may be on a team?

A: Teams must consist of 5-6 members. Teams with less or more students will not be accepted.

Q: Can I participate in SMT remotely?

A: Yes, see the SMT Online Page.

Q: Do students on the same team have to be from the same school or established mathematical organization?

A: Yes, students must be from the same school or mathematical organization. If a student's school is participating, however, that student must participate through their school.

Q: What schools or organizations can participate in SMT?

A: SMT 2024 will be open to all domestic students from US-based schools or organizations.

Q: Can international teams participate in SMT? If so, how do they register?

A: Yes, but they must participate in SMT Online - see that page for more details.

Q: Are calculators allowed?

A: No. Calculators are not allowed on any portion of the tests. Check the SMT rules for information on permitted items.

Q: What topics may appear on the tests? How hard are the tests?

A: See the mathematical expectations document for guidelines on what topics may appear on each test. It is also advisable to look at the test from previous years in order to get a sense of the typical style and difficulty of SMT tests.

Q: Which individual test should I take?

A: If you have little or no experience with contest math, we strongly recommend you take the General Test. Looking at past tests will help you get a sense of the difficulty of each test.

Q: Do we need to have a teacher or coach attend SMT in person?

A: Yes, you must have at least one authorized adult chaperone present per team.

Q: Can I use the problems from previous SMT tests listed below in my classroom/book/etc?

A: Yes! Feel free to use these problems provided you cite us in the format (Stanford Math Tournament [Year] [Round] [Problem #])